brushing

Tool of the Trade

Sure, everybody knows dental floss when they see it (we hope), and if you're in a periodontal program, you may be using miles of it. But do you recognize this gizmo? It's for "interdental" hygiene, especially useful for people with substantial spaces between their teeth at the gum line. Some [...]

OUCH! Pizza Burns

Do you enjoy eating fresh, hot pizza? If so, you may have experienced a common mouth injury—"pizza burn." Dentists use this term for a minor burn of the gums and the roof of the mouth (palate). The most frequent cause is biting into hot food such as pizza. The telltale [...]

Regular Check-Ups

Come on in for a check-up, we’re happy to see you again! We enjoy catching up with the news in your life—and we pride ourselves on providing you that "stitch in time" that can prevent trouble. If a problem is developing in your mouth, we like to catch it while [...]

Too Much of a Good Thing

You can overdo anything. Even brushing your teeth. Take a stiff-bristled brush. Scrub back and forth compulsively for five minutes, as though you were trying to get tar off the sidewalk. It's possible you'll end up with "toothbrush abrasion." According to the ADA (American Dental Association), the condition is associated [...]

Sense about Sensitivity

When teeth hurt, the sooner we reach the root of the problem, the sooner the pain disappears. What triggers tooth pain? Heat, cold, touch, air, sweet or sour foods. If you recently had a cavity filled, that area may be sensitive for awhile. Other causes of sensitivity are: Erosion of [...]

Can Kissing Cause Cavities?

Sorry to say, it can. In fact, anything involving contact with saliva—a kiss, parents tasting their babies' food, sharing of tableware and toothbrushes—can transmit decay-causing bacteria. Soon after birth, infants start to get those bacteria that inhabit the mouth and cause cavities. These germs are usually transferred by the babies' [...]

Manual or Mechanical?

Back and forth goes the argument—what toothbrush is best? Gadgeteers can spend $150 for an electric brush designed to rotate and oscillate, with an angled neck, a sure-grip handle, dual speed control, and even a timer. Researchers say that rotation-oscillation electric brushes remove plaque and reduce gingivitis better than any [...]