Knowledge for a Healthier Smile

Habitual teeth grinding, aka bruxism, wears down teeth over time and greatly increases your risk of damaged teeth and gums. Sleep bruxism is more common than awake bruxism, but often goes unnoticed unless alerted by a partner. If you think you may have bruxism, the first step is to visit the dentist for a proper diagnosis, as well as prevention and treatment options. How is Bruxism Diagnosed? During a dental exam, one of the many things your dentist checks for is signs of abn

Do you ever find yourself grinding or clenching your teeth? It’s a pretty common reaction to stress and anxiety, and whether consciously or not, most people have done it at some point in their lives. But when a person habitually and unconsciously grinds or clenches their teeth, it is a condition called bruxism. What is Bruxism? Bruxism is the habitual teeth grinding or clenching of teeth, and can occur when you are awake (aka awake bruxism, or AB) or while sleeping (aka sleep

What are the best foods and drinks for a healthy mouth? In general, what’s good for your body is also good for your teeth. For example, foods that are high in nutrients, vitamins, fiber and water content all tend to be great for both general and oral health. And the reverse is true, too – foods that are bad for your body, such as sugary and starchy foods with little nutritional value, are bad for oral health as well. Let’s take a look at some of the very best food and drink c

Do you ever think about how much your teeth help you speak? Read this sentence out loud and pay attention to how much your teeth come into play in forming these words and sounds. You’ll be hard pressed to find more than a few words that don’t need teeth at all to form the correct sounds! How Teeth Help Us Speak Speech is extremely complex, and our mouths (lips, tongue and teeth), our vocal cords, and our breath all work together in concert to form the correct sounds and pronu

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