Gum disease is caused by bacteria and plaque buildup that causes the gums to become inflamed, swollen, and painful. Gum disease can lead to periodontitis, tooth loss, and expensive dental bills. You can protect your gums with regular tooth brushing, flossing, and dental checkups.
Eating garlic, curry, onions and other strongly flavored foods means that powerful scents are going to stick around. But just as there are foods that ruin your breath, there are also foods that make your breath fresher! The following foods not only help you improve...
Despite its nasty reputation for ruining lives, methamphetamine continues to be a common drug of abuse in the United States. Relatively cheap and easy to make, it is much stronger than other drugs. The medical and dental side effects are also grave and difficult to...
Hormones Affect Gum Health During Pregnancy Pregnancy does some unexpected things to women’s bodies, and while every woman and pregnancy is different, there are some common dental concerns. One of these pregnancy problems is an increased risk gum disease. While about...
It's Still a Good Habit! Despite what you may have read in the news lately, the Placerville Dental Group’s dentists still recommend that every patient floss at least once a day. Here are six reasons our Placerville dentists feel you should continue to floss daily:...
Is There a Connection? With a lot of things, the terms “bad” and “good” are pretty subjective. But when it comes to our breath, we all know “bad” breath is really bad. What you last ate contributes to the breath scent, as do your oral hygiene habits. Overall health is...
Tobacco use may be one of the biggest risk factors in the development of periodontal disease.” — David A. Albert, D.D.S., M.P.H., associate professor at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine According to the US Department of Health and Human Services,...
Saliva is an essential fluid for maintaining your oral health. What is it and how is it made? Saliva is secreted by the salivary glands (a microscopic view is shown) in your mouth and throat. The primary glands are called the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual...
But Not the Kind You Eat Did you know that almost 50% of adults over the age of thirty have a condition called chronic periodontitis? This is a dental illness that's more than just gum disease; it affects a person's entire mouth, including their jawbone. Chronic...
The answer to this question is important because once we understand what plaque and tartar are, it becomes clear why it's so important to take remove them from our teeth. First, we'll discuss plaque. Next we'll talk about one of its products — tartar. Plaque and Why...
When we talk about hops, we're not writing about the behavior of rabbits and kangaroos or the ability of an athlete to jump. For this article, the Placerville Dental Group is talking about the flavoring substance used in beer. It turns out that some of the chemicals...
Losing a tooth is a bad idea. Losing multiple teeth is even worse. Besides affecting your ability to chew and speak, your teeth preserve your appearance. Although dental implants are state-of-the-art replacements for missing teeth, nothing works as well as the...
Recent Joint Decision announced by the ADA and AAOS Improvements in surgical techniques and the quality of artificial joints have many patients considering hip, knee and other forms of joint implants. Since these procedures are serious surgical endeavors, they come...
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...
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...
Diabetes is an unfortunately common American disease. Scientific American states that more than twenty million Americans have diabetes and more are diagnosed every day. Many of our Placerville dental patients are diabetics and the Placerville Dental Group wants you to...