Fun Facts About Baby Teeth

Did you know that by the time a baby is 12 months old, he or she should have a dentist? Or that by 3 years old, all 20 baby teeth have usually come through? Learn more fun facts about baby teeth in today's blog!

Fun Facts About Baby Teeth

1. Sometimes, baby teeth are called "milk teeth." The name most likely comes from the teeth's color, which is a bright white, like that of milk. Baby teeth are usually brighter than permanent adult teeth.

Could brushing your teeth in the dark help you sleep?

A neuroscientist recently made an interesting claim: that brushing our teeth in the dark could lead to better sleep. While this in itself is not exactly a dental issue, it brings up important questions about sleep quality and its effect on our overall health - yes, including our dental health.

According to a recent article from The Telegraph, a UK-based news source, an Oxford University professor claimed that bright bathroom lights can stimulate the body and interrupt our natural circadian rhythm.

The Healthiest Home for your Toothbrush

Your toothbrush has an important job to do each day; are you giving it the healthiest place to hang out between brushings? Follow this advice from the American Dental Association to ensure you’re getting the best from your brush.

Rinse it well

Give your toothbrush a thorough rinsing before and after each use. Use hot water and run your thumb over the bristles to make sure there’s no food debris or toothpaste left on the brush, which can harbor bacteria.

Sweets and Your Kids’ Teeth - Tips for Going Through Their Candy Stash

Hold on to your hats, parents. The sweet treats season has just begun! With the gooiest, stickiest of holidays – Halloween – behind us, your kids likely will have an entire stash of treats that they'll be munching on for weeks to come.

The Best Brush for You - Old School or High Tech?

We’ve come a long way since the Middle Ages, when keeping your teeth clean meant gnawing on a twig of sweet wood.  There’s such a wide range of toothbrush styles available today, you may have questions about which ones are right for you or your children.

Not Just Soda - Other Surprisingly Sugary Drinks

As we discussed in a recent post, sweetened drinks like soda can do significant damage to your teeth; as the sugar mixes with bacteria in your mouth and leads to acid erosion and the potential for decay.  You may think switching to fruit juices or other seemingly healthier beverages may be the solution, but you’ll likely be shocked to know just how much sugar some of these alternatives contain. 

Preparing your Child for their First Trip to the Dentist

Your child’s first visit to the dentist is an important day in their life – the experience will likely set the tone for each dental trip to come. Most dentists recommend you bring your child in by their first birthday. But if your child is a toddler at their first visit, there are some easy ways you can make the trip more fun and less fearful.

Sugary Drinks and Your Teeth

Most of us are aware of what sugar-laden beverages can do to our waistline, but did you know they can be seriously damaging to your teeth?

Understanding Crowns, Bonding and Veneers

Dental technology is constantly advancing, and there’s never been a better time to consider permanent solutions to even the most serious issues with your teeth. If you’ve been talking with your dentist about making improvements to your health and appearance with dental repairs, here’s a short primer to help you better understand the options.

Planning Whitening Treatments Before the Big Day

You have a big event coming up and you want your teeth to look their dazzling best.

You also have a to-do list a mile long, right?

So, when is the best time to schedule an appointment with your dentist for teeth whitening treatments? The answer depends on several different factors. Here are some tips for taking the guesswork out of this important step in the planning of your wedding, vacation or other big occasion.

The Importance of Oral Cancer Screening

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, nearly 8,000 deaths a year are caused by cancer of the mouth and pharynx, the cavity behind the nose and mouth that connects to the esophagus. Tragically, many of these deaths could be prevented with a simple, painless 5 minute screening by a dentist.

Are you scared of the dentist?

Ease your Dental Fears

Dental phobia is a big reason people suffer serious and sometimes painful complications with their teeth and gums. Delaying or avoiding dental visits because of the anxiety they may cause leads to the potential for a much more serious situation. A fear of dental procedures is quite common, and can range from a mild case of butterflies to full-blown panic. Here are some simple steps you can take to help ease your fear, and enjoy the benefits of great oral health with regular visits to the dentist.

Choosing the Right Toothpaste

A trip through the toothpaste aisle isn’t the simple journey it used to be. Our parents and grandparents had just a handful of choices – paste or gel; spearmint or peppermint. Today, you’ll find a dizzying array of formulas on the store shelves and it can be confusing to decide what type of toothpaste is best for your family or your particular needs. Some of the newer ones can be helpful for certain minor dental conditions, while others offer little more than empty promises. Here’s a guide to help make that trip down the tooth care aisle a little less intimidating.

How Often Should You Visit the Dentist?

Life is an awesome journey, and our teeth want to be with us each step of the way. From birth to old age, a good relationship with our dentist is a crucial component to keeping our choppers healthy and happy. Our dental health needs change through the decades, so it might not always be clear just how often we should be seeing the dentist as the years go by. Here’s some advice for having a healthy relationship with your dentist during each decade of your life.

Best Superfoods for Dental Health

The idea that some foods are superfoods is one that has really taken off in recent years. Some are praised for their high anti-oxidant content while others are go-to choices because they are packed with essential nutrients. From fighting cancer to stress reduction or weight loss, the list of superfoods and their list of benefits is growing.

A New Way to Fight Childhood Tooth Decay

Try to answer this question correctly: What is the most common childhood disease in the U.S.?

• a) childhood obesity 
• b) diabetes 
• c) tooth decay
• d) asthma

What are wisdom teeth and when should they be removed?

Wisdom teeth are the four teeth that are formed the farthest back portion of the jaws. Basically, they are a third set of molars.

Usually, wisdom teeth begin to appear during a person's early 20s. However, many people choose to have their wisdom teeth surgically removed before they begin to break through. Others have their wisdom teeth pulled after they have already come in.

Effects of Smoking on Teeth & Tips for Quitting

By now everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is very harmful to your health. When you think of health risks and smoking, lung cancer is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But did you know that smoking actually harms nearly every single organ of the body?

Your mouth, gums and teeth are no exception.

4 Bad Habits That Damage Your Teeth

Let's be honest - we all probably have at least one or two bad habits. We're human, after all. But did you know that there are some habits that, while they may seem harmless, are actually very harmful to our teeth and overall dental health?

In this post, we'll review a few of these bad habits and how they can wreak havoc on your pearly whites!

What is TMJ?

TMJ is an acronym for Temporomandibular joint disorder, and if left untreated can be a very uncomfortable and serious disorder.

What are the symptoms of TMJ?

Also referred to as TMD, this disorder is characterized by the chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, or the joint which connects the jaw to the skull.

3 reasons to brush your teeth that have nothing to do with dental health

We all know that brushing your teeth twice a day, every day is the best way to promote dental health at home. However, did you know that brushing your teeth may have additional health benefits - that have nothing to do with your teeth?

According to different studies, experts and scientists have found possible links between regular teeth brushing and a wide array of other health benefits. These benefits can range from anywhere between respiratory health to a better sex life!

Although the benefits of regular brushing are far-reaching, here are 3 big reasons to keep brushing, other than to maintain a healthy smile.

Which Foods and Drinks Will Stain Teeth?

Having an attractive smile is something pretty much everyone wants, right? And people will often go to extremes to make sure their teeth stay pearly white. From expensive whitening treatments to even more expensive veneers, there are plenty of avenues for achieving a bright, white smile. However, if you want to avoid having to shell out thousands of dollars for dental enhancements that eliminate or hide stains, you can be proactive by avoiding the following foods and drinks.