BEING “TONGUE-TIED” is a common expression in the English language, but it’s also a real medical condition. Being lip-tied is another, and both are caused by thin pieces of tissue called frenula. One frenulum connects the upper lip to the upper gums, and another connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. We have other frenula, but these are the…
OUR BODIES NEED a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in order to function effectively, all the way to the cellular level. Eating enough food and the right types of food is crucial to stay healthy, and this is a big part of what makes eating disorders such a dangerous problem. Not only is it harmful to overall health, though;…
WE SHOULD ALL BE taking good care of our teeth and gums, but did you know that this can mean different things for men than for women? That’s right: one of the ways men and women are different is their oral health, which is why we’re giving guys some tips for how to keep those handsome smiles clean and healthy. Make…
IF YOU LOOK AT ANY tube of toothpaste with the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance, you’ll see fluoride listed as the active ingredient. Trace amounts of fluoride are also added to the drinking water in many communities to further promote strong and healthy teeth. But what is fluoride and how does it work? A Brief History of Fluoride in Drinking…
TOOTHACHES CAN HAPPEN for a number of reasons. It’s important to know what to do about them, because they don’t always happen when the dentist’s office is open. Do you have a plan for how to deal with an after-hours toothache? Major Causes of Toothaches Tooth decay is the main culprit behind a painful tooth, but there are others too, from…
COMING DOWN WITH the flu is never any fun, but it’s still no time to let up on your oral hygiene routine. The same applies if you get a cold. With flu and cold season starting up, we thought this was a good time to share some tips for maintaining good oral health through one of these common illnesses. Brushing and…
WHEN YOU THINK of the differences between men and women, oral health concerns probably don’t appear high on the list. In reality, men and women face very different challenges with maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Women have a few advantages that men don’t while struggling with being more at risk for certain issues. Oral Health Conditions More Common in Women Two…
EMERGENCIES ARE SO MUCH easier to deal with if we’ve prepared for them in advance, and that includes dental emergencies. You might be wondering what you can do to prepare for something like an unexpected tooth injury or dental health issue. It’s true that a dental emergency isn’t quite the same as a food shortage or a flat tire, but we…
IF GIVEN THE CHANCE to change something about their smiles, most people would choose to have whiter teeth, and quite a few are willing to try just about anything for it, including something as counterintuitive as scrubbing them with toothpaste made of charcoal. The History of Charcoal as a Remedy The activated charcoal-based dental and skin care products that have been…
THE EXPRESSION “getting long in the tooth” refers to gum recession, but this oral health problem isn’t necessarily connected to age. Gum recession is when the edge of the gingival tissue moves away from the crown of the tooth, exposing the root. The reason we tend to think of it as an age-related problem is that it tends to be so gradual that…
