The search for a substance that would let a patient slip into merciful oblivion during surgery has been one of mankind’s goals for centuries. In North America, we can thank a dentist, Horace Wells of Connecticut, for the development of nitrous oxide as a form of dental anesthesia. During the early 1840s, Dr. Wells was […]
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Facts on Flossing
Flosses and picks Plaque is a sticky layer of material containing germs that accumulates on teeth, including places where toothbrushes can’t reach. This can lead to gum disease. The best way to get rid of plaque is to brush and floss your teeth carefully every day. The toothbrush cleans the tops and sides of your […]

Dental X-ray FAQs
Why do I need X-rays? X-rays, or radiographic examinations, provide us with an important tool that shows the condition of your teeth, its roots, jaw placement, and the overall composition of your facial bones. X-rays can help determine the presence or degree of periodontal disease, abscesses, and many abnormal growths, such as cysts and tumors. […]

Fluoride & Your Health
What is fluoride, and why is it good for my teeth? Fluoride is a compound of the element fluorine, which is found universally throughout nature in water, soil, air, and in most foods. Fluoride is absorbed easily into tooth enamel, especially in the growing teeth of children. Once teeth are developed, fluoride makes the entire […]

3 Tips to Protect Your Teeth
Tips on teeth you may not know! Think Calcium! You’ve heard it before: calcium does a body good. You probably didn’t know that much of that good goes straight to the mouth. It’s essential for tooth and bone development. A calcium-deficient diet means less jawbone mass—which can lead to painful fractures and permanent tooth loss. […]

Got Fluoride?
As we age, wrinkles and graying hair become evident. For adults, there’s no reversing the aging process. But happily, a lifetime of fluoride use can help reverse the demineralizing process! Bacterial plaque continually forms on teeth, producing acids that initiate the process of decay. That’s DE-mineralization. Fluoride helps add back calcium and phosphate. That’s RE-mineralization. […]

Have you ever smiled in the mirror…
And wondered, what if… What if your teeth were less prominent, or just a bit more even, or maybe that missing chip was back in its place? Cosmetic dentistry isn’t “just for movie stars” or “just for women.” Typically it’s very conservative treatment that returns huge dividends in personal self-confidence. Today we have new materials […]

Too Much of a Good Thing
You can overdo anything. Even brushing your teeth. Take a stiff-bristled brush. Scrub back and forth compulsively for five minutes, as though you were trying to get tar off the sidewalk. It’s possible you’ll end up with “toothbrush abrasion.” According to the ADA (American Dental Association), the condition is associated with factors beyond brushing: a […]

A Cure for Dental Embarrassment
Are you avoiding the dentist because you’re afraid of the scolding you’re going to get for neglecting your teeth? Unfortunately, too many people feel this way. At our office, we don’t play guilt games. We’re more concerned with treating your needs, regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve seen a dentist. We understand how […]

Wisdom Teeth Removal
And what exactly does ‘impacted’ mean? Any tooth has the potential to become impacted—that is, emerge in some oddball direction that crowds other teeth. But the most famous culprits are third molars, the last-to-emerge wisdom teeth. Not many mouths can accommodate wisdom teeth. They often wind up pressing against their neighbors, ultimately pressuring the rest […]