What is Plaque? How to Fight Back!
Have you ever run your tongue across the front of your teeth and felt a sticky coating? That is the buildup of bacteria, also known as plaque. If you let the bacteria stick around too long, it can damage tooth enamel and lead to cavities.
The bacteria is called flora — and it protects you from pathogenic organisms, the ones that cause disease. The flora in ...
Continue Reading →Understanding the Real Importance of Mouth Guards
What would you do without some or all of your teeth? As you can imagine, talking, chewing, and even smiling would be a challenge! So, how do you protect your teeth? One great way to do so is with a mouth guard.
Unfortunately, not everyone who should wear a mouth guard actually does. Whether you’re ...
Continue Reading →Toothbrushes 101: How to Choose and Care for Your Toothbrush
When it comes to taking care of your teeth and keeping your smile looking great, your toothbrush plays an essential role. But, how much thought do you actually give to your toothbrush when selecting one or caring for it over time? Probably not much!
Choosing the right toothbrush, caring for it, and knowing when to replace it are all essential components of great ...
Continue Reading →TMJ: It’s Nothing to Yawn About
Have you been ignoring that clicking sound coming from your jaw? Or are you quick to dismiss the stiff, achy feeling your mouth has in the morning? Don’t let these things go unchecked! You might find yourself in for a rude awakening.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (“TMJ” or “TMD”), a serious condition affecting the connective joint between the skull and jaw, often gets overlooked until it becomes severe. ...
Continue Reading →The Wise Patient’s Cheat Sheet on Wisdom Teeth Removal
There’s no way around it: the time has come for your wisdom teeth to be extracted. According to the horror stories out there, you are in for nothing but non-stop agony, but you don’t have to share the same fate!
Being proactive and fully prepared for what happens during and after surgery can minimize the pain and help ensure a smooth recovery. Make the ...
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Straight Talk: The Best Time for Braces
Is your child starting to lose baby teeth? If so, you might want to shift your focus from playing the tooth fairy to researching 
orthodontists.
Scheduling an examination for braces is probably not as fun as putting money under your child’s pillow, but based on new developments – as well as advice from the American Academy of Orthodontics ...
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Your Child’s Sippy Cup: Is it a Friend or Foe?
Shaped like your child’s favorite action heroes and in every vibrant color imaginable, sippy cups seem like an innocent way to prevent spills. But with increased cavities and speech issues abound, pediatric dentists have recent research suggesting that what was once a friend is now a foe.
Of course, sippy cups can play an integral role in your child’s development. But in light ...
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Receding Gums: Are Your Teeth in Peril?
No cavities, no problem, right? Wrong! Even the straightest and whitest of teeth can fall prey to a serious case of receding gums, a common condition that can sneak up and do some damage before many individuals realize it’s even a problem.
While a surefire way to detect and treat it is with regular visits to the dentist, meticulous at-home monitoring and preventative care is also a great line of defense. Here’s what you should ...
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Nature vs. Nurture: Dental Problems Parents Pass Down To Children
Parents, in particular, want to know: does DNA predetermine dental health? It’s the classic nature vs. nurture question that 
dentists get asked often, but the answer doesn’t simply boil down to one or the other. The scary truth is that many dental problems are indeed “inherited”–but not from genetics alone! Harmful habits that run in the family can also play a huge ...
Let’s Clear The Air: Smokeless Tobacco Still Means Trouble!
Chew it, dip it, suck it or “snuff” it–there’s no smoke involved with many forms of tobacco, but no matter how you use it, you’re still playing with fire! While cigarettes catch a lot of heat for causing lung cancer, many don’t realize that other types of nicotine use can be just as damaging to your general and oral health. Before reaching for ...
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