The market for sugar alternatives has grown exponentially since saccharin was accidentally discovered in 1878. Today, saccharin has been joined by other FDA-approved zero-calorie artificial sweeteners, including aspartame (“Equal®” or “NutraSweet®”), sucralose (“Splenda®”) and rebaudioside A, derived from the stevia plant. You can also choose low-calorie alcohol sugars like erythritol or Xylitol. With rare exceptions, all these choices are widely…
You’ve brushed your teeth since you were big enough to look over the bathroom sink: now you brush and floss every day. You do it because you know it’s important — but do you know why? It’s because your teeth and gums have enemies: oral bacteria, in particular, the major cause of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. The vehicle…
The development of antibiotic drugs is widely considered one of the greatest medical achievements of the last century. Their widespread use has turned life-threatening diseases like cholera, strep throat or bacterial meningitis into manageable, treatable ones. It’s no exaggeration to say the antibiotics changed the face of healthcare, including dentistry. But this gleaming sword for fighting dangerous diseases has a…
Can you have healthy teeth and still have gum disease? Absolutely! And if you don’t believe us, just ask actor David Ramsey. The cast member of TV hits such as Dexter and Arrow said in a recent interview that up to the present day, he has never had a single cavity. Yet at a routine dental visit during his college…
After treating you for periodontal (gum) disease for some time, we may suggest you see a periodontist, a specialist in gum conditions and diseases. There are a number of reasons for a referral, including the specific type of gum disease you may have developed. Here are 4 more reasons why seeing a periodontist might be advantageous at this stage in…
Tooth sensitivity can be quite uncomfortable. But the glancing pain you feel may be more than an irritation — it may also be telling you there’s a deeper problem that needs attention. As with other types of oral pain, tooth sensitivity can be a symptom of a variety of problems. Some of them are relatively minor, while others require immediate…
Cavities can happen even before a baby has his first piece of candy. This was the difficult lesson actor David Ramsey of the TV shows Arrow and Dexter learned when his son DJ’s teeth were first emerging. “His first teeth came in weak,” Ramsey recalled in a recent interview. “They had brown spots on them and they were brittle.” Those…
Vacationing abroad can be the trip of a lifetime — or a nightmare if you have a medical or dental emergency while travelling. Dental care in many locations around the world can be limited, expensive or even dangerous. Here are 3 important things you should do to prepare for a possible dental emergency during that dream vacation in a foreign…
If you’re pregnant, you may find yourself pondering decisions you didn’t have to think about before. Should you have that glass of wine… or skip it, because of the alcohol; go for the sushi… or avoid uncooked foods; take the pain reliever… or live with the headache. And if you have a toothache — or even if you’re overdue for…