Blog

Published: September 22, 2020

While pacifiers are frequently used to soothe a fussy baby, you might not know that while seemingly harmless, they can create a lifetime of dental and speech problems as well as overall health problems for your child. Find out why you might want to limit your child's use of sippy cups and binkies and why infant thumb sucking habit should be discouraged. Thumb Sucking and Your Baby’s Health This topic is important because it involves the future health of your baby or young child. And I know that as parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we want to give our little ones the best start in life that we can. Now, the sucking reflex is probably one of the most important reflexes your newborn has. It is paired with the rooting reflex in which a newborn searches for a food source. When the infant finds it, the sucking reflex allows them to suck and swallow the milk. Babies begin practicing it in the womb and it becomes fully developed by 36 weeks. Thumb sucking has the power to calm babies and is quite extraordinary. It lowers the heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels. It even reduces crying after shots and...

Published: July 29, 2020

Today I just wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the four essential oral hygiene things that you need to do to keep your mouth healthy, optimum dental health Oral Hygiene Key #1 - Brush Twice a Day for Optimum Dental Health The first thing is to brush with a soft-bristle toothbrush twice a day for two minutes. Here’s the number 1 oral hygiene key, the size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth, allowing you to reach all areas easily. The proper brushing technique is to place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gums. Gently move the brush back and forth in short tooth-wide strokes, brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces and the chewing surfaces of your teeth. Then, to clean the inside surfaces of your front teeth, fit the brush vertically and make several up and down strokes. Don’t forget to brush your tongue to remove bacteria and to prevent bad breath as well. Oral Hygiene Key #2 - Floss Your Teeth for https://youtu.be/lKFEeVA3gDA Is Flossing Your Teeth Really Necessary? Is Flossing Your Teeth Really Necessary? The second essential element to a healthy smile is to floss your teeth once a day....

Published: July 16, 2020

Are cold sores and mouth ulcers contagious? To start with, contagious means capable of being transmitted by bodily contact with an infected person or object. I can tell you that it all depends on what the actual cause is of the sore on or in your mouth because an ulcer and a cold sore have two completely different causes. Mouth ulcers, also called aphthous ulcers or canker sores, are painful areas in the mouth and gums. Three Main Types of Mouth Ulcers While mostly harmless, they can be extremely uncomfortable and make it difficult for some people to eat, drink, and brush their teeth. Now here’s an important distinction. An  ulcer is caused by an irritation and a cold sore is caused by a virus. An ulcer is not contagious, but a cold sore is. But differentiating them can be extremely confusing and they often look alike. There are three main types of mouth ulcers and I’m just talking about the ulcers now, not the cold sores. 1. Type one – Minor Ulcer Type one is a minor ulcer that will range in size from about two millimeters up to about eight millimeters across. Now, these also typically take up...

Published: July 9, 2020

Today, I will share with you my own personal experience and I swear that the odor coming from my mouth as well as the taste after I flossed reminded me of sewer gas. ( Bad breath, work in progress ) My Braces and Bad Breath First of all, I have braces, yes braces. As a matter of fact, I got my Medicare card and my braces on the same day. My bite was off, my teeth were shifting and I knew I needed to face the fact that it was time to put those annoying railroad tracks back on my teeth. Now you might be asking, what about those invisible braces that you take in and out of your mouth Well, that’s where I started. I used those for 36 weeks religiously and they did a really good job straightening my teeth, but I could tell that my bite was still off. So my friend, and orthodontist, Dr. Gottsegen, gave me the option of trying to correct it with the invisible tray kind for about 24 more weeks to see if that would help. If not, he said I would have to correct the problem by putting on the railroad...

Published: July 2, 2020

Can you “catch” tooth cavity from kissing another person? The answer is YES! Tooth Cavity is Contagious Tooth cavity is just as contagious as the flu and the common cold.   They can absolutely be passed on from mouth to mouth contact when you are exchanging saliva.  Now, I am not talking about a quick peck on the lips.  But, if you are swapping spit, you are also exchanging the cavity causing bacteria with each other. And, do I need to remind you not to share toothbrushes?  If there is even a possibility that you might be spending the night somewhere else, a tiny travel toothbrush can be discretely tucked away in a purse or a pocket. Now, these rules apply to families as well, because research has shown that invariably spouses can pass cavities on from one person to the next. Saliva is a breeding ground for bacteria.  Everyone in your family should have their own toothbrush and they should be changed frequently.  The American Dental Association recommends a new toothbrush every 3-4 months or even sooner as the bristles become frayed.  Bacteria from your mouth will remain on your wet toothbrush. You want to avoid passing those bacteria...

Published: June 24, 2020

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Santa Claus got a toothache on Christmas Eve? As a thank you to all of my listeners out there,  wrote a children's book called "Santa's Christmas Eve Toothache. I am in the process of illustrating it. However, I am going to read you the text. The full book should come out for next Christmas. And just as a side note, the words are copyrighted and cannot be reproduced without my permission. And here we go. This is what happens if Santa were to get a toothache on Christmas Eve. On the night before Christmas, I began my routine of brushing and flossing for oral hygiene. The children had all done the same as they should in the hopes that the list they were on would be good. I thought about Santa and what kind of food would help them to stay in his holiday mood. Instead of the cookies and sugary sweets, I put out a plate of healthier treats. Then out on the rooftop, I heard a loud groan, some stomping of feet and a long, dreadful moan. I sprang from my bed and to tell you the truth, it sounded...

Published: June 16, 2020

Could you be at risk for oral cancer? Did you know that you can actually do your own self screening and check examination? Today, I will be discussing HPV warts and oral cancer, the things that may be putting you at risk for oral cancer and how a simple screening can result in early detection. I met a friend for lunch today who told me that her 91 year old mother was just diagnosed with oral cancer. After she discussed the options with various specialists, she decided she would not have treatment and would just have it monitored. Human Papillomavirus Infection - Right Treatment Now, this is a very practical approach for someone who is in her age bracket. At that age, it is likely that the treatment whether it is surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation will be more invasive to her than the actual disease itself. I remember in the first few weeks of dental school learning from my oral pathology professor that if you live long enough, you will get cancer somewhere. Besides causing wrinkles, aging cells mutate and these mutant cells multiply, ultimately causing pathological changes in the body. And that’s basically what cancer is. Unfortunately, cancer affects...

Published: June 9, 2020

Is your stress level so high right now that you find that you're grinding your teeth more and your jaw hurts? Increased Stress I hope you are all staying safe and isolating the best you possibly can. But one of the challenges that the social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic has created for many of us is increased stress from being cooped up all day and not having the normal outlets for exercise, fresh air and the comfort of our normal daily routines. Working from home is difficult and I find myself distracted by things like the dust bunnies in my closet and the weeds in my garden. Not that I do anything about them though, because when I get that sort of energy that accompanies those thoughts, it seems to propel me right to the refrigerator. It is after all, the only door that is safe to open these days. Staying Productive and Healthy Staying productive and healthy is essential to well-being. Yet when I sit down to work, the internet lures me in for a session of retail therapy. Eeven if I don't buy anything, I can window shop. Oohh, bad pun! I am trying really hard to...