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Dental Entropy
Have you ever heard of entropy? The website Futurism.com sums it up as “the description of a system’s progression from order to disorder”. Given that explanation, it could be simplified by calling it “the process of natural decay.” In dentistry we see entropy when...
Dog Dental Care
Taking Care of Your Dog's Teeth Pet dogs become an integral part of our lives. Many people consider their dogs to be loyal members of the family. But as with any other member of the family, they need to be looked after. You supply them with whatever they need — a...
Confronting Cavities
“But I’ve never had a cavity before!” You might be astounded how many times patients make that comment when they come to see us at the Placerville Dental Group. We understand — you might have gone years or decades without a single issue with your teeth. In fact, you...
The Dental Two-Step
For Country Western music lovers, there is a popular dance called the two-step. It consists of two quick steps followed by two slow steps. It’s easy to master and leads to many different variations, but the basic pattern is invariably at the root. Similarly, a good...
Talk About Tongues
Oral health involves every component of your mouth – your teeth, jaws, and ligaments, as well as your gums and soft tissues. It also involves your muscles, including the ones that make up your tongue. Proper oral health and care means maintaining the well-being of all...
How are Your Dental Arches?
A mouth is like a machine. All its components work together to produce things like sounds, speech, and music. It also helps process fuel by chewing food. The best way for your this machine to work at maximum efficiency is if all the components are properly aligned,...
Dealing with Dental Anxiety
Many people feel a level of anxiety as they sit in a dentist’s waiting room. At the Placerville Dental Group, we acknowledge this problem. We do our best to put you at ease, let you know what we find during your examination, and show you how to improve and maintain...
Three Dental Myths
In every area of life, it’s important to get the facts — otherwise, you could make decisions based on wrong information, leading to unnecessary consequences. So you do your best to get the facts before you make a big decision. But there are times when the “facts” we...
What Happens at a Dental Exam?
Saving Teeth and Lives, One Exam at a Time Many people become apprehensive when faced with going to see the dentist. In truth, it can be a little awkward when someone focuses all their attention on your mouth. Many are afraid of what “embarrassing” things the dentist...
The Importance of Flossing
When you go in for your semi-annual visit at the Placerville Dental Group, you’re likely quizzed on how often you floss your teeth. Like many patients, your honest answer may be “Not enough.” For some, slipping a string of floss between their teeth and moving it back...
What is “The Bacteria that Causes Bad Breath”?
Defining the Worst of the Worst Since you were a child, you have heard advertising and comments about “the bacteria that causes bad breath.” Mouthwash advertising especially enjoys this phrase, and we even used it in our last blog article about helpful oral bacteria....
The Power of Probiotics
Putting Helpful Bacteria to Work in Your Mouth In recent years, the word probiotics has increased in popularity around the subject of dentistry. In part, this is due to research undertaken in the last decade that shows how probiotics help improve and maintain oral...
What is Prophylaxis?
pro•phy•lax•is: measures designed to preserve health and prevent the spread of disease." — Mirriam-Webster Dictionary Prophylaxis sounds scary, but it is actually one of the most important procedures in dentistry for preventing frightening problems of the mouth....
The Lifespan of Your Teeth
How Long Can They Last? Many people consider losing teeth as just a part of getting old. In fact, by the time the average American reaches seventy years of age, they’ve lost at least a tooth or two. One report says that over 25% of adults from age 65 to 74 have lost...
Dental Diastemas
Mind the Gap? You don’t hear the word diastema in everyday conversation, but the condition is more common than you might think. Diastema is a dental term referring to a gap, or gaps, between the teeth. It’s a normal feature in humans – in fact, during medieval times,...