Life can be stressful sometimes. While stress can sometimes be a good thing that helps us rise to meet our challenges and avoid troublesome situations, too much stress over too long a period of time can have negative side effects for your health. While most people know that constant stress can take its toll on the health of their heart, skin, and digestive tract, many may not know of the harsh consequences it can have for your oral health. Here’s how chronic stress can hurt your smile and how you can protect it.

As the warmer spring and summer seasons approach, numerous individuals experience seasonal allergies. Symptoms such as a runny nose, congestion, and itchy, watery eyes often accompany this condition. While these issues can be frustrating on their own, they can also adversely affect dental health. Continue reading to explore the connection between seasonal allergies and dental health, along with strategies to maintain a healthy smile during this time.

Plaque – it’s a term you often hear during dental checkups, but what exactly is it? In less scientific terms, it’s the root of many dental woes that you may face. Therefore, understanding plaque is the first step in maintaining your dental health.

If you want to unravel the mysteries of plaque, learn how it forms, and how to get rid of it, continue reading.

Did you know that 92% of adults will experience tooth decay? Cavities aren’t the only concern. 50% of adults over the age of 30 have a form of gum disease. Although both are leading causes of tooth loss, they are preventable with good oral hygiene and regular dental care. However, it can be difficult to keep your mouth clean when you’re stuck at work. You don’t have to place your oral health at risk. Here’s why you should keep a dental hygiene kit in your desk drawer.

(more…)

Almost every list of stocking stuffer ideas is the same: sugar cookies, candy canes, and peppermint bark. However, in addition to being festive, these treats have another thing in common: they are packed with sugar. As a result, they don’t make your dentist’s “nice list.” If you’re looking for unique stocking stuffer ideas that won’t harm your loved ones’ teeth, then read on!

As the season of gratitude has come once again. It’s time to turn your attention to one often overlooked but crucial aspect of your health – your oral health. They play an important part during Thanksgiving! They help you savor your favorite holiday dishes, engage in conversations with loved ones, and contribute to the festivities.

This Thanksgiving, express your appreciation for your pearly whites by embracing mindful oral care practices. Continue reading to learn how.

Everyone wants to have an attractive smile. Thankfully, advances in cosmetic dentistry have made having a beautiful smile quite accessible to people everywhere. However, it makes sense to understand what people tend to find beautiful before pursuing cosmetic treatments. Here is a list of traits the human brain assesses when making a cosmetic judgment about someone’s smile.

Since it’s the Halloween season, you might be looking for a good scare. Maybe you’ve already read Frankenstein, Dracula, and a plethora of other classic horror novels, but you’re finding that the scares just aren’t real enough to really make you jump. If you’re looking for some true-to-life terror, your dentist has you covered. Here is a list of some of the scariest dental health statistics around, and it’s so terrifying that you’ll be too frightened to bite your nails (because biting your nails is bad for your teeth).

When dentists take a look at a patient’s smile, they look for all kinds of subtle signs to pick up on the state of their oral health. However, the average person really just looks at a few key things.

One of the main ways most people judge their oral health is through the color of their smile; the whiter their teeth, the better they tend to feel about them. However, the color of your smile isn’t necessary a 1-to-1 corollary to the quality of your teeth, especially if you’ve whitened your teeth artificially in the past. Here’s why that’s the case.

If you’re someone who reads or thinks about your oral health often, gum disease may feel a little bit passe. It’s a fairly common condition, and in many people it’s mild enough that they hardly notice that they have it.

However, the truth is that gum disease is one of the most complex and interesting conditions in all of dentistry. There’s a lot more to the illness than meets the eye—if you’re curious, here are a few things you may not know about it.