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Have you ever wondered what the sticky film that coats your teeth is? Or if you should be concerned about its buildup? The sticky film is called plaque. Plaque starts forming when you eat foods such as bread, milk, candy, and drinks, and the food remains on your teeth. When food particle and bacteria combine, they produce a colorless to yellow deposit that coats the surface of your teeth. These deposits form dental plaque, a thin biofilm deposit made of bacteria that are continuously created and develops on everyone’s teeth. Overtime dental plaque can buildup on your teeth and if left untouched can lead to dental…

Eating a healthy meal is essential for a well-balanced diet. If you are wearing braces, it is necessary to avoid certain types of foods and make healthier options. Let’s discuss which foods to avoid and options that will help you have a healthy smile while you are wearing braces, and afterwards.

Foods to avoid

Why should you avoid some foods? If you want to reveal a beautiful smile after your braces come off, or you don’t want stains and cavities to develop while wearing braces, you should avoid foods that can damage your braces or increase the risk of developing dental…

What is a tooth abscess?

If your jaw is aching, swollen, and feels sensitive when touch, you may have an abscessed tooth. A bacterial infection is what causes an abscess. An abscess is pus made up of dead cells and bacteria and can occur in different parts of your mouth. A tooth abscess is different from gum abscess due to the location of where it forms. A tooth abscess occurs deep inside the root of your tooth by bacteria. This type of abscess is called a periapical abscess. A tooth abscess is commonly caused by a cavity or cracked tooth exposing the soft…

You have probably taken some medicine for a headache to help manage the pain. With dental surgeries, you are usually also given medicine for the pain that you experience after the procedures. When dental pain is controlled, you will feel better. Pain management can be challenging and complex depending on the type of dental procedure you are having done to your teeth. The level of pain experience is different from one person to another. Generally, dental procedures that are done on the surface of the tooth create no or little inflammation response. However, when soft tissues…

Establishing good oral dental hygiene early in young children is a good practice to keep your child healthy. Many parents may think that those baby teeth will fall out anyway and some parents may not pay much attention to those little teeth. However, this is not entirely true; tooth decay can negatively impact the health of your child. For example, dental disease such as early childhood caries can affect permanent teeth. Proper and routine oral dental hygiene practice in young children will prevent or reduce the chances of cavities…

A dental hygienist is a licensed professional healthcare member who works along with your dentist to provide dental care and assist in developing your dental care plan. A dental hygienist will have completed two or four years of college before completing their clinical and board exams. Once professionally licensed, a dental hygienist’s work will focus primarily on preventive dental care. However, the range of dental services performed by a dental hygienist can vary by the state they practice. Each state has specific practice regulations detailing the role and functions a hygienist can perform. They have the training and education that focus…

X-ray or radiographs give your dentist the ability to see the inner layers of your teeth and the bones that hold your teeth in place. Because of this reason, dental X-rays in dentistry serves an essential function during an oral examination. X-rays provide your dentist with a comprehensive view of what’s happening in your mouth. For example, X-rays may help your dentist detect tooth decay or cavities and help you develop a plan to restore the tooth, check disease in the bone, gum disease, any infection that may have developed under the gums, and in some cases tumors. Dental X-rays…

The Complexity of Pediatric Dentistry

Anxiety and fear are a common problem in pediatric dentistry. Children are not like adults; they differ in physiology, psychologically, and emotionally from adults. Children undergoing complex dental procedures can present challenging obstacles and safety concerns. When no alternative methods are available to control a child’s fear and anxiety, the use of sedatives can be an effective option to keep the child safe during a dental procedure.

Sedation in Pediatric Dentistry

Sedation dentistry is the use of calming drugs to manage special needs that arise from children receiving dental care. The safe sedation of children requires…

If you have yearned for a brighter smile, you might have considered using a toothpaste containing sodium bicarbonate or baking soda to whiten your teeth. Tooth whitening is the process of changing the teeth’s color and can include bleaching and use of abrasive material such as baking soda to achieve a whiter appearance.

Types of teeth stains

Tooth discoloration caused by stains can be intrinsic, extrinsic, or both. Intrinsic stains can occur on all of your teeth or just a single tooth caused by aging, tooth defect, or tooth disease. In contrast, extrinsic stains are commonly caused…

Dental erosion is the loss of tooth enamel caused by acids without involving bacteria. The hard enamel layer protects the inner structures of the tooth. Acids can dissolve the tiny crystals that make the enamel. When this hard protective surface is worn, the underlayer called dentine is exposed. The yellow dentine layer forms the bulk of each tooth and protects the existing inner structure called the pulp cavity. When dental erosion is advance, the yellow dentine can be visible. Exposed dentine can lead to pain and sensitivity.

Causes of dental erosion

Your dentist can detect dental erosion during routine dental checkups. Dental…