Patient Education Archives | Diamond Dental of Sacramento

Too Much of a Good Thing
Too Much of a Good Thing

Patient Education

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 mouth used to lots of acidic foods, citrus fruit drinks, carbonated beverages. We recommend gentle brushing, plus a toothbrush with soft, polished bristles.

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2025-01-20T11:45:19-08:00August 19, 2025|Patient Education|

A Cure for Dental Embarrassment
A Cure for Dental Embarrassment

Patient Education

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 fear and embarrassment can create a cycle of procrastination. You might just be amazed at how quick, simple and, yes, pain-free 21st Century dentistry has become! We have all [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2025-01-20T11:45:07-08:00August 12, 2025|Patient Education|

Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom Teeth Removal

Patient Education

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 these teeth. They often wind up pressing against their neighbors, ultimately pressuring the rest of the teeth to disrupt their alignment. That’s not a wise thing to let happen. Wisdom teeth get our attention when they cause pain and swelling. Routine X-rays, beginning around age [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2025-01-20T11:44:56-08:00August 5, 2025|Patient Education|

Psssssssst—Secret Sugar
Psssssssst—Secret Sugar

Patient Education

Psssssssst—Secret Sugar

Lurks in Every Pantry Your sugar bowl sits on the table, and you lift its lid only to sweeten your morning coffee. You deserve a medal for exemplary nutritional behavior! Are you sure? Most folks eat more of it than they realize—150 pounds per year average. That’s 6 ounces—3/4 of a cup—every day. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, many of them children. Doctors predict that an epidemic of diabetes will follow the obesity epidemic. Lose that sugar bowl and you still consume it in cakes, [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2025-01-20T11:44:31-08:00July 15, 2025|Patient Education|

Sterilization
Sterilization

Patient Education

Sterilization

Keeping Our Office Safe For You We follow all guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and American Dental Association, particularly sterilization procedures for instruments used in the mouth. This means high speed drills too. Our autoclave is state-of-the-science—it’s monitored regularly by an independent testing laboratory to verify complete effectiveness. All clinical personnel wear masks and gloves when treating patients. After every patient, we cleanse our hands, then put on a new pair of gloves, right in front of you. Countertops, dental chairs, [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-03T14:40:37-07:00June 10, 2025|Patient Education|

Can Kissing Cause Cavities?
Can Kissing Cause Cavities?

Patient Education

Can Kissing Cause Cavities?

Sorry to say, it can. In fact, anything involving contact with saliva—a kiss, parents tasting their babies’ food, sharing of tableware and toothbrushes—can transmit decay-causing bacteria. Soon after birth, infants start to get those bacteria that inhabit the mouth and cause cavities. These germs are usually transferred by the babies’ mothers or other family members. When one so innocent can be SO susceptible, we need to provide our mouths with the best defense against the enemy. Brushing and flossing are a good beginning, as they [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-03T14:36:32-07:00April 22, 2025|Patient Education|

Manual or Mechanical?

Back and forth goes the argument—what toothbrush is best? Gadgeteers can spend $150 for an electric brush designed to rotate and oscillate, with angled neck, sure-grip handle, dual speed control, and even a timer. Researchers say that rotation-oscillation electric brushes remove plaque and reduce gingivitis better than any other kind—but only slightly better. Do-it-yourselfers can pick up a manual toothbrush for under $3 at the pharmacy. Replace it every three months for two years—the warranty period on the electric brush—and you can save big [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-03T14:35:53-07:00April 15, 2025|Patient Education|

EMERGENCY! Save that Tooth!

Dental emergencies happen. If a permanent tooth is knocked out, don’t delay. Call us immediately for an emergency visit. Re-implanting a tooth works best when done within 30 minutes. After two hours, the procedure is unlikely to be successful. Call us after any blow to the mouth. A chipped tooth can be repaired, and any blow hard enough to chip a tooth is hard enough to move teeth out of alignment, even break the jawbone. Other dental emergencies include pain, swelling, or a lost [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-03T14:33:59-07:00March 18, 2025|Patient Education|

Toothpicks: a Pointed Problem

What’s long, slender, hard, sharp, indigestible and potentially hazardous? That common and seemingly harmless sliver of wood called a toothpick. Reports in the Journal of the American Medical Association point to toothpicks as causing thousands of injuries a year, mostly to young children. Youngsters aged five to 14 were most likely to be injured by toothpicks, and children under the age of five were 20 times more likely to seriously injure their eyes or ears. Adults should also treat the toothpick with a little [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-03T14:31:03-07:00February 11, 2025|Patient Education|

Heart Disease and Dental Care

Do I need to take an antibiotic before my dental appointment? Patients who have had rheumatic fever, heart murmur, heart valve replacement or orthopedic joint replacement are at risk for a condition called infectious endocarditis. The American Dental Association recommends these patients take a “pre-med” prior to dental work. Here’s why: Bacteria which normally inhabit a mouth can get into your bloodstream during the simplest dental procedure. When that bacteria travels to the heart it might affect the heart or joints. Pre-medication works to [...]

By Diamond Dental of Sacramento|2024-09-03T14:30:22-07:00February 4, 2025|Patient Education|

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