WHEN YOU SAW THE IMAGE ABOVE did you think you were on your veterinarian’s blog? OK, it’s a little unusual to talk about animals’ teeth on our practice blog but we know lots of our patients are pet owners—and a little trivia once in a while is fun.

Any Dog Owners Out There?

We know that some of you own dogs. Sometimes we forget how important it is to care for their teeth. At the end of this blog post we have a video explaining how to brush your dog’s teeth! It’s not as hard as you may think. Then again, you may just want your veterinarian to do it! You decide (see video at bottom of post).

Interesting Animal Teeth Trivia

Did you know that African elephants have just four massive molars to chew with? That’s right, only four! And did you know that their tusks are actually huge, overgrown incisors?

Here are some other creatures with interesting teeth:

• Mice: Like other rodents, mice have incisors that never stop growing. They have to continuously wear them down by gnawing and chewing.
• Geese: Birds don’t have teeth—not really. It’s one of their qualifying characteristics. However, many geese have serrations on their beaks that can look suspiciously like teeth. They’re called lamellae.
• Narwhals: The narwhal horn is the most complicated and mysterious tooth in nature. Yes, that’s right, it’s a tooth. It wasn’t until fairly recently that scientists discovered the narwhal’s horn is used primarily for navigation.
• Sharks: Sharks lose thousands of teeth in their lifetime. They shed them the way other animals shed fur. Their teeth aren’t even connected with roots like ours, so it’s easy-come-easy-go.
• Dolphins: Dolphin teeth grow a new layer every year. One could actually count the rings to determine a dolphin’s age, just as you would with a tree.
• Snails: Yes, we refer to them as teeth, but they’re very different from ours. Snails have thousands of tiny “teeth” on their tongues—made of chitin. These teeth help with scraping/grinding food, and they’re constantly regenerating.

Do you know any interesting trivia about animals’ teeth? If so, share it below or on our Facebook page!

And remember, if you ever have a question about YOUR OWN teeth, be sure to ask us. We’re happy to answer any of your questions.

Thanks For Being Our Valued Patient And Friend!

MOST PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW ALCOHOL affects their bodies, but we rarely talk about the effects on our oral health. With all the parties and gatherings with friends and family during the holidays, it’s a good time to learn more about it.

Consider What You’re Drinking From Your Mouth’s Point Of View

• Acidity – Most alcoholic drinks are very acidic. This is especially true for drinks that are mixed using sodas and fruit juices. All of this acid can really eat away at your teeth.
• Staining – Red wine, especially, can stain your teeth. And remember that bonds and newly-whitened teeth are very vulnerable to staining.
• Extra Sugar – The bitterness in many alcoholic drinks is counteracted with extra sugar, which you may not even notice.
• Sipping Dangers – After an acidic, sugary drink your mouth works hard to re-establish its pH balance. If you’re sipping drinks over a long period of time, your mouth struggles even more to keep a good balance. It’s like a war zone all evening long.

Some Helpful Suggestions

Being more aware of these issues will help you be smart. Here are some ideas:

Here’s One More Important Thought

Most people don’t know that regular drinking can spike your oral cancer risk. According to an American Cancer Society study, a person who consumes alcohol is six times more likely to get oral cancer than someone who doesn’t consume alcohol, and 75-80% of patients with oral cancer are frequent alcohol users.

Oral cancer is a serious killer—so use your good judgment. And, make sure that you have regular oral cancer screenings.

Questions Or Comments? 

Do you have any questions about alcohol’s impact on your oral health? Do you have any tips of your own about how to keep your teeth healthy during that holiday night out? Comment below or on our Facebook page! And if you ever have questions, please ask us.

Thanks For The Confidence You Place In Our Practice. Have A Wonderful Holiday Season!

LET’S DO A QUICK EXPERIMENT right now! Look across the room and catch someone’s eye. Now smile at that person. Did they smile back? We’re guessing they did. Smiles are amazing in that way! New studies show that your smile is much more powerful than you think.

Happiness (Expressed Through Your Smile) Is Contagious

A recent UCSD/Harvard study documented how happiness spreads through the interactions we have with others—AND how it continues to spread beyond those we have direct contact with! You don’t even need to be close friends or family to be influenced by someone else’s happiness—it’s passed on to neighbors, coworkers, and friends of friends too.

Smiles Spread More Than Frowns

A North Dakota State University smile study concluded that smiles are way more likely to spread to others than frowns—even though researchers assumed before the study that they would be equally contagious.

In this crazy world, isn’t it nice to know that positive vibes move more quickly and efficiently than negative vibes?

It’s Another Reason Your Smile Is So Important

Here are a couple of the very best ways to unleash the powerful potential of YOUR smile to make the world a better place:

• Keep your smile healthy. Brush and floss every day, and be sure you’re having regular checkups and professional cleanings.
• If there’s something about your smile that’s keeping you from sharing it often, let’s visit. Ask us about ways you can have the confidence to smile more. No need to be self-conscious. We can help.

As Always, Thank You

We try not to be annoying by badgering you for referrals. However, if you have an extended family member, coworker, neighbor, or friend (even that sort of odd guy who grooms your poodle) who’s looking for a great oral health care provider, please share our practice with them. We love the new patients who come to us through you—our current patients. They typically become our favorites. Thanks.

We Appreciate You!

DOES FREQUENT SNACKING PRESENT PROBLEMS FOR OUR TEETH? Well, it depends. Every time we eat, our mouths go to work cleaning things up and restoring “balance”.

Having three meals a day is one thing. But when we continuously snack, our mouths struggle more to maintain that clean, happy balance—especially when we’re eating the wrong kinds of foods.

The Types Of Foods We Snack On Make A Difference

Some snacks are hard to resist, but they’re also harder on your teeth. This includes starchy foods, sugary foods, and really acidic things like orange juice or energy drinks. So what does it mean to snack smart? Snacking smart doesn’t mean you have to cut out those hard-to-resist snacks altogether. After all, what are we supposed to do in the theater while we’re watching a movie?! But smart snacking DOES mean a couple of things:

1. Being more aware! Start noticing the snacks you’re eating, and WHEN you’re eating them.

2. Keeping “teeth-healthy” snacks handy. At first you’ll miss the sweets. But very quickly your tastes will adjust and smart snacks will easily tide you over between meals and late at night. Here are some suggestions:

• Crunchy, fibrous vegetables and fruits, like apples, actually scrub your teeth and increase saliva flow.
• Protein-rich foods like beans, meats, and eggs have phosphorus and minerals that help build strong teeth. Try edamame as a snack!
• Cheese is sugar/starch free, and dairy products are high in calcium which is great for teeth.

Did You Know An Apple Is Like A Mini Toothbrush?

When you’re craving a snack, practice putting away the crackers and cookies. Opt for something that’s good for your teeth instead.

Eating Treats With Your Meals

Don’t torture yourself. If you choose, having a starchy or sugary treat once in a while is fine. Eating them at the right time can help too, and potentially have a less damaging effect on your teeth.

• Eat treats WITH a meal to help dilute their effects and wash them down. During meals, you have increased saliva flow to clean away debris, counteract acids, and remineralize your teeth.
• Follow up with brushing or rinsing—and when brushing isn’t convenient, consider chewing on some sugar-free gum.

Do you have smart snacking tips of your own? We’d love to hear them! You can leave a comment below, or you can always reach us on our Facebook page.

Thanks For Your Trust In Our Practice! We Appreciate You!

FOR AS LONG AS HUMANS HAVE CHEWED FOOD (that’s a long time) they’ve looked for efficient ways to rid themselves of bits and pieces caught between their teeth. It’s not just a modern dilemma. In fact, little grooves from ancient toothpicks have been found in prehistoric human teeth! But it wasn’t until more recently that we really figured out a good system. Flossing!

Dental Floss Is Awesome

You may not think about it very often but around our practice, we think modern dental floss is amazing stuff. Really. Some history buffs trace its origins to Dr. Levi Spear Parmly of New Orleans, who recommended that patients start using strands of silk to clear out the spaces between their teeth.

That was back in 1815. Since then, modern dentistry has learned just how powerful flossing is. It’s not JUST for removing annoying food particles between teeth.

Five Cool Reasons You Should Love Dental Floss

1. Dental Floss Is Super Handy!

Floss is great for tying up decorations, cutting dough for pastries, and it has even been used in a few infamous prison escapes (though of course, our team doesn’t recommend that).

2. Dental floss is a great value.

For just a few dollars you can prevent costly dental procedures down the road.

3. Dental Floss Helps Your Mouth Feel Cleaner And Fights Bad Breath.

Flossing reaches more tooth surface and food debris than brushing alone.

4. Dental Floss Could Save Your Teeth.

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. Flossing helps keep your gums healthy, and your teeth where they belong.

5. Dental Floss Could Save Your Life.

We don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, but many health professionals believe that unhealthy gums can actually increase your risk for other major health issues including lung disorders, heart disease, and early-term labor.

Flossing Is Simple, And Makes Sense

Surprisingly, many people still don’t realize the benefits of flossing. Depending on which study you read, 60-90% of people don’t floss daily. If you’re one of them, we challenge you to do an experiment. Floss every day for three weeks. You will notice healthier gums and a cleaner mouth. After three weeks it will have become a habit and you’ll keep doing it because you love it.

Find a flossing system or type of floss that works for you. You can use waxed or unwaxed, flavored or not. If you don’t like putting your hands in your mouth, try floss picks.

Questions For Us?

If you have ANY questions about your oral health, or you’d like to share a story about how you’ve become a “floss believer”, let us know! Comment below, post on our Facebook page, or of course you can always call us.

 Thanks Again For Being Our Valued Patient And Friend!

WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA we believe it’s the quality of the online relationships and content that matters—not the quantity. We’re a relationship-based business where our team members have personal relationships with you. Sometimes we don’t see you for six months! So, as part of our efforts to stay connected, we love Facebook. We love it because we believe it helps us serve you better.

Would You Consider Doing Us A Little Favor?

Occasionally we have patients express concern that they missed a cool, funny, or important post or promotion on our page. Very recently, new functionality has been added to our page that provides a way for you, our fans, to never miss these posts again.

Please go to our Facebook page and follow these simple instructions:

Our Promise To You, Our Valued Patients And Friends

To confirm our sincere thanks to you for opting-in to our post notifications we make this promise… We won’t bombard you with self-promotional posts or irrelevant dental gobbledegook. Each time before we post, we’ll continue to ask ourselves, “Will this be truly helpful, relevant, interesting, or fun for our patients?” When the answer is “yes” we’ll post it, and when the answer is “no” we won’t.

Two-Way Conversations That We Respect And Cherish

Social media allows us to better connect with you. We consider it a platform for dialogues, not monologues. We want you to always feel comfortable reaching out to us with questions and/or suggestions on how we can better serve you. Your feedback is appreciated and helpful!

We’re Grateful To You. You Make Our Work Rewarding And Enjoyable. Thanks For Connecting With Us And For Helping Our Practice Grow!

WHETHER IT’S DONE consciously or subconsciously, nail biting habits affect people of all ages. As you can imagine there are lots of possible reasons why people start biting their nails including anxiety, stress, boredom, compulsiveness, depression, etc. On the surface, nail biting may not seem like a big deal. However, fairly severe consequences can result in both oral and overall health problems.

Nail Biting’s Effects On Your Teeth

1. Nail biting can crack, chip and wear down teeth. Your front teeth are lot different than your back teeth in terms of functionality. They aren’t designed for gnawing or chewing. 2. Nail biting can shift tooth alignment and damage existing dental work. 3. Nail biting risks gum tissue damage. Bitten nail pieces can easily tear into your gum tissue increasing the risk of gum disease and eventual tooth loss. 4. Nail biting can be expensive. The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that nail biters incur an additional $4,000 in future dental repairs.

Nail Biting’s Effects On Your Health

Think about the most germ-concentrated areas of your body—your mouth and hands. You can imagine what happens when those two areas are in constant contact. And when there are even tiny, tiny breaks in the skin, germs get a free hall pass to your bloodstream. Yuck.

Tips For Quitting

Maybe you’ve always wanted to quit, but it hasn’t worked yet. Here are a few tips:

• Keep your nails looking nice. It will help motivate you to leave them alone.
• Enlist friends. Sometimes it helps to have someone remind you when you’re biting.
• Notice your trigger(s).  Anxious? Bored? Learn to deal with these emotions in other ways.
• Carry a nail file and clippers. If you crack a nail or snag it, you can make repairs without biting.
• Treat your nails. There are many awful tasting products—designed for this purpose—that you can put on your nails to really deter you.

Do You Have Any Helpful Quitting Ideas To Add?

Do you struggle with biting your nails? Does someone you love bite his or her nails? We hope the content of this post has helped. Let us know if there is anything else we can do to help, or if you have other questions. Do YOU have any tips for quitting? Share them below or connect with us on our Facebook page. We’re always excited to hear from you!

Thanks, As Always, For Being Our Valued Patients And Friends. We Appreciate You!