Dental Health Blog

Nervous about your next dental visit? Learn exactly what to expect during a routine dental exam and professional cleaning to ease your anxiety and protect your smile.

Your teeth, while quite sturdy, are not invincible. The foods and beverages you consume play a significant role in your teeth’s health and longevity. From the tempting treats that tantalize your taste buds to several seemingly harmless snacks, many popular foods can wreak havoc on your dental health when consumed regularly. Let's take a look at the top 7 worst foods for your teeth. 1. Sugary Treats: Indulging in sugary treats like candies, chocolates, and sweet drinks may giv

Have you ever had a sinus toothache? If you have, you know how uncomfortable, distracting and painful they can be. Fortunately, tooth pain caused by sinus pressure or pain can usually be relieved significantly with proper at-home care. *Note: If you are suffering from extreme tooth pain of any kind, or tooth pain that lasts for more than 12-18 hours, please visit your dentist as soon as possible so that they can determine and treat the root cause before the condition worsens.

Here at DFW Dental Service, we’ve seen it all – and that includes people who have caused permanent damage to their gums or teeth by using electric toothbrushes incorrectly. A surprising number of people don’t use electric toothbrushes properly, and we’re here to help people learn the correct, safe way to use your electric toothbrush. Common Mistakes Here are a few common mistakes we see people make when using electric toothbrushes: Not brushing for long enough. Just like with

Oral thrush, or oropharyngeal candidiasis, is a fungal infection in the mouth caused by a yeast called Candida. Some amounts of Candida naturally occurs on or in places like the skin, mouth, throat, digestive tract, and vagina. However, changes or imbalances in these environments can sometimes cause Candida to multiply, resulting in infection. In the mouth, candidiasis usually presents as white-ish, raised, patchy lesions on the tongue, inside cheeks or throat. Below, we’ll d

Habitual teeth grinding, aka bruxism, wears down teeth over time and greatly increases your risk of damaged teeth and gums. Sleep bruxism is more common than awake bruxism, but often goes unnoticed unless alerted by a partner. If you think you may have bruxism, the first step is to visit the dentist for a proper diagnosis, as well as prevention and treatment options. How is Bruxism Diagnosed? During a dental exam, one of the many things your dentist checks for is signs of abn

What are the best foods and drinks for a healthy mouth? In general, what’s good for your body is also good for your teeth. For example, foods that are high in nutrients, vitamins, fiber and water content all tend to be great for both general and oral health. And the reverse is true, too – foods that are bad for your body, such as sugary and starchy foods with little nutritional value, are bad for oral health as well. Let’s take a look at some of the very best food and drink c

How much sugar did the average person consume in the 1700s vs. today? And what does our increased sugar consumption do to our oral, mental and physical health? The answers aren’t pretty – but the reality is that added sugars are found in the majority of our foods and drinks today, and our sugar habits are causing serious and sometimes life-threatening health issues. Understanding the reasons and impacts of our consumption choices can help us make better decisions to benefit o

Would you consider your teeth as living things? It might come as a surprise given how hard they are, but our teeth are indeed living things! Human teeth have a unique structure and four distinct types of dental tissue, all of which work together to keep teeth healthy and strong. The three parts that make up a tooth’s structure are: crown, neck and root. The four types of dental tissue are: enamel, dentin, cementum and pulp. Let’s take a closer look into the anatomy of a tooth

Do you know how much bacteria is in the human mouth? Estimates vary between 500 to 700 different species of bacteria, and between 6 million and 20 million microbes of bacteria in the mouth at any given time! Those billions of bacteria adhere to each other and to surfaces within the mouth – teeth, gums, inner cheeks, tongue, and form a complex, slimy, sticky substance called biofilm. Dental biofilm can actually aid oral health. Besides containing hundreds of varieties of both

People today consume an astounding amount of sugar – nearly 300% of the recommended amount! Over the past few decades, added sugars in our food and drinks have been linked to drastic spikes in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. Other serious health issues linked with increased sugar consumption include: heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer, mood disorders like depression, and tooth decay. It is all too easy to default to grabbing a sugar-laden drink or snac

Are you a daily coffee drinker? 64% of American adults are! In fact, Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every single day. All of that daily coffee consumption begs the question: What does drinking coffee do to our mouths? And, is coffee good or bad for oral health? The answer depends largely on how you drink your coffee. Are you a fan of americanos, frappuccinos, lattes, cappuccinos, or do you take your coffee black? Do you drink one or two cups of coffee in the

If you plan to get a dental implant, you might be told that you need a sinus lift surgery first. But what exactly is a sinus lift, and why is it needed? We want to provide you with all the details you need to feel informed and confident as you prepare for your sinus lift procedure. Ahead, we’ll answer frequently asked questions about sinus lift surgery. What is a Sinus Lift? A sinus lift (aka sinus augmentation) is a procedure that lifts the floor of the existing sinus membra

If you’ve ever been told you have a cavity, you know what comes next: getting a filling. There are four main types of filling materials, and every type has their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Ahead, we'll break down the differences between the filling materials, as well as the pros and cons of each! Amalgam Fillings Amalgam fillings have been used for nearly 150 years, and have been the tried and true dental filling material for nearly as long. Amalgam fillings a

What is Fluoride? Fluoride (pronounced “floor-eyed”) is a naturally occurring mineral found nearly everywhere on earth – in air, soil, water, and in many foods and drinks. Nicknamed “nature’s cavity protector,” fluoride significantly decreases the risk of dental cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. The Fluoride Discovery In the 1930s, scientists discovered that people who drank water with naturally occurring fluoride levels of or greater than 1 part fluoride per 1 million

Imagine losing a front tooth due to a sports injury, or painfully cracking a tooth due to habitual teeth grinding. The trauma of the injury would be distressing enough on its own, but simple enjoyments and daily routines like eating, speaking and smiling would also be affected. In many cases, dental injury is preventable with mouth guards! Mouthguard Uses Sports & Recreation: Teeth are extremely vulnerable to damage when they are not properly protected while playing contact s

You've heard of dental fillings and crowns, but have you heard of inlays and onlays? In the past, dental crowns were always the go-to solution for restoring teeth too damaged to be repaired with fillings. But today, there are intermediary options: Inlays and Onlays. What are Inlays and Onlays? Inlays and onlays (also known as indirect fillings) are strong, durable tooth restorations that are custom made to repair a tooth, and are great options for restoring teeth with medium

Baby teeth may be temporary, but they are incredibly important! They play a big role in a growing child’s speech, digestion, and social development, and also serve as placeholders that help guide adult teeth into their correct positions. And because they’re so important to a young child’s health and development, it is very important to prevent cavities in baby teeth. WHAT IS BABY BOTTLE TOOTH DECAY? Tooth decay in infants and toddlers is called baby bottle tooth decay (also c

Have you been thinking about choosing a New Year’s resolution lately? Among the most common New Year’s resolutions are ones related to health – eating healthier, exercising more, losing weight, etc. But one important health-related goal most people don’t consider is the resolution to have a healthier smile! Why Should You Resolve to Have a Healthier Smile in 2022? A healthy mouth is incredibly important to your overall health. Numerous studies show that poor oral health is li

Do you use an electric toothbrush or a regular one? Does one type seem like it cleans your teeth better than the other? The truth is that both manual and electric toothbrushes are great at cleaning your teeth effectively, as long as they are used properly! That said, there are several pros and cons that may make one type a better choice for you over the other. Let’s take a look! Manual Toothbrush Pros: Affordable and easy to replace - Standard toothbrushes are widely availabl