Canker/Cold Sores

People sometimes confuse canker sores and cold sores, but they are completely unrelated. Both can be painful, but knowing the differences can help you keep them in check. A canker sore is typically one that occurs on the delicate tissues inside your mouth. It is usually light-colored at its base and can have a red

Bulimia Nervosa

People with eating disorders can suffer from oral health problems as well. This is because many of the behaviors associated with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa-such as binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and use of diuretics or laxatives-cause changes in the mouth. For example, repeated episodes of vomiting, which is common in people with bulimia, releases

Bad Breath (halitosis)

Bad breath is a common affliction with many people. When it advances or doesn’t go away, it becomes known as chronic halitosis. Bad breath is caused by decaying particles of food and bacteria that pass into your bloodstream and to the lungs, where odor is emitted from breathing. While people spend lots of money on

Abscessed Tooth

An abscessed tooth is one that has become infected. Tooth decay is often the culprit; when tooth decay advances deep into the tooth, it can cause destruction of the pulp, the core of the tooth. When this happens, the pulp gets infected and swollen and pus builds up near the jawbone. Left untreated, infected pulp

Getting a Tooth Pulled

When you have a bad tooth that is pushing other teeth to the side, or a tooth that has such a bad cavity that it can’t be fixed, you may to have the tooth taken out. This is called an extraction. When you have a tooth pulled, the dentist gives you a medicine called anesthetic.

Nutrition and Your Teeth

It has long been known that good nutrition and a well-balanced diet is one of the best defenses for your oral health. Providing your body with the right amounts of vitamins and minerals helps your teeth and gums-as well as your immune system-stay strong and ward off infection, decay and disease. Harmful acids and bacteria

Emergency Care

A knocked out tooth or bitten tongue can cause panic in any parent, but quick thinking and staying calm are the best ways to approach such common dental emergencies and prevent additional unnecessary damage and costly dental restoration. This includes taking measures such as application of cold compresses to reduce swelling, and of course, contacting

Tooth Sealant

Sealants are liquid coatings that harden on to the chewing surfaces of teeth and are showing a great deal of effectiveness in preventing cavities-even on teeth where decay has begun. The pits and grooves of your teeth are prime areas for opportunistic decay. Even regular brushing sometimes misses these intricate structures on the chewing surfaces

Mouthwash

Mouth rinses can have therapeutic benefits; others are only cosmetic in nature. Some have both attributes. The Food and Drug Administration even classifies mouth rinses this way. In general, some therapeutic rinses with fluoride have been shown to actually fight cavities, plaque and gingivitis formation. On the other hand, cosmetic rinses merely treat breath odor,

Fluoride Facts

For decades, fluoride has been held in high regard by the dental community as an important mineral that is absorbed into and strengthens tooth enamel, thereby helping to prevent decay of tooth structures. In nearly every U.S. community, public drinking supplies are supplemented with sodium fluoride because the practice is acknowledged as safe and effective