Dental Education

We encourage your kiddos to come starting at the first tooth. We can prevent early child tooth decay by brushing two times a day, low frequency snacking, and water should only be in sippy cups and bottles at bedtime.

Topical fluoride application acts as a shield for children and adults to prevent tooth decay.

Tooth decay occurs when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches), such as breads, cereals, milk, soda, fruits, cakes, or candy are left on the teeth. The bacteria in the plaque then eat the carbs and produce acid to dissolve the enamel surface of the teeth, creating holes in the teeth called cavities.

Dental sealants are a thin protective coating for deep grooves on back teeth to prevent dental decay.

Tooth decay is the most chronic childhood disease and is entirely preventable, millions of the nation’s children go untreated. When a child’s oral health suffers, so does school performance, because children who are in pain cannot pay attention to teachers and parents.

Dental x-rays are important because they show decay before it becomes visible in the mouth.

Approximately 53,500 people in the US will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2020. There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral and oropharyngeal cancer. One is through the use of tobacco and alcohol, a long-term historic problem and cause, and the other is through exposure to the HPV-16 virus (human papilloma virus version 16) a relatively newly (since 1999) identified etiology, and the same one which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers in women.

According to recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), half of Americans aged 30 or older have periodontitis, the more advanced form of periodontal disease. This equals approximately 64.7 million Americans.

When periodontal disease affects the bone and supporting tissue, it is termed periodontitis and is characterized by the formation of pockets or spaces between the tooth and gums. This may progress and cause chronic periodontal destruction leading to loosening or loss of teeth. Patients with active periodontal disease require more frequent dental cleanings to disrupt harmful bacteria.