The “Zoom Boom” Inspires More People to Get the Smiles They’ve Always Wanted
Back in the early months of the pandemic, plastic surgeons reported surging interest in cosmetic facial procedures - a side effect of so much more time spent on Zoom. Seeing our own faces much more than usual, every little imperfection can come to seem huge...
The Vicious Cycle of Dental Fear – & How to Break Out of It
Sure, we all know the cliche that nobody likes going to the dentist - well, except this guy - but that shouldn’t be confused with actual dental fear or anxiety. Those can keep a person from getting even the preventive care that could lower their risk of...
Treating Sleep Apnea May Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk – But Don’t Think CPAP Is Your Only Option
Over the years, researchers have uncovered many links between sleep apnea and other health problems, including heart and liver issues, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, cognitive decline, and more. But can treating the apnea help lower your risk of them? At...
Gum Disease Can Mean Higher Blood Pressure. Treating Gum Disease May Lower It.
Need more motivation to keep healthy gums a priority? Look no further than new research which suggests that people with periodontitis have a greater risk of hypertension - even if they’re otherwise healthy. Hypertension - that is, high blood pressure - not...
Are Implants a Good Option If You Have a History of Gum Disease?
While “gum disease” might not sound serious to some, it’s actually the number one reason for adult tooth loss. This is because its progression leads to bone loss and deterioration of the soft tissues. With less to support them, the teeth eventually become...
A Look Back at…the Food Your Body Needs
Stop Scaring Yourself When It Comes to Good Nutrition Originally posed August 15, 2019; edited We’ve all seen the headlines on our newsfeeds: processed foods are killing us, sugar is killing us, and carbs are killing us. Here's one headline that pretty much...
Dental Ozone for Healthy Gums & More
A great dentist is always learning. It’s something that the father of modern American dentistry, G.V. Black, commented on over a hundred years ago: “The professional man has no right other than to be a continuous student.” It’s how you serve your patients well....
Rising Stress, More Cases of TMJ Pain
Although you often hear TMJ pain linked with stress, that’s just one possible cause. Malocclusion - literally, a bad bite, when your teeth don’t come together properly - is another. In other cases, it may be the result of habitual clenching and grinding - a/k/a...
The Trouble with Flavored Vape Isn’t Just Its Popularity with Youth
A little over a year ago, a new federal law banned the sale of most flavored vape products, in hopes of making vaping less appealing to kids and teens. Menthol and tobacco flavored pods were exempted from the rule. But so were other ways of delivering the sweet and...
Some of the Ways COVID Might Show Up in Your Mouth
More than a few oral health problems have been linked to COVID: ulcers and other kinds of lesions, erosions, plaque, bad breath, swelling, and even necrosis. According to case reports and other medical communications, the tongue is the site affected most often, and...
We’re Still #45! The State of Our State’s Oral Health
As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Sure enough, our weather this week certainly has been different, and Texas still ranks toward the very bottom of the US when it comes to oral health. Oh, a few things have changed since we last...
Prevention Remains the Best Dental Insurance Available
If you’re going to skip dental visits - as some folks continue to do in this pandemic, despite the low likelihood of COVID transmission - you’ve got to make sure you’re at least practicing good home care. That means more than just brushing and flossing. It also...
How Much Fluoride Are You Drinking in That Tea? A New Tool Helps You Find Out
There are lots of benefits to drinking tea, oral and systemic. We’ve blogged about some of them before. But we’ve also noted a considerable downside: Many teas can contain a good amount of fluoride, which isn’t exactly something you want to be ingesting. As with...
Kids & Crowns
Here’s something you don’t see every day: Yes, that’s a Lego head. Stuck onto a child’s tooth. And it’s not the first time that such a thing has happened. Since kids will be kids, it probably won’t be the last either. The current case was reported in a...
Early Decay Detection – and No Ionizing Radiation
As we’ve said before - and as a recent study in the CDA Journal emphasizes - maintaining good oral hygiene and seeing your dentist regularly are more important than ever in the age of COVID. Why the dental visits? For one, professional cleanings are an important...
Could Erythritol Actually Help Prevent Gum Disease?
While our number one post last year was the one on how we’re doing dentistry safely through the pandemic, some older posts were viewed even more often. That includes our 2015 overview of erythritol, which was just then starting to get some real attention for its...
The Pride Dental Blog’s Year in Review, 2020 Edition
Although it’s customary to reflect on the passing year as the new one begins, more than a few folks would probably prefer to just leave 2020 in the dust. Certainly, it was a tough year on many levels, and many of its challenges will persist into the new year. Yet...
Now Isn’t the Time to Skip Your Regular Dental Visits
Although there has yet to be a single documented case of a patient getting COVID from visiting the dentist, some people remain hesitant about keeping up with their regular dental visits, especially as the news remains filled with stories of surging cases. Truth be...
Could COVID Really Make Your Teeth Fall Out?
While most people who become infected with the novel coronavirus will recover, researchers have found that some - anywhere from 10 to 33%, depending on the study - will experience long-term symptoms. And according to a recent article in the New York Times, there...
A Look Back at… : A Laser Facial Makeover from Your Dentist? Yes!
Originally posted July 23, 2020; edited The COVID-19 crisis has led to plenty of anxiety across the board - including, it seems, increased anxiety about facial appearance. That’s not so surprising once you consider how so many more of our interactions with...