X-rays, Cleanings and Exams
Along with brushing twice and flossing once daily, you can help protect your oral health by visiting your dentist regularly. The American Dental Association recommends regular dental exams to help maintain optimal oral health. Good oral health contributes to your overall health and well-being. If you haven’t visited the dentist in a while, you may want to brush up on what happens during a routine dental checkup. Here is what to expect the next time you find yourself in a dental chair – hopefully, soon! X-rays Your dentist may decide to take a series of X-rays to see more detail of your mouth. X-rays can help your dentist spot decay and other dental issues. While radiation exposure from dental X-rays is low, they are not typically necessary at every visit. Cleaning and Polishing During a dental exam, a dentist or dental hygienist will begin by cleaning and polishing your teeth […]
Five Ways to Have a Smile-Friendly Summer
For many of us, summertime means enjoying the weather, swimming, cookouts, vacations, less hectic schedules and much more. While you’re hopefully relaxing a bit and enjoying the summer, remember to prioritize oral health this summer. Here are five ways to keep your summer smile-friendly: Use lip balm with SPF. Even if you generously apply sunscreen and reapply every few hours, you are not protecting your skin as well as you should from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Lips are the top area of the body people often overlook and exposing them to the sun may increase your risk for oral cancer. Apply an SPF 30 lip balm or lip sunscreen alone or under lip gloss and remember to reapply every couple of hours for full protection from the sun. Plus, it will help protect your lips from chapping. Wear a mouthguard when playing sports or during other high-impact summer […]
Dental Benefits Help Improve Companies in Many Ways
As companies compete for the best talent, a great benefits package can make the difference between standing out from competitors and getting lost in the crowd. For current employees, better benefits can strengthen wellness programs and improve overall employee health. Dental insurance is one area in which companies can enhance their offerings. Better benefits improve hiring, retention Benefits are the third most important contributor to employee happiness, according to the Society for Human Resources Management’s (SHRM) 2018 report, “Employee Benefits, The Evolution of Benefits.” But while 92 percent of employees rank benefits as “very important” to their job satisfaction, only 29 percent report being “very satisfied” with the benefits they have. That gap reveals an enormous growth opportunity for businesses to improve their benefits. In turn, benefit improvements will help companies draw in prospective employees and hold on to top performers. Thirty-two percent of employees say that benefits are a […]
Healthy Smiles at Every Age
In previous years, tooth loss and wearing dentures were considered to be just another step in the aging process of older Americans. This way of thinking about oral health in older adults has come and gone. Oral health has greatly improved for older Americans over the past 50 years, and more adults are keeping their natural teeth.1 With regular good oral health care, older adults can maintain a healthy smile throughout their entire lifetime. Share these oral health tips with the older adults in your life to help keep their smiles healthy: Maintain good oral health habits. Brushing for two minutes twice a day, flossing once daily and visiting the dentist regularly are all crucial to maintaining good oral health. Fight dry mouth. Certain medications and medical conditions can reduce saliva and lead to dry mouth. The anti-bacterial properties in saliva help protect against tooth decay and cavities. To help […]
Pregnancy and Oral Health
Most pregnant women recognize how important their own health is for their baby’s health, but many ignore a critical component – their oral health. Just like the rest of the body, a woman’s mouth experiences changes during her pregnancy that require the guidance of an oral health professional. Dentists can help keep a woman and her baby healthy. A dental check-up in the first trimester of pregnancy is an important chance for an oral health professional to clean and examine an expectant mother’s mouth, and identify any concerns that need to be addressed related to their health or the health of their baby. During pregnancy, women may experience the following conditions that directly impact oral health. Morning sickness. Around 80 percent of pregnant women experience morning sickness. This can affect an expectant mother’s oral health as stomach acid erodes tooth enamel and can lead to tooth decay. Gingivitis. Hormonal changes […]
