About Me

Dental Health and Food: Learning to Eat Better

My intense love for candy, cakes, and everything in between started as a child. I simply couldn't go one day without something sweet to eat. But my love for all things sweet took a toll on my teeth. My dentist diagnosed me with seven cavities, each one a different size and depth. After sitting through four long dental appointments, I decided to make a change. I now monitor my diet and only eat things that benefit my oral health. I'm here to help you take better care of your teeth. My blog offers tips on how to improve your diet, maintain good oral hygiene, and many other topics. Hopefully, you can learn to overcome your bad habits just as I did. Good luck with your future dental health.

Search

Categories

Archive

Latest Posts

Dental Health and Food: Learning to Eat Better

Articles

3 Things to Know About Replacing the Enamel on Your Teeth
The one thing that protects your teeth the most is the enamel your teeth naturally have over them. Enamel is extremely hard, and it does a great job of protecting your teeth from problems, but it can wear away. This is called tooth enamel erosion, and it is something that can happen to anyone; however, it is more likely to occur slowly making it more of a problem for older people.

Frequently Asked Questions About Impacted Teeth
Ideally, after your primary teeth have completely fallen out, your permanent teeth begin to emerge and the transition will happen smoothly. Unfortunately, sometimes your permanent teeth don't completely burst out of your gums, which can lead to a lot of discomfort and trips to the dentist. If you or a family member is dealing with an impacted tooth, here are a few frequently asked questions you might have: What is an Impacted Tooth and Why Do They Occur?

Getting Rid of Cavities? Consider These 3 Tips for Pain-Free Fillings
Children in America are not particularly diligent in maintaining their dental health, and this becomes especially clear when you take into consideration that half of all American children get cavities. Once your children's dentist detects cavities, it's vital that your children get fillings as soon as possible in order to prevent the cavities from further worsening and decaying. Getting cavities filled is not always a fun experience. The sound of the dental equipment and tools, as well as the environment, can be horrifying for some children.

How You Can Help Your Kid Feel Good About Their New Braces
It's recommended by the American Association of Orthodontics to have your child screened for dental inconsistencies by the age of seven, which is when their adult teeth are forming but bones and gum tissues are still pliable and easy to manipulate for treatment purposes if necessary. But if your child ends up needing braces, they may be hesitant to wear them for fear of being a bit different than their friends at school.

Tips For Dealing With Persistent Bad Breath Issues
One of the most embarrassing oral health issues you can struggle with is bad breath. In most cases, bad breath is merely a symptom of another, more serious health problem. If you've been suffering from bad breath issues, the key to resolving it is to narrow down the underlying root cause. Here are some of the things that can contribute to bad breath to help you determine what's causing your problems and treat them at the source.

Stains On Your Dental Implants? Here's What You'll Want To Know
Dental implants are a great way of not just restoring your smile, but also the confidence to enjoy your favorite foods. Although dental implants are impervious to tooth decay, they're not entirely invincible. For starters, unsightly stains can still develop on the surface if the implant isn't cared for properly. The following shows how stains can form on dental implants and what you can do to not only remove those stains, but also prevent them from showing up in the future.

Need Some Zzzz? Understanding And Treating Sleep Apnea
Sleep is an imperative part of your physical and emotional well-being, but certain disorders may reduce your ability to get a sufficient amount of rest. Considering sleep apnea affects an estimated 18 million Americans, understanding the signs and treatment options is key to improving your quality of sleep. Using this guide and the help of your doctor and dentist, you can diagnose and treat this common disorder to improve your quality of sleep.

How Does Methamphetamine Use Destroy Teeth?
Methamphetamine is a dangerous and highly addictive drug. While it has numerous negative effects on the body and on health, one of the most notable and long-lasting is its effects on dental health. On one study of meth users, 96% had cavities, 58% had untreated tooth decay, and 31% had six or more missing teeth. If you are considering trying methamphetamine or have been using meth and are looking for inspiration to quit, learning more about how meth destroys your teeth might give you the gumption you need to stay away from this horrendous substance.

6 Foods That Hurt Your Teeth (Some of These Will Surprise You!)
When it comes to your dental health, brushing and flossing aren't enough. You can't just eat whatever you want and brush it off at bedtime. Some foods will damage your teeth as you chew and others will damage your teeth from the inside of your body. Here are some foods and drinks that should be avoided as much as possible for the health of your teeth. Flavored Coffee Coffee in its most natural form is a healthy choice in moderation, but drinking flavored and sweetened coffee on a regular basis is bad for your teeth.

The 101 On Gingivitis: Signs And Treatment Options For This Early Form Of Gum Disease
Diet, exercise, and regular checkups are imperative for your healthy lifestyle, but certain tasks are necessary to protect your oral health. While an annual dental exam is smart, proper brushing and preventative measures are essential to protect the look and underlying health of your mouth, teeth, and gums. Considering an estimated 47.2 percent of adults 30 years old or older have some form of periodontal disease, learning the early signs of this condition will prevent serious damage to your gums and teeth.

Taking A Bite Out Of Tooth Pain: Banish Pain From Sensitive Teeth
If you experience a sharp pain when you eat or drink hot or cold foods, you could be suffering from sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth is a common problem that affects an estimated one in eight American adults. While it can be a sign of a serious dental problem, in many instances the problem occurs when the dentine is exposed due to receding gums or enamel erosion. While you should seek the advise of your dentist any time you experience pain from your teeth or the surrounding gums, you can often treat sensitive teeth safely at home.

What You Should Know About Treatments For Your Periodontitis
Gum disease is a common dental disease. In the early stages, it is a reversible condition, but if it progresses to periodontitis, there is no cure. If you have periodontitis, however, there are many treatments available to help improve the disease and treat many of the symptoms. Check out these five common treatments for periodontitis. Deep Cleanings Help Reduce Bacteria and Inflammation Tartar, plaque and bacteria irritate your gums, which causes inflammation.

How Can Dental Bonding Help Give You a Hollywood Smile?
Dental bonding is a popular and inexpensive cosmetic dental procedure that can fix a wide variety of problems. If you have any cosmetic dental concerns, you should consider dental bonding to vastly improve the look of your smile. Check out these four common ways dental bonding can give you a Hollywood smile. Whitens Teeth Professional teeth whitening is the best way to fight tooth discoloration caused by aging, tobacco and food/drink.

4 Tips For An Easy Recovery From Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implants are one of the most natural-looking replacements for missing teeth. However, many people who have considered dental implants are concerned about pain and swelling during the recovery period. Here are a few tips to help make your recovery as quick and comfortable as possible after dental implant surgery. Managing Bleeding and Swelling During the first day or two after your dental implants are placed, you can expect mild to moderate bleeding in the gums surrounding the implant.

Bag The Binky: Protecting Your Toddler's Teeth From Pacifier Damage
Although pacifiers can be a terrific tool for soothing a fussy baby, if a child sucks on his or her binky for too long, there are several oral consequences that can happen as a result.  Because taking away the binky is a struggle for most kids, it is essential to understand how to get rid of the binky effectively and why getting rid of the pacifier early is so important.  Both of these points can help to provide the necessary motivation to help you to bag the binky successfully.

How A Root Canal Treatment Can Discolor Your Tooth
If you damage the pulp inside one of your teeth, a bacterial infection is likely to develop. To remove the infected tissue, a dentist will normally have to carry out a root canal treatment. While these treatments can effectively deal with infections, some patients experience side effects, including tooth discoloration. If a root canal treatment has caused discoloration in one of your teeth, find out what may have caused the problem.

5 Things Parents Need To Know About Herpetic Gingivostomatitis
Herpetic gingivostomatitis is a painful infection that is caused by the herpes simplex virus, the same virus that is responsible for cold sores. It usually affects children between six months and five years old, but older kids can also suffer from it. Here's what parents need to know about it. How does the herpes simplex virus spread? People who are already infected with herpes simplex shed the virus into the air around them, even when they're not showing any symptoms.

Dental Abscesses: Types, Symptoms, And Treatment
A dental abscess is a serious condition that can lead to tooth loss, sinusitis, and more dangerous problems. Because of this, it is important to pay attention to the signs and symptoms of a dental abscess so you can have it treated as soon as possible. Here is some information about dental abscesses to help you be more prepared if you ever face this dental problem. Types of Dental Abscesses

3 Steps You Should Take If You Chip A Tooth
While teeth are strong enough to withstand a lot of force, there are times when they fail and end up chipping. This normally happens from trauma that strikes the tooth. The trauma could as severe as the force from a major car crash, or it could be as simple as biting on a hard piece of food. When this happens, you will need to take the right steps to protect the tooth and get it repaired.

Troubleshooting Your Teeth
It's a shame that the human body doesn't come with an owner's manual -- after all, it's much more complex than, say, your car. Even your teeth can exhibit confusing and worrying signs of trouble, but without some basic troubleshooting knowledge, you could either get worked up over nothing or ignore a serious condition. Here are a few symptoms that can serve as the oral equivalent of a car's "check engine"

Child Asthma - Preventing Oral Health Issues
If you have a child with asthma, then your son or daughter may be susceptible to certain types of oral health problems. These issues can lead to cavities, gum disease, and general pain conditions. Also, when oral health problems develop early in life, then your child will be at risk of loosing the teeth or developing breaks and infections later in life. You can help to keep oral problems at bay by considering the suggestions outlined in this article.

Three Congenital Dental Disorders To Watch For In Your Child
When most people think of dental problems, they think of issues such as tooth decay and tooth abscesses, which are not present when a person is born, but rather develop later in life. Some dental problems are congenital, which means that they are present at birth. Though these dental problems may not be obvious until a child is a few months or years old, they are genetically based, and nothing you do as a parent can prevent them from showing up.

Gum Contouring In Full Mouth Restorations
When patients visit the dental clinic for full mouth restoration, it is usually because significant damage has been done to a number of teeth. What patient's don't realize however, is the effect of this damage on the rest of the mouth structure. Full mouth restorations will help fix the teeth that remain; however, the procedure may also demand a few subsequent treatments to manage other problems. Read more information below. When Your Teeth Aren't the Problem

Losing Teeth, Gaining Culture: Three Things The Tooth Fairy Can Teach Your Child
When your child loses a baby tooth it can be an exciting and somewhat frightening experience. If you, like many other parents, use the story of the tooth fairy to make the experience a little easier, you also might want to consider what the tooth fairy can teach your child about cultural appreciation, responsibility, oral hygiene, and imagination.  Each Culture Has Different Beliefs and Traditions  Although you may take the tooth fairy for granted, it is a rather recent creation that has been solidified in English-speaking parts of the world through the portrayal of benevolent fairies in early Disney films.

Smile! | 4 Components Used To Complete Your Dental Implants
Upon discussing the implant installation process with your dentist, you might feel like a bundle of nerves about the upcoming procedures. Luckily, you can ease your stress and feel calm about the procedures by learning about the materials used for the implants. By learning about the individual components, you can gain a better understanding about each step of the implant installation procedure. Whether you need just one implant or a whole mouth full, the materials used for permanent tooth replacement have come a long way since the first known implants used in the third century B.

3 Primary Causes Of Jawbone Loss
Dental implants are the most effective means of replacing missing teeth because they are both natural-looking and permanent. However, dental implants cannot always be implanted immediately due to jawbone resorption beneath the area where your real tooth was lost. Here is an explanation of the three primary causes of jawbone resorption. Lack of Jawbone Stimulation The bone and soft tissue that surrounds the roots of your teeth to hold them in place is known as the dental alveoli.

Cosmetic Resin Bridges: A Great Choice For Replacing Missing Teeth
Dental implants are an excellent choice for many individuals with missing teeth. They are permanent, durable and best mimic your real teeth. However, dental implants are not always practical for every patient. As such, your dentist can provide you with a number of possible alternatives, such as fixed or removable dentures or teeth-supported bridges. However, an option that isn't often known about by patients is the composite resin bridge. This is a relatively young dental technology made possible by super-strong materials available to dentists.

Preventative Dentistry: The Best Thing For Your Child's Oral Health
Although your dentist is well-equipped to deal with almost any dental problem that your child might have, it is always easier to prevent issues from appearing rather than trying to fix them as they start to crop up. Preventative dentistry aims to help your child take small steps so that they won't ever have to deal with huge oral problems. You should know what preventative steps you can help your child take to avoid major oral health issues as well as dental emergencies.

All About Tonsil Stones
If you have had bad breath, white debris seemingly randomly appearing in your mouth or a sore throat that won't go away, you might have tonsil stones. Read on to learn about tonsil stones, their causes and effects and what you can do about them. What Are Tonsil Stones? A tonsil stone is a calcified cluster of material that forms in pockets in your tonsils. Other names for tonsil stones include tonsilloliths, and they are also referred tonsillar calculi.

Treatment For TMJ Disorders: What You Need To Know
Experts believe that temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) affect more than 10 million people in the United States. This group of conditions causes painful symptoms in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. Some people only suffer mild symptoms of a TMJ disorder, but these conditions can also lead to more serious long-term problems. If you have TMJ, learn more about the treatment options you may need to consider, and find out what you should do to manage the condition.

HSA, FSA, HRA -- Which Spending Accounts Can Pay For Needed Dental Treatment?
With the array of different health and dental insurance plans offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it can be confusing to determine which -- if any -- of the available spending accounts you can use to pay for dental expenses. Read on to learn more about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) and how (or whether) they can help save you money on your dental work.

Scheduling Your First Dental Visit For A Child On The Autism Spectrum? Tips To Make The Visit A Success
As the parent of a child on the Autism spectrum, you understand that sensory sensitivities can make seemingly everyday tasks a challenge. Visiting the pediatric dentist is no exception to this. In fact, dentist visits can be traumatic for kids on the spectrum without the proper preparations. These visits are often a sensory overload experience, from the tools to the sounds and the tastes. While trips to the dentist may never be something your child looks forward to, there are some steps you can take to help make the process easier.