The age-old question of whether to floss and then brush or brush and then floss has been reported recently in Self Magazine: floss and then brush. I personally prefer to brush and then floss. There does not seem to be much scientific evidence to support either position, other than regular brushing and flossing keeps your teeth healthy and your breath... read more »

There are many considerations that go into the cost of your dental care. We won’t get into those details here, but how do you know if you’re getting a good deal? Price is only part of it. Here are seven signs you’re receiving value for your investment: Your dentist spends time with you in discovery to understand and discuss your... read more »

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to repair a cavity without numbing shots, drills and fillings? They're working on it! Reminova Ltd. is a company in Scotland with a new method to electrically stimulate teeth to repair cavities, without the use of drills or fillings. Developed by researchers at King’s College London, the new device is intended to be... read more »

Researchers in China (Sichuan University) recruited 30 rats to improve their appearance with braces and some of the rats got a free pass to Starbcucks. Apparently, the Starbucks group’s teeth moved a lot faster than the non-caffeinated group. Although human studies are indicated, we may see espresso bars popping up in orthodontist’s offices in the future.  

Recent research from the University of Sydney, Australia shows that non-surgical gum therapy significantly reduced the progression of thickening of the carotid artery over a one-year period (Journal Hypertension 2014).  

As an army medic in Vietnam, John Gallagher came up the idea for a mouthpiece that will effectively clean your teeth and then dissolve, without the need for water or disposal (you essentially eat it). Mr. Gallagher was frustrated that wounded soldiers could not take care of their teeth, and now also sees many other applications for this product, including... read more »

Sleeping in dentures doubles the risk of pneumonia for elderly adults in community living settings (Journal of Dental Research Oct, 2014). Most people with removable dentures benefit from removing them before going to bed. The dentures should be cleaned thoroughly and allowed to soak in an approved cleaning solution.

To help people missing teeth, scientists at Harvard have discovered a method to regrow tooth cells using low power laser energy. This technique, which stimulates the body’s own cells to grow, is at least a few years away from market testing. You can be sure we’ll be watching this with a great deal of interest. Missing teeth can cause many... read more »

A small number of people fail to develop one or more permanent teeth. This is known as dental agenesis. The teeth most commonly involved are the wisdom teeth, the top lateral incisors (between the front middle and canine “fang” teeth) and the lower bicuspids (between the back molars and canine “fang” teeth). A recent study from the Univ. of Pittsburgh... read more »

There are about one million hip and knee joint replacements annually in the US. New guidelines established by a working committee of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have clarified the issue of antibiotic premedication prior to invasive dental procedures: Antibiotic premedication is not recommended. Research involving large groups of joint replacement subjects... read more »