The 88th Academy Awards will be held on February 28. Viewers everywhere will tune in to see if their favorite actors, actresses, directors, and other cinematic professionals will win their Oscars. But when it comes to watching the Academy Awards, finding out who gets the big wins is only part of the fun. Watching who comes with who and seeing who wears what is a large part of what makes the Oscars worth throwing a party or friendly gathering for. Year after year, viewers and reviewers spend weeks after the awards recalling which dresses were worn, commenting on the hairstyles that are sure to start trends, and wondering how the stars managed to get those Hollywood smiles. While most of us will never be able to afford that one-of-a-kind Versace gown, the good news is that a beautiful, white Hollywood smile is just a call away. Smile Design Smile Design…

When you think about myths, chances are your first reaction is to think about the classics—Greek myths with monsters and gods, classic American myths like Paul Bunyan or Rip Van Winkle, or maybe even urban legends. Historically, myths helped our ancestors make sense of the world and explain why they thought and acted the way they did. But not all myths are ancient. We still create myths today, and they serve the same purpose that ancient myths did. We use them to understand complex topics and to justify our choices—at times for good, and at times not so good reasons. There are myths about almost any topic if you bother to look—and that includes dentistry. Let’s look at five dental myths, unpack where they come from, and determine if we’d be better off telling these stories to our children or doing away with them altogether. George Washington had wooden teeth…

Dental Consumer Products Overview: Denture Products If you have dentures, or even if you haven’t, chances are you’ve seen TV advertisements for denture products. Because dentures and teeth loss can be emotional topics, it’s no surprise that the advertisements try (let’s call them) unconventional approaches. Sometimes they try too hard to be funny, sincere, or authoritative. Other times they go for realness and end up somewhere closer to too-much-information. But for all their flaws, these ads are speaking to a sizable market. Over 60 million people in the US lack teeth, and according to the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, there will be 37.5 million people wearing full dentures by 2020. For people with dentures, consumer products on the market attempt to address two primary needs: Keeping dentures clean Keeping dentures in your mouth (preferably comfortably!) Cleaning products come in a few varieties. Martha Raye, denture wearer, advocated for a brand…

Few parents realize that their children are at risk for tooth decay from the moment the first tooth appears (around 6 months). Even though baby teeth are temporary, they are important; they serve as placeholders for adult teeth, and if they are lost too early, their adult replacements may grow in too early and affect the position of permanent teeth that come in later. Tooth decay and damage can also lead to issues with speech development that require therapy for correction later in life. Pediatric dental disease is the number-one chronic childhood illness, and it continues to plague children throughout the course of their development and into their adult years — but it doesn’t have to. Teaching children good dental habits at an early age and making sure they attend routine dental visits goes a long way toward helping them maintain a pain-free, healthy, and beautiful smile for a lifetime….

The influence our oral health has on our quality of life often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong. From essential activities like eating and speaking to those magical moments where we find ourselves lost in a romantic kiss, our mouths play a key role in how we feel and interact with others on a daily basis. An unexpected disturbance by a canker sore can cause mouth pain and general discomfort. Canker sores begin to appear as early as age 10, and can occur at any point in a person’s life. They only appear inside of the mouth, and about one in five people get them on a regular basis. Canker or Cold Sores It’s common for canker sores to be confused with cold sores. If you are wondering whether you have a canker sore or a cold sore, look at the location. Canker sores are always found inside the mouth….

Stressed Out: Can Stress Affect Your Teeth? You have too much to do at work. You have to juggle a million tasks between your children, your spouse, and errands — not to mention your mother-in-law is in town for the weekend. We all have those days, and those days can add immense stress to your life. That stress affects more than just your emotional health; it physically alters you as well. Physical Symptoms of Stress on Your Mouth Your mouth already experiences daily wear and tear that you need to prevent as much as possible. If you are too stressed, this adds another layer of factors fighting against the health of your mouth. It starts before you even realize — you are stressed out thinking about everything you need to do, and then you notice you’ve been clenching your teeth for the past few minutes. Depending on how you handle…

Foods and drinks are a huge part of our daily life. Not only do we need them to live, but meals are a huge part of every culture. Let’s paint a scene for you. You are out with a group of friends at a pizza parlor. The aroma of wood baked pizza fills your nose and makes your stomach gurgle with anticipation. You order your favorite type of pizza and patiently wait for it to come out. After some time passes, you eye your waiter heading towards your table with your pizza. As he sets it down in front of you, he warns, “Careful, this just came out of the oven.” Overcome with excitement, you ignore his cautionary advice. You bite down– The cheese is scalding hot. At this point, you inhale and exhale repeatedly to try and cool the bite of pizza off. You debate if you should spit…

Improper oral health hygiene has far-reaching, long-term consequences that go beyond cavities: Receding gums (or gingival recession) is the exposure of the roots of teeth caused by a loss of tissue surrounding the gums. Gum recession is common in adults over the age of 40, but younger adults may also experience it. The cause of gum recession in most cases is the same cause of most oral health problems: inadequate brushing and flossing. This allows bacteria to build up between the teeth and below the gumline, which is a root cause of gum disease. This bacterial buildup leads to painless, chronic inflammation and occasional bleeding — similar to periodontal disease — and also causes a very gradual recession of the gums. In most cases, gum recession is a progressive oral health condition that occurs over many years — one of the reasons it’s most common in those over the age…

You hear advice everywhere you go. Brush and floss daily. Use mouthwash to fight bad breath. One out of every four dentists recommends using a Waterpik. Dental health is very important, and as a consumer, there are a ton of options to pick from. To help make your dental hygiene routine easier, we’re going to cut through the noise with some simple suggestions about what a good routine looks like and what products you should consider using. The Basics We’ve mentioned this before—and so did your mom—you need to brush and floss daily. (In this case, she’s right.) However, you might not realize that to brush most effectively, timing matters! You should always brush your teeth before you eat breakfast. As you sleep, your salivary glands don’t produce as much saliva, enabling bacteria to grow and thrive. If you eat before brushing, more acid will be produced because of the…

During the school year, parents often spend more time away from their children than with them. Between work, school, and running kids to and from their extracurricular activities, most of us feel lucky if we get to share one solid meal a day with them. Your child’s nutrition is key to both their whole-body health and their oral health. While it’s difficult to make sure they are eating the foods that are best for them when they are away from you, it’s not impossible to do so. We have put together some quick, healthy meal ideas and easy options for healthy snacks that will allow you to play a strong role in their daily health and nutrition, as well as remind them how much you love them every time they take a bite. Breakfast on the Go! Mornings can feel rushed when kids head back to school. Getting yourself up…