White Fluoride Stains Are Nothing To Worry About

White Fluoride Stains Are Nothing To Worry AboutBack when American settlers first built farms and towns in the west, some areas started to develop something called the Colorado brown stain.  This is where brown stains and pits would start to show up on teeth, especially among kids who grew up in the region.  Scientists and doctors soon discovered that these stains were connected to a large concentration of fluoride in the drinking water, but they also noticed that people with Colorado brown stain suffered fewer and smaller cavities than the national average. Read more

Wearing Braces Means Avoiding These Foods

Wearing Braces Means Avoiding These FoodsYour teeth are full of nooks and crannies where food particles can hide and feed the bacteria that cause gingivitis and plaque.  Brushing and flossing regularly gets them out well enough, but then metal braces make things even harder by adding more hiding spots that are harder for toothbrushes to reach and metal wires that get in the way of floss.  Certain hard foods can also snap off the brackets since the adhesive keeping them in place is weaker than your tooth enamel. Read more

5 Interesting Toothbrush Designs

5 Interesting Toothbrush DesignsYou wouldn’t think a stick with some bristles on one end would need a lot of different versions, but it’s like how the old saying goes:  “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.”  Plenty of strange and interesting toothbrush ideas have popped up over the years, and you can find more than a few if you know where to look. Read more

When Is It Time For A Sleep Apnea Appliance?

When Is It Time For A Sleep Apnea Appliance?Millions of people snore.  Some snore all night and in all positions, and some only snore when they sleep on their backs.  The condition that causes snoring is a partially obstructed airway, which means the throat muscles relax to the point that they get in the way and vibrate as you breathe.  But despite how that sounds, you can snore like a truck downshifting on the highway and have absolutely no trouble breathing at night.  Sleep apnea is a step above even that. Read more

Flossing Won’t Hurt Forever

Flossing Won’t Hurt ForeverOne of the biggest reasons why many people don’t floss, including both children and adults, is because of the pain that comes afterward.  After running a piece of waxed string between their teeth, most people experience swelling and bleeding gums, and the swelling can take several hours to go back down.  Worse yet, the same thing seems to happen after the second time you floss, too. Read more

Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?

Why Do Teeth Turn Yellow?The perfect smile includes white teeth all lined up in a perfect row, or at least that’s what people say.  And a perfect smile is more than just cosmetic:  straight white teeth are healthy teeth and a good sign that you take care of your body.

However, the fact is that human teeth aren’t naturally white.  They’re an off-white a few shades off, a sort of yellowish-white that never seems to get to that perfect pure white shade without plenty of tooth whitener.  So what’s the deal with your tooth color?  What keeps them from being white? Read more

4 Ways Toothpaste Enhances Brushing

4 Ways Toothpaste Enhances BrushingBrushing your teeth without any toothpaste can help your mouth a surprising amount.  The brushing action alone scrapes away plaque and the bacteria that creates it loosens food particles and helps strengthen your gums by rubbing them.  However, modern toothpaste has several ingredients that improve the effects of brushing your teeth, such as the following: Read more

5 Symptoms Of Tooth Cavities

5 Symptoms Of Tooth CavitiesIf you visit your dentist regularly, you shouldn’t have to worry about cavity symptoms.  When they’re small, cavities don’t cause many toothaches or other issues, plus they’re easier to drill and fill.  With proper care and attention, you might never experience an aching tooth in your life.

However, not everyone goes to the dentist as often as they should, and not everyone brushes and flosses every day.  Once a cavity gets big enough, it’ll start making itself known with the following symptoms. Read more

Make Flossing Easier With The Right Tools

Make Flossing Easier With The Right ToolsMost people think of a pain in their gums when they think of flossing, but that pain goes away after you start flossing regularly.  On the other hand, there is another pain that never goes away:  the pain of wrapping the floss around your finger.  Between that and the way floss gets slippery with saliva, it can be inconvenient to use.  But that’s not an excuse any more thanks to all the flossing tools you can find at any drug store. Read more

Cavity Fillings Are An Ounce Of Prevention

Cavity Fillings Are An Ounce Of PreventionNobody loves to go to the dentist for a tooth filling.  A regular cleaning is bad enough with the metal hooks scraping the tartar off your teeth and a dentist poking around in every corner of your mouth.  Cavity fillings add to this by drilling out your teeth and sometimes causing some serious pain in the process, plus the anesthetic makes your lips and tongue feel fat for a while afterward. Read more