A Top Ten list for holiday dental health
The holidays can be tough on your teeth, a few tips to keep on smiling
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times
First, let me apologize for the long gap between my columns. Family always comes first and sitting down to write just wasn’t on the to-do list in November.
The holiday season is all about family and friends. Get-togethers, whether formal or spontaneous, almost always involve...
Brushing up on the history of the toothbrush
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times
The toothbrush we know today has come a long way since it’s humble beginnings. The earliest toothbrushes were used by the Babylonians and Egyptians around 3500 BC.
It was more of a tooth cleaning stick than a brush as we know it. Small branches of the olive, sassafras or Salvadora persica trees were cut off and ends chewed until the wood fibers...
Toxic Waste may be more dangerous than it sounds to teeth
Super-Sour candy is almost as acidic as battery acid
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times
No really – one of today’s hottest super sour candies is called Toxic Waste. Yummy huh? The website for Toxic Waste is full of cartoons, games and challenges. How long can you keep this sour candy in your mouth? Are you tough enough? Now, to be fair Toxic Waste is not the...
Tooth loss is more than a cosmetic problem
Health impact of lost teeth can include mental, physical decline in old age
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times
Tooth loss is more than just uncomfortable. While reading a journal article I discovered a study from London that was published in an American geriatrics journal. Apparently in a study of adults over age 60 those who had lost all of their teeth had a more significant...
Take it to heart: dental health impacts total health
Gingivitis connected to increased heart attack, stroke, pregnancy risks
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD FICD, Columnist, The Times
Each year more and more research confirms the relationships between serious health concerns and diseases of the mouth. I recently was at a lecture where some of the latest research was reviewed and while the research was aimed at treatment protocols, the message is...
What to expect when you’re expecting at the dentist
Being pregnant doesn’t mean skipping a visit to your dentist
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times
Every day there are questions about how safe is it to go the dentist when you are pregnant. Preventive dental procedures, such as dental cleanings and examinations are not only safe, they are recommended and encouraged by most physicians.
Still, some procedures such as x-rays...
Cavities can be contagious
Bacteria related to tooth decay can be shared with loved ones
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD, FAGD, Columnist, The Times
I hear it every day, “my mom had bad teeth, I guess I got this from her.” Perhaps that is true, but not in the way we may think. Researchers have found that dental disease causing bacteria can be transmitted from one person to another.
In the case of cavities, the bacteria Streptococcus...
A great smile makes all the difference
If your teeth keep you from smiling, there are options
By Dr. Stephanie McGann, DMD FAGD, Columnist, The Times
As a dentist, I am frequently asked questions about how to make teeth whiter, straighter or improve a patient’s overall smile. Based on some compelling arguments it’s no wonder that a great smile is foremost on our minds. Smiling is something that we do on a daily basis but we rarely think...
