Should I Brush After Every Meal Or Is Twice A Day Enough?

In order to accurately answer this question, let’s take a look at what happens inside your mouth throughout the day.

There is always at least some “bad bacteria” in your mouth. Whenever you eat a meal or snack during the day that contains sugar, that bacteria use the sugar in the food to make and release acids into your mouth. 

Give Your Teeth a Holiday Gift by Brushing for Two Minutes

Most dentists agree that in order to brush your teeth properly, you need to brush your teeth for at least two minutes.

The best use of that time can be spent by dividing the time evenly between your top teeth and your bottom teeth.

If you had One Thing to Use to Clean Your Teeth, What Would it be?

What if you found yourself without a toothbrush? What would you do? How would you keep your teeth clean?

While brushing your teeth with a toothbrush is by far the most efficient way of removing plaque and harmful bacteria, in a pinch, there are other tools you can use that will do a decent job of protecting your teeth against cavities, gingivitis and bad breath.

The main action of a toothbrush is scrubbing, using a bit of friction. The toothbrush uses strong, yet flexible bristles to scrub your teeth, removing the plaque and bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth and between your teeth. 

Is Using a Water Pick as Effective as Using Floss?

We all know to expect three tools will be used in our mouths when we go to the dentist: the toothbrush, the water pick and floss.

Of these three tools, flossing seems to be the one we dislike the most. Many find flossing daily to be a difficult habit to put into practice. There’s something about flossing that many find gross, taxing and downright impossible to make time for.

Halloween Candy Tooth Tips: You’re Not a Kid Anymore

The four weeks leading up to Halloween can do a number on our diets and can make it nearly impossible to go anywhere without being accosted by a big, fat bowl of colorfully wrapped cavity producers.

Simply leaving your desk at work to make your way to the watercooler can seem scary. Around every corner looms yet another bowl beckoning you to “Eat just one.”

While getting older has taught us a thing or two about sugar and cavities, we still can become prey to those enticing treats.

Are Floss Sticks as Good as Regular Flossing?

There is a truth about your teeth that most of us aren’t even aware of.

 It is a truth that can have great consequences on the health and even the life of our teeth, but most of us go through life without this important bit of knowledge:

Flossing is even more important than brushing your teeth.

What You Drink Can Cause More Tooth Damage Than What You Eat

One of the biggest lies that big corporations have fed us is that fruit juice provides the same nutritional value as real fruit. Unfortunately this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The Ugly Truth About Fruit Juice

In fact, the main difference between most fruit juices and other sugary drinks is that fruit juice has added vitamins. However, those extra vitamins aren’t enough to offset the negative health effects of all that sugar.

The Dental Dangers of Desserts

Fast food gets all the blame for bad health in America. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of fast food, but there are other things to consider.

It’s not the occasional Big Mac or stuffed-crust pizza that destroys our health. It’s all of the little snacks and treats along the way that make a bigger difference.

It’s okay to let loose with a fast food meal or a large fancy dinner from time to time. Even dentists like to eat out, you know.

We may be dentists, but we’re still human!

Why It Is More Costly To Put Off Your Dental Treatment

One of the biggest complaints that we hear from patients is that they put off a procedure for too long and now regret that decision. You might not feel the effects of delaying an oil change or tire change on your car, but you will definitely feel it when you put off a cavity filling for too long.

Unlike car dealerships which are known for recommending maintenance services that aren’t really necessary, Dr. Myers genuinely cares for all of his patients and his recommendations are made with your best interest in mind. Not only will delaying dental procedures likely make the health problem worse, but it usually ends up costing more money as well.

Do I really need a dental crown?

When the early signs first appear that you will need a dental crown in the future, you likely don’t feel much urgency to get it taken care of. At that point you probably aren’t experiencing any pain yet and you might not see any blemishes in the appearance of your tooth.

However, the sooner you get a crown, the better. Dental crowns are one of the simplest and most effective restoration procedures to protect the long-term health of your tooth and to immediately improve the aesthetics.

With minimal tooth decay or damage, the procedure for adding a crown is a breeze. It’s not until you put it off for a long time that you end up requiring a procedure that takes up more time and costs more money.

Delaying a Crown Too Long Can Lead to Requiring a Root Canal

Like we mentioned before, adding a crown is quick and easy, but getting a root canal isn’t quite as fun. Of course we’ll do everything we can to make it as comfortable as possible for you, but no one likes having someone drill in their mouths -- not even us!

Believe it or not, your dental health is deeply connected to your overall health. Putting off a dental procedure can lead to periodontal disease -- which is associated with diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy complications, and respiratory disease.

If you’ve been putting off a procedure for too long, now is the time to get it taken care of. Book an appointment today and we’ll get it taken care of once and for all!

Thinking Of Putting Off That Dental Treatment?

One of the biggest complaints that we hear from patients is that they put off a procedure for too long and now regret that decision. You might not feel the effects of delaying an oil change or tire change on your car, but you will definitely feel it when you put off a cavity filling for too long.

Unlike car dealerships which are known for recommending maintenance services that aren’t really necessary, Dr. Myers genuinely cares for all of his patients and his recommendations are made with your best interest in mind. Not only will delaying dental procedures likely make the health problem worse, but it usually ends up costing more money as well.

Do I really need a dental crown?

When the early signs first appear that you will need a dental crown in the future, you likely don’t feel much urgency to get it taken care of. At that point you probably aren’t experiencing any pain yet and you might not see any blemishes in the appearance of your tooth.

However, the sooner you get a crown, the better. Dental crowns are one of the simplest and most effective restoration procedures to protect the long-term health of your tooth and to immediately improve the aesthetics.

With minimal tooth decay or damage, the procedure for doing a crown is relatively simple.  It’s not until you put it off for a long time that you end up requiring a procedure that takes up more time and costs more money.

Delaying a Crown Too Long Can Lead to a Root Canal

Like we mentioned before, doing a crown is relatively straight forward, but needing a root canal, in addition to the crown, can become more problematic. We will always refer you to an excellent endodontist (specialist) to have the Root Canal done as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Believe it or not, your dental health is deeply connected to your overall health. Putting off a dental procedure can lead to periodontal disease -- which is associated with diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy complications, and respiratory disease.

If you’ve been putting off a procedure for too long, now is the time to get it taken care of. Book an appointment today and we’ll get it taken care of once and for all!

Dental Floss: It's Not For Tying Up Your Turkey

We’ve seen dental floss used in all kinds of creative ways. Of all the personal hygiene products we use, dental floss offers the most options for practical use outside of its intended function.

Here are some of the ways we’ve seen dental floss used:

• Clothesline
• Fishing line
• String popcorn
• Fixing eyeglasses
• Shoestring replacement
• Support for young plants
• Hanging small paintings
• Removing sticky photos
• Removing cookies from tray
• Cutting cheese
• Starting a fire
• Sewing
• Cooking twine
• Removing stuck rings

And the list goes on. Do you know what we don’t see dental flossed used for often enough? The actual flossing of teeth!

Benefits of Flossing

Flossing is a necessary part of any solid dental hygiene routine, but you already know that. (We’ve only told you every time you come visit us.) However, sometimes we all need a little reminder, so here’s a list of the top benefits that you gain from flossing:

1. Flossing keeps your teeth from falling out
2. Flossing prevents gum disease, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, and low-birth babies
3. Flossing can prevent and treat dry mouth
4. Flossing saves you money by preventing future dental procedures

Flossing is a habit, just like any other, but it’s one that doesn’t come naturally to most of us. That means you are going to have to put forth some effort to make it a habit for yourself.

Research has shown that it takes 28 days to form a habit, but to be safe let’s round it up to 30. Can you commit to flossing your teeth every day for only one month? If so, by the end of the month you should be able to floss daily without thinking twice about it because you will have formed the habit.

Can’t bring yourself to commit to a full month of flossing? Be honest with yourself. How about just one tooth, can you manage that?

Behavioral research out of Stanford University found that the most effective way to help people start a new habit was to make it as small and easy as possible. They found that if participants committed to flossing only one tooth a day, that they were more likely to not only build the habit of flossing all of their teeth, but they would stick with it much longer than those who try to go all out at once.

Just think about it -- if you’re already taking the time to floss one tooth, you might as well floss them all, right? We’re looking forward to seeing those beautiful, healthy gums at your next cleaning appointment!

Retirement And Your Teeth: Why Dental Insurance Is Still A Necessity PLUS 10% OFF!

Retirement?

No, not for me, but for all of you in my practice who are thinking about it, the good news is that we are living longer, and more of us are keeping our teeth. That’s great! 

However, this also means that we are going to be facing potentially significant dental issues for (hopefully) many years to come. We need to think about this and plan for it.

Research has shown that the lack of dental insurance benefits is a major contributor to poor oral health in older Americans (Source: Journal of The California Dental Association, July 2015, p.351, http://www.cda.org/).

Here is the point. If you are seriously looking to retire in the next 2-3 years, tell us now! It may make sense to do certain procedures now while you still have dental insurance. I would much prefer to see you replace that huge old silver filling now with a new crown rather than see it fracture 6 months after you retire. Your cost then would be significantly greater than now. Prevention has always been the best approach.

So talk to me at your next appointment. The years are flying by at “warp speed”!
 

SURPRISE!

Mention this “Special Offer” and receive 10% off all Restorative and Cosmetic dental procedures, now thru 9/30/15! (Even if you’re not thinking about retiring!). Happy Summer!

Yours in Good Dental Health,
Michael L. Myers, DDS and Staff

Brighten Your Smile With ZOOM Whitening: Mention This Post And SAVE 25%!

Who doesn’t want a pearly white smile? Your teeth are one of the first things that people notice when they look at you and having a great smile is a confidence booster for anyone. You don’t have to be in movies to have a Hollywood smile, you just may need a little help from the pros.

There are a wide variety of things that can stain your teeth, but the common ones are tobacco use, red wine, coffee, tea, cola, certain prescriptions, and even aging. Fortunately, removing stains and restoring that bright smile is easier than you might think. You don’t have to waste time out of your day wearing whitening strips for an entire month to see results either.

At North Coast Family Dentistry, we offer Zoom! whitening to our patients and we have seen amazing results.

Benefits of Zoom! over other whitening methods include:

• All teeth are whitened at the same time
• Faster treatment time
• Removes stains from crowns, veneers, and other restorations
• Procedure and treatment are both safe
• Treatments are performed by an experienced professional

Mention this post to save 25% through the end of August!

We are currently offering a promotion to current and new patients for teeth whitening. If you’ve never had your teeth professionally whitened, now is the time to see the difference for yourself. The results are impressive and all you have to do is sit back while we do all the work. It’s so much easier and quicker than using any of those home whitening kits.

Check out all the details on Zoom! whitening here.

Of course, we always recommend preventing stains as much as possible by brushing and flossing daily. However, some light discoloration is inevitable for those who enjoy coffee and wine. You shouldn’t avoid the things you enjoy because you’re worried about ruining your smile. Our whitening procedure will have your teeth looking pearly again in no time.

You can schedule your appointment online and don’t forget to mention this post for your discount! We look forward to seeing you soon and bringing that beautiful smile back to its full glory.

Kids/Students Home For The Summer? Make Your Cleaning Appointments Early Before We're Booked Up!

With kids and young adults home for summer it’s a great time of the year to travel, relax, and enjoy quality time together. It’s always nice to not have a fully packed schedule that accompanies the school year.

Now is also a perfect time to get caught up on things that are more of a hassle when school is in session. Most people tend to put off teeth cleanings until August and we get completely booked up. Scheduling your cleaning before then allows you to get it out of the way before your schedule gets full and to get in before our schedule gets full.

Requesting an appointment is easy and can be done online!

Have Your Kids Been Practicing Good Oral Hygiene?

With summer vacation in full swing, it’s easy for your normal routine to break down. It’s important for everyone to maintain a solid cleaning regimen in between visits to our office. Not only will they have a bright and shining smile, but they’ll be healthier too.

We’ve written up a brief guide to brushing and flossing that should answer most questions or concerns regarding a daily routine. As always, we are happy to answer any other questions you might have as well.

Young People Neglecting To Floss

The biggest issue we see, especially with kids/young adults, is neglecting to floss. We get it. Most people do not enjoy flossing. However, there are several good reasons to do it anyway, including:

• Flossing prevents tooth decay
• Flossing prevents periodontal disease
• Flossing prevents halitosis (bad breath)
• Flossing even prevents stains from becoming permanent

Don’t wait until the day before your visit to start flossing. (We can tell.) Start building the habit of doing it today, even if you can only get yourself or your kids to do it once a day. That’s significantly better than not flossing at all.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and we at North Coast Family Dentistry are looking forward to seeing your family soon!