We have all heard that we should avoid sugary foods if we want to have healthy teeth, but not all sugars and candies are created equal. Some sweets are less harmful to the teeth, and some are actually beneficial!
THE BETTER CHOICES… [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
We have all heard that we should avoid sugary foods if we want to have healthy teeth, but not all sugars and candies are created equal. Some sweets are less harmful to the teeth, and some are actually beneficial!
THE BETTER CHOICES… [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
As another summer ends and a new school year approaches, many of us parents begin the task of preparing our children for their first day back to school. We shop for the necessary school supplies, we update their wardrobes, and we ensure they have the immunizations and booster shots necessary to continue in school. Children should also have a dental exam before returning to school to ensure they have a healthy mouth and the tools they need to maintain it. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
I love the warm weather of the approaching summertime – a time when my family enjoys the beautiful sunshine and eats cold watermelon and homemade ice cream outside on our back porch. For people with sensitive teeth, however, this activity that my family so enjoys is not a treat. Cold foods and beverages make their teeth ache. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
My dental practice treats everyone from toddlers to the elderly, and though we have a passion for cosmetic dentistry, children are usually the most fun and interesting patients.
I have had many enlightening experiences as kids surprise me with their perceptions of what is occurring during their dental appointments. After I extracted the tooth of a 7-year-old boy, the mother asked her son as they left our office, “Has your tooth stopped hurting yet?” to which her son replied,”I don’t know. The dentist has it.” In treating young patients I have learned that………… [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
Dentures are removable replacements for your natural teeth and gums. There are essentially two categories called partial and complete (full) dentures. Partial dentures are made when a person still has some teeth in the arch, and they can replace one or more teeth. Complete dentures are made when the entire upper or lower jaw is missing all of the teeth. Both types of dentures are made from either dental acrylic (a type of plastic) or a combination of acrylic and metal. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
Sucking is a natural instinct with which we are born. Babies and small children use fingers, pacifiers, and other objects to soothe and comfort themselves. Sucking is a normal, healthy part of our early development, but prolonged sucking – past the age of 4 – can cause a host of dental problems and may even indicate medical issues. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
Overnight guests in our home have joked about my husband’s snoring. His sleep study results call him a “heroic snorer” meaning he can snore in any position, but his snoring has not been found to be connected to sleep apnea or breathing issues. When children snore, however, it is no laughing matter. A child may snore occasionally when he or she has a cold or is “stuffy,” but when a child snores regularly for more than just a week or two and is not ill, it may be a warning sign of sleep-disordered breathing which can lead to dental, behavioral, and health issues. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
In 1909 a dentist in Colorado noticed that many children were developing brown spots on their teeth. Those children also had fewer cavities than children living in other areas. It was later discovered that these children, who were living at the base of Pike’s Peak, were receiving high concentrations of natural fluoride. As rain water ran down the mountain, fluoride was released from the rock and flowed into the town’s water reservoir. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
The foods you choose and how often you eat affect your general health as well as the health of your teeth and gums. Today, Americans are eating record numbers of sugary sodas, sweetened fruit drinks, and non-nutritious snacks, and over time these foods can make cavities in teeth. [Read more…]
Posted on by Cristi Cheek.
In my dental practice, I have seen many of my school-aged patients with front teeth painfully reshaped by monkey bars, the school’s tile floor, or even another child’s head. So what is a parent to do when you get that call from the school? [Read more…]