Philadelphia dentistry

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…

Root Canals: Why Do They Get Such a Bad Rep?

Whenever patients hear the words “root canal” they all do the same thing: cringe. Every time I talk to patients about the procedure I first have to talk them off of a ledge. Each of them has heard a terrible story about someone, someplace, that had the worst experience with their root canal procedure and that they would not wish their worst enemy to need one. Why is this the case? Well, in some circumstances root canals CAN cause pain. These are the stories that we hear about. If a patient has not been going into the dentist regularly for … Read more…

WaterPiks vs Flossing: What’s the difference?

There are many benefits to using floss and to using a WaterPik. Patients often ask me about which is better and if one replaces the other. My answer to patients is always this: you should use what works best for you and what you feel most comfortable with. It really is a case by case basis depending on many factors that will be addressed below. I do not believe that a WaterPik is a replacement for dental floss; however, for patients that admit to me that they hate flossing and won’t do it, I do tell them to invest in … 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…

Coffee Lovers and Stained Teeth: What Can I Do To Avoid the Stains?

Caffeine lovers that are avid coffee drinkers are well aware of how it contributes to stained teeth. Since the coffee is acidic it does not only stain, but it also is weakens the tooth enamel, making the teeth more prone to staining and cavities. Here are a few tips that we have to help you reduce the staining from coffee as well as decrease the damage being done to the enamel on your teeth: Drink Your Coffee, Don’t Sip it! It is proven that the longer you take to sip your coffee, the more likely you are to have staining. … Read more…

Dental X-Rays: What Are They Looking for?

If you have visited the dentist in the past, chances are you have had dental x-rays taken. These x-rays give the dental professionals a lot of information about your teeth, gums, and jaw bone that they may not have seen with their eyes. Dental x-rays are very useful and safe. Nowadays digital x-rays are replacing traditional film x-rays and we know they emit about 80% less radiation than the traditional film X-rays. This amount of radiation emitted by digital x-rays is extremely low and harmless. It is important for patients to know that the amount of radiation from a series … Read more…