When life gets busy or money gets tight, it is easy to put off dental hygiene appointments. Many patients view these appointments as “just a cleaning.” Conversely, your dental hygiene appointment is much more than that! Dental cleaning appointments involve more than just cleaning teeth. Your cleaning appointment is really an oral health appointment. The…
Smoking and Your Oral Health There are many oral consequences of tobacco use. Smoking alone causes mouth sores, ulcers, gum disease, and oral cancer. Additionally, smoking affects both those who smoke as well as those exposed to second hand smoke. Periodontal Disease Fifty percent of smokers have periodontal disease. Smoking causes people to be more susceptible…
School is out for summer! It is time to have fun at the pool and relax with the family. Taking a vacation may also finally be in the cards! Whether you are going to the beach or the mountains this year, remember to bring your dental hygiene aids with you! Vacation doesn’t prevent cavities! Here…
There are two types of stain that affect our teeth. Intrinsic tooth staining is the staining of the inner layer of the tooth. Extrinsic tooth staining is the staining of the outer layer of the tooth. Intrinsic stain is more difficult to control. These stains need restorations to repair or mask their appearance because it…
The jury is still out on whether or not oral health directly affects cardiovascular health. However, it is difficult to ignore the similarities between gum disease and heart disease. Additionally, the similarities in the disease-causing bacteria are also apparent. Conditions Atherosclerosis Oral bacteria that cause periodontal disease (gum disease) have been found in hearts affected…
Do I Need to Get My Wisdom Teeth Removed? For young adults, wisdom teeth removal is a common concern. The majority of people have four third molars (aka wisdom teeth) that begin to erupt in the teenage years. However, few people have enough room in their mouth for them. Problems From Wisdom Teeth Damage to…
We are always told that sugar is bad for our teeth, but why? What’s the big deal? We also know that sugar causes tooth decay, but how? Let’s explore how sugar affects our teeth and the reasons to limit sugar in our daily diet. How Sugar Causes Tooth Decay Surprisingly, it is not sugar itself…