DENTAL BLOGS

Quick answer: The worst foods for your teeth include candy and sweets, sticky snacks, acidic foods like citrus, starchy chips and crackers, soda and other carbonated drinks, alcohol, and chewing ice or hard candy. You can still enjoy many of them. Have them with a meal, drink water afterward, and wait about 30 minutes before brushing after acidic foods. Your teeth, while quite sturdy, are not invincible. The foods and beverages you consume play a significant role in your teet

Have you ever done the saltine cracker challenge? If you have, you know that it makes your mouth extremely and intensely dry, making it hard for you to swallow, taste, and even speak. Now, imagine living with dry mouth on a daily basis. Chronic dry mouth isn’t just an uncomfortable sensation – if left untreated, dry mouth can cause serious oral health issues. What is Dry Mouth? Dry mouth (xerostomia) is a condition in which a person’s salivary glands do not produce enough sal

Have you ever had dreams about losing a tooth, or several teeth? They can be quite memorable and even unsettling – and if you’re reading this, you are probably trying to make sense of these dreams. Though interpretations about what your dreams about losing teeth can vary widely, your dreams might symbolically reflect something important going on in your personal life, or signify something literal that you should be paying more attention to physically. What Do Your Dreams Abou

What are the most important and most effective at-home dental tools you can use? Simply: a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss! There are many other dental products out there that promise professional results, and we wanted to take the time to caution you about several of them. Using many types of dental tools improperly and without proper training can cause severe and permanent damage to your mouth. In addition, many dentist tools advertised as being of professional grade and

‘Tis the season for merriment, giving, and gatherings with loved ones – which usually means lots of delicious food and drinks! Red wine, mulled wine, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, holiday fruit punches, fruit pies, cranberry sauce, berries, and dishes made with curry spice, balsamic vinegar, tomato or soy sauces – you might find yourself indulging in some of the aforementioned foods and drinks more than usual lately, and you should enjoy them! But be aware that enjoying a lot o

If you have a dental bridge, braces, fixed retainers or dentures with retainer bars, you might be wondering how you can still clean around them to keep your mouth and gums healthy. Unless your dental treatment appliances are entirely removable, like invisible aligners and removable retainers, cleaning thoroughly between your teeth with fixed dental work sometimes requires just a bit more effort – but is very important for the success of your dental treatment, as well as a he

Water flossing vs. string floss: Which is better? Though some people swear by one or the other, the truth is that there are pros and cons to both, and studies about each method’s effectiveness at removing plaque are largely inconclusive. If you’ve been considering changing your flossing routine, it’s worth looking into the differences between them to see which one is right for you! Evidence For String Floss vs. Water Flossers? Studies about the efficacy of plaque removal with

Have you ever had a sinus toothache? If you have, you know how uncomfortable, distracting and painful they can be. Fortunately, tooth pain caused by sinus pressure or pain can usually be relieved significantly with proper at-home care. *Note: If you are suffering from extreme tooth pain of any kind, or tooth pain that lasts for more than 12-18 hours, please visit your dentist as soon as possible so that they can determine and treat the root cause before the condition worsens.

Quick answer: Using an electric toothbrush the wrong way, by pressing hard, scrubbing like a manual brush or using a firm head, can wear down gums and enamel over time. Hold the brush lightly against each tooth at the gumline, let it rest a couple of seconds on each surface, brush for two minutes total and choose a soft brush head. Here at Revive Dental of Irving, we’ve seen it all – and that includes people who have caused permanent damage to their gums or teeth by using ele

Oral thrush, or oropharyngeal candidiasis, is a fungal infection in the mouth caused by a yeast called Candida. Some amounts of Candida naturally occurs on or in places like the skin, mouth, throat, digestive tract, and vagina. However, changes or imbalances in these environments can sometimes cause Candida to multiply, resulting in infection. In the mouth, candidiasis usually presents as white-ish, raised, patchy lesions on the tongue, inside cheeks or throat. Below, we’ll d

How much sugar did the average person consume in the 1700s vs. today? And what does our increased sugar consumption do to our oral, mental and physical health? The answers aren’t pretty – but the reality is that added sugars are found in the majority of our foods and drinks today, and our sugar habits are causing serious and sometimes life-threatening health issues. Understanding the reasons and impacts of our consumption choices can help us make better decisions to benefit o

Do you know how much bacteria is in the human mouth? Estimates vary between 500 to 700 different species of bacteria, and between 6 million and 20 million microbes of bacteria in the mouth at any given time! Those billions of bacteria adhere to each other and to surfaces within the mouth – teeth, gums, inner cheeks, tongue, and form a complex, slimy, sticky substance called biofilm. Dental biofilm can actually aid oral health. Besides containing hundreds of varieties of both

Have you smiled recently? Smiling isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially after a long and exhausting day. But here’s a fun fact: numerous studies have shown that smiling is actually good for your health! Whether genuine or forced, the physical act of smiling can “trick” your mind and body into being less stressed, happier, and more relaxed. When you smile, it triggers your brain to release the “happy chemicals” – endorphins, serotonin and dopamine – that actively an

People today consume an astounding amount of sugar – nearly 300% of the recommended amount! Over the past few decades, added sugars in our food and drinks have been linked to drastic spikes in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. Other serious health issues linked with increased sugar consumption include: heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer, mood disorders like depression, and tooth decay. It is all too easy to default to grabbing a sugar-laden drink or snac

Are you a daily coffee drinker? 64% of American adults are! In fact, Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every single day. All of that daily coffee consumption begs the question: What does drinking coffee do to our mouths? And, is coffee good or bad for oral health? The answer depends largely on how you drink your coffee. Are you a fan of americanos, frappuccinos, lattes, cappuccinos, or do you take your coffee black? Do you drink one or two cups of coffee in the

Fluoride is found in many foods and drinks, our communities’ public drinking water, and in most of the oral care products we use. It is a mineral that is found naturally in all water sources, in soil, and even in the air. Decades of research shows that fluoride safely and effectively helps prevent tooth decay by making tooth enamel stronger and more resistant to cavity-causing acids. Some still question whether or not fluoride is safe for young children – we’re here to help a

What is Fluoride? Fluoride (pronounced “floor-eyed”) is a naturally occurring mineral found nearly everywhere on earth – in air, soil, water, and in many foods and drinks. Nicknamed “nature’s cavity protector,” fluoride significantly decreases the risk of dental cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. The Fluoride Discovery In the 1930s, scientists discovered that people who drank water with naturally occurring fluoride levels of or greater than 1 part fluoride per 1 million

You’ve probably heard about dental plaque and tartar – but do you know the difference between the two? Both plaque and tartar increase the risk of cavities and gum disease, and we need to keep our teeth clean of them for good dental health. However, tartar is a much more concerning oral health issue than plaque, and can only be removed and treated by dental professionals – whereas plaque can be removed simply at home. We’ll break down the difference between plaque and tartar

Trying to eat healthy this summer? It can be tough! Sweet summer treats like lemonade, popsicles and ice cream are great for cooling off – but they are also loaded with sugar, which wreaks havoc on our oral and overall health over time. And even in so-called “healthy” treats like frozen yogurt, added sugar renders them surprisingly unhealthy. In fact, most flavored froyos contain as much sugar as ice cream! But that shouldn’t deter you from regular, plain yogurt. Plain yogurt

Have you been told you have gum disease? Gum disease is all too common, with nearly 50% of all American adults suffering from some stage of the disease. If left untreated, it can worsen and have serious consequences, such as chronic bad breath, deterioration of the jaw bone, tooth loss, and even heart or lung disease via the spread of oral bacteria in the bloodstream. Fortunately, gum disease is also very preventable and treatable! The first step to preventing gum disease is