Jason Derulo’s Ideal Match

Jason Derulo's Ideal Match

When the multi-platinum recording artist, songwriter and TV personality Jason Derulo was recently asked about his ideal woman, his answer covered a remarkably broad spectrum. “There’s no specific thing,” he said, “so I think it’s unfair to say what my ‘type’ is.” But it turns out that there is one thing the So You Think You Can Dance judge considers essential: A beautiful smile. “I’m not into messy teeth,” Derulo said. “If the grill has spaces and different colors, it’s not my vibe.” As it turns out, he may be on to something: A number of surveys have indicated that … Continue reading

Jamie Foxx Chips a Tooth – This Time by Accident!

Jamie Foxx Chips a Tooth

Some people are lucky — they never seem to have a mishap, dental or otherwise. But for the rest of us, accidents just happen sometimes. Take actor Jamie Foxx, for example. A few years ago, he actually had a dentist intentionally chip one of his teeth so he could portray a homeless man more realistically. But recently, he got a chipped tooth in the more conventional way… well, conventional in Hollywood, anyway. It happened while he was shooting the movie Sleepless with co-star Michelle Monaghan. “Yeah, we were doing a scene and somehow the action cue got thrown off or … Continue reading

How Kathy Bates Retains Her Movie-Star Smile

How Kathy Bates Retains Her Movie-Star Smile

In her decades-long career, renowned actress Kathy Bates has won Golden Globes, Emmys, and many other honors. Bates began acting in her twenties, but didn’t achieve national recognition until she won the best actress Oscar for Misery — when she was 42 years old! “I was told early on that because of my physique and my look, I’d probably blossom more in my middle age,” she recently told Dear Doctor magazine. “[That] has certainly been true.” So if there’s one lesson we can take from her success, it might be that persistence pays off. When it comes to her smile, … Continue reading

How Big Bang Theory Actress Mayim Bialik Gets Her Kids to Floss

How Big Bang Theory Actress Mayim Bialik Gets Her Kids to Floss

How many actresses have portrayed a neuroscientist on a wildly successful TV comedy while actually holding an advanced degree in neuroscience? As far as we know, exactly one: Mayim Bialik, who plays the lovably geeky Amy Farrah Fowler on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory… and earned her PhD from UCLA. Acknowledging her nerdy side, Bialik recently told Dear Doctor magazine, “I’m different, and I can’t not be different.” Yet when it comes to her family’s oral health, she wants the same things we all want: good checkups and great-looking smiles. “We’re big on teeth and oral care,” she said. “Flossing … Continue reading

Home Whitening Kits are Safe and Effective, if Used the Right Way

Home Whitening Kits are Safe and Effective, if Used the Right Way

You’re satisfied with your smile appearance except for one thing — your teeth aren’t as white and bright as you wish they could be. So, you’ve decided to do something about their dull yellow color. You’re also thinking about buying a whitening product you can use yourself rather than a professional application. But you still want the answers to two questions: are home whitening kits safe? And, are they effective? By and large the answer to the first question is yes — if you use it as directed. The whitening agents in FDA-approved products are in safe proportions to other … Continue reading

Help ‘De-Stress’ Your Child’s Dental Visits with these Tips

Help 'De-Stress' Your Child's Dental Visits with these Tips

Regular dental visits are just as important for healthy teeth and gums as daily brushing and flossing. Not only will these visits reduce the amount of hidden or hard to reach bacterial plaque (the main source of dental disease), but they’ll also boost the chances problems with teeth and gums are caught early and treated. A lifetime habit of dental visits should begin around your child’s first birthday, but children can be stressed or even frightened by trips to the dentist. This could stick with them, causing them to avoid regular dental visits when they become adults. The absence of … Continue reading

Giancarlo Stanton Gets Major-League Mouth Protection

For major-league slugger Giancarlo Stanton, 2014 was a record-breaking year. After the baseball season ended, he signed a 13-year, $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins — the biggest deal in sports history. But earlier that same year, Stanton suffered one of the worst accidents in baseball: He was hit in the face by an 88-mph fastball, sustaining multiple fractures, lacerations, and extensive dental damage. After the accident, Stanton didn’t play for the remainder of the season. But now he’s back in Spring Training… and he’s got a not-so-secret weapon to help protect him against another injury: A custom-made face … Continue reading

Getting the Full Picture of Your Decay Risk Leads to Better Prevention Strategies

Getting the Full Picture of Your Decay Risk Leads to Better Prevention Strategies

Preventing tooth decay is mostly about the basics: daily brushing and flossing followed by regular dental cleanings and checkups. But there’s also a bigger picture: your own personal risk profile for decay based on factors you can modify directly — and those you can’t. The first type of factor usually involves habits and behavior that either work with your mouth’s natural defenses to fight decay or against it. Besides regular hygiene, your diet is probably the most important of these you can modify for better dental health. A diet rich in fresh vegetables, protein and dairy products boosts strong, healthy … Continue reading

Game, Set, Match: Milos Raonic Says A Mouthguard Helps Him Win

Milos Raonic Says A Mouthguard Helps Him Win

When you’re among the top players in your field, you need every advantage to help you stay competitive: Not just the best equipment, but anything else that relieves pain and stress, and allows you to play better. For top-seeded Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic, that extra help came in a somewhat unexpected form: a custom made mouthguard that he wears on the court and off. “[It helps] to not grind my teeth while I play,” said the 25-year-old up-and-coming ace. “It just causes stress and headaches sometimes.” Mouthguards are often worn by athletes engaged in sports that carry the risk … Continue reading

Find and Treat the Actual Source of Tooth Pain to Relieve it

Find and Treat the Actual Source of Tooth Pain to Relieve it

Determining which of your teeth is causing your toothache isn’t always easy — or even if it’s a tooth at all. The pain could be coming from a tooth, the gums, or both. Only a thorough dental examination can pinpoint the exact cause and best course of treatment. If a decayed tooth is the problem, the pain may be coming from nerves and other tissue deep within the tooth’s pulp. The symptoms could be dull or sharp, constant or intermittent, specific to one area or spread out. It’s even possible for the pain to suddenly subside after a few days. … Continue reading