Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Yearly Archives: 2011

How to Get Better Teeth: Five Things You Can Do Today

Many people think they're taking great care of their teeth. They brush and floss, but they still end up having problems. I wrote this post...

Preventing Tooth Decay, Acid Erosion

I got the following email from an Oral Answers reader asking about the difference between acid erosion and tooth decay.  He writes: "What is the...

25 Things That Make You More Likely To Get Cavities

Many people come into the dental school and tell us things like, "I just have bad teeth" and "My parents and grandparents all had...

Should You Floss Before or After Brushing Your Teeth?

One night, shortly after my wife and I got married, we were getting ready for bed and she noticed that I brush my teeth...

Dessert Gum – Chewing Gum for Dessert for Your Teeth

When I was in college, I worked at a Texaco gas station.  One of the job perks was that the owners would let us...

Why Your Dentist Can’t Get You Numb

Did you know that over four million dental injections are given every year in the United States?  The failure rate is estimated to be...

Filling Fell Out? Why You Should Get a Lost Filling Replaced

I got an email earlier this week from a reader named Trish.  She asked the following: "What will happen if the filling comes out of...

Average Dental Costs – Are Your Dentist’s Fees Above Average?

If you don't have dental insurance and have to pay out of pocket for your dental work, you are probably aware that high dental...

How Much Fluoride Is In Fluoride Gel and Other Dental Products?

My brother was at the dentist a few days ago and he was wondering if it was worth it to have his dentist apply...

Antibiotic Premedication: When Your Dentist and Doctor Disagree

Many people need to take antibiotics before certain dental procedures.  To learn why, you can read my previous post about when you need to...

Can Chlorine in Swimming Pools Dissolve or Stain Your Teeth?

Is it possible that spending a lot of time in the swimming pool can stain your teeth or even slowly dissolve your teeth? In this...

Extra Tooth: Mesiodens and Other Supernumerary Teeth

Has your child ever come up to you and told you that they have an extra tooth growing out of their upper jaw behind...

Is Water Fluoridation Legal?

Ever since the government started adding fluoride to the public water supplies in 1945, there have been many people who have challenged the legality...

Oral Cancer and Nutrition: Can Plant-Based Diets Prevent Cancer?

37,000 people are diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer every year.  That's more than 100 people per day. Only an estimated half of those...

How to Make Your Own Dental First Aid Kit

An Oral Answers reader, Rebecca recently asked the following question: "In the wake of the earthquake in Japan, my friends and I have been checking/building our...

Newly Updated ADA Seal of Acceptance Website

The American Dental Association recently launched a new website at ADA.org/Seal.  It is a re-vamped site that discusses the American Dental Association Seal of...

Practice Safety at the Swimming Pool for Healthy Teeth

Many parts of the United States have already had really hot temperatures this spring.  In spite of this, many swimming pools don't officially open...

OA Links: Fighting, Elderly, and Illegal Dentists

There's been a few interesting stories about dentists in the news over the past few weeks. Since I haven't done an "OA Links" post...

Dental Phobia: 15 Reasons Why People are Scared of the Dentist

A few weeks ago, a teenage boy came into the dental school because one of his teeth was hurting.  I saw him in our...

Dental Fluorosis Treatment: How Dental Fluorosis Is Treated

Dental fluorosis is caused by ingesting too much fluoride while the teeth are developing.  Dental fluorosis discolors the teeth.  The staining can range from...

Can Baby Orajel Cause Methemoglobinemia In Your Teething Baby?

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to an upset teething baby.  You stick some Orajel in the baby's mouth and go...

Antibiotics Before Dental Work for Joint Replacements

Last year I wrote an article about dental antibiotic prophylaxis, which talked about why dentists prescribe antibiotics for their patients to take before many...

Eight Natural Teething Remedies to Help Your Teething Baby

Many parents aren't comfortable giving their little teething babies teething gel, especially when they hear about the rare, but serious side effects that can...

Top 12 Weapons of Plaque Destruction

About five years ago, I was sitting in the first lecture of an Introduction to Dentistry class.  The professor, a local dentist, was talking...

Tooth Pain and Sinuses: Can A Sinus Infection Cause a Toothache?

This past weekend, my wife told me that she was having the worst toothache of her life. When she came in for her checkup...

Bleeding Gums When Brushing and Flossing: Is It Normal?

If you got up from the computer right now and went over to the sink to wash your hands, would you expect them to...

Is Water Fluoridation A Conspiracy for Businesses to Make Money Selling Fluoride?

We've heard about a lot of conspiracy theories lately: Is bin Laden really dead? Was Obama really born in the United States? Was 9/11 planned by the...

Dental Gingival Retraction Cord: What It Is and Why We Use It

An Oral Answers reader, Austin emailed me last week with the following question: "I had 3 temp crowns that were put in on my right...

Dental School Finals Week – Guest Article on DFC

Life has been pretty crazy over the past several days!  This week is finals week in dental school - I'll be back to my...

Is There More Fluoride In a Pea-Sized Amount of Toothpaste or a Liter of Water?

Jake (whom I assume is a dentist) left an interesting comment about fluoride on Sunday.  He said: I had an anti-fluoride patient the other day...

Do You Have Dental Fear or Dentist Phobia? You’re Not Alone!

Does the sound of a dental drill make you scared?  Is it hard to get up the courage to go and have dental work...

Do You Brush All Sides of Your Teeth?

Not long ago, I did a cleaning on one of my patients and found something very similar to what I find in most of...

The Dental Smell: Why Dental Offices Have That Smell

After getting a job at a dental office, a woman who goes by the name of W wrote, "Ya know that dental office smell?...

Is Chewing Gum Good or Bad For Your Teeth?

You may have heard that chewing gum is bad for your teeth and that chewing gum is good for your teeth.  So what's the...

Four Factors That Determine If Acids Will Dissolve Your Teeth

In 1942, the average American drank the equivalent of 60 12-ounce cans of soda per year.  In 2004, that number increased nearly 10-fold to...

There Are Forces Constantly Trying to Move Your Teeth

Did you know that while you are reading this, there are many different forces acting on your teeth?  I'm guessing that right now your...

Six Reasons Why Your Crown Fell Off

Have you ever bit into a sticky piece of candy only to find out that the candy grabbed the crown that your dentist just...

How Mamelons Look As They Get Worn Away

Last July, I wrote an article describing mamelons, which are the tiny bumps that appear on the edges of newly erupted permanent front teeth....

What’s In an Amalgam Filling?

Have you ever wondered what an amalgam filling looks like inside? Many people question how a metal can be soft enough to be shaped into...

Teeth Whitening: Two Side Effects of Whitening Your Teeth

Did you know that more than half of all people who bleach their teeth end up with sensitive teeth as a result?  It seems...

At What Age Can Kids Brush Their Own Teeth?

Have you ever heard any of the following quotes regarding the age that kids should start brushing their teeth by themselves? "My daughter could brush...

Can a Dentist Who’s Not An Orthodontist Offer Braces?

I frequently get emails from people asking me if a general dentist is allowed to provide orthodontic treatment to their patients, or if this...

Ten Causes of Canker Sores

Ben, an Oral Answers reader, recently asked about what really causes canker sores (also known as aphthous ulcers.) He's heard that sodium lauryl sulfate...

Teething Biscuits – A Natural Way to Calm Your Teething Baby

Many parents are looking for a way to help soothe their teething baby that doesn't involve smearing a numbing gel such as Orajel on...

Dentist License Verification: Find Public Records Information on Your Dentist

Have you ever wondered how long your dentist has been licensed or if they've ever had any public complaints? Each state dental board provides certain...

Discolored Teeth: 4 Ways Root Canals Can Stain Your Tooth

Last week, Pam left a comment asking whether or not root canal treatment can darken a tooth.  I gave her a short answer, telling...

A Full List of Dental Products with the ADA Seal

Not many people are aware that the American Dental Association keeps an updated list on their website of all of the dental products that...

Xylitol: What It Is and How It Protects Your Teeth

The sweetener xylitol has been getting a lot of attention lately due to its ability to fight plaque and its harmful effects on dogs. If...

Cavities in Baby Teeth: Should You Get Baby Teeth Filled?

A lot of parents wonder if it's really necessary to have their children get fillings in their baby teeth.  Since baby teeth just end...

Baby Teething Symptoms: 10 Signs of a Teething Baby

Did you know that 5,016 children died from teething in just one year in Wales and England? The year was 1839. Since many babies...

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