Especially for Braces Wearers Do you absent-mindedly commit Tooth Abuse? These are habits definitely off limits for the health of your teeth: Don't chomp on a toothpick—it can wear teeth down and get caught in your braces. Stop chewing your nails, pens and pencils—it's hard on teeth and gums. Leave the ice in your drink? [...]
What is that goo? Whether you need a new denture, braces, or a single inlay restoration, you'll encounter the "goo" dentists use to make an impression - the first step to a perfect likeness of your mouth. In effect, the material you bite into registers a "negative" image, like a photograph. To make a positive [...]
Here's our Cast List: Vitamin A; the "B's" (B1, B2, B3, B6, B12); Vitamins C, D, E, K, and P. Some, like Vitamin C, are old friends; others, like Vitamin P (bioflavonoids) are more mysterious. What they have in common: all can be found in one or another food source. And all can be taken [...]
"Meal Replacement" alternatives...How much of the hype is science—and how much is fiction? Like personal aircraft, elixirs offering all the necessary nutrients in a single dose have been a staple of science fiction. For good reason. Athletes seek a power surge. Seniors dream of a healthy dinner which needs no cooking before and no clean-up [...]
The first clue to diabetes may be in your mouth! In many cases it's the dentist–and not the physician–who has the first opportunity in the early detection of diabetes, because diabetics are especially prone to dental problems. Swollen, tender, bleeding and receding gums, loose teeth, and a sore tongue may not just be signs of [...]
Risk-taking is a normal part of teenage development—and often a growth opportunity for parents, too! Heads up to handling some common dental risks of adolescence so you both stay smiling. Wisdom Comes With Age The wisdom teeth, the third molars, are the last to emerge. They appear in the teen years sometimes two, sometimes three [...]
Choosing the right toothpaste for yourself—or your family—goes beyond the coupon you may have in hand, or bright displays in the marketplace. For your health, you have to think like a dentist. At different times in our lives, dental strategies change, toothpaste requirements change. And product name isn't half as important as the basic components [...]
Some prescribed drugs and dental surgery may not be a good mix. You might not think that what your MD prescribes—and what your dentist does for your mouth's well-being—are closely related. But both are significant. If you are contemplating upcoming dentistry like a tooth extraction or an implant, it may be helpful to review which [...]
A really dead toothbrush—one badly worn and frayed, not necessarily just old—is like having no toothbrush at all. In fact, you're probably doing more harm than good if your brush has seen better days. All dead toothbrushes should be given a decent burial. If you have doubts about the life left in your toothbrush, bring [...]
Homicide: bad word. It means killing another human being. Germicide? For many, good word. It promises to kill what are hated and feared most in this super-sanitary era: germs. Germ is sort of a catchall that refers to any microorganism we can't actually see. That's sort of like referring to every non-human living thing as [...]
