Diamons

toothpaste

Photography by Dr. Padval

Take Care of Baby Teeth

Tooth decay is declining everywhere except among preschoolers. Proper care of your child’s first teeth is important to ensure the health of permanent teeth in later years. You won’t see a newborn’s teeth, but enamel and dentin are already forming in the jaw. Teething is just months away. Use a clean dry wash cloth to wipe baby’s gums after every feeding and continue as teeth begin to emerge. Central incisors arrive first, at nine to ten months, with lateral incisors about two months later. [...]

By |2023-08-08T08:00:11-07:00August 8, 2023|Children's Dentistry|

Sensitivity Toothpaste

Does Sensitivity Toothpaste Work? If you were to take the commercial's word for it, you'd think sensitivity toothpaste was a magic cure-all! In reality, over-the-counter toothpaste may provide some relief from mild sensitivity, but addressing the underlying cause is the only way to truly solve the problem. Usually, teeth have a layer of super-hard enamel covering the entire visible portion of the tooth (known as the crown). Sensitivity occurs when the inner layer (called dentin) is exposed. This dentin is much more porous and [...]

By |2023-05-02T08:00:16-07:00May 2, 2023|Patient Education|

Children’s Oral Health: Developing Positive Habits

Why Children's Oral Health Is So Important We all want the best for our children in all aspects of life. And that applies to their teeth as well! One of the best gifts you can provide for your little loved ones is to teach them proper dental hygiene—right from the very beginning. Developing children's oral health habits early in life will make them more likely to carry it on through adolescence and into adulthood. As a young baby, before the first teeth begin to [...]

By |2022-05-24T08:00:26-07:00May 24, 2022|Children's Dentistry|

What’s in Toothpaste?

And Why Is Using It Important? Toothpaste is the first line of defense for your teeth and overall oral health. A proper oral hygiene regimen means you should be brushing twice a day—once before bedtime and once in the morning. That's because, during the night, saliva flow lessens and bacteria growth is at its highest, so it's important to brush before and after this period, when your teeth are at their most vulnerable. Brushing is the best way to prevent the buildup of plaque, [...]

By |2022-03-22T08:00:24-07:00March 22, 2022|Preventative Dentistry|

Toothpaste, Before The Tube

How Product Packaging Improved Oral Health You might think tubes would make an obvious package for toothpaste, but the first toothpaste in a tube wasn't sold till 1892. These kinds of containers had been around for 50 years but were only used for storing oil paints. Most folks associated collapsible tubes with "Burnt Umber" or "Cadmium Yellow." Hardly the sort of thing you applied to your teeth. Up until then, toothpaste was packaged in expensive porcelain jars that only the rich could afford—making it [...]

By |2020-02-18T08:00:20-08:00February 18, 2020|Patient Education|

A Perfect Smile

If You've Got it, Flash it. If not, why not get it? Changes occur as we age. Teeth darken and develop little chips. Gums recede. Gaps appear. Before modern dentistry, there wasn't much anyone could do except to eventually get dentures. Luckily, nowadays there are alternatives and often you can get a dazzling with simple conservative procedures. No two faces or personalities are identical. And we'll work with you to develop a custom plan that fits your goals and your comfort level! Simple Ways [...]

By |2019-10-22T08:00:55-07:00October 22, 2019|Cosmetic Dentistry|

Fluoride Levels and The Goldilocks Rule

The best rule for fluoride is not too much. Not too little. Ever since the first American city began to manage fluoride levels in its water supply, there's been plenty of misinformation floating around regarding the potential benefits and dangers of this substance. In a nutshell, fluoride has been shown to help protect against tooth decay. It also exists naturally in most water supplies. When communities fluoridated their water, they weren't necessarily adding it; they were adjusting the dose to the best level. That's [...]

By |2019-07-23T08:00:42-07:00July 23, 2019|Preventative Dentistry|

Choosing the Right Toothpaste

Overwhelmed by your choices? Here's how to choose the right toothpaste for you. While your toothbrush does most of the plaque removal, abrasive agents in toothpaste will scour food particles and plaque from your teeth. Fluoride is the best-known ingredient, added to make the outer tooth structure more decay-resistant. Fluorides work best when teamed with surfactants (detergents), which help in remineralization. Lauryl sulfates, the most common surfactants, can dissolve plaque and fight bacteria. They also provide a foam that helps to carry away debris. [...]

By |2019-03-12T08:00:44-07:00March 12, 2019|Preventative Dentistry|

Can Toothpaste Help Fight Canker Sores?

About the only good thing about canker sores is, they're hidden inside the mouth. Beyond that—they're painful, annoying, and bound to erupt at the worst possible time. And common though they are, the medical world has mixed opinions on what causes them and what can prevent them from recurring. Canker sores, or mouth ulcers, are different from fever blisters, though they're often confused. They occur only inside the mouth and aren't contagious. Fever blisters, on the other hand, are caused by the herpes virus, are [...]

By |2017-08-22T00:00:40-07:00August 22, 2017|Patient Education|

When it Comes to Toothpaste

Choosing the right toothpaste for yourself—or your family—goes beyond the coupon you may have in hand, or bright displays in the marketplace. For your health, you have to think like a dentist. At different times in our lives, dental strategies change, toothpaste requirements change. And product name isn't half as important as the basic components of the paste. Key word: ingredients. Besides fluoride, which every adult should use in one form or another (less for children), consider the options: Say you have sensitive teeth. [...]

By |2016-08-23T00:00:39-07:00August 23, 2016|Patient Education|