Oral health is an important part of everyone’s overall health. However, daily management of good oral hygiene is not always easy or possible for everyone. Children, as well as older and the disabled, often are not capable of good dental hygiene. In these instances, caregivers are a vital part in maintaining oral and overall health.

Dental needs change through the different decades of life. They reflect the stages of health and lifestyle. To meet the needs of maintaining proper dental health in all the stages of life requires homecare, diet control and regular dental office visits. Regular visits to the dentist will help guide homecare as oral health changes..

Considerable research has gone into the aesthetic analysis of what makes a beautiful, aesthetic, smile. What constitutes a beautiful smile are the traits that most people agree are aesthetically pleasing. Dentists can assist patients in achieving the smile they want by knowing these traits and the options and methods of treatment. Common traits of beautiful smiles and options for enhancements are discussed below.

“Oral-systemic” is the connection between your oral health and your entire health system. Poor oral health has been linked is to conditions such as Covid-19, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia and Alzheimer’s. Specifically, high-risk oral bacteria that enters the bloodstream through the gums from periodontal disease can adversely impact overall health. Conversely, a healthy mouth can help overall health.

The benefits of having properly aligned teeth extend far beyond an attractive and confident smile. Straight teeth not only create a more beautiful smile but are also key in maintaining your overall dental health. Properly aligned teeth reduce your risk for tooth decay (cavities) and gum (periodontal) disease. By reducing the risk of decay and gum disease you can decrease risk factors for other health issues as well. Think about it, if your smile is far from perfect if it’s not a healthy smile. Straight teeth contribute to overall health, well-being, ease of cleaning and healthier teeth and gums.

By now everyone in the United States ought to be aware of the dangers of smoking. Anti-smoking ads and warning labels, concerned friends and relatives, and doctors warn against the serious consequences of smoking. In most parts of the country, restaurants, airlines and workplaces no longer allow smoking - and for good reason. The good news is that if you’re a smoker, quitting can lower the risk of illness and death.

“Should I whiten my teeth or not?” is one of the most common questions hygienists and dentists get from patients. Most patients’ questions are pretty straight forward and can be answered with a “yes” or “no”. However, the question to whiten or not is a personal choice. Nevertheless, there are some precautions that should be taken into consideration when making your decision.

What issues arise when your teeth do not meet properly, which is called malocclusion or a bite discrepancy? Malocclusion can be minor or major. Malocclusion is a common occurrence as evidenced by the high percentage of people who need orthodontic treatment. Some people get headaches, neck pain, jaw pain and tooth pain from bite discrepancies. When teeth, muscles of the jaw and or the jaw joint hurt one of the things to check is the bite. I have been part of several courses on occlusion, the way the teeth come together, as both a participant and visiting faculty. Occlusion is a core concept in dentistry and is taught early in dental school and continues in advanced post-doctoral programs.

February is National Children’s Dental Health month. While children are growing and developing certain patterns are established that later cannot be changed.

Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily are the most effective ways to reduce the risk of getting cavities and gum disease. However, molars and premolars (bicuspids) often have narrow, deep grooves on the biting surfaces that toothbrush bristles are too wide to reach

Consumption of water is essential to our overall good health and proper bodily functions. Every part of the body, from organs to individual cells, needs hydration to function and remain healthy. A Harris Poll showed that 82% of US adults recognize the importance of drinking proper amounts of water daily. Which then leaves the question: Is all water healthy?

It’s time to review your annual dental benefits before they are lost. Most employer sponsored health insurance plans are on a calendar year. This means that the current year plan expires the last day of each year, renews in January and any unused benefits for the current year will be lost. If you have dental benefits coverage in your employer sponsored health insurance plan you may have unused dental benefits available to you and your family.

It’s time to review your annual dental benefits before they are lost. Most employer sponsored health insurance plans are on a calendar year. This means that the current year plan expires the last day of each year, renews in January and any unused benefits for the current year will be lost. If you have dental benefits coverage in your employer sponsored health insurance plan you may have unused dental benefits available to you and your family.

1. Are dental X-rays safe? Dental x-rays are very safe, and dentists are very conscientious about x-ray exposure.Digital x-rays are very low exposure.A full series of dental x-rays is about the amount of exposure you receive taking an airline flight across country.A full series of x-rays is an essential part of a complete examination and smaller series of x-rays are part of a periodic examination.Your frequency of x-rays should be determined in consultation with your dentist based on your history of cavities and other risk factors.

Dental implants can be a great option to replace a missing or severely damaged tooth or teeth. They restore strength and esthetics and feel and function like a healthy tooth. Dental implants have been around for a long time but “tooth form” implants (shaped like a root of a tooth) made of titanium were introduced in the 1980’s.

Teeth whitening is one of the most common cosmetic procedures requested by patients in the dental office. To achieve the desired outcome (how white) most economically and effectively, it is important to determine why the teeth are dark to begin with.

Why gums bleed is a common question that patients ask their dentist and dental hygienist. It is a fitting question because it correctly assumes that bleeding gums are not healthy. Bleeding is a sign that the body is trying to fight off an infection and has responded by creating an inflammatory response. Sometimes bleeding gums are not obvious to the patient but detected by the dentist or hygienist.

Comprehensive dental care is an approach that addresses the immediate and long-term treatment needs and includes prevention and early detection. The aim of this approach is to establish a healthy oral environment and then maintain health. When a patient presents to the dentist with multiple problem areas or a history of multiple problems this person requires a comprehensive approach rather than a limited-focus area approach (tooth by tooth dentistry). The comprehensive approach requires evaluation, diagnosis, and a treatment plan.

Healthy sleep contributes to physical and mental well-being. It impacts our productivity, quality of life and longevity. Healthy sleep is the result of several things, but one category not often discussed but is infringed upon regularly is sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is a group of practices centered on the time and environment before and during sleep. These practices prepare us for sleep and assist in keeping us asleep.

Tracy Nguyen DDS interviews Robert Gallegos DDS on the often undiagnosed Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome(UARS).

A favorite bedtime story and the soothing voice of a parent can put a child to sleep and start a process of health and well-being that can be accomplished only through good sleep. There is overwhelming evidence that shows how important good sleep is for children’s mental and physical health, growth and development.

Athletes in all contact sports from football to basketball should wear a mouthguard. It’s also advisable to wear a mouthguard when participating in any physical activity where there is a risk of jarring movement or injury to the face or jaw, like in skateboarding, skiing, or riding a scooter. Mouthguards serve to protect teeth, tongue, lips, gums, jaw bones and reduce concussions rates and severity.

Cigarette smoking in the United States continues to decrease, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). While this may be good news, cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.

To maintain great oral health throughout life, parents need to start the process of good oral habits for their children even before teeth erupt. A simple cotton gauze or cloth gently wiped over the gums will clean these areas but more importantly condition the child to be accepting of assistance and learn good oral health.

Preventive dentistry’s aim is to avoid opportunities for disease that cause tooth decay and other oral health problems. Disease opportunities happen when the immune system and/or the balance of bacteria in our bodies change allowing for disease to start. The two main types of dental disease are decay (cavities) and periodontal disease (gum disease). The way to avoid dental disease is through patient education, proper nutrition, excellent homecare and regular dental visits.

You may have read some of my articles on sleep apnea, snoring, breathing, airway issues and nutrition. These issues are interrelated. Keep in mind that our most basic and most important nutrient is air. We can live with other depleted nutrients but not without air. It is the most essential nutrient. In an abbreviated way let me explain how various healthcare providers can work together to address interrelated healthcare from an airway perspective.

More than 50 years ago there were no set standards for dental visits. In general, people had poor oral health. To improve dental health and establish prevention of dental disease, dental and health organizations developed some guidelines. Among those guidelines was the recommendation that people visit their dentist every six months for a check-up and thorough cleaning (hygiene). There was no research to support this guideline. In the last couple of decades studies conducted on frequency of dental visits and health care concluded visits should be customized to the patient.

Most women have difficulty breathing during the second and third trimesters as their baby grows. Due to physiological changes during pregnancy, breathing for moms is not as easy as it was before pregnancy. Weight gain during pregnancy (average 25-30 pounds) and the position of the baby can make breathing a struggle especially when sleeping.

We have all heard that eating right is one of the keys to good overall health. A poor diet is a lifestyle and often results in cavities, gum disease, type II diabetes, obesity and heart disease, to mention just a few. The ultimate consequences of lifestyle diseases are poor health, chronic illness, early death, and escalating health care costs.

The scientific evidence on breathing disorders in children is very clear; breathing disorders can lead to chronic medical problems that lower the quality and quantity of life. What does that mean? Breathing disorders adversely affect the quality of life in many ways including our children’s ability to participate in sports, stay focused in school, resist colds, socialize, and physically and neurologically grow and development (G&D).