Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Yearly Archives: 2011

5 Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Teeth

It's easy to take things that we use everyday for granted.  When was the last time you thought about what your teeth do for...

What’s the Best Mouthwash for Bad Breath?

Did you know that as many as half of all Americans say that they suffer from bad breath? Many people have turned to mouthwash to...

Nitrous Oxide: A Great Way to Calm Your Dental Anxiety

In order to get certified to give patients nitrous oxide (commonly called laughing gas), I have to administer it several times to prove my competence. Last Friday afternoon, I...

Eruption Cyst: A Purple Blue Bump on Your Baby’s Gums

Many parents worry when they find that their young child or baby has a bluish purple bump on their gums.  This is a fairly...

Double Tooth Photos

Since starting Oral Answers, many people frequently email me photos that would be useful to share with everyone here on Oral Answers to illustrate...

16 Dental History Pictures That Will Make You Love Your Dentist

As much as people don't like the dentist nowadays, things used to be a lot worse!  Take a look at the pictures below to see...

Why Do I Need a Filling? Six Reasons Why Dentists Do Fillings

Many people wonder why their dentist tells them that they need a filling.  Although having a cavity is the #1 reason we do fillings,...

Halloween Candy and Your Teeth

I had a fun time trick or treating tonight with my son and daughter.  The first thing my daughter wanted to eat when she...

The Tooth Drawer – The Dentist of Years Gone By

Imagine living in a remote village 300 years ago.  After suffering with a toothache for weeks, you see an advertisement about a traveling dentist...

Teething Baby Pictures

One of the most frequently read articles on Oral Answers over the past year is an article that I wrote back in January called...

Don’t Wait Until Your Tooth Hurts to Go to the Dentist

This morning I saw a patient who had been in extreme pain for the last couple of weeks.  What started as a small cavity...

Dental Patient Rights

I got an email yesterday from a reader named Harris, who stated, "I paid $5000 to replace a broken crown. The dentist did not...

Dental Antibiotic Premedication: 10 Common Questions

Many dental procedures cause bleeding in the mouth, which can allow the bacteria in the mouth to enter into the person's bloodstream.  Certain people...

Is Your Teeth Whitening System Making Your Teeth Whiter?

Commercial teeth whitening products have grown exponentially over the last 20 years.  The market has grown so much that even toothpastes want a piece...

False Teething Symptoms: 10 Symptoms Teething Doesn’t Cause

In a paper presented over 100 years ago (1896) at a meeting of the American medical Association, Dr. S.W. Foster said the following about...

Comments and Oral Answers Top 10 Lists

First and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who have left comments on this blog.  I read each and every comment...

Why Dentists Take Dental X-Rays

Many people wonder why it's so important for their dentist to take x-rays of their teeth.  To understand why, let's take a quick look...

Wear A Mouth Guard for These 16 Sports

It's often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Sports mouth guards can not only protect your teeth, but...

Should You Rinse After Brushing Your Teeth?

Are you supposed to rinse after brushing your teeth?  That's a common question that people have about brushing. At the Maine Dental Association meeting last...

Flossing In Public: Is It OK?

Did you know that about two months ago at a minor league baseball game in Lowell, Massachusetts an obscure dental world record was set? Over...

Why People Hate the Dentist: My Theory, Part II

Three weeks ago, I wrote about why people hate the dentist.  I promised a second installment that includes my other theory as to why...

Why Your Tooth Is Sensitive After A Filling

Many people experience sensitivity after getting a dental filling.  As I've mentioned, sometimes this sensitivity can be attributed to a high filling. A tooth can...

History of the Tooth Fairy

I've always found the tooth fairy rather fascinating. Why on earth would anyone in their right mind want to pay people for their discarded...

OA Links: There Are Lots of Good Dentists

Lately, it seems like dentists have been getting a lot of bad press — which in turn casts dentists in a negative light.  While...

Radiation from Dental X-Rays: How Much Radiation Do You Get from Dental X-Rays?

In order for dentists to see hidden problems in your jaws and in your teeth, it is necessary to take x-rays.  It goes without...

How To Know If You Have Bad Breath: 5 Easy Ways

Imagine driving down a country road on a beautiful afternoon.  All of the sudden, you see an accident ahead.  You pull your car over...

No Dental Work Is As Good As Your Natural Teeth

Pretend that you're in your car driving on a freshly-paved road.  Doesn't it feel nice as your tires effortlessly glide on the smooth, even...

Problems that a High Filling Can Cause

Many people wonder what they should do when they come home from the dentist after getting a filling and notice that their bite isn't...

Odontogenic Keratocyst: Overview and Treatment

I've gotten a few questions about odontogenic keratocysts lately, so I figured it would be good to write an article detailing what we know...

Why People Hate the Dentist: My Theory

One of my professors told me that he has often been told, "Hey Doc, it's nothing personal, but I hate dentists."  This professor also...

Parts of a Dental Implant: The Implant, Abutment, and Crown

When people talk about  getting a dental implant, they generally think of getting a brand new tooth in their mouth.  While you do get...

Should Pregnant Women Take Fluoride Supplements?

Fifty years ago you could have walked into a pharmacy and seen fluoride drops that were specifically targeted toward pregnant women. The packages claimed...

Six Names for Baby Teeth and Their Meanings

Dentists often use many different words that all refer to the same thing.  Dentists say calculus when they mean tartar and radiographs when they really mean to...

An Easy Way to Find the Average Dental Fees In Your Area

Do you need to have a lot of dental work done?  If the cost of the treatment plan that your dentist has presented to...

Cleaning Your Tongue Can Get Rid of Bad Breath

Before I started dental school, I never used to clean my tongue.  I had always heard that it was good to brush and floss,...

How Much Fluoride Is In Bottled Water

Did you know that bottled water is about 500 times more expensive than tap water? Despite this fact, many Americans (myself included) buy billions...

Which Type of Sports Mouth Guard is Best for Your Child?

Did you know that a recent survey by the American Association of Orthodontics found that "70 percent of parents said their biggest fear is...

What Causes Cavities?

If you're like most people, you may believe that sugar causes cavities.  After all, candy is bad for our teeth, right? Sugar doesn't cause cavities....

A Trip to The National Museum of Dentistry

You know how when you go on vacation, there's always that one place that stands out as the pinnacle of your trip? Well, today...

How Much Does the Tooth Fairy Pay Per Tooth?

Gone are the good old days of lost tooth lore when all that children wanted in exchange for their lost baby tooth was a...

How to Reduce Swelling After Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Nobody wants to look like a chipmunk after getting their wisdom teeth out, but when their cheeks get swollen, most people do end up...

Tooth Traditions from Around the World: It’s Not Just the Tooth Fairy!

Being the youngest child of seven, I'm not sure I really had a chance to believe in the tooth fairy. By the time I...

When Your Baby Is Born With Teeth: Natal Teeth

Many hundreds of years ago, babies that were born with teeth would be tragically put to death because they were thought to be demons. Fortunately,...

Congenitally Missing Teeth: Why It Happens and How to Treat It

Most people have thirty two permanent teeth that develop in their mouths.  Failure of any these teeth to fully develop is called congenitally missing...

My Final Final Exam Week

After three years of lectures at dental school, my test-taking days are numbered.  This is my last final exam week! It seems like just yesterday...

Dentistry and Prescription Drug Abuse

The United States' biggest illegal drug problem is marijuana. Can you guess what the second biggest illegal drug problem in the United States is?...

New Anti-Smoking Oral Cancer Warning on Cigarettes

I received my first anti-smoking education when I was in 6th grade in middle school. I remember learning about the different warnings that cigarette...

Does At-Home Teeth Whitening Really Whiten Your Teeth?

A few months ago, one of my patients asked me if the whitening products that you can buy from the store actually whiten your...

OA Links: Germs, An Eggsperiment, and Fluoride-Free Fairbanks

It's been a long week, and I'm excited for the weekend!  Two more weeks until the end of the semester, then we're going to...

What Is a Comprehensive Dental Exam?

Have you ever wondered how thorough your routine dental exams are? A dentist that I shadowed prior to dental school told me that he used...

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