We use it to taste, swallow, talk, chew, take in vital medications and prepare food for digestion. It is one of the most versatile and limber muscles in our body. We use it all day every day and it doesn’t get a bit of rest at night. As part of our body’s daily...
Oral Health
If oral health is your main concern, then this section is written just for you! How often should you brush, why is flossing important, and does mouthwash really matter? We answer questions not only on adult dental health but infant, child, and pet dental health as well.
A Day in the Life of a Tooth
What if teeth could talk? What might they say? This article attempts the answer. Hey there! My name is Joe, and I’m a tooth. I’m a bicuspid, but that doesn’t really matter, because I could be any tooth, in anyone’s mouth. Here is my typical day. In the Morning I wake...
Maintenance and Longevity
How to Keep Your Teeth What would happen if you did not maintain your car? If you decided to never check or change the oil, to ignore the coolant levels, to consider brake and hydraulic fluid a luxury, would your car last very long? Manufacturers create maintenance...
How Are Toothpicks Made?
While our Placerville dentists do not recommend the use of toothpicks on a regular basis, sometimes this simple wooden tool is the only thing handy for removing an annoying piece of food. What is the commercial history of this ancient instrument? How are they made?...
Action for Dental Health
Dentists Make a Difference Action for Dental Health is a program of the American Dental Association, started in 2013. One year after program inception, the ADA has filed a report with Congress stating that all fifty states are actively participating in the program....
The History of Toothpaste
The Development of a Useful Dental Product or Unrolling the Story of Toothpaste Choosing a toothpaste today can be a time consuming endeavor. Whitening toothpastes, gels, toothpastes with swirling patterns, pastes for sensitive teeth, breath freshening formulas,...
What to Do if You Lose a Crown or Filling
Keep Your Cool When a Filling or Crown is Lost Fillings and crowns never seem to get lost right before a dental visit, or in the morning on a day you have nothing planned, or even when you’re in town on a day when you can easily phone your dentist and come in for an...
What is Bruxism?
Are You a Clencher or a Grinder? Bruxism, the clenching or grinding of the teeth, is a problem that many people have without even knowing it. If you sleep alone, or with a person who sleeps through anything, you could be causing great damage to your teeth and jaw by...
Is Flossing for Children?
Brushing and flossing, flossing and brushing — it is so important for good dental health, that our Placerville dentists and hygienists usually say them together. At what age, however, should parents start flossing their children's teeth? Is it ever too young to start...
Bleeding Gums, What Can Be Done?
Should You Ignore Bleeding Gums? Your mouth can talk, but your gums can’t. Or can they? What are your gums trying to say if they bleed when you floss or brush them? Are they pleading with you to stop brushing or flossing? No, just the opposite is true! Bleeding gums...
When Good Breath Goes Bad
You've probably seen or performed the polite test for bad breath. Cupping your hand in front of your face, you blow air from deep in the back of your throat. The bounce back of expelled molecules tells the story. Was it pasta sauce loaded with garlic, a salad full of...
The Long and Too Short of Brushing Your Teeth
How Long Should I Brush My Teeth? If you are in the habit of brushing your teeth at least twice a day, you are doing your mouth and body a huge favor. If you floss at least once a day too, reach around and give yourself a big pat on the back while smiling wide....
Why Sour Candy Hurts Your Teeth
Citric acid, the flavoring which produces the sour taste in these items, is the most erosive dietary acid." -- Prof. John Ruby, University of Alabama Sour candies are more popular than ever before. A short list of the best-selling types of sour sweets includes: Sweet...
Does Neem Mouthwash Really Work?
Our article on the toothbrush tree, Salvadora persica, was very popular with our Placerville readers, so this week features a discussion of the neem tree, Azadirachta indica. Neem is native to India and has been used there to treat bacterial disorders, including those...
On Binkies and Bacteria
A recent Swedish study concluded that parents who “clean” their baby’s pacifier by sucking on it reduce the risk of allergies in their babies. Yet, numerous dental studies have concluded that cleaning a baby’s pacifier with parental saliva introduces cavity-causing...