Dental phobia and anxiety are pretty common, affecting more than one in every ten Americans. That means that close to 40 million people avoid getting crucial preventative dental care, which in turn means that small, easy-to-fix dental problems can become big, painful, expensive ones before they’ll see a dentist. We hope we can help all of our patients overcome any... read more »

There are several reasons gum tissue might end up bleeding, and not just because of gum disease. We know it can be alarming to experience bleeding gums, so we want to help our patients understand the different causes and how we can treat it (when treatment is necessary). Plaque Buildup Leads to Bleeding Gums Plaque is a sticky film of... read more »

Oral health and diabetes are closely intertwined. It becomes much harder to maintain good oral health without carefully controlling diabetes, and diabetes becomes harder to control when oral health isn’t a priority. Gum disease is just one oral health problem that is harder to avoid diabetes. Blood Sugar and Oral Health We hear all the time how bad sugar is... read more »

We’re the experts on human teeth, but there are lots of other interesting teeth out there. You probably already know that venomous snakes have hollow fangs to inject venom when they bite, elephants have massive tusks, and sharks are constantly growing new teeth. Just for fun, let’s take a look at some of the other unusual chompers out there in... read more »

Can you believe Halloween is coming up so soon? It’s always a fun time of year, with the spooky movies, the fun decorations, the costumes, and the tasty treats. We’re not here to drop toothbrushes in anyone’s candy buckets, but we do want to offer some tips on how our patients can make Halloween as healthy for their teeth as... read more »

Sugar is the greatest nemesis of the dental profession and anyone who wants to maintain a healthy smile. Why? Because the harmful bacteria in our mouths love to eat it, then excrete acid onto our teeth as a waste product. That leads to enamel erosion, tooth decay, and gum disease. This is why we encourage our patients to cut back... read more »

People used to think that gum recession was an inevitability of getting older, but that’s not necessarily true. What is gum recession? It’s when the edge of the gum tissue recedes from around the crown of the tooth, exposing more and more of the root. We often think of it as age-related because it’s typically such a gradual problem that... read more »

Generally speaking, influencers are not a great source of health advice. One person’s experience with a technique or product is not going to be universal, and a real understanding of the way the human body works comes from years of study and training, not a quick google search. With that in mind, there are a few specific oral health fads... read more »

Centuries ago, people didn’t have many options for how to keep their teeth clean. Some cultures used chewing sticks and early toothbrushes had bristles made of horsehair. These days, we have a wide range of options for what tools to use for cleaning our teeth. How are you to find the one that’s best for you? We’d like to offer... read more »

A little bit of prep work makes a huge difference when an emergency happens, including a dental emergency such as an oral injury. What exactly can we do to prepare for something like an unexpected injury? It depends on the specific situation. Broken Tooth If an injury results in a broken, chipped, or cracked tooth, the best thing to do... read more »