Why did the hygienist ask so many questions about general health? Actually, having your “teeth cleaned” is a highly individualized process. Dental hygienists are educated and trained health care professionals who operate under strict state licensing for your general health as well as your oral health. All these professional skills are put to use during…
Crown lengthening is a common treatment procedure used to expose more tooth above the gum line (dentists call it sound or healthy tooth structure) where a tooth or teeth have broken or decayed at or close to gum level. In order for your dentist to fabricate a restoration, a filling or a crown, sufficient exposed…
Teeth grinding and/or clenching habits are quite common and more often than not are associated with stress or sleep deprivation. More-over they may be subconscious, noticed only by a sleeping partner because grinding teeth can be quite noisy (kids do it a lot when they’re shedding their baby teeth), or its pointed out by a…
Tooth sensitivity is largely caused by exposure of a tooth’s dentin. The enamel covering of the tooth is inert; that is it has no nerve supply and therefore protects the teeth from temperature and pressure changes. When dentin is “exposed” (most often caused by gum recession), the dentin, which contains nerve fibers, will let you…
Celiac disease is one of the most common chronic genetic autoimmune disorders in the world and can affect children and adults. Individuals with this disorder have permanent intolerance to gluten, which is a protein in wheat, rye, barley and related grains. The gluten leads to damage of the small intestine lining. Heredity plays a role…
Most people realize the major risk factors of cancer.These include smoking, alcohol use and others. The surprising fact is how your oral health has a connection to breast cancer. You may be 11 times more likely to develop breast cancer if you have poor oral health or gum disease. Journal of Breast Cancer Research and…
It’s very important to first ascertain the cause of the staining in order to prevent it in the future. The topic of staining is quite complex, so here’s a helpful guide. There are basically two types of tooth staining or discoloration: extrinsic (external), which affects teeth from the outside; and intrinsic (internal), staining built into…
Everyone wants to enjoy the benefits of tip-top oral hygiene: a pearly white smile, fresh-smelling breath, and healthy pink gums. Making sure your mouth stays healthy is a major reason for visiting the dentist — and there’s nothing like that squeaky-clean feeling you get all around your mouth after you’ve had a routine checkup and…