IT’S COMMON ENOUGH to be tongue-tied in the sense of not being able to get your words out, but a tongue tie is also a real medical condition, as is a lip tie. These conditions are both caused by pieces of tissue in the mouth called frena. One frenum connects the tongue to the floor …
THE REASON DAILY brushing and flossing are so important for keeping harmful oral bacteria populations under control is that they reproduce very quickly. In a healthy, clean mouth, there might be anywhere from a thousand to a hundred thousand bacteria on each tooth surface, but that can quickly become as many as a hundred million …
WOMEN FACE A different set of challenges than men do in caring for their teeth and gums, and they also have different advantages. Oral Health Issues that Affect Women More Women make up 90% of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) diagnoses. TMD can be caused by bruxism, joint structure, stress, arthritis, vitamin deficiency, or hormones. Another …
IF EVERY BITE of ice cream or every sip of coffee gives your teeth a nasty jolt, then you know what it’s like to live with tooth sensitivity. At least one in every eight Americans (including kids) has sensitive teeth. Why does this happen to so many of us and what can we do about …
MANY HEALTH ISSUES rarely impact children, but that’s not the case with gum disease. Harmful oral bacteria don’t care how old we are, and kids and teenagers are at risk of developing gingivitis just like adults. Oral Hygiene and Hormones The primary cause of childhood gum disease is poor oral hygiene. The gums become more …
DO YOU HAVE questions for the dentist? There’s a good chance one of yours made our frequently asked questions list! Question 1: How often do I need to visit the dentist? For most people, we recommend a dental exam and cleaning twice a year. Even for patients with perfect oral hygiene, it’s inevitable that some …
SMOKING IS AN incredibly unhealthy habit for the entire body, and that includes teeth and gums. 80% of oral cancer diagnoses are to those who smoke or chew tobacco. Early symptoms include odd white patches in the mouth, pain or mouth sores that persist, swelling, numbness, trouble chewing and swallowing, and a sensation of having …
IN ORDER TO EARN the ADA’s Seal of Acceptance, a tube of toothpaste must contain fluoride and must NOT contain sugar. Trace amounts of fluoride have been added to drinking water across the country for the better part of a century to prevent cavities. The history of fluoride’s connection to public dental health is a …
HAVING A PLAN already in place can make a huge difference if an emergency comes up, and that definitely applies to dental emergencies like oral injuries. How do we plan ahead for unexpected injuries? That will depend on the particular situation. A Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out In most cases, a baby tooth getting knocked …
TOOTHACHES ARE NEVER fun, particularly for little kids who might not know what’s happening. They can be caused by a variety of things and are usually worth a visit to the dentist, especially if it’s still hurting after a couple of days, but what can parents do when a toothache comes during the holidays or …
