Remember teething as a baby? Most likely not. But you can empathize with infants when your wisdom teeth start arriving. The sensation is similar to what teething tots experience: tender gums, aching teeth, and pain. But, unlike baby teething, wisdom teeth discomfort might signal some potential dental health issues. We’ll set you wise on the ways of wisdom teeth, oral problems they can cause, and, most importantly, measures to relieve
The depressor labii inferioris is a facial muscle that allows you to pull your lower lip down or to the side. While this muscle has very limited movement on its own, it plays an important role in the complex structure of facial muscles that allow us to make such detailed and precise facial expressions. Location and Function When you pull your lower lip down or to the side, you activate
Your baby is growing before your eyes. They’re starting to giggle. They’re starting to recognize you. And they’re starting to teethe. With teething comes, you guessed it, teeth. And that means that proper oral care for their teeth and gums is now on your checklist. It also means that you should know how baby teeth grow and transition to adult teeth. The more you understand your baby’s oral health, the
Taking care of your child’s oral health begins with proper toothbrushing habits, and it’s never too early (or too late) to start! Whether you’re celebrating a little one’s first tooth or having daily brushing battles with a toddler, find the tips and information you need to teach your children how to brush their teeth and make good oral hygiene a lifelong practice. When to Start Brushing Your Child’s Teeth Did
If you’re looking for a thumb guard for your little thumb sucker, you’ve come to the right place. Many parents have difficulty navigating if and when thumb sucking is a problem and finding the right solution. We’re here to help you understand what oral health conditions are associated with thumb sucking, when to worry about them, and how a thumb-sucking guard can help. Thumb Sucking and Guards Children self-soothe many
Bad breath can be an indicator that something’s going on in your mouth. Perhaps it’s as simple as a few slices of pepperoni and onion pizza for lunch. Or maybe your oral care habits haven’t been as consistent as they could be. Both are easily fixable. But what if your bad breath stems from something more complicated? If your breath smells like ammonia or you have an ammonia taste in
If you’ve ever had a dry socket after a tooth extraction, it’s safe to say you’ll never want to experience it again. The best way to prevent this complication is to follow your dentist’s post-operative instructions and avoid anything that might affect the healing process. But if you’re unfortunate enough to end up with a dry socket, your dentist may treat it with dry socket paste for instant relief. What
Without knowing exactly what “eye teeth” are, have you ever started a sentence exclaiming your wish for something valuable with “I’d give my eye teeth for …”? The “eye teeth” in that colloquial phrase have an equally expressive nickname: canine teeth. Even their official clinical name is cool: cuspids. We’ll give you the scoop on the origin of the term “cuspid” and its nicknames. Plus, we’ll fill you in on
Of the 43 muscles that control our facial functions, many let you enjoy a good meal and express your delight in what you’re eating without saying a word. Mastication muscles give us the ability to open/shut our jaws and chew our food. And related muscles let us swallow food and drink. Facial expression muscles in our jaws and scalp allow us to communicate nonverbally – whether with a smile, a
When you’re inspecting your smile in the mirror, you most likely see two rows of smooth, rectangular teeth. Did you know that although your permanent teeth probably didn’t come in for several years, they began developing before you were born? A baby begins to develop teeth in the womb, as early as twenty weeks! And while we all hope we’ll end up with perfectly aligned, smooth adult teeth when they
A diagnosis of tooth decay may be daunting, but if your dentist tells you that you have incipient caries, you can breathe a sigh of relief. For many years, the first sign of a cavity meant drilling and filling. Today, simple non-invasive treatments and strategies may be the best way to manage areas of early decay, preventing small problems from becoming bigger. What Is an Incipient Lesion? Repeated exposure to
You might be wondering what your dental arch is and how exactly it relates to your dental health. Is there a name for problems that occur with your dental arch? What branch of dentistry treats these problems? You’ve got questions, and we’ve got the answers. Keep reading for a crash course in some quick anatomy, what can go wrong, and how to prevent and treat it. Dental Arches What