December 23rd, 2012
Today we thought we would remind our patients to practice good oral hygiene to keep those pearly whites shining and happy! This includes brushing and flossing on a regular basis, brushing after consuming foods that can stain your teeth and visiting our office every six months or as recommended.
We also recommend the following for ideal oral hygiene at home:
• Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won't do a good job of cleaning your teeth.
• Clean between teeth daily with floss or an interdental cleaner. Tooth decay-causing bacteria still linger between teeth where your toothbrush bristles can’t reach. This helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line.
• Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks.
• Visit our office on a regular basis for professional cleanings and oral exams.
Lastly, a great reason to smile is this: smiling can actually help you live longer according to recent studies! Have you visited our office lately for a cleaning or checkup? If not, give us a call to set up an appointment! The beginning of the year is a great time for a visit!
December 17th, 2012
In this season given to tidings of comfort and joy, and as we reflect on the year that was, we’d like to ask you, our wonderful patients: What do you love about the holidays this year? Being with your loved ones? A clean slate for 2013? Opening presents by the fireplace? All the delicious food? Also, what gift are you most looking forward to getting this year?
We’d love if you shared with us all the things you love about the holidays. Stay warm, and don’t forget to stay away from those sweets!
December 13th, 2012
We know dental emergencies are never convenient nor timely. If you are a patient of record, we are committed to your dental health and are happy to see you.
When your dental health is at risk, we will do everything we can to make sure that you’re treated as soon as possible. While dental emergencies are certainly rare, we know they can happen at any moment, and it’s important to know how to deal with them.
Common dental emergencies may include:
• A bitten lip or tongue
• Broken or cracked tooth/teeth
• Permanent tooth that has been knocked out
• Object caught between teeth
• Severe toothache
If you have a dental emergency after regular office hours, please give us a call.
We hope you’re all having a great holiday season!
December 2nd, 2012
Looking for ways to motivate your child to brush his or her teeth? Why not compare their teeth to those of their favorite animals? After all, everyone loves fun facts. Like people, some animals have several different kinds of teeth, while others have only one kind. Others don't have any teeth at all! Animals’ teeth also give us clues about what they eat. Here are some fun facts comparing human teeth and animal teeth we thought you might enjoy, courtesy of the American Student Dental Association!
- Humans form two sets of teeth over the course of a lifetime, with baby teeth being replaced by adult teeth between the ages of 6 and 12.
- An average human being has around 32 teeth. This includes four wisdom teeth, eight incisors, four canines, twelve molars and eight premolars.
- When you see a hippopotamus opening its mouth, it seems as though they have only four teeth! But they actually have 40 pearly whites.
- Dogs rarely get cavities because their saliva has an extremely high pH, which prevents demineralization.
- An elephant’s molars can weigh up to 10 lbs.
- The teeth of the pocket gopher grow up to 15 inches a year!
- The blue whale is the largest mammal on earth, but it dines exclusively on tiny shrimp because it has no teeth
- Armadillos, common in the southwest, have 104 teeth.
- Snails can have more than 25,000 teeth, which are located on the tongue.
- Dolphins only get one set of teeth to last a lifetime!
- And here’s one from prehistoric times! The Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T-Rex, had more than 60 thick, conical, bone-crunching teeth that were up to 9 inches long. Its jaws were up to 4 feet long.
We hope you enjoyed these fun facts! Stay tuned for more soon!