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 [...]
The words "aging" and "healthy" don't have to be either/or propositions. Fact is, in some ways we grow healthier as we age. We've built up so many antibodies that our resistance to virus increases. Years of brushing with fluoride toothpaste actually strengthens tooth enamel. A little effort on your part now can help insure you'll [...]
Without Speaking A Word! Looking into your open mouth, we see so much more than teeth. In many ways, it's a window into the health of your entire body. Things like vitamin and mineral deficiencies are easily detected—and just as easily treated. Problems that might in the future become serious are spotted and responded to. [...]
Harrison Ford took a nasty fall and lost two of his teeth. Thanks to modern dentistry, he went on to become a major Hollywood star. For as long as we humans have been losing teeth, we've been filling the gaps. Early dentures were made from ivory, bone, silver, gold, agate, mother-of-pearl and teeth removed from [...]
Beware of oral complications from this respiratory disease In years past, asthma attacks could be unpredictable and difficult to control. Today, medications have been developed to control attacks—in some cases preventing them from occurring at all. If you—or a member of your family—still suffer the attacks, check with your physician about new treatment methods. Although [...]
Do you snore, and has your partner compared it to the sound of a giant band saw slowly slicing through the house? Ever wake up groggy and grumpy after a "full night's sleep?" If the answers are "Yes" and "Yes," you could be suffering from sleep apnea, a not-so-funny condition in which sleepers actually stop [...]
X-rays are critical to the practice of dentistry. And the benefits are profound. But dentists are sometimes guilty of dismissing patient concerns, as in, "Don't worry, you'll be fine." We do believe the judicious use of X-rays is in our patients' best interests. But patients deserve to know why. Radiography begins Wilhelm Roentgen, fiddling around [...]
Social embarrassments come in many sizes. But chronic bad breath is near the top of the list. It affects those nearest and dearest to us and may limit the close social contacts we treasure most. Worse yet, a person with bad breath may be unaware he's offensive—we "turn off" our sensitivity to bad odors over [...]
