Nutrition
What Does Your Mouth Say About Your Overall Health?

Living in a fast-paced society where fast food seems to dominate the food chain can mean a great deal for oral health – and poor food choices can even have a negative effect on teeth. In fact, in order for the body’s tissues to resist infection and for teeth to remain healthy, minerals and nutrients are essential in a person’s diet. The presence of too much or too little of any nutrient can have harmful effects, particularly on the mouth and teeth, and may contribute to oral diseases and infection. > > >

Toothaches
What Causes a Toothache?

While decay often is cited as the primary cause of a toothache, it's important for you to have a complete oral examination to determine the cause. Other dental causes of a toothache include: infection, gum disease, grinding teeth (bruxism), tooth trauma and an abnormal bite. Tooth eruption may be the cause of tooth or jaw pain in babies and school-age children. > > >

Children's Oral Health
Start the School Year Off with a Smile

Every child wants to look their best as they head back to school this fall. Parents help by scheduling haircuts and buying new outfits, but most overlook the simple steps to helping their child maintain one of their most visible features – their smile. Seeing a dentist twice a year during the school-age years is vital because this is a time of great change in the mouth, with kids losing baby teeth and getting in their permanent teeth. > > >

FAQs: Teens' Oral Health

Did you know that a typical 12-ounce can of regular soda contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar, or that the average male in the 12- to 19-year-old age group drinks the equivalent of 868 cans a year? Both of these statistics, among others, affect teens, and they should keep them in mind in order to maintain good oral health. In addition, teens should visit the dentist twice a year, as regular dental visits can help catch minor problems before they become major ones! > > >