When you come into our office for your regular cleanings, you may notice that we don’t just use a single tool to get the job done. We use many. Scalers help remove plaque and debris from your teeth. Curettes clear plaque below the gum line. We use polishers and floss,...
Over the past couple months, we’ve looked at the role that certain botanicals - tea tree oil, lemongrass, and more - can play in improving or maintaining good oral health. Now, let’s close out this series with a brief look at one more: cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are...
Turmeric has long been used in Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s a great antioxidant, after all, helpful for reducing inflammation. Yet that’s just one of the many ways it’s been used to support healing. But the spice has antimicrobial properties, as...
There’s another hazard to drinking tea, beyond the fluoride issue we looked at last month - one that’s shared with both coffee and wine: It can really stain your teeth. Not only is this unsightly; it can actually make you look...well...old. Yet, also like tea, coffee...
Think about what you can do to lower your risk of developing cancer. Things like healthy eating, exercise, and limiting exposure to EMFs and environmental toxins probably come to mind. And those are all helpful, to be sure. But many folks don’t realize that...
When it comes to oral health, brushing and flossing (or otherwise cleaning between your teeth and at the gum line) are a must. Sometimes, though, it can be easy for a lot of us to rush or even neglect. It’s a tendency that can start young, as a recent study reminds,...
You’ve been told time and again: Make sure you floss your teeth. Maybe you’ve felt a little guilt when a hygienist or dentist has asked if you floss, and you could only respond with a mumbled “no” or “once in a while.” But we don’t ask to embarrass or shame you. It’s...
Patients regularly ask us what kind of toothpaste they should use. Of course, truth be told, you don’t really need toothpaste at all. The mechanical action of brushing is the main way that plaque gets removed. Toothpaste just makes it a little easier, providing some...
We’ve talked before about the benefits of oil pulling, an ancient Ayurvedic practice that essentially involves swishing oil around in your mouth. Those benefits are numerous, as a 2017 review of the science neatly sums up: . Oil pulling generates antioxidants which...
Oh, sure, you’re familiar with the the tools used for your dental cleaning – the spit sucker, the water shooter, the air blower, the dreaded scraper (to use their familiar, not clinical, names) Then there’s the ultrasonic scaler. The what?! Ultrasonic scaler – a tool...