Category: Oral Health Vs. Overall Health

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my tongue, and I am guessing most people don’t. I certainly never thought the appearance of a tongue meant anything in particular, but it may in fact be telling us other parts of our bodies are needing attention. Just as pain in your back may indicate tension in the muscles through your buttocks and upper legs, your tongue, as described by Dr. Gillian McKieth in You Are What You Eat, is a “window to your organs.” For example, a midline crack not reaching the tip of your tongue, teeth marks around Read More →

It is no persons favorite thing to hear they are not brushing good enough at their dental check-up. Hearing that you have a cavity is even worse! We asked our hygienist, Valerie to give us some tips to avoid spending more time than you bargained for at the dentist.   Use the right size tooth brush.  Children and adults with small mouths should use a smaller brush head. A toothbrush that is too big may not be able to reach all of the tooth surfaces in your mouth. We recommend soft or extra soft toothbrushes. Bristles that are too stiff can Read More →

How is radiation measured? Radiation is measured in units called Sieverts. Because of the small amount of radiation emitted during dental x-rays, it is measured in MicroSieverts (one millionth of a Sievert). Many patients are concerned about the amount of radiation we get from dental x-rays, so we’d like to give you something to compare this to. How much radiation is significant? Doses of radiation below 100,000 MicroSieverts indicates that risks of health effects are either too small to be observed or are nonexistent. The bitewing x-rays we take are only 0.03% of this amount! The potential health risk from dental Read More →

Many patients have asked our administrative staff, “why do I need to update my health history form? Nothing has changed.”  So, we asked one of our hygienists, Christina, to help us understand what your health history has to do with your dental visits. “I’m here to tell you that the information you provide us with on these forms can tell us a lot about your oral health. Your overall health can affect your oral health in many ways, a few of which I will discuss below. A possible link between periodontal (gum) disease and the risk of heart disease has been studied for Read More →

We asked our hygienists here at Family Dentist Tree how your pregnancy can affect your oral health; here is what they said: “You may experience some changes in your oral health during pregnancy. The primary changes are due to a surge in hormones that can cause your gums to exaggerate a normal reaction to plaque. Changes in your hormone levels can cause swollen gums that bleed during brushing and flossing (pregnancy gingivitis). If plaque isn’t removed daily, it can eventually harden into tarter and may increase your risk of gingivitis. If your gingivitis was diagnosed prior to your pregnancy, the Read More →