It seems that every few years, there’s some sort of move to frighten the public about one thing or another. We all remember the egg scare from years ago, when Americans were warned that eating eggs would raise our cholesterol and kill us prematurely. It was only after tens of millions of people adjusted their…
Xerostomia and its Impact on Older Dental Patients
As the nation’s population continues to grow grayer, dentists around the country are focusing even more attention on the oral health challenges seniors often face. The need for this increased attention is only enhanced by many seniors’ reliance on medications to treat many age-related conditions and other medical ailments like hypertension and diabetes. For many…
Charcoal Teeth Whitening? Don’t Believe Everything You Read Online!
Americans love white teeth. They truly do. In fact, it’s become something of a national obsession in recent decades, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If the quest for bright, white teeth and a perfect smile helps to motivate people to stick to their recommended daily dental hygiene routines and show up for their…
The Worst Habits that Can Damage Your Teeth
With the holiday season in full swing and sweet treats and all manner of culinary delights on everyone’s menus, it’s more important than ever to focus on proper dental care. Unfortunately, many of us have bad habits that can increase the risk of serious damage to our teeth and gums. To improve dental health and…
Could a New Toothpaste Help in Your Battle Against Plaque?
We’ve reported in the past about all the various ways that your dental health can negatively impact your body, as plaque and various inflammatory conditions can cause or exacerbate conditions like heart disease. And, of course, you already know about the main weapons at your disposal for combatting these health concerns: brushing, flossing, and regular…
Receding Gums: Why it Happens and What You Can Do About It
Gum recession is one of those problems that is often attributed to advancing age. In fact, some experts suggest that as many as 88 percent of seniors have at least some level of recession in one or more teeth. The reality is that age is a risk factor rather than a cause for this condition,…
How Technology May Make Root Canals Obsolete
If you’ve ever undergone a root canal procedure, then you know how painful and distressing it can be. Millions of root canals are performed each year to save teeth that have been compromised by injury, infection and other damage. Despite the benefits that this procedure can offer, the treatment remains something that most patients dread….
Skipping those Dental Checkups? Why That’s a Bad Idea
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who skip their dental checkups on a regular basis, you probably think that you have good reasons for that decision. Maybe you’re just afraid of the dentist’s chair. That’s not uncommon, after all; by some estimates, as many as fifteen percent of all Americans suffer from dental…
Dentists Frustrated by AP Report Questioning Flossing’s Value
If you saw this summer’s report from the Associated Press that questioned the benefits of flossing, you might have found yourself wondering whether the world had suddenly been turned inside out. After all dentists have been recommending flossing for many decades, and even the Federal government has advised Americans to make it a part of…
October is National Dental Hygiene Month: Recommit to Your Oral Health!
That’s right – it’s time once again to celebrate the efforts of dental hygienists across the nation, as they work each and every day to ensure that your teeth and gums remain clean, strong, and healthy. This is the seventh consecutive year of National Dental Hygiene Month, a tradition that began as the result of…