Brushing and flossing are essential to maintaining good oral hygiene—but did you know that the nutrients you consume (or lack thereof) can also have a significant impact on your oral health? This article discusses the best vitamins for teeth and gums and what foods you can eat to add more of these nutrients to your diet. Luckily, a lot of the foods are natural and delicious! Why Take Vitamins For Teeth? Your mouth, teeth, and gums are the first contact points for the nutrients you consume and are essential for kicking off the digestion process. In fact, the process of chewing allows you to extract the greatest possible amount of nutrients from the food you eat. Conversely, nutrient deficiencies can lead to oral …
Invisalign Will Not Fix These Dental Problems
Although Invisalign for teeth is a great option for straightening, they may not be the right choice for correcting every kind of dental misalignment. Certain teeth alignment problems—like protrusion, teeth that are too spaced out, or narrow jaws—may require traditional braces to correct. Here’s a look at a few dental health issues that Invisalign clear aligners cannot typically fix. Protrusion Protrusion occurs when your front teeth stick out too much. You may have heard this condition referred to as “buck teeth.” This happens when your upper jaw sits in a position that is too far forward, your lower jaw sits in a position that is too far back, your teeth grew in angled, or a combination of these conditions. Protrusion is sometimes …
Why Some Patients Prefer a Female Dentist
The dental industry is dominated by male dentists. In fact, prior to 1980, female dentists were a very small percentage of the dental workforce. Fewer than 3 percent of all dentists in 1980 were female. Even while the rate of female participation in the dental industry has increased, today women represent an estimated 19 percent of the dental workforce in the USA. Patient experience suggests that male and female dentists vary in their attitude to their clinical practice. Several studies found that female dentists have a more precautionary viewpoint. Females generally take a more conservative method to restoration and encourage more preventive tactics in the early stages of disease. A Female dentist and a male dentist do not seem …
8 Great Tips for Good Oral Hygiene
As a parent, we know you have so much on your plate already. We certainly don’t want to add to it, but we do want to help improve the quality of life for you and your family! Oral hygiene is more than just brushing and flossing; the goal of family dentistry is to make oral hygiene enjoyable and simple so that people of all ages are more willing to take care of their smiles. Why is this so important to us? Because we know that an unhealthy mouth can cause more health and problems throughout the body. Plus, people who are happy with their smiles are typically much more confident and happier in general. Check out these eight oral hygiene tips so mouth-health becomes a simple priority for your family. 1. Brush and floss properly How, …
The Link Between Gum Disease and Diabetes
It is well documented that people who suffer from diabetes are more susceptible to developing infections than non-diabetes sufferers. It is not widely known that gum disease is often considered the sixth complication of diabetes; particularly when the diabetes is not under proper control. Gum disease (often called periodontitis and periodontal disease) is a progressive condition that often leads to tooth loss if treatment is not promptly sought. Periodontal disease begins with a bacterial infection in the gingival tissue which surrounds the teeth. As the bacteria colonize, the gum pockets become deeper, the gums recede as tissue is destroyed and the periodontitis eventually attacks the underlying bone tissue. Diabetes is characterized …
What Oral Surgery Can a General Dentist Do?
Oral surgery refers to any medical procedure performed on the mouth with specific regard to the teeth, jaw, and/or gums. Depending on the type of procedure being performed, it may be done by your general dentist in their office (a tooth extraction, for example), or by an oral surgeon in a hospital or clinic setting (such as the removal of wisdom teeth or dental implants, depending on the type of implant and the technique being used). General Dentist vs Oral Surgeon General dentist A general dentist has one of two degrees: Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry (DMD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). While it might seem confusing, both degrees mean the same thing. A person who holds either degree has received the same education. The …
How Stress Affects Your Oral Health
Stress can be defined as a state of tension triggered by difficult or tough situations. It is known to have a great impact on our physical health. Stress (or to be more specific “distress”) is part of life and it is almost impossible to get rid of it entirely. However, lowering stress levels is important to avoid irreversible consequences on our overall body health, and more specifically, our oral health. It is known that people who are subject to a high level of daily stress are statistically less attentive to their overall health. They are usually less likely to exercise, more likely to use alcohol tobacco or any other drugs, which simply increase tensions and keep their body under greater strain. And oral health is …
A Guide to Clear Orthodontic Aligners
Everybody wants a great smile, but a lot of us need help getting there. More and more people are having success with clear orthodontic devices called aligners. Braces use brackets connected by wires to encourage teeth to move. Aligners are a series of tight-fitting custom-made mouthpieces that slip over the teeth. Clear aligners are made by a variety of companies. Most patients have heard of Invisalign but ClearCorrect, Six Month Smiles, Candid Co., and Byte are also popular brands. At Lowcountry Family Dentistry generally use the largest producer and industry standard, Invisalign clear aligners. Clear (or "invisible") aligners aren't for everyone. Our dentists have years of experience and will help you decide what’s best for …
5 Reasons Not to Delay Root Canal Treatment
It’s easy to come up with excuses for postponing a root canal procedure. Whether it’s due to the fear of possible discomfort or the concern for how long a root canal can take—or even for the time it might take to locate a root canal specialist—putting it off is not only delaying the inevitable, but may also be causing bigger problems. The tooth is infected and dying; a root canal stops the infection: While the outer layers of the tooth are hard, the inner pulp is made of soft, living tissue. This tissue sometimes becomes infected (through deep decay, cracks in the tooth surface, etc.), and begins to die. Once that happens, treatment is needed right away — to stop the pain, control the infection, and keep it from spreading. Root …
A Complete Guide to the SC State Dental Plan
The SC State Dental Plan has two options for dental coverage: Dental Plus or Basic Dental (formerly known as the State Dental Plan). When you make your election, you’ll choose either Dental Plus or Basic Dental, not both. If you choose Dental Plus, you will be automatically enroll you in both plans. Dental Plus pays more and has higher premiums and lower out of-pocket costs. Basic Dental pays less and has lower premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs. Changes to existing dental coverage can be made only during open enrollment in odd-numbered years. Basic Dental Basic Dental has lower allowed amounts, which are the maximum amounts allowed by the plan for a covered service. There is no network for Basic Dental; …