Parents typically provide oral hygiene care until the child is old enough to take personal responsibility for the daily dental health routine of brushing and flossing. A proper regimen of home preventive care for children's teeth is important from the day your child is born. Clean your infant's gums with a clean, damp cloth. Ask [...]
Dentists and researchers aren't in complete agreement about the cause of nightly tooth grinding (bruxism). But they do agree that it's partly stress-related. Since the year-end holidays can be some of the most stressful months of the year, we may be at risk for high stress more than at any other time. The Holiday Season [...]
Chewing tobacco affects your dental health as well as the rest of your body. If you use smokeless tobacco and have thought about quitting, we can help. How do you kick the habit? We can help you kick your chewing tobacco habit. In addition to cleaning teeth and treating bad breath and puffy, swollen gums [...]
Tooth decay is declining everywhere except among preschoolers. Proper care of your child’s first teeth is important to ensure the health of permanent teeth in later years. You won’t see a newborn’s teeth, but enamel and dentin are already forming in the jaw. Teething is just months away. Use a clean dry wash cloth to [...]
More than half of adult Americans have gum disease. Poor nutrition caused much of it, with neglect contributing a share. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease. Doctors suggest that bacteria from diseased gums moves into the blood and then to the heart, causing heart attacks and stroke. The saliva of people with gum [...]
During any emergency it's important to remain calm as you arrange for treatment, and be sure to follow these instructions in the the meantime. Toothache Rinse mouth vigorously with cool water. Floss to remove food that might be trapped between teeth. DON’T use heat or place aspirin ON the aching tooth or gum. Call us [...]
The medicine you take for one physical disorder may literally rot your teeth. This is one of many reasons we need to know your medical history and current treatment. For instance... Chewable vitamin C supplements are a good idea for a lot of people, but check your brand for sugar content. For children especially, a liquid [...]
Remember Your Teeth After that Extra Halloween Sugar! Most folks eat more sugar than they realize—150 pounds per year average. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, many of them children. Doctors predict that this obesity epidemic will be followed by an epidemic of diabetes. You can lose the sugar bowl and still consume your share of [...]
When should my child first see a dentist, and why? The ideal time is six months after your child's first (primary) teeth erupt. This time frame is a perfect opportunity for us to carefully examine the development of your child's mouth. Because dental problems often start early, the sooner the visit the better. To safeguard [...]
What is tooth decay, and what causes it? Tooth decay is the disease known as caries or cavities. It is not life threatening and is although it is highly preventable, it will affect most people to some degree during their lifetime. Tooth decay occurs when your teeth are frequently exposed to foods containing carbohydrates (starches [...]
