Dental Tips

1) Floss!
The single most beneficial thing you can do to improve your dental health is to learn to floss properly and do it at least once every day (you knew that)!

2) Piercing
There are many reasons for avoiding tongue piercing; aspirated jewelry, broken teeth, blood poisoning and bad breath, are just few reasons we advise against it.

3) Athletic Mouth Guard
A must for contact sports! Teeth are 60 times more susceptible to damage without a mouth guard.

4) Use a Soft Toothbrush
Medium and hard bristle brushes are too abrasive to teeth and gums.

5) Dry Mouth
Dry mouth is a side effect of many common medications. A dry mouth creates an environment for odor causing bacteria to flourish, and also increases food retention around teeth leading to decay. Drink water, use "saliva substitute" products, and occasionally chew sugar free gum to stimulate the salivary glands.

6) Smoking and "Smokeless Tobacco"
Tobacco in any form is extremely harmful to oral tissues. Its relationship to oral cancer is well documented. It's not worth the risk.

7) Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth generally cause problems when they erupt partially through the gums. The most common reasons for removing them are decay, gum infection, orthodontic indications, and cyst formation.

8) Dental X-rays
X-rays are an important part of your dental diagnosis. An X-ray survey may reveal:
· The number, size, and position of teeth
· Unemerged or impacted teeth
· The presence and extent of dental cavities (decay)
· The presence of periodontitis (gum disease with bone damage)
· Abscessed teeth
· Jaw fractures
· Other abnormalities

The ionizing radiation you receive from one dental X-ray is substantially less than the radiation you receive every day from the sun. Technological advances such as high-speed film, lead aprons and newer digital X-ray sensors have made dental X-rays safer.