Seeing some red in the sink after brushing or flossing may raise an eyebrow or two. It may seem like your gums are bleeding for no reason. But before you venture down the rabbit hole of what-ifs, consider these common causes of gum bleeding. Common Causes of Bleeding Gums • Vigorous Toothbrushing The extra oomph you’ve put into your brushing since your most recent visit may be the first place to look. Instead of brushing with the vigor you’d use while scrubbing a stack of pla

There is no doubt that a plant-based diet is optimal for health. Omnivores and vegans alike benefit from the nutrients present in plants. But how does what we eat relate to our dental health? Is a vegan diet better or worse for dental health? Well, it depends. There are some concerns for oral health when one consumes a vegan diet. Here are the main ones: Vitamin B12 deficiency A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to gum disease and tooth loss. Vegans should supplement with adequ

If there were a quick and painless way to identify pre-cancerous cells in the mouth of someone you loved, would you want them to try it? What if that person were you? The truth is, as uncomfortable as it may be to even think of the word “cancer,” thinking about it, and thus detecting it early, is key. That’s why, if you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, you should schedule a visit, because while the oral exam that accompanies your cleaning may not be noticeable to you,

1. Combine timing with technique to stay squeaky clean. A regular regimen of brushing and flossing is necessary to maintain a healthy mouth. We recommend brushing at least twice each day for two minutes each time, ideally just after you wake up and before you go to bed. The ideal time to floss is at night, but flossing at any point during the day at least once is still beneficial. As important as maintaining this regular timing is for your oral health, technique also play

What a better way to end 2016 than with our Annual Food Drive! Join our Fight Against Hunger to close out 2016 with the spirit of giving! We are sponsoring a Food Drive to donate to the St. John/Lafayetter Urban Ministry Food Pantry from now until December 22nd. They are in great need of all varieties of food and household items, but specifically peanut butter, toilet paper, and laundry detergent. In our county alone, over 28,000 people are food insecure, including over 7

As we have served our Lafayette community for over 35 years, technology has played a pivotal role in how we are able to provide comfortable and convenient dental care to our patient family. We understand it can be difficult finding the time for dental treatment in between work, running errands, and spending valuable time with your family. That is why we have invested in Cerec technology, which allows you to leave our office with your permanent crown in only one visit! Here

With the hustle and bustle of kids going back to school upon us again, we know there is one thing on parent’s minds this fall: How do I keep up with my children’s oral health?...right?...anyone? Okay, maybe it’s just us, but dental-related emergencies result in the loss of over 50 million school hours every year. Often kids will rush in the morning as they get ready for school and forget to spend the necessary amount of time brushing their teeth, resulting in preventable c

This past month has been Oral Cancer Awareness Month, and just as technology continues to help in screening for other deadly diseases, we have been able to enhance how we screen our patients for oral cancer through the use of VELscope technology. Before we explain how our VELscope benefits our patient family, let’s take a moment to better understand oral cancer. It is predicted that over 45,000 Americans will be diagnosed with some form of oral cancer this year, with nearly

Often times we think of food as the enemy when it comes to our oral health, especially food and drinks high in sugar and carbohydrates. These types of food promote demineralization, or the loss of minerals in our teeth, by feeding acid-producing bacteria resulting in tooth decay and oral infections if left unchecked. Thankfully, there are many different ingredients that work in our favor to promote tooth strength and gum health, plus they improve our overall health and enco

We see technology changing our lives every day by saving us time and making our daily tasks more convenient in our busy schedules. Many people, however, aren’t aware that technology also is impacting dentistry in new and exciting ways. Cutting-edge innovations in dental instruments are requiring less time in the dental chair, causing less discomfort and creating satisfying results. The most exciting technology we offer is called CEREC, which allows us to quickly restore dam