A regular oral hygiene regimen is important to your dental health and your dental health is important to your physical health. You wouldn’t consider skipping your yearly physician’s exam, and you shouldn’t consider skipping your twice yearly dental exams–but people do. In fact, when it comes to saving time and money, one of the first… Read more »
Category: Patient Education
Are You a Smile-Smart Senior?
The older you get, the more things you have to smile about. And, encouragingly, as the U.S. population ages, more and more Americans are keeping their natural teeth longer. Of course, men and women over the age of 55 remain at a higher risk for certain oral diseases, namely gum disease. Although it may seem… Read more »
It’s Fun to Brush Your Teeth
Let’s face it…it can be difficult to get your kids to brush their teeth. You can bribe, plead, cajole, and threaten but, short of standing behind them and watching them do it, you can’t really guarantee they will. In an effort to inspire kids to brush their teeth for two minutes twice a day, the… Read more »
Is Mouthwash Bad for You?
Mouthwash can be a fast and convenient way to freshen your breath and kill harmful bacteria without actually brushing your teeth. However, according to a new Swedish study, using a powerful antiseptic twice a day may not be good for your heart health. Today your Ankeny, IA, family dentist, Dr. Ericka Peddicord, discusses mouthwash.
Gum Disease: Just for Adults?
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, tends to be associated with older people. However, gum disease is on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) half of Americans aged 30 and up, have periodontal disease. For adults 65 and older the percentage increases from 50 to just over 70 percent. Based on these… Read more »
Genetics And Dentistry?
Have you ever heard of epigenetics? There may be a time when it plays a large role in dental health. Genetics play a huge role in health now, and according to the Australian Dental Journal epigenetics may soon play an important role in dental treatment. Genetics is used to determine if certain people are genetically… Read more »
Is Your Child A Thumb Sucker?
If your child is a thumb sucker you may well be worrying yourself gray. Although some parents are actually relieved when they first realize their child sucks their thumb, if they continue sucking after a certain age even they begin to fret. For a young child, thumb sucking is self-calming, which can be good in… Read more »
What Is Xylitol?
Tooth decay is a serious problem in American children. Twenty-five percent of young children from 2 to 5 and 50 percent of children 12 to15 suffer tooth decay. Americans miss 51 million hours of school and 164 million hours of work due to dental issues. Xylitol is an all-natural sugar substitute that can help fight… Read more »
Swishers
There are people who simply sip and swallow their beverages, and then there are swishers. Swishers have to swish every sip around and through their teeth before swallowing. It doesn’t matter the beverage. It can be soda, coffee, wine, etc. When non-swishers drink a beverage, it moves quickly past their teeth making little contact. When… Read more »
Toothbrushes: Electric vs Manual
There are several indications that the use of electric toothbrushes is on the rise. One toothbrush manufacturer claims they’ve doubled sales of electric toothbrushes since 1998. Retail shelf space for electric toothbrushes has increased. Many young children prefer electric toothbrushes because they think they are fun to use, and that they “tickle.” But are there… Read more »