Knowledge for a Healthier Smile

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and we’re so excited for all the delicious turkey day foods and treats! Some of the classic Thanksgiving Day foods are surprisingly great for our teeth – others, not so much. Here is a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to popular Thanksgiving foods! The Good: Turkey: The star of the Thanksgiving table is also fortunately quite good for our teeth! Turkey doesn’t contain starch or sugar, and it’s also a good source of vit

People today consume an astounding amount of sugar – nearly 300% of the recommended amount! Over the past few decades, added sugars in our food and drinks have been linked to drastic spikes in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. Other serious health issues linked with increased sugar consumption include: heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer, mood disorders like depression, and tooth decay. It is all too easy to default to grabbing a sugar-laden drink or snac

Happy October, and Happy National Dental Hygiene Month! We celebrate #DentalHygieneMonth for two great reasons: 1) to recognize the fantastic work of our dental hygienists, and 2) to raise awareness of the importance of good oral hygiene and health! Good oral health is essential to our general health and well being, but it often gets overlooked. The most important determining factor for good oral health is not necessarily genetics, and it is not even regular dentist visits –

Are you a daily coffee drinker? 64% of American adults are! In fact, Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every single day. All of that daily coffee consumption begs the question: What does drinking coffee do to our mouths? And, is coffee good or bad for oral health? The answer depends largely on how you drink your coffee. Are you a fan of americanos, frappuccinos, lattes, cappuccinos, or do you take your coffee black? Do you drink one or two cups of coffee in the

You’ve probably heard the term “tongue-tied” before, meaning to have difficulty expressing oneself verbally. But here’s a fun fact: a tongue tie is actually a congenital condition, called ankyloglossia, in which the muscular tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth is unusually thick and/or short. People can be born with a tongue tie (lingual frenulum) that can cause difficulty speaking, eating, or even swallowing in severe cases. People can also be born wit