Diamons

bacteria

Photography by Dr. Padval

Eating Too Much Sugar…

The diet of today is the result of a 50-year increase in consumption of the rapidly absorbed sugars—specifically, soft drinks, commercial juices, candy, and easily digested sugar foods such as cakes, cookies, etc. This change has generally gone unnoticed by consumers, until very recently it has been unquestionably assumed that this is "the way this age is." However, now it has become increasingly apparent that we suffer from more and more glucose (sugar) metabolism diseases and dental caries because of poor diet. These high-energy [...]

By |2017-10-17T00:00:21-07:00October 17, 2017|Patient Education|

Don’t Share Your Toothbrush!

One of the tenets of good dental health is obvious—Brush your teeth after every meal. This can help keep your mouth healthy throughout a long life. Another rule should be just as carefully observed: Do NOT use someone else's toothbrush. Sharing toothbrushes can shorten your life. Be safe, not sorry. But what about emergencies, when you have no other option than to borrow someone's toothbrush—just once? That's when this rule is most important. It's far better to risk tooth decay by not brushing than to [...]

By |2017-09-05T00:00:18-07:00September 5, 2017|Patient Education|

Making Bad Breath Go Away

Where Bad Breath Comes From Most, but not all, bad breath comes from bacterial plaque and food accumulated mainly towards the back of the tongue. The problem is, there are all sorts of not-likely-but-possible other reasons for halitosis: upset stomach, anxiety, inflamed gums, saliva deficiency, infections and removable dentures are among them. What Not To Do Because nobody—but nobody!— wants bad breath, a billion-dollar industry has sprung up hawking a variety of mouthwashes, rinses, drops, pastes and mints to mask halitosis. But there's a huge [...]

By |2017-03-07T00:00:20-08:00March 7, 2017|Restorative Dentistry|

The War on Germs: Are We Winning? Should we be?

Homicide: bad word. It means killing another human being. Germicide? For many, good word. It promises to kill what are hated and feared most in this super-sanitary era: germs. Germ is sort of a catchall that refers to any microorganism we can't actually see. That's sort of like referring to every non-human living thing as an animal: elephants, mosquitoes, salmon, vultures. Fact is, there are only a few bad actors in the world of microorganisms, and we pretty much know who they are. Take [...]

By |2016-07-26T00:00:33-07:00July 26, 2016|Patient Education|

Tongue Brushing

An Old Habit Seems New Here's an idea that may be new to you. Did you ever think of brushing your tongue? Actually, tongue-brushing is an ancient practice. Our ancestors considered it part of their daily hygiene. Yet many people today aren't aware that their tongue needs brushing as much as their teeth do. In fact, it may be the dirtiest part of the mouth! Thousands of bacteria breed on the many tiny papillae (small bulges) of the tongue. And if they aren't brushed [...]

By |2016-05-17T00:00:13-07:00May 17, 2016|Preventative Dentistry|

What to Know About Gum Disease

It afflicts as many as nine in 10 adults at some point in their lives, as well as teenagers and children as young as five or six years of age. Yet, many suffer from it without even suspecting anything is wrong. "It" is periodontal, or gum, disease—in the minds of most dentists, Public Enemy Number one for teeth. Only for the last 30 years have researchers understood that gum disease is an infectious disorder, caused by many different species of bacteria. But even today, [...]

By |2016-05-03T00:00:03-07:00May 3, 2016|Periodontal Dentistry|

Test Your Toothbrush I.Q.

Did you know the toothbrush was invented by the Chinese in the 15th century? These first toothbrushes were made of hog bristles. Today, most toothbrushes are made from nylon monofilaments which dry quickly and resist breakage. Did you know a worn-out toothbrush is dangerous? Bent bristles can injure soft tissues. Worn, frayed bristles won’t be effective plaque fighters, either. Did you know soft bristles are generally preferred to hard bristles? Soft bristles bend easily and clean better below the gum line. Hard bristles can [...]

By |2016-04-26T00:00:02-07:00April 26, 2016|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 |2015-03-17T00:00:10-07:00March 17, 2015|Patient Education|

Scaling and Root Planing

When Elbow Grease Counts Most periodontal patients in our practice become very familiar with the two primary therapies we rely on to treat gum disease: scaling and root planing. Sounds a little disagreeable, yes. But scaling and root planing are the beginning of the end of periodontal problems. The treatment is tried and true, with a simple goal—get the “junk” out of there. It’s a certainty. Plaque, calculus, and bacteria, left to accumulate, will form pockets around teeth beneath the gumline. As pockets deepen [...]

By |2015-02-24T00:00:48-08:00February 24, 2015|Periodontal Dentistry|