How often should you get dental X-rays? The short answer: if you’re a healthy adult with no symptoms or history of dental problems, every 24 to 36 months. The long answer: it depends. So what does that mean for you? The frequency of x-rays depends on many factors, including: How much dental work you’ve had … Read more
Have you made a New Year’s resolution to floss every day? How is it working out for you? According to The Washington Post, about half of us make New Year’s resolutions, two-thirds of us have kept the resolution four weeks into the new year—and less than half of us have kept the resolution six months … Read more
Who knew that cheese could be so mysterious? Scientists know that eating cheese will protect your teeth against cavities and acid damage… but they’re not sure why. What we do know: We know that eating cheese increases the calcium level in the plaque covering your teeth. This makes your teeth stronger by remineralizing them. In … Read more
You might think lip piercings are cool, but your gums don’t agree. Here’s the thing: having a lip piercing can make your gums shrink back from your teeth. Gum recession can lead to gum disease, which can cause otherwise healthy teeth to fall out. And let’s face it: having missing teeth is not a cool … Read more
Chewing gum has traditionally gotten a bad rap. It’s not considered proper for adults to chew gum in public, and kids can get into trouble for chewing gum in school. But scientists have long known that chewing gum is actually good for you, especially if it has xylitol. This is how tooth decay works: everyone’s … Read more
Vitamin D is truly a super vitamin: not only is it purported to reduce the risk of cancer, it may also play a role in combatting tooth decay. A new study concludes that vitamin D may reduce tooth decay by approximately 50 percent. The upshot of the study is you should take vitamin D, which … Read more
If you go to a health food store, you might notice that clove oil is touted as a natural remedy for toothaches and other dental emergency pain. But is this claim really true? Clove oil is an essential oil, extracted from the clove plant. Cloves were originally cultivated in Indonesia and were brought by Arab … Read more
Using a straw when drinking pop can help reduce cavities and acid damage, but there’s a catch: the straw has to be positioned in the right spot. This is because pop contains acid that can erode tooth enamel, which protects the tooth against cavities and maintains the shape of the tooth. Strategically placed straws decrease … Read more
Some ads for antibacterial toothpaste strongly imply that their product will help prevent heart disease. But is this claim really true? According to the Berkeley Wellness Letter, just because there is a link between gum disease and cardiovascular disease, that doesn’t necessarily mean that gum disease CAUSES heart disease. The theory goes like this: gum … Read more