Lake Oconee Dentistry Blog

WHEN YOU SAW THE IMAGE ABOVE did you think you were on your veterinarian’s blog? OK, it’s a little unusual to talk about animals’ teeth on our practice blog but we know lots of our patients are pet owners—and a little trivia once in a while is fun.

Any Dog Owners Out There?

We know that some of you own dogs. Sometimes we forget how important it is to care for their teeth. At the end of this blog post we have a video explaining how to brush your dog’s teeth! It’s not as hard as you may think. Then again, you may just want your veterinarian to do it! You decide (see video at bottom of post).

Interesting Animal Teeth Trivia

Did you know that African elephants have just four massive molars to chew with? That’s right, only four! And did you know that their tusks are actually huge, overgrown incisors?

Here are some other creatures with interesting teeth:

• Mice: Like other rodents, mice have incisors that never stop growing. They have to continuously wear them down by gnawing and chewing.
• Geese: Birds don’t have teeth—not really. It’s one of their qualifying characteristics. However, many geese have serrations on their beaks that can look suspiciously like teeth. They’re called lamellae.
• Narwhals: The narwhal horn is the most complicated and mysterious tooth in nature. Yes, that’s right, it’s a tooth. It wasn’t until fairly recently that scientists discovered the narwhal’s horn is used primarily for navigation.
• Sharks: Sharks lose thousands of teeth in their lifetime. They shed them the way other animals shed fur. Their teeth aren’t even connected with roots like ours, so it’s easy-come-easy-go.
• Dolphins: Dolphin teeth grow a new layer every year. One could actually count the rings to determine a dolphin’s age, just as you would with a tree.
• Snails: Yes, we refer to them as teeth, but they’re very different from ours. Snails have thousands of tiny “teeth” on their tongues—made of chitin. These teeth help with scraping/grinding food, and they’re constantly regenerating.

Helping A Grizzly Bear Brush His Teeth

This comes from the North Carolina Zoo:

And Here’s The Video About Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth

Man’s best friend counts on you for good oral health:

Do you know any interesting trivia about animals’ teeth? If so, share it below or on our Facebook page!

And remember, if you ever have a question about YOUR OWN teeth, be sure to ask us. We’re happy to answer any of your questions.

Thanks for being our valued patient and friend!

THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS people chew gum. For some, perhaps it’s just a long-standing habit. But ever since a man named Thomas Adams invented chewing gum back in 1870 it’s been used to freshen breath and relieve nervousness too.

But did you know…

Chewing Sugarless Gum Can Help Prevent Cavities!

That’s right. Chewing sugarless gum can actually help fight cavities. Here are some facts:

1. Gum chewing stimulates saliva production which is your mouth’s natural cleaning and buffering agent—neutralizing acids released by the bacteria in plaque!

2. Gum chewing helps wash away food particles when brushing and flossing aren’t convenient.

3. For those who don’t naturally produce sufficient salivary flow, dry mouth can create lots of oral health problems. Chewing a piece of sugarless gum for 10 minutes each waking hour for about two weeks can help remedy the problem.

4. The sweetener Xylitol, used in many sugarless gums, inhibits the growth of particular kinds of bacteria known to cause cavities. Xylitol also makes it more difficult for bacteria to stick to your teeth.

Here’s a related message from the University of Nebraska Medical Center:

And Don’t Forget…

Brands of gum containing sugar can be harmful to your teeth. Although we don’t recommend it, if you absolutely prefer gum containing natural sugar rather than artificial sweeteners, chew it for at least 15 to 20 minutes so that your saliva can rinse away the sugar residue once you’ve chewed out all the sugar.

Remember, chewing gum does NOT replace regular brushing and flossing!

If you have any questions about this for our team, be sure to ask us! We love visiting about your oral health. You can also comment below and we’ll get right back to you, or leave a comment on our Facebook page.

Thanks for the trust you place in our practice. We appreciate you.

WHETHER IT’S DONE consciously or subconsciously, nail biting habits affect people of all ages. As you can imagine there are lots of possible reasons why people start biting their nails including anxiety, stress, boredom, compulsiveness, depression, etc. On the surface, nail biting may not seem like a big deal. However, fairly severe consequences can result in both oral and overall health problems.

Nail Biting’s Effects On Your Teeth

1. Nail biting can crack, chip and wear down teeth. Your front teeth are lot different than your back teeth in terms of functionality. They aren’t designed for gnawing or chewing.

2. Nail biting can shift tooth alignment and damage existing dental work.3. Nail biting risks gum tissue damage. Bitten nail pieces can easily tear into your gum tissue increasing the risk of gum disease and eventual tooth loss.

4. Nail biting can be expensive. The Academy of General Dentistry estimates that nail biters incur an additional $4,000 in future dental repairs.

Nail Biting’s Effects On Your Health

Think about the most germ-concentrated areas of your body—your mouth and hands. You can imagine what happens when those two areas are in constant contact. And when there are even tiny, tiny breaks in the skin, germs get a free hall pass to your bloodstream. Yuck.

Here are a few more very compelling reasons to stop from a prominent dermatologist at Derm TV:

Tips For Quitting

Maybe you’ve always wanted to quit, but it hasn’t worked yet. Here are a few tips:

• Keep your nails looking nice. It will help motivate you to leave them alone.
• Enlist friends. Sometimes it helps to have someone remind you when you’re biting.
• Notice your trigger(s). Anxious? Bored? Learn to deal with these emotions in other ways.
• Carry a nail file and clippers. If you crack a nail or snag it, you can make repairs without biting.
• Treat your nails. There are many awful tasting products—designed for this purpose—that you can put on your nails to really deter you.

Do You Have Any Helpful Quitting Ideas To Add?

Do you struggle with biting your nails? Does someone you love bite his or her nails? We hope the content of this post has helped. Let us know if there is anything else our team can do to help, or if you have other questions.

Do YOU have any tips for quitting? Share them below or connect with us on our Facebook page. We’re always excited to hear from you!

Thanks, as always, for being our valued patients and friends. We appreciate you!

WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA we believe it’s the quality of the online relationships and content that matters—not the quantity. We’re a relationship-based business where our team members have personal relationships with you. Sometimes we don’t see you for six months! So, as part of our efforts to stay connected, we love Facebook. We love it because we believe it helps us serve you better.

Would You Consider Doing Us A Little Favor?

Occasionally we have patients express concern that they missed a cool, funny, or important post or promotion on our page. Very recently, new functionality has been added to our page that provides a way for you, our fans, to never miss these posts again.

Please go to our Facebook page and follow these simple instructions:

Our Promise To You, Our Valued Patients And Friends

To confirm our sincere thanks to you for opting-in to our post notifications we make this promise… We won’t bombard you with self-promotional posts or irrelevant dental gobbledegook. Each time before we post, we’ll continue to ask ourselves, “Will this be truly helpful, relevant, interesting, or fun for our patients?” When the answer is “yes” we’ll post it, and when the answer is “no” we won’t.

Two-Way Conversations That We Respect And Cherish

Social media allows us to better connect with you. We consider it a platform for dialogues, not monologues. We want you to always feel comfortable reaching out to us with questions and/or suggestions on how we can better serve you. Your feedback is appreciated and helpful!

We’re grateful to you. You make our work rewarding and enjoyable. Thanks for connecting with us and for helping our practice grow!

FOR AS LONG AS HUMANS HAVE CHEWED FOOD (that’s a long time) they’ve looked for efficient ways to rid themselves of bits and pieces caught between their teeth. It’s not just a modern dilemma. In fact, little grooves from ancient toothpicks have been found in prehistoric human teeth! But it wasn’t until more recently that we really figured out a good system. Flossing!

Dental Floss Is Awesome

You may not think about it very often but around our practice, we think modern dental floss is amazing stuff. Really. Some history buffs trace its origins to Dr. Levi Spear Parmly of New Orleans, who recommended that patients start using strands of silk to clear out the spaces between their teeth.

That was back in 1815. Since then, modern dentistry has learned just how powerful flossing is. It’s not JUST for removing annoying food particles between teeth.

Five Cool Reasons You Should Love Dental Floss

1. Dental floss is super handy!

Floss is great for tying up decorations, cutting dough for pastries, and it has even been used in a few infamous prison escapes (though of course, our team doesn’t recommend that).

2. Dental floss is a great value.

For just a few dollars you can prevent costly dental procedures down the road.

3. Dental floss helps your mouth feel cleaner and fights bad breath.

Flossing reaches more tooth surface and food debris than brushing alone.

4. Dental floss could save your teeth.

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. Flossing helps keep your gums healthy, and your teeth where they belong.

5. Dental floss could save your life.

We don’t mean to sound overly dramatic, but many health professionals believe that unhealthy gums can actually increase your risk for other major health issues including lung disorders, heart disease, and early-term labor.

Flossing Is Simple, And Makes Sense

Surprisingly, many people still don’t realize the benefits of flossing. Depending on which study you read, 60-90% of people don’t floss daily. If you’re one of them, we challenge you to do an experiment. Floss every day for three weeks. You will notice healthier gums and a cleaner mouth. After three weeks it will have become a habit and you’ll keep doing it because you love it.

Find a flossing system or type of floss that works for you. You can use waxed or unwaxed, flavored or not. If you don’t like putting your hands in your mouth, try floss picks.

Questions For Us?

If you have ANY questions about your oral health, or you’d like to share a story about how you’ve become a “floss believer”, let us know! Comment below, post on our Facebook page, or of course you can always call us.

Thanks again for being our valued patient and friend!

ANCIENT DENTISTRY WAS PROBABLY VERY SCARY, so we felt like it couldn’t be more apropos to talk about it near Halloween! Think about what it was like to live during a time when the only fix for a toothache was to pull (or knock) the tooth out—without anesthetic—and leave a gaping hole there, which led to bone loss and eventually losing all the rest of your teeth! Yes, scary.

Thankfully, There’s Modern Dentistry

Makes you grateful for modern dentistry, doesn’t it? Here at our practice, we love the latest technologies and techniques that help us keep you comfortable, healthy, and beautiful. Let’s look back at the “roots” of dentistry and a few ancient tidbits:

Our team hopes you had fun taking a look at ancient dentistry. And remember that any time you have questions about modern dentistry, always ask us!

Be Sure To Brush And Floss After That Halloween Candy!

Have a wonderful holiday. Be sure you Like our Facebook page! And, if you have a comment about how grateful you are for modern dentistry, please share it below!

As always, thank you for being our valued patients and friends.

Photo Credit 1: The oldest dental filling: A 6,500 year old tooth with a beeswax filling (within the yellow dotted line). Bernardini F, Tuniz C, Coppa A, Mancini L, Dreossi D, et al. PLoS ONE
Photo Credit 2: The Citizen Scientists League
Photo Credit 3: José C. Jiménez López

AS ONE OF OUR VALUED PATIENTS AND FRIENDS, you’ve probably never considered the following question, “What can I do to make my dental visits as productive and effective as possible?” At first, it may sound like a silly question. You’ve probably thought, as a patient, that your job was pretty much to show up and open wide! But to really get more from our visits together, here are a few suggestions for taking more initiative.

Use Our Social Media Platform To Connect With Us

We are a “one-to-one business”. So, even though there are hundreds of millions of people (and lots of businesses) using social media, WE’RE there to better facilitate our personal one-on-one relationships with you. That means we’re interested in staying connected. Many times we only see you every six months—and that’s one reason why our social media tools (including this blog) are so important to our team.

One way to stay connected is to be sure you’ve Liked our Facebook page! We enjoy interacting with you there. And as you know, you can comment there or leave us a private message.

Ask Questions

We love visiting with you about any aspect of your oral health. We consider ourselves one of your lifetime health partners. We understand that sometimes it’s human nature to be a little shy about asking questions… But we encourage you to ask us, whether it’s during your in-practice visit, on the phone, or through social media. Here are some examples of questions you may want to ask, and questions we’d love to answer:

Plan Sufficient Time For Your Next Visit

We understand that life is busy! And, you probably feel like you have many, many things to do other than hang out at our practice! That’s OK… We don’t feel bad. However, be sure to allow ample time for your appointments just so you don’t feel rushed and we’re able to answer all your questions.

Spend A Little Bit Of Time Learning More About Your Oral Health

We try to provide you with useful and relevant information about your dental health, comfort, and appearance through our blog posts. Take a few minutes each month to explore some of the topics we publish. Also, we know that many of our patients may not even realize the scope of the services we offer. Thanks, in advance, for getting to know more about how we can serve you.

Thanks For The Trust You Place In Us

We can’t say it enough… Thank you. Thanks for being our valued friends and patients. And thanks for your kind referrals of coworkers, extended family members and friends. We appreciate it!

DID YOU KNOW THAT OCTOBER IS DENTAL HYGIENE MONTH? You didn’t? (Well, actually, we’d probably be a little worried about you if you did. Maybe you need more hobbies.) In honor of Dental Hygiene Month, our team presents a few basics!

The word “cavity” gets tossed around a lot. Do you know exactly what a cavity is, and what causes them? Here’s a very short refresher course. Cavities are hollows left in your teeth when decay happens. Decay, or “dental caries” is actually an oral disease—a bacterial infection in your mouth. When this bacterial infection builds up on your teeth, it forms plaque. Having this bacteria doesn’t necessarily mean you have tooth decay. But when the bacteria interacts with sugars and starches, enamel-eating acid is created. So your first defense against tooth decay is your diet. Try to limit sugars and starches, foods that stick in your teeth, excessive acidic foods, and soft drinks.

Your second defense against tooth decay is keeping your teeth clean! Brush your teeth twice a day and be sure to floss so there’s less chance of creating acids that can wear down tooth enamel. Brushing also counteracts the plaque and tartar that’s building up over time. And remember that even with your own consistent care at home, regular professional checkups and cleanings are vital for sound oral health.

Some “Fun” Answers:

Some “More Technical” Answers:

Now, Put YOUR Knowledge To The Test With This Short Quiz!

Now that you’re an expert on dental health basics, how do you think you’d stack up on a little quiz? Surprisingly the average grade on this quiz is a “D”! But we’re sure that our patients will do better than that!

How Did You Do On The Quiz? Let Us Know!

After you take the quiz, leave us a comment below, or visit our Facebook page and comment or message us!

As always, if you have any questions about your oral health or any dental-related subject, ask us! We’re here to keep you healthy and informed.

Thanks, as always, for being our valued friends and patients!

COULD THE SECRET TO PERPETUAL YOUTH be found in your smile (wink, wink)? Well, that’s probably a bit of an exaggeration! But as you know, here at our practice, we obsess over our patients’ smiles. We know that a confident smile can be life changing. But what does your smile have to do with aging?

1. People Who Smile More Are Perceived As Younger

Last year, in an American Psychological Association study, researchers showed thousands of photos of people wearing different expressions to test subjects, who were then asked to guess the ages of the people in the photos. The guesses on neutral expressions were quite accurate, but smiling faces were generally assumed to be years younger than their actual age.

2. Sharing Your Smile (and a laugh) Makes You FEEL Younger—Regardless Of Your Age

It’s really not about the number of miles on your smile. It’s about how comfortable you are sharing it.

3. Smiling May Even Help You Live Longer

Living longer—now THERE’S a serious smiling benefit. Could this really be true? A 2010 Wayne State University study examined the relationship between smile intensity and longevity among 230 pro baseball players from a ’52 baseball registry. They found that players with big smiles lived an average of five years longer that those who didn’t (or barely) smiled. Even players with small smiles lived longer than those who didn’t smile.

Facial expression and smiles have long been shown to be a good indicator of people’s emotions—and those with positive emotions are even shown to have better interpersonal skills and more stable marriages. Smiling can have a great impact on your health—it can boost your immune system and reduces stress.

So Here Are Some Tips For Helping Your Smile Keep You Young

1. Care for your teeth, relentlessly, by doing the basics—brushing, flossing, regular checkups, etc.
2. Ask us any time you have questions about your oral health or improving your smile.
3. Smile big, and smile often.

When you take good care of your teeth, chances are they’ll last a lifetime. And a great smile will make that lifetime longer, healthier, and happier.

We’re Always Available And Always Listening

You know how to contact us! And, we love hearing from you on our Facebook page!

And thanks, as always, for being our valued patients and friends!