Dental Blog St. Louis MO - Dental Health

Dental Hygiene Tips for Building Healthy Habits

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

Your family’s health matters, and how you build healthy habits matters even more. Many people overlook their dental health as an integral part of their overall health. According to the National Smile Month website, one in four adults don’t brush twice a day, including a third of men, and one in ten adults admit they regularly forget to brush their teeth. However, it’s never too late to change your ways and improve your dental routine. Oral Hygiene Tips for Healthy Smiles Do you have a plan when it comes to your oral health? Chances are, you have some idea of what … Continue reading

What Causes Canker Sores? How Can You Prevent Them?

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

Most of us are familiar with the excruciating pain that comes along with having a canker sore. Most of us that know the pain would be willing to do mostly anything to keep them from popping up. After so many studies and experimentations, the jury is still out when it comes to how these irritating and painful sores make their way into your mouth. So, what causes canker sores? Nobody is 100% sure what it is, if it is any ONE thing, that triggers them. What these studies have given us is a general idea of the several things that could contribute. … Continue reading

Woman with beautiful smile brushing her teeth

Selecting the Correct Toothpaste For You and Your Family

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

Just like with anything else out there, when there is an abundance of different toothpastes to choose from, it can be tough to decide which is going to be the best for you and your needs. Not all toothpastes are created equal; some of them have harmful qualities, some contain chemicals that help to pinpoint specific issues that any one person may have. In this blog post we are going to explore the sorts of things to keep in mind when selecting correct toothpaste for you and/or your family. Hopefully we can help to inform your decision and you can get … Continue reading

Reasons for Bad Breath and How to Avoid It

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

Everyone is self-conscious of their breath from time to time. As we’re sure you can imagine, there are many causes to halitosis. It really breaks down to either your hygienic habits, the foods you eat, a mouth disease/condition or a combination of the above. Poor hygienic habits can lead to developing gum (periodontal) disease, ultimately caused by a buildup of plaque. As plaque ages, it uses sugar to develop into an acid that starts to eat through the outer layer of your teeth (enamel). Within that acid lives odor causing bacteria and dead cells. It may seem obvious to say, … Continue reading

10 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Your Teeth

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

There are things that we do and things that we utilize every day that we take for granted; things that can appear to be “common knowledge” that we don’t take the time to get to know any more about. There are very few things in the world that we live with and utilize more on a daily basis than our mouths. Listed below are 10 interesting facts about teeth, oral hygiene and/or dentistry altogether. Here is an opportunity to stun your friends with a fun fact here or there! 1.) The average American spends a total of 38.5 days brushing … Continue reading

6 Ways You May Be Damaging Your Teeth

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

In this post we’ll explore 5 surprising and 1 not so surprising habit that you’re doing and you didn’t even know was damaging your teeth and gums. #1 Not Flossing It’s always the elephant in the room when you go to the dentist, and you know it when your hygienist to give you ‘the look.’ We all know ‘the look,’ and the solution is simple: if you flossed regularly you wouldn’t be getting it. So now that we have that sorted, let’s all agree to floss more and move along. #2 Brushing Too Hard Brushing too aggressively can get you into some … Continue reading

Halloween, Candy, & Your Child’s Teeth

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

The Halloween experience is something that should be enjoyed by all children, but it needs to be done in moderation. By depriving your child of the sweet delights that Halloween has to offer, they could potentially end up sneaking sweets or even binging on them, which has far worse consequences than if they were to enjoy some chocolate or sugary snacks with some rules. Creating a mindset of moderation is crucial when assessing candy, the holidays, and your child. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about what candy can do to your child’s teeth and … Continue reading

What Is Tooth Bonding?

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

Tooth bonding is exactly what is sounds like: your teeth getting together for a night out on the town and really enjoying some time together. Just kidding! Dental bonding is actually the process of attaching a tooth-colored resin to your existing teeth in order to fill in chips, cracks, fractures, and even large gaps. The reason it’s called bonding is because the resin actually bonds to your teeth to create a semi-permanent solution. Bonding is predominantly used in aesthetic procedures and does not require the use of anesthesia. Bonding can usually be done in one office visit and is a terrific cost-effective … Continue reading “What Is Tooth Bonding?”

How To Fight Bad Breath

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

With the weather cooling down, we’re all going to be in tighter quarters and closer to everybody else. So if everyone else is suffering from your bad breath, you might want to take a look at these tips. Brush Let’s start with the basics: brush your teeth twice a day. This is the foundation of sound oral health and should be constant throughout your life. Floss Next, it’s something we should all be doing, but don’t always necessarily get around to it. Of course, I’m talking about flossing. Flossing gets what your toothbrush missed between your teeth and clears away … Continue reading “How To Fight Bad Breath”

Your Teeth Know More Than You Think

Posted By Dr James Maxwell | Apr 19, 2020

The study of dental sciences is making groundbreaking discoveries every day and some are even more surprising than you might think. In September of 2012, the remains of the King Richard III of England were found beneath a parking lot in in Leicester, England, more than 500 years after his death in the Battle of Bosworth Field. After dental analysis from isotope signatures of his teeth were performed, it unearthed additional insights into the life of Richard, as well as confirming details about his life that until now could only be guessed. Your bones and teeth act as the record keepers of … Continue reading