Archive for February, 2010
Are Toothbrush Sanitizers Effective?
When I was a kid, one of my teachers once told our class that bacteria from human waste in the bathroom could find its way on to our toothbrush. Later that day, I went home and moved my toothbrush as far away from the toilet as I could. It has also recently been shown that [...]
What Is Oil Pulling Therapy and Can it Improve Dental Health?
Oil pulling therapy is an ancient medicinal technique that is used to improve oral health. Oil Pulling therapy involves putting a tablespoon of vegetable oil (usually sunflower or sesame seed oil) into your mouth and swishing it around like mouthwash for an extended period of time. It is recommended to do this on an empty [...]
How Often Should You Get a New Toothbrush?
Are you one of the millions of Americans that only changes their toothbrush when your dentist gives you a free one at each check-up? If so, you could be denying your teeth the cleaning they so desperately deserve for working tirelessly for you everyday. Toothbrushes were meant to be replaced more often than once every [...]
What a Frenectomy is and Why Your Child Might Need One
Lisa, a reader from Idaho recently took her children to the dentist. The dentist remarked that one of her children might need a frenectomy. Unsure of exactly what a frenectomy was, Lisa opted to learn more about the procedure instead of subjecting her child to surgery. What is a Frenectomy? A frenectomy is simply the [...]
Get Rid of Bad Breath By Eating These 12 Foods
Sure, that fried tuna fish sandwich with garlic and onion might have tasted good at lunch, but your post-lunch associates are not enjoying the cornucopia of smells you produce with every word you speak. Fortunately, there are some super foods that can help get rid of bad breath. Twelve Foods That Get Rid of Bad [...]
Should Watsonville, California Fluoridate Their Water?
I usually don’t post on Tuesdays, but I found an interesting article in the Los Angeles Times about the fluoridation of the water supply in the 50,000 population-town of Watsonville, California. The article, entitled Anger Fuels Water-fluoridation Debate in Watsonville, Calif. talks about how the town is experiencing a dental decay epidemic. The town has [...]
A World Map Showing Naturally Fluoridated Water
Last week, I wrote about how to find out how much fluoride your water contains. A reader wanted to know what parts of the country contain high levels of fluoride naturally. In the first year dental school, I learned about the “Colorado Brown Stain” story where some dental researchers discovered fluoride in the water in [...]
Allergies to Mercury In Silver Fillings Aren’t Common
People frequently wonder if the mercury in their silver fillings (also called amalgam fillings) could be to blame for various chronic diseases and disorders they might experience. Some of these diseases and disorders include Alzheimer’s disease, headaches, multiple sclerosis, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, and several neurological disorders. Others fear they are allergic to the mercury [...]
Eight Causes of Bad Breath – It’s Not Just Onions & Garlic
Sometimes I feel bad for onions and garlic. Lots of people eat them and enjoy them. Then, after a few minutes they notice that their breath stinks. Who gets blamed for their bad breath? The onions and garlic. In fact, when some people think of bad breath, they get an image of an old gray-haired [...]
Find Out How Much Fluoride Is In Your Tap Water
Water fluoridation began in the United States in Grand Rapids, Michigan in1945. It is considered one of the Ten Great Health Achievements of the 20th Century. In spite of this, many people don’t know how much fluoride is in their water — and although I find this hard to believe, it seems that water fluoridation [...]
The Three Ways Fluoride Protects Your Teeth
Fluoride is an ion that has proven to be very effective at keeping our smiles looking as good as they can for as long as they can. In the early 1900′s, a group of children were discovered in Colorado that had brown teeth. Their dentist also noticed that these stained teeth were very resistant to [...]
Which Type of Filling Lasts Longest, White or Silver?
In my last two articles, I addressed the length of time that White (Composite or Tooth-Colored) fillings last and the length of time that Silver (Amalgam) fillings last. In this article, I simply wish to summarize the results and show a graph comparing the length of time that you can expect your fillings to last. [...]
How Long Do White Fillings Last?
Last week, I wrote about how long amalgam (silver-colored) fillings last. While many people have amalgam fillings in their mouths, others prefer white fillings because they are less-noticeable and made of different materials. As you can imagine, most people don’t want to walk around with a big silver filling on one of their front teeth! [...]
Hi, I'm Tom. I'm currently a 4th year dental student in the USA. I started this blog to help people take better care of their teeth. You can 
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