Certain Mouth Rashes Don’t Respond to Topical Steroid Treatments

Steroid Treatments

You’ve been treating a persistent rash around your mouth with medicated ointments, but it’s not going away. The problem may be the ointment — it could actually be sustaining the particular rash you have. Peri-oral dermatitis is a scaly rash with small bumps (some filled with pus) around the mouth, eyes or nose. It’s especially common among women ages 20-45, possibly due to hormonal factors or cosmetic use. Other than its unattractiveness you might not otherwise notice it, although it can cause stinging, itching or burning. There are ways to treat it effectively, though not necessarily the way you might … Continue reading

Beyonce Makes Flossing a Family Affair

Beyonce Makes Flossing a Family Affair

As is the case with most celebs today, Beyonce is no stranger to sharing on social media… but she really got our attention with a video she recently posted on instagram. The clip shows the superstar songstress — along with her adorable three-year old daughter Blue Ivy — flossing their teeth! In the background, a vocalist (sounding remarkably like her husband Jay-Z) repeats the phrase “flossin’…flossin’…” as mom and daughter appear to take care of their dental hygiene in time with the beat: https://instagram.com/p/073CF1vw07/?taken-by=beyonce We’re happy that this clip highlights the importance of helping kids get an early start on … Continue reading

Be on the Lookout for These Common Bite Problems in Children

Common Bite Problems in Children

Somewhere around age 6, your child’s primary (baby) teeth will begin to give way to their permanent set. If all goes well, you’ll notice all the front teeth erupting in the right position: the top teeth slightly overlapping the bottom and all coming in without crowding. Sometimes, though, the process doesn’t occur as it should and a bad bite (malocclusion) may develop. You can get a head start on treatment if you know what to look for. Here are a few problems for which you should see a dentist — or more likely an orthodontist — for a thorough evaluation. … Continue reading

Be on the Alert for Gum Disease While Wearing Braces

Braces

On your way to a more attractive smile, you’ll have to deal with some inconveniences while wearing braces like avoiding certain foods or habits or dealing with possible embarrassment about your new “metal smile.” But there’s one consequence of wearing braces that could dramatically affect your dental health: the difficulty they pose for keeping your teeth clean of dental plaque. Dental plaque is a thin film of bacteria and food particles that if allowed to build up on tooth surfaces could trigger tooth decay or periodontal (gum) disease. Brushing and flossing thoroughly every day helps prevent this buildup. Unfortunately, metal … Continue reading

Back to School Do’s and Don’ts

Back to School

Back-to-school season can be an exciting time for kids—and parents too! As summer starts giving way to fall, your to-do list begins to fill up: there are clothes to buy, supplies to gather, and get-togethers with friends both old and new. Here are a few do’s (and don’ts) that can help keep your kids oral health in tip-top shape through this busy season…and all year long. Do pack kids a healthy lunch In addition to a protein like lean meat, eggs or peanut butter, a healthy lunch may include crunchy vegetables such as carrot or celery sticks, dairy like cheese … Continue reading

Artificial Sweeteners Could Help You Reduce the Risk of Dental Disease

Artificial Sweeteners

We’re all familiar with “naughty” and “nice” lists for food: “nice” items are beneficial or at least harmless; on the other hand, those on the “naughty” list are not and should be avoided. And processed sugar has had top billing on many people’s “naughty” list for some time now. And for good reason: it’s linked to many physical ills including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. As a favorite food for oral bacteria that cause dental disease, sugar can also increase your risk for tooth decay or periodontal (gum) disease. Most people agree that reducing sugar in their diet is a … Continue reading

An Orthodontic Retainer: Insurance Well Spent for Keeping Your New Smile

Orthodontic Retainer

You’ve invested a lot of time and money in orthodontic treatment to improve your smile. If you’re not careful, though, your teeth could actually move back to their old positions. The reason why is related to the same natural tooth-moving mechanism we use to straighten teeth in the first place. Teeth are held in place by an elastic, fibrous tissue called the periodontal ligament lying between the teeth and the jawbone and attaching to both with tiny collagen fibers. The periodontal ligament allows for incremental tooth movement in response to pressure generated around the teeth, as when we chew (or … Continue reading

America’s (Dentists) Got Talent – for Fixing Damaged or Missing Teeth!

America got talent

A recent episode of “America’s Got Talent” featured an engaging 93-year-old strongman called The Mighty Atom Jr. The mature muscleman’s stunt: moving a full-sized car (laden with his octogenarian “kid brother,” his brother’s wife, plus Atom’s “lady friend”) using just his teeth. Grinning for host Howie Mandel, Atom proudly told the TV audience that his teeth were all his own; then he grasped a leather strap in his mouth, and successfully pulled the car from a standstill. We’re pleased to see that the Atom has kept his natural teeth in good shape: He must have found time for brushing and … Continue reading

Actress Emma Stone Reveals How Thumb Sucking Affected Her Teeth

Emma Stone

It’s no secret that many of Hollywood’s brightest stars didn’t start out with perfectly aligned, pearly-white teeth. And these days, plenty of celebs are willing to share their stories, showing how dentists help those megawatt smiles shine. In a recent interview with W magazine, Emma Stone, the stunning 28-year-old star of critically-acclaimed films like La La Land and Birdman, explained how orthodontic appliances helped her overcome problems caused by a harmful habit: persistent thumb sucking in childhood. “I sucked my thumb until I was 11 years old,” she admitted, mischievously adding “It’s still so soothing to do it.” Although it … Continue reading

Actor David Ramsey Discusses Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

David Ramsey

Cavities can happen even before a baby has his first piece of candy. This was the difficult lesson actor David Ramsey of the TV shows Arrow and Dexter learned when his son DJ’s teeth were first emerging. “His first teeth came in weak,” Ramsey recalled in a recent interview. “They had brown spots on them and they were brittle.” Those brown spots, he said, quickly turned into cavi­ties. How did this happen? Ramsey said DJ’s dentist suspected it had to do with the child’s feedings — not what he was being fed but how. DJ was often nursed to sleep, … Continue reading