AFTER FINISHING LUNCH AT WORK, DO YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH? A survey reveals that despite knowing that a healthy, attractive smile affects both personal wellness and professional image, very few people are brushing at the office.

The survey, carried out by The Academy of General Dentistry and Oral-B Laboratories, polled more than 1,000 full-time employees about their oral care habits and the importance of a healthy smile at work. Their findings were very interesting.

The Importance Of A Healthy Smile At Work

• 96% of respondents thought a smile was very or somewhat important to a person’s appearance.
• 40% ranked “smile” as the first thing they noticed about a person at work.
• 32% cited “bad breath” as their co-workers’ least attractive trait.

Office Eating And Brushing Stats

• 3/4 of respondents ate twice or more a day at work.
• Only 14% brushed their teeth!

Changing When You Brush

The sugars and starches in the food you eat can cause an “acid attack” on tooth enamel. Even after the visible evidence of food disappears, plaque bacteria continues to grow. If you don’t brush, those workday meals, snacks, and beverages stay on your teeth and can increase the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. So brush! Let’s adjust the when of brushing just a bit, to your advantage: brush your teeth after breakfast, after meals at work, and before you go to bed.

Some Foods Are Better For Your Teeth Than Others

Helpful Tips For Brushing At Work

• Leave a toothbrush at work and increase your likelihood of brushing by 65%!
• Step it up at home—the better you brush at home, the better you’ll brush at work.

Suggestions?

If you brush your teeth regularly at work, do you have any suggestions to help the rest of us, who may not be as valiant? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Thank you for being a part of our practice.

5,000,000 TEETH ARE KNOCKED OUT during sporting events each year, according to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation. Yes, that’s six zeros, meaning five million! If people don’t start protecting themselves, the Tooth Fairy may be able to retire—and we don’t want that!

April is National Facial Protection Month. Regardless of your age (adults get teeth knocked out too), we want to help you keep your smile beautiful.

Protective Gear Greatly Reduces Chances of Injury

By simply wearing properly fitted mouthguards and other forms of protective gear, athletes of all ages can greatly reduce the risk of traumatic facial injury. So, this spring, as team rosters fill up and your urge to hit the field or court grows stronger, remember to use appropriate protective gear.

Three Safety Tips For You And Your Family

1. Wear a mouthguard for all contact sports including baseball, soccer, football, and lacrosse. Other sports may apply too!
2. Wear a helmet and/or protective eyewear when appropriate. Face shields can also help protect your skin.
3. Be alert. Whether in the game or cheering from the sidelines, pay attention.

Check out this fun video highlighting the importance of mouthguards!

We want everyone to be active but smart during the upcoming seasons and beyond! If you’re unsure of the type of protective gear you should wear for a sport or outdoor activity, please ask us. We’re here to help make sure you have a blast this spring and summer, all while being safe.

Add Your Story

Have any of you had an experience where protective gear really made a difference? We want to hear about it. Leave it in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Thanks for being our valued patients and friends.

CAN YOU IMAGINE HOLDING YOUR SMILE perfectly still for 15 minutes until the camera clicked? That’s how long it took for a photograph to expose in 1839.

Later, exposure times were significantly cut back, but it still took at least 20 seconds. To make sure pictures weren’t ruined, photographers asked their subjects to stay completely still and not adjust their bodies or facial expressions. No wonder people were so stiff and serious in old time photos! They were probably frustrated, tired and bored!

Now, snapping a photo takes no time at all. In fact, most people have an HD camera in their pocket all the time (called a smartphone). Today, when someone whips out a camera, it’s just second nature for us to flash a quick smile. But it wasn’t always that way. Why?

Why People Didn’t Smile In The Early Days of Photography

The Serious Nature of Formal Occasions

Photography was rare and expensive. Most people only had a few opportunities during their entire lifetime to have their photo taken. Therefore, when the rich were being photographed, they treated the “event” with the utmost seriousness. They preferred the thoughtful, tortured look to the playful kissy-face look that’s so popular today.

Poor Dental Health

In the 1800s good dental care was not widely available. Modern dental procedures designed to help people keep their teeth for life were unavailable—so, most people had missing, broken, chipped, or rotten teeth. Even if the technology would have allowed them to show their smiles to the camera, they may have preferred to keep their mouths shut.

When Did Things Start Changing?

Starting in the 1900’s, we see more natural-looking, relaxed poses. But why did we start smiling? Well, we’re not really sure. But one theory is that a picture is our introduction to someone new, and when we meet someone new, we usually make a good impression with a welcoming smile.

Keep Your Smile Camera-Ready

• Photographers recommend smiling three-quarters of the way, so your eyes stay open and your lips don’t stretch above your gum line.
• Check your posture—a craning neck or a tucked chin can distract from a gorgeous smile.
• Keep your smile healthy! A healthy smile is a beautiful smile!

Are You Still Holding Back Your Smile?

We live in a wonderful time where modern dentistry allows us to enjoy healthy, beautiful grins. If, for any reason, you’re uncomfortable with your smile or dental health, let’s visit. We want you to feel 100% confident when you smile.

The 1800s are behind us, including the fashion and the seriousness. Thank you for trusting your smile to our practice!

Just For Fun!

Do YOU have a family or personal photo shoot story (good or bad, funny or serious)? Please tell us about it by posting in the comments section below or on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear it!

DO YOU EXPERIENCE sudden, sharp pain sometimes when you drink a glass of ice water, eat ice cream, or sip hot coffee? You’re not alone. One in eight adults experiences tooth sensitivity—the kind of sensitivity that isn’t due to a problem such as a cavity. So what’s causing it? Surprisingly, one of the most common causes of tooth sensitivity is brushing with too much force.

How Could Brushing Hurt?

Over brushing is problematic because it wears down the protective layers of your tooth enamel. It can also push back your gums, exposing the dentin layer under the enamel even more. This dentin layer has microscopic tubes or canals that lead to your tooth’s nerves. If these tubes are exposed to hot, cold, or even acidic foods it can lead to discomfort and tooth sensitivity.

Tips For Better Brushing:

• Watch which direction bristles face when you brush. They should be perpendicular, not parallel.
• Hold your toothbrush loosely, like a pencil.
• Use soft, round motions to brush. Don’t saw back and forth.
• Use soft or extra-soft bristled brushes. Brush softly! Apply just enough pressure to feel the bristles against your gums.

Put In The Time

When it comes to cleaning teeth, elbow grease doesn’t do the trick. Consider this mantra: brush smarter, not harder. When regularly brushing, the plaque you’re trying to get rid of is fairly soft and can easily be brushed away with a soft brush.

During the two minutes you’re brushing it’s good to be thorough, but there’s no need to scrub the same areas over and over again.

Questions?

Are you experiencing tooth sensitivity? Over brushing isn’t the only possible cause. You may want to request an appointment so we can talk about your symptoms and determine the reason for your pain.

You can also leave a question below, or you can ask a private question on our Facebook page.

Thanks for being a valued patient in our practice!