Enamel is the visible outer layer of our teeth and it is made up mostly of minerals. Minerals are the things that make up rocks, so you can think of enamel like a smooth rock, which may be hard, but it can still be damaged. Have you ever known anyone with a kitchen countertop made of marble? Marble is a lot like our teeth. It is a hard rock that can be made into a [...]
The warm weather is back! It’s time to put on sandals and make ice for our drinks! In my household, this also means that I’ll be hearing the crunch, crunch, crunch of my children eating their ice cubes. I cringe as I hear it because I’m much more aware than they are of the daily dangers their teeth face (it might be maturity or just that I’ve paid my own dental bills for more than [...]
I was surprised when Dr. Jamie suggested that my 8-year-old daughter get evaluated by an orthodontist for braces – she’s so young! Aren’t braces for teenagers? On my daughter’s x-rays, Dr. Jamie pointed to permanent teeth still in the gums that are not lined up with the space where they should grow in. An orthodontist, Dr. Jamie explained, can evaluate my daughter’s teeth to predict whether the permanent teeth will likely grow in correctly or [...]
Your body starts digesting food in your mouth, thanks to enzymes in your saliva that break down starches. Swallowing would be terribly uncomfortable without saliva to help us move our food down. You wouldn’t be able to taste your food if you didn’t have saliva. As food mixes with saliva, it carries it to the taste buds that are embedded on your tongue. Your body makes 4 – 8 cups of saliva every day! It [...]
By the time your child starts kindergarten, you may have almost forgotten that their cute set of teeth are just place holders for the permanent ones. After all, it was a long, sometimes tearful, teething process growing in those first teeth - who wouldn’t want to forget that? Well, be reassured that for most kids the transition from baby teeth to adult teeth is more giggles than tears. So don’t be too concerned when the [...]
This relatively new treatment consists of a simple application of a liquid called silver diamine fluoride, or SDF. You probably recognize fluoride in the title, a substance that helps to harden the enamel of our teeth, making it more difficult for bacteria to do damage. The silver component acts as an antimicrobial agent. You can think of it like Neosporin for teeth. It actually kills the bacteria that created the cavity! Altogether, SDF is a [...]
Braces have been a right-of-passage for most teenagers. The embarrassment of having a “metal mouth” and the discomfort of the brackets rubbing against the inside of the cheek was the price you had to pay for that great smile. Luckily for today’s teenagers, there is another option. Invisalign is the next generation of technology for teeth alignment. The beauty of it is in the simplicity, especially for the patient. Just imagine, Tessa Teen goes to [...]
If your child needs a crown on a tooth, Dr. Jamie can now provide you with the option of white crowns in place of the standard stainless steel crown. While front teeth white crowns are common, newer back teeth white crowns are now available. Made of durable zirconia, these crowns are not only strong, they are beautiful! A crown is usually used to cover a tooth that has a very large filling. Perhaps the decay [...]
Can you guess each way to love your teeth from the clues below? You do it 2 times every day for 2 minutes each time – don’t you? It can be long or short, depending how you break it, and it helps get to places a brush can’t. It’s something you drink that helps all your bones grow strong, including your teeth. It has a tricky name. When it’s an ingredient in your chewing gum, [...]
In just a few days, you will have a little Elsa knocking at your door. She’ll be wearing a blue dress with a braid and yelling, “Trick or treat!” In all likelihood, there will more than just one Elsa, plus a few nunchuk-weilding turtles, Spiderman, Batman, a few zombies, and some witches, too. You’ll love bringing joy to their little faces as you hand out treats! Take a moment during your Halloween preparations to consider [...]
