Knowledge for a Healthier Smile

Quick answer: Tonsil stones (tonsilloliths) form when food, mucus and bacteria get trapped in the pockets of the tonsils and harden. They often cause bad breath and throat irritation. Salt-water gargles, drinking plenty of water, and cleaning your teeth and tongue well can help. See a doctor if they keep coming back or are painful. Have you ever seen white-ish or yellow-ish lumps that look like they are embedded in the back of your throat? These are likely tonsil stones (also

Do you know which animal has the strongest bite? When we bring our teeth and jaws together to chew our food, the force that is exerted is called “bite force.” A human’s bite force depends on several different factors, including: how well their teeth are aligned, age and gender. Our jaws have evolved to be quite efficient -- in fact, if our skulls were scaled to the same size, human jaws would actually be more efficient and powerful than primates! The average human bite force

How has life changed for you in the past 18 months? Have there been any changes to your daily routines and habits? From lockdowns and temporary closures to working from home and stay-at-home orders, we have all felt the far reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed many aspects of our daily lives -- including our oral health routines. Let’s take a look at some statistics. It goes without saying that people’s daily routines changed during the pandemic. B

cariogenic car·​i·​o·​gen·​ic | \ ˌker-ē-ə-ˈje-nik , -ˈjē- \ adjective producing or promoting the development of tooth decay1 Did you know that some foods are more likely to cause cavities than other foods? If a certain type of food is highly cariogenic, it has a high potential for producing or promoting tooth decay (aka caries, aka cavities). What Influences Cariogenicity? Here are the biggest factors: How long a food is kept in the mouth The physical form of the food (liqu

Have you ever had a dental emergency and not known what to do? Taking immediate action before visiting your dentist can prevent the issue from getting worse and sometimes even save your tooth. Take a look at the 6 most common dental emergencies and what you can do about them! 1. Chipped, Cracked or Broken Tooth If your tooth has been chipped or broken, save any pieces of the tooth you can to show to your dentist. If you are bleeding, apply gauze to the affected area for about