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About one-third of  Americans use electric toothbrushes of some type. Some believe a powered toothbrush cleans better than a manual brush with flossing. Others find them more convenient, or more pleasing in some other way. Electric toothbrushes are a well-established oral hygiene option. Hence, it’s well worth a review of the technology, their safety, and their effectiveness.ORIGINSThe first electric toothbrush was brou...

Let’s borrow the idea of parallel worlds from science fiction. We’ll use it to illustrate the better and worse cases for the same dental emergency. In one world, the victim has a good outcome. In the parallel world, the “same” person with the same emergency has a poor outcome. The difference? One key decision.IT HAPPENSMelanie, 42, was crunching on roasted almonds one afternoon when she bit down hard on a piece tha...

We’ve come a long way, baby, in taking care of our teeth. There are excellent brushes and toothpaste readily available, and if for no other reason than to avoid the social fail of bad breath, most of us brush pretty often. Still, we can do better.WHY MUST WE BRUSH?We brush our teeth to remove the transparent layer of bacteria, plaque, that continuously forms over the entire surface area of our teeth. We must brush frequently because...

When immediate treatment is needed to save a tooth, relieve severe pain, or stop oral bleeding, it is a dental emergency. A 2009 survey discovered that as many as one in six Americans find themselves in this unhappy situation each year, and noted that a great many people are unprepared to respond appropriately and effectively. This discussion focuses on the steps we can take before, during, and after a dental emergency so as to mini...

Fillings are the most common type of dental treatment, with about 175 million done each year in the United States. The dentist’s term for a filling is “restoration” because its purpose is to restore a tooth to its healthy shape, structure, and performance. The usual reason restoration is needed is tooth decay, the erosion of the hard enamel which in time results in caries (cavities). The treatment involves removing the ...

The most dentistry-challenged person in town knows what to do in the event of a true dental emergency. You get yourself to a dentist as soon as you possibly can. This is self-evident, not debatable, and cannot be ignored. Dental emergencies take command with severe, unrelenting pain and/or other dramatic symptoms, and will not go away no matter what home or over-the-counter remedies are tried.This is not a discussion of dental ...