High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, comes in three varieties. The first is the most common, chronic. Those with chronic hypertension have higher-than-average blood pressure most of the time. Acute hypertension refers to temporary, but very high, hypertension. White-coat hypertension is the name given to patients who only seem…

Teeth can become loose for any number of reasons, but the two most common are gum disease and direct trauma to the tooth. Direct trauma tends to occur after sports-related injuries, especially hockey. However, it can also occur after a bar fight, a car accident, or some other form of…

Dental or tooth intrusion is what happens when significant force or impact drives a tooth further into the gumline. The force can push the tooth through the gums and even into the bone. The result is that the tooth will look as if it hasn’t fully come out yet. However,…

Dental ankylosis is a condition in which teeth fuse directly to the jaw bone. It’s extremely rare, but it can happen when baby teeth are erupting or certain types of injury. Typically, there is a ligament between tooth and bone that prevents dental ankylosis. When the ligament is gone or…

If you’ve ever noticed that film around the bottom of your teeth, that’s plaque. Ideally, you would brush it off at night and in the morning, but you won’t be able to get all of it with a toothbrush. That’s why dentists recommend dental floss. Floss can get in between…

Dental care products are a multi-billion dollar industry. Now that electric toothbrushes are widely available, you may be wondering if they are actually superior to manual toothbrushes. What has scientific merit and what is all marketing? The marketing directors at electric toothbrush companies are happy to report electric toothbrushes performed…

Misaligned bites, like overbites and underbites, can have serious consequences for your overall oral health. A misaligned bite happens when the upper arch and the lower arch don’t meet properly. While most folks consider bite alignment to be a cosmetic issue, very good reasons exist for treating it as a…

Dental fillings are used to treat cavities which, as the name implies, are small holes in the center of your tooth that cause pain when left untreated. Dentists use several different types of materials to fill cavities. The oldest remedies involve metals. Newer approaches include tooth-colored plastics. In this article,…

You can’t see them moving around, but teeth do move in your mouth. This process is quite natural. Your teeth move when your age and your jaw gets larger and changes shape. Repetitive stress from eating or teeth grinding can cause your teeth to move. Gum disease is another reason…

Eventually, even the most durable fillings will need to be replaced. The reasons for this are plenty. Normal wear and tear over the course of a decade or more can cause the filling to dislodge. In other cases, the filling can increase the risk of tooth cracks by retaining heat.…