June 24th, 2011
It’s the middle of the day and you’re hungry. You could eat that apple you brought for an afternoon snack, but there’s also that box of cookies in the break room. And not just any cookies—homemade double fudge cookies.
That apple’s lookin’ pretty dinky now, isn’t it?
But before you go hog wild on those cookies, stop and think about all that sugar you’ll be eating. You’ve always heard your dentist say sugar is bad for your teeth, but do you know why? It’s because sugar energizes bacteria and leads to the production of acid, which destroys the enamel protecting your teeth from decay.
Brushing can help protect you, of course, but that happens just twice a day—if that much. So what can you do in the meantime?
How about having a little Xylitol?
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May 18th, 2011
It’s that time of year. Allergens permeate the air we breathe, irritating our sinuses and making us feel all sick in the head. Viral infections, allergies, pollution… all can trigger sinusitis, which often leads to the dreaded sinus infection.
The painful pressure behind your eyes and cheekbones. The constant need to grab for a tissue (or five). The sore throat and irritating cough. The pain in your teeth. Wait… pain in… what? That can’t be right. Read the rest of this entry »
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May 4th, 2011
You know that fuzzy feeling on your teeth at the end of the day? Well, it’s not fuzz (phew!), it’s actually plaque (oh no!). What is plaque? It’s a sticky biofilm attached to your teeth containing hundreds of bacterial species. Before you run for the mouthwash, you should know those bacteria occur naturally. And it’s not just you, everyone has them!
What Causes Plaque?
Those little germs on your teeth use ingredients in saliva to flourish, namely sugar. As the bacteria metabolize tiny sweet particles, they produce acids that erode tooth enamel, cause cavities, and lead to gum disease and tooth loss. A diet full of candy, soft drinks, and carbohydrate-rich foods ups the ante. Read the rest of this entry »
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April 19th, 2011
Why are we discussing cancer on a dental newsletter? Because dental health affects your overall health, and your smile is your dentist’s business. Oral Cancer is a little discussed cancer that is on the rise, despite the overall decline in cancer rates. Why? Awareness. Many people simply don’t talk about oral cancer. Your dentist wants to change that.
Every year, almost 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer. Of these cases, 70% are discovered in the disease’s later stages. As many as one fourth of those diagnosed didn’t even participate in the risky behaviors commonly attributed to the disease, such a tobacco use or excessive alcohol consumption.
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Tags: dental health, General Dentistry, National Cancer Control Month, Oral cancer, oral cancer screening, oral health, Preventive Dentistry, VELscope, ViziLite
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March 28th, 2011
Our mouths are full all kinds of interesting little organisms. It’s sort of like a mini rainforest in there –warm, wet, and home to more than 600 different species of bacteria, viruses, fungi, 
and even protozoa. A few help promote good oral health, some do you absolutely no harm, and others meet their fate in saliva or your belly.
Most of us don’t give mouth germs a second thought since we brush twice a day, floss nightly, and attend routine preventive dental visits every six months (RIGHT?!). But if you wear a retainer, clear aligner, or bite appliance, you may need to take extra precautions to prevent tiny invaders from taking over. Researchers have found that Candida (a type of yeast) and Staphylococcus, both potential illness-causing microbes, are present on 50% of all retainers. YIKES! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: bite appliance, cleaning appliances, cleaning retainers, clear aligner, orthodontic retainer, retainer
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March 11th, 2011
Dental museums are few and far between. Merely a handful of dental schools and private organizations devote resources to preserving our toothy beginnings. And yet dental products, remedies, and prosthetics have been around for hundreds of years. In a fascinating exploration of dentistry and advertisements, the University of Michigan’s Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry currently displays vintage print ads for everything from pink toothpastes to powdered-glass dentifrice!
Explore the collection of 22 vintage images on their Flickr page or the Sindecuse Museum’s website.
If you’re not in Michigan and would still like to saturate your brain with obscure dental knowledge, consider visiting these other dental museums:
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February 25th, 2011
Drink your milk! How many of us immediately revert to childhood memories of sitting around the dinner table with mom and dad upon hearing these words? What if, instead, our moms had insisted, “Eat your cheese!”? I imagine we’d all have fonder dinnertime memories, for one.
Well, it turns out Mom would have been doing us all a great favor if she’d been a little more generous with the cheese. Evidence indicates that eating cheese is beneficial for your teeth because it is low in carbohydrates and high in calcium and phosphate. Research over the past decade suggests that cheese is not only an excellent source of calcium, which (as we all know) strengthens bones and teeth, but can also help balance the acidity levels (pH) in your mouth preventing decay. Read the rest of this entry »
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February 9th, 2011
How many of you out there have a pet? Raise your hand. Whoa, that’s just about everyone! Pets are a huge part of our lives and we love them like family members, which means that we provide them with more than just a place to sleep and an occasional bowl of grub. We give them a safe and loving environment, lavish them with attention, teach them, and maybe even buy them a sweater or two for the winter (okay, we’re pretty sure they don’t like the sweaters, but we do!).
Today, we are also more conscientious of our pet’s health and dental care needs, and since February is Dental Health Care Month for pets, too, we thought we’d give you a heads up on how to handle your furry family member’s toothy needs. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 20th, 2011
A Healthy Smile? It’s Easy to Find! Remember to Brush & Floss Every Day!
February marks National Children’s Dental Health Month, a time which the 
American Dental Association has set aside to encourage dentists, parents, and other adults to educate children on how to take care of their little smiles. And even though that’s more than a week away, it never hurts to get a head start! Now’s the time to help kids brush up on good oral health!
Here are some ways your children can maintain strong, healthy smiles that last a lifetime: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: american dental association, children's dentistry, national children's dental health month, oral health, oral hygiene, Preventive Dentistry
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January 6th, 2011
We can all use a little jumpstart in the morning, and coffee, America’s drink of choice, gets the job done. We know it stains our teeth and contributes to the abominable coffee breath syndrome, yet Starbucks continues its worldwide reign. What if I told you that ditching the coffee and switching to green tea could improve your oral health and reduce your trips to the dentist? Incentified?
Green Tea’s Got Roots
Hundreds of millions of people drink tea. It’s second in popularity only to water. Ancient Chinese and Indian cultures have consumed green tea for ages, and it’s been used for such medicinal purposes as healing wounds, improving heart health, regulating body temperature, promoting digestion, and improving mental processes. Read the rest of this entry »
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