Maintaining the integrity of your mouth Teeth are tough. Formed from the hardest substances in the body, they're harder even than bone. But they're not indestructible. Throughout life teeth are subject to injury—maybe it will be a blow from a hockey puck in your twenties. Or a luckless chomp on an unseen popcorn kernel in [...]
We have come a long way in the treatment of serious, life-threatening systemic diseases. Part and parcel of healing more aggressive diseases are—more aggressive therapies. And sometimes as a result of forceful care, complications arise that demand attention of their own: oral problems. When an individual is very sick, nutrition becomes more important than ever. [...]
Eating & Drinking Don't let it continue throughout the day. Limit to 4 or 5 periods. This especially includes apple juice, raisins. Residual fruit sugars easily damage baby teeth. Restricting unlimited contact between food and teeth is the most important factor in preventing cavities! Brushing Remember: thorough brushing is more important than frequent brushing. Thorough [...]
There's only one good thing about a visibly damaged tooth: here, clearly, is where the pain's coming from and where our response will be focused. But complaints of "tooth pain" without a clear source or origin—now, that's something else entirely. Say you've been good with your hygiene, faithful in your checkups, and you wake up [...]
While nobody enjoys getting lectured about a bad habit, it's important to have all the relevant information available to you, especially when it involves health implication. So if you need any extra motivation to help you quit smoking, we'll discuss some of the lesser known problems it can cause. It isn't just your lungs that [...]
Dentistry, like any other science, has evolved over time. We've come a long way from the old days of "drill and fill" to a new era of sophisticated technology and technique. And along with this growth has come a new understanding of sterilization and infection control. With a variety of serious illnesses that can be [...]
And the Stress Factor Dentists and researchers aren't completely agreed about the cause of nightly tooth-grinding, or bruxism. But they are aligned on two points: at least partly, it's related to daily stress, and it's happening to more people. It may sound funny, but it's no joke: without food to absorb the impact, teeth can [...]
We'd like to offer one comforting and wonderful fact about today's dentistry: it's comfortable, even pleasant. Technology, new procedures, and some very sophisticated approaches to anesthesia have all contributed to painless treatment, from cleaning to cavity preparations to root canal therapy. But what if you didn't grow up with modern dentistry, and remember it differently? [...]
Since childhood we've been told we need calcium to build strong teeth and bones. But the fact is we never outgrow our need for this important mineral. Why...? Osteoporosis and loss of bone around the teeth can result when we don't consume enough calcium Authorities say that to reduce the risk of weak, brittle bones [...]
Answers to your most frequently asked questions about gum disease. Q: Why is gum disease so terrible if it doesn't hurt? Periodontal disease is a progressive one—meaning if it doesn't stabilize or show signs of healing, it's bound to get worse. Even when it doesn't hurt, untreated gum disease will eventually take its toll: tooth [...]
