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, …
Best Tips for Preventing Cavities in Children
When you think about the most common infectious disease in children, tooth decay probably isn’t what comes to mind first. However, almost half of children in the United States have it. Tooth decay in kids is responsible for the loss of over 51 million hours of school. Cavities are one of the most common dental problems in toddlers and children. Also referred to as tooth decay, a cavity is a permanently damaged area in a tooth. They can develop in your child’s primary or baby teeth, and if so, you might shrug it off — your child will eventually lose these teeth, right? So what does it matter? But you shouldn’t ignore a cavity. Here’s what you need to know about cavities in kids, including common causes, treatment options, and …
Brushing with Baking Soda
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a fine, white powder with almost innumerable household uses. Known mainly as a leavening agent, baking soda can do a lot more than make bread rise. One of its most popular uses is as a teeth cleaner and whitener. But is it as safe and effective as regular toothpaste? Here’s a look at the benefits and limitations of using baking soda on your teeth, and how to use it safely to remove plaque and oral bacteria. Does baking soda work as a toothpaste? Yes, it does work. While baking soda can’t protect your teeth from cavities as effectively as a fluoride toothpaste can, it’s still considered a good cleaning agent for your teeth. Toothpastes containing baking soda have been shown to have …
What is Fluorosis?
Dental fluorosis is the appearance of faint white lines or streaks on the teeth that only occurs when younger children consume too much fluoride, from any source, over long periods when teeth are developing under the gums. Once teeth break through the gums, you cannot develop fluorosis. Fluorosis isn’t a disease and doesn’t affect the health of your teeth. In most cases, the effect is so subtle that only a dentist would notice it during an examination. The type of fluorosis found in the United States has no effect on tooth function and may make the teeth more resistant to decay. What Can I Do to Prevent My Child From Developing Fluorosis? The chance of developing fluorosis exists until about age eight because teeth are still forming …
Fluoride: A Complete Guide
Fluoride is often called nature’s cavity fighter and for good reason. Fluoride, a naturally-occurring mineral, helps prevent cavities in children and adults by making the outer surface of your teeth (enamel) more resistant to the acid attacks that cause tooth decay. How Does Fluoride Protect Teeth? Fluoride benefits both children and adults. Here's how: Before teeth break through the gums, the fluoride taken in from foods, beverages and dietary supplements makes tooth enamel (the hard surface of the tooth) stronger, making it easier to resist tooth decay. This provides what is called a "systemic" benefit. After teeth erupt, fluoride helps rebuild (remineralize) weakened tooth enamel and reverses early signs of tooth decay. When you …
What is Community Water Fluoridation?
Adding fluoride to public water supplies is a safe and effective way to prevent tooth decay and has played a major role in in improving the public’s dental health for more than 70 years. "Fluoride’s effectiveness in preventing tooth decay extends throughout one’s life, resulting in fewer—and less severe̵—cavities," says former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy. Read on to learn more about what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has proclaimed as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. What Is Community Water Fluoridation? Fluoridation of community water supplies is simply the adjustment of the existing, naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water to an optimal level for the prevention of …