As we age, we become more susceptible to gum disease, plaque, and tartar. Good oral hygiene routines delay and prevent the effects of gum disease. For those that don't follow a good oral hygiene routine or have bad genetics, bacteria present in plaque and tartar can begin eating away at…

Developmental tooth anomalies refer to dental issues that arise during the development of a person from baby to adult. These types of issues are almost always caused by genetics. From a simplified perspective, tooth anomalies come in one of three forms. You can either have too many teeth (hyperdontia), too…

When you close your upper and lower jaws, your teeth should fit together perfectly. However, this is not the case for many people. Misalignment of the jaw affects people for a variety of reasons. The most common types of misalignments are either an underbite or an overbite. The scientific term…

Many people mistakenly assume that if brushing your teeth is good and cleansing, then it's best to try to scrub as much food and bacteria off as possible. However, this is not true. Brushing your teeth is about more than removing food particles. Instead, brushing your teeth is meant to…

Since the discovery of penicillin, antibiotics have been used to treat various forms of infection. However, one of the major drawbacks of antibiotics is that germs evolve much more quickly than multicellular organisms and can develop a resistance to these medications. This has forced doctors to be more cautious when…

Hormonal changes can have a significant impact on oral health. Recent research has shown that women are more susceptible to gum disease during various spikes in their hormones. This can result in canker sores, increased gum soreness, increased bleeding, increased swelling, and a greater sensitivity to plaque. Ongoing inflammation can…

When dentists talk about “preventing dental biofilm”, what we really mean is preventing plaque. Plaque is one type of dental biofilm, and a particularly harmful one. However, to really understand the concept of biofilm, you need to understand the concept of a microbiome. Your mouth’s microbiome is a lot like…

Interdental cleaning is simply cleaning between your teeth. With increased awareness of flossing and its relation to preventing gingivitis, companies have been marketing innovative ways to clean those hard-to-reach areas between the teeth. Yet something as simple as dental floss has proven its efficacy over and over. Nonetheless, some of…

Can chewing gum keep my teeth healthy? Yes. Chewing gum can improve your overall oral health. This is due to one crucial fact: having a dry mouth is bad for your oral health. This is why people who breathe through their mouths tend to have more problems than those who…