healthy

Exercise and How it Affects Your Dental Health

Exercise has numerous positive impacts on your health. It helps with stress relief, muscle strength, combating health conditions, and loads more. What many patients do not know is how exercising can affect their dental health. During intense exercise people will often be breathing through their mouths. Mouth breathing can dry out the mouth and reduce the flow of saliva. A dry mouth is an environment where bacteria will increase and grow. People that suffer from dry mouth are very much at risk for cavities and so heavy exercise can put them at higher risk for tooth decay. Another issue that those … Read more…

Do I Need To Visit the Dentist While I am in Braces?

Many patients when starting orthodontics wonder why they need to continue seeing their general dentist for check-ups and cleanings regularly since they are seeing the orthodontist every month. Dr. Cirka and Dr. Meier stress to each and every patient that is seeing us or seeing the orthodontist for braces or for Invisalign that it is extremely important to continue with regular check-ups and cleanings. The most important reason to see the dentist regularly is so that the hygienist can remove the plaque and tartar that builds up. With orthodontic brackets and wires, there are loads more nooks and crannies where … Read more…

Should you kiss your pets? Whose mouth is cleaner?

There are a lot of people that believe their dog and cats mouths are cleaner than their own. There are other people that believe the saliva from a dog is actually a disinfectant and can help kill bacteria. Finally, there are those that are totally grossed out by kissing their pets and are worried that it could in fact make them sick. Looking into this deeper, there are a couple of things to keep in mind that are detailed below. There are a lot of bacteria in both the mouths of humans and in animals. Keep in mind that not … Read more…

Piercings and Tattoos In Your Mouth – What Are The Risks?

Patients will often ask about piercings and tattoos in the mouth and how it could affect their teeth. In addition to affecting your teeth, there are a lot of potential issues that could pop up from oral piercings and tattoos that affect your overall health, not only in the mouth. As body piercing and tattoos become more popular, it is important to understand the risks associated with them as well as to know what these risks are. Below I will detail six potential problems of piercings and tattoos in the oral cavity that you should be aware of: Harm to … Read more…

Why Your Teeth May Be Sensitive to Hot or Cold

Tired of avoiding foods and beverages you like simply because of the temperature?  Read on to learn about 6 of the reasons your teeth may be sensitive to hot or cold, which is the first step to remedy! Cavities If there are cavities growing inside of your teeth it can cause them to be sensitive. Often the temperature sensitivity is an indication that the bacteria have reached the nerve inside of the tooth which could mean that the tooth requires a root canal. Gum Infection There is bacteria in everyone’s mouths that can lead to a gum infection in the mouth. This … Read more…

Is Chocolate Bad for You and Your Teeth?

Patients will often ask Dr. Meier and Dr. Cirka, “Is chocolate bad for my teeth?” This question pops up even more often around the holiday seasons. Patients are many times surprised by the positive effects that chocolate will have on our health in general and the fact that it actually is a much better option for a sweet than sticky candies or sugary drinks. There are a lot of positives effects of chocolate on your health overall, especially when considering how eating chocolate releases endorphins. Endorphins are hormones specifically designed to help us feel good. Endorphins are released in times … Read more…

Headaches and Sinus Pain: Can a tooth be the culprit?

Our teeth and sinus cavity have a connection that can affect patients in many ways. Pressure in the sinus can be awful and cause pain in your eyes, ears, head, and even in your teeth. The sinus cavity is the area of the skull where air passes through before moving to the lungs. It is here that the air first gets warm and wet. Our body usually can fight bacteria in this air that passes through by producing mucous. Sometimes the bacteria are too strong and when this occurs the bacteria cause infections by growing aggressively. There are several different … Read more…

5 Warning Signs of Problematic Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt in the mouth. They are the last molars on the upper and lower teeth and usually erupt in late teen years or the early twenties. Since the wisdom teeth come in last, sometimes there is not enough room in the mouth to accommodate them. When there is not enough room it causes the wisdom teeth to become partially or fully impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause major problems for patients. These issues may not necessarily show signs that you can see but they can definitely cause pain. Here are four indicators of … Read more…

HELP! I have a DENTAL EMERGENCY, What Do I Do?

Different scenarios call for different action in a dental emergency. It is important to see your dentist ASAP; however, we know that this is not always possible. Here are some tips to help you in the event you or a loved one is in a dental emergency and unable to get right into a dental office. TOOTHACHE Rinse your mouth vigorously with warm water Use floss to remove any food particles stuck between the teeth. If there happens to be swelling present then apply cold pressure on the outside of the cheek Do no place aspirin on the aching teeth … Read more…

3 Quick Tips to Improve Your Dental Health

Invest in a Good Electric Toothbrush A good electric toothbrush will immediately improve your dental health. While at the store you will likely be able to tell which electric toothbrushes are superior. Look for brands “Sonicare” and “Oral-B” when in the dental aisle. They will cost more but they will do a much better job and last you longer. Your dentist may even have already slipped you a coupon for $10 off one of these at a recent check-up. The key to these is that they are guaranteed to improve your brushing and oral health. And they will do this … Read more…