Braces are excellent tools for straightening teeth and correcting bites, but they do make your pearly whites difficult to clean! Consisting of brackets, which are temporarily cemented to your teeth, and connecting wires, braces make it difficult for your toothbrush to make much contact with the surfaces of your teeth, which can...
Although the number of smokers had steadily declined in the past few decades, over 30 million Americans still smoke cigarettes . Smoking increases your risk for many different chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease, and is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. Cigarettes can cause tooth discoloration and...
Snoring happens when your breathing during sleep is partially obstructed, which makes the soft tissues that support your airway vibrate as air passes through. The sound can be soft or loud, but for people living with someone who snores, it can be a very annoying challenge to deal with! If you snore...
Brushing your teeth is a task you likely don’t give too much thought to. You brush your teeth in the morning and at night, and that’s good enough—right? What many people don’t consider is how they’re brushing their teeth. While brushing twice a day for two minutes each time is certainly helpful...
It’s that time of year! Halloween is right around the corner and popular candies are making an appearance. The majority of Halloween candies contain high amounts of sugar, and we know that sugar increases plaque in the oral cavity, which can cause tooth enamel damage . The result? Sensitive teeth, cavities, and...
A tooth infection happens when bacteria cause an inflammatory response in your tooth and lead to the buildup of pus. If the infection has caused a pocket—which can be felt as a hard lump—of pus, it’s called a tooth abscess. While tooth infections and tooth abscesses are generally painful, they aren’t always. Tooth...
You’ve heard of misaligned teeth, but did you know you could have a misaligned bite? A misaligned bite is when the top and bottom rows of teeth don’t quite fit together when the mouth is closed. Open bites, overbites, underbites, and crossbites are all types of malocclusions, another term for an improper...
Ah, flossing. The important task that only 16% of Americans say they do every day . Why is flossing such a chore for us when it’s so important for our oral health? Here are some flossing fast facts that might change your mind in regard to whether or not you should...
Teeth aren’t meant to cause pain or discomfort, but when there’s a problem, your tooth will let you know! A toothache can be mildly uncomfortable or severely painful. Whether you have an intermittent toothache or constant pain, your tooth is trying to tell you something. What are the top reasons your tooth...
Tooth decay happens when the outer protective layer of your teeth, called tooth enamel, is weakened and eventually broken down by plaque and bacteria . Once the tooth enamel has been compromised, a cavity, which is literally a hole in the tooth, can form. Without treatment, tooth decay can progress to the...
