When you go to your dental checkups, your oral hygiene routine may get a spotlight on it. Your dentist will ask about your habits, especially how often you floss. It’s a step that many people tend to skip, but it’s crucial you do it. It can keep your teeth and gums healthy, while also supporting your overall well-being! It might seem odd, but here’s how a few minutes of flossing can have an impact on your smile and beyond.

Your mouth plays a vital role in your overall health — and keeping it in top shape requires more than just daily brushing. Oral health issues are incredibly common, but many of them can be prevented or easily treated when caught early. By learning to recognize the most frequent dental problems, you can take proactive steps to protect your smile for years to come.

A recently published study in Neurology (the journal of the American Academy of Neurology) has added fresh evidence to the growing connection between oral health and brain health. The researchers specifically examined how dental conditions—like gum disease and tooth loss—relate to structural changes in the brain’s hippocampus, an area critically involved in memory. Keep reading to learn more about this breakthrough research and why preventive dentistry is key.

You might already know that if you don’t brush and floss your smile on a daily basis, you’re much more likely to develop oral conditions like gum disease. But not many realize that there are other factors that can increase your risk – and not all of them are things you can control.

Fortunately, if one or more of these factors applies to you, your dentist can help you build an effective gum disease prevention plan!

If someone has a tooth that is severely decayed, broken or otherwise structurally compromised, their dentist will likely recommend that they have it protected with a dental crown. A dental crown is a customized cap that is placed over the chewing surface of the damaged tooth to restore its function and appearance as well as protect it from additional harm. However, dental crowns haven’t always been how they are today. Read on to learn about their history.

If you’re considering restoring your smile with the help of dentures, you may be hesitant to get started depending on what you’ve “heard” about these prosthetics. The good news is that many myths out there about false teeth aren’t true. In fact, despite needing to take adequate care of them, the decision to get dentures may be one of the best choices you’ll ever make.  Here are four common myths that may be holding you back, and why you shouldn’t let them stop you from improving your smile!