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Photography by Dr. Padval

Simple Dental Resolutions in 2016

A new year, a blank page. For most, it's the perfect opportunity to make Resolutions. Nobody ever resolves "to feel guilty after failing to keep resolutions." Yet that's the one we actually keep! How to avoid making this resolution business an empty self-promise? How about narrowing it to just one? Make it something you CAN achieve and, most importantly, WANT to achieve. Psychological researchers find resolutions pan out when motivation comes from within instead of without ("my spouse wants me to lose weight"). Then [...]

By |2016-01-05T00:00:21-08:00January 5, 2016|Preventative Dentistry|

A Cure for Dental Embarrassment

Are you avoiding the dentist because you’re afraid of the scolding you’re going to get for neglecting your teeth? Unfortunately, too many people feel this way. At our office, we don’t play guilt games. We’re more concerned with treating your needs, regardless of how long it’s been since you’ve seen a dentist. We understand how fear and embarrassment can create a cycle of procrastination. You might just be amazed at how quick, simple and, yes, pain-free 21st Century dentistry has become! We have all [...]

By |2015-12-22T00:00:08-08:00December 22, 2015|Patient Education|

Wisdom Teeth Removal

And what exactly does 'impacted' mean? Any tooth has the potential to become impacted—that is, emerge in some oddball direction that crowds other teeth. But the most famous culprits are third molars, the last-to-emerge wisdom teeth. Not many mouths can accommodate these teeth. They often wind up pressing against their neighbors, ultimately pressuring the rest of the teeth to disrupt their alignment. That’s not a wise thing to let happen. Wisdom teeth get our attention when they cause pain and swelling. Routine X-rays, beginning around age [...]

By |2015-12-15T00:00:41-08:00December 15, 2015|Patient Education|

Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation That Could Be Deadly Illness or injury to your body should trigger your immune system to heat up at that location and essentially smoke out the enemy. If your immune system is healthy, when the mission is accomplished, the inflammation subsides and healing begins. But sometimes an immune system doesn't know when to stop. It smolders beneath the surface, destroying the very tissue it's supposed to heal. This potential volcano at the core of your body is called Chronic Inflammation. CI is thought [...]

By |2015-12-08T00:00:01-08:00December 8, 2015|Periodontal Dentistry|

Psssssssst—Secret Sugar

Lurks in Every Pantry Your sugar bowl sits on the table, and you lift its lid only to sweeten your morning coffee. You deserve a medal for exemplary nutritional behavior! Are you sure? Most folks eat more of it than they realize—150 pounds per year average. That’s 6 ounces—3/4 of a cup—every day. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight, many of them children. Doctors predict that an epidemic of diabetes will follow the obesity epidemic. Lose that sugar bowl and you still consume it in cakes, [...]

By |2015-12-01T00:00:41-08:00December 1, 2015|Patient Education|

Why to Use Dental Insurance by the New Year

If you have dental insurance, then be sure to get the most out of your coverage by using it before the year's end. Especially when your deductible has already been met for the calendar year, go for all the dentistry you can squeeze out of your policy before benefits expire. With a little planning—we'll help—we can complete your present treatment plan long before you're facing a new deductible. Another common situation is if your insurance plan has a maximum allowable benefit for the calendar [...]

By |2015-11-24T00:00:48-08:00November 24, 2015|Patient Education|

All About Antibiotics

Because we’re concerned about more than your teeth… If you’re a woman taking oral contraceptives, it’s understandable that you might not wish to mention this prior to a dental procedure. But it’s truly important that we know, and here’s why: Your dental procedure may include an antibiotic prescription to fight bacterial infection. It’s known that some broad-spectrum antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of a birth control pill, increasing the chance of pregnancy. Antibiotics are wonderful weapons against infection, but they have their limitations. A [...]

By |2015-11-17T00:00:10-08:00November 17, 2015|Patient Education|

When Heartburn Comes with the Check

It might be a big Italian meal—meatballs, lasagna, red wine— or a serious encounter with stuffed jalapenos. Whatever your preference, if you suffer heartburn, you’re going to pay for it. Every month, 40% of the population suffer heartburn. An unlucky 10% reach for the antacids or acid blockers daily. Heartburn is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux, the escape of acids from the stomach back into the esophagus. There is a burning sensation behind the breastbone, maybe a sour taste in the mouth. Mild- to-moderate [...]

By |2015-11-10T00:00:40-08:00November 10, 2015|Patient Education|

Is Your Mouth Older Than…

A mouth at age 50 enters a whole new world marked by a set of problems you never dreamed of when your mouth was filled with bubble gum and the latest slang. Celebrate Great Taste! Expect taste buds to fade gradually with age. But the senses of taste and smell can disappear quickly in diabetics—or overnight as a result of stroke, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s Disease. Have the loss checked out—and make food more palatable with herbs and spices. Don’t Swallow Bitterness! Menopause often leads [...]

By |2015-11-03T00:00:02-08:00November 3, 2015|Patient Education|

Thumb Sucking—A Most Common Habit

What’s the most common thing nearly half of American toddlers do when they’re tired, relaxing, sleeping or being scolded? They suck their thumbs! Thumb-sucking is the earliest and most common habit among children. It’s nothing for parents to worry about—unless the habit persists. Only after age four does thumb-sucking threaten to damage children’s teeth Some thumb-suckers simply rest the thumb in the mouth, sucking only at certain times. Others work at the habit, and can displace teeth severely. If, when you remove the thumb [...]

By |2015-10-27T00:00:56-07:00October 27, 2015|Children's Dentistry|