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 [...]
Why Sealants are Simply Good Parenting Of course we want the best for our children, and most of us work at good parenting every day: quality schools, solid values, a sense of family. Time and money may put limits on what we can do for our kids’ health and happiness, but not when it comes [...]
For the right patient missing the right tooth, the Tooth Fairy has bailed us out again. A lot of people are missing a single tooth. Until recently, the only options for replacement took the form of a bridge. Dentistry calls this gizmo a fixed or removable partial denture and, for it to fit properly, a [...]
Answers to some frequently-asked questions: Q: Why do we have two sets of teeth? A: A child needs teeth long before his or her jaw is big enough to accommodate the full set of adult teeth. Baby, or deciduous, teeth are “starters” in every sense of the word. Q: Why worry about cavities if baby [...]
Above average? Me? You may be five-foot-four, a C student, never starred at sports. And yet you may be ABOVE average—in your need for dental check-ups. While two visits a year is average, more appointments should be scheduled when either the mouth builds up tartar fast, cavities multiply like bunnies, or teeth or gums experience growing [...]
Do women need to be more careful with their oral health? Women's oral health depends on their different stages of life. For many women, these changes are directly related to surges in sex hormone levels, such as in puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, lactation and menopause. Women are also more likely to be diagnosed with TMJ, Myofascial [...]
How common and how serious is oral cancer? Oral cancer, the sixth most common cancer, accounts for about 3.6 percent of all cancers diagnosed, with roughly 40,000 new cases of oral cancer reported annually in the United States. The vast majority of these cases occur in people older than 45 years, with men being twice [...]
What is a composite resin (white filling)? A composite resin is a tooth-colored plastic mixture filled with glass (silicon dioxide). Introduced in the 1960s, dental composites were confined to the front teeth because they were not strong enough to withstand the pressure and wear generated by the back teeth. Since then, composites have been significantly [...]
Good For More Than Just Your Teeth! When you visit our office for that routine smile exam, our team does a lot more than just probe for cavities. In addition to caring for your teeth, we’re giving you the next best thing to a complete physical examination. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen [...]
