Treating Mild and Severe Gum Disease

If you have early-stage gum disease (also known as gingivitis), early treatment can save your teeth! In the early stages, gingivitis is a bacterial infection of the tissues and bones that support the teeth. As the disease progresses, it becomes periodontitis — a more serious form of gum disease that can permanently damage tissue and lead to tooth loss. Treating gingivitis early gives you a chance to reverse the damage done to your mouth. Brush your teeth twice daily (morning and night). Floss your teeth once daily. Use an antiseptic or antiplaque mouthwash. Visit your dentist more frequently (every three … Continue reading →

What is Gingivitis?

Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease — a bacterial infection of the tissues and bones that support the teeth. The gingiva is a fancy name for the gums; gum disease that spreads below the gum line is called periodontitis. Periodontitis is more severe, causing gums to recede and making teeth loose. Plaque in the mouth contains bacteria that can irritate the gums and cause tissue to break down. If you don’t remove plaque by brushing and flossing, plaque can spread below the gum line or harden into tartar on the surface of your teeth. Risk factors for gingivitis … Continue reading →

Candy That Fights Cavities?

Are you ready for candy that actually helps cut tooth decay? It could be coming to a store near you within the next few years. Researchers from the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine developed a compound called CaviStat. CaviStat is a fluoride-free compound that mimics the way human saliva neutralizes acids in the mouth. The researchers put CaviStat to the test in the form of BasicMints — a chewy candy designed to stick to the teeth and help prevent cavities in the back teeth. The mints were recently tested in Venezuela. The study involved two hundred children between … Continue reading →

What to Eat for Healthy Teeth

You can help keep your teeth healthy from the inside out — certain diet choices can help keep your choppers strong and shiny. Here are some tips to help protect your mouth against decay, disease, and more! Sugar isn’t the only thing that’s bad for your teeth — carbs can be just as damaging. After all, carbohydrates break down into simple sugars in your body. In your mouth, sugars are converted into plaque. That doesn’t mean you have to give up carbs! Just try to eat them only at mealtimes. Carbs are kind of sticky, so they tend to adhere … Continue reading →

The Future of Dentistry

In the next few years, your dentist may be able to do some amazing things — and not just to your teeth. The health care professionals you trust to care for your choppers may be able to help you care for your entire body. Within the next two years, you may see your dentist using your tooth x-rays to check for osteoporosis. European scientists have developed software that can scan x-rays of your teeth to help gauge your risk of osteoporosis. In early trials, the software is just as accurate as bone density tests! More trials are underway, but a … Continue reading →

Dental Horror Story: The Happily Ever After Part

Well, in the last week or so I’ve shared with you the trials and tribulations of my summer. I’ve told you about the bad and the ugly where the wisdom teeth were concerned, now let’s flashback to just three weeks ago. I’d done all of my daughter’s back-to-school shopping over the weekend. They’d scheduled my surgery so that by the time we got to meet the teacher on Friday, I would be able to talk some and on her first day of school some of the swelling should be down. I got up early that morning, it was a Tuesday, … Continue reading →

The Dental Horror Story: Going Back to School

So I’ve spent the last couple of days bringing you up to speed. At the end of The Horror of Dental Insurance & Teeth I told you about the catch 22 of my insurance coverage where my wisdom teeth were concerned. It’s bad enough that I was getting flack for being 35 and not having had my wisdom teeth out, but the whole insurance thing? Yeah, it’s the stuff nightmares are made of. So What to Do Now? I have to admit as defeated as I felt, I knew that this wasn’t the time to lie down and die. I … Continue reading →

The Horror of Dental Insurance & Teeth

So the day is rapidly approaching when I will go to the oral surgeon to have my assessment done, I can only hope that we will be able to get to the procedure quickly and efficiently. I drive nearly 30 minutes to his office and go through all the paper work and the x-rays. Eventually, he comes in to have a sit down with me and we go over everything. He says they can remove the wisdom teeth in two stages or all at once, it really depends on what the insurance says. I am feeling pretty confident because at … Continue reading →

Foods That Are Good For Your Teeth

The food you eat helps build a strong, healthy body — that includes your teeth! Adding a few simple things to your diet can help your choppers stay strong and healthy. Watch when you eat your carbs. Carbohydrates break down into sugars, which can be converted to plaque in the mouth. Plaque is the primary cause of gum disease and cavities! If you snack on carbs like chips, cookies, and crackers, foods can get caught between teeth and under the gum line, making it easy for bacteria to get to work. If you eat your carbs at mealtimes, you’ll be … Continue reading →

Dental Horror Story: The Wisdom in Teeth

Wow, I can’t believe that it’s September already. Part of my disbelief stems from the 12 week plus long odyssey of pain that I went on this summer. As you may remember, a few months ago my face started hurting. I went to see a doctor who thought it might be TMJ. He sent me to the dentist who thought I’d just pulled my face during a migraine. He gave me some muscle relaxers and sent me off. Two weeks later I went back to the dentist because not only was the pain back – it was worse than before. … Continue reading →