Ridgepointe Dental Blog

If you’ve got something stuck between your teeth, it makes sense that you might think of reaching for a trusty toothpick to remove it. After all, they do have tooth right in their name. But did you know that despite their moniker, they aren’t very tooth-friendly? Here’s why when push comes to shove, it’s best to save those little wooden sticks for testing baked goods and skewering cheese, and what you should do to safely remove stuck food from between your teeth!

Many dentists consider dental implants the ideal way to replace missing teeth because of their unique advantages. They’re the only replacement teeth surgically embedded in your jaw to function as sturdy stand alone structures.

Typically, these prosthetics have an incredibly high success rate of more than 90%, but some patients indulge in certain behaviors that can harm them, like smoking. Continue reading to learn 3 ways this habit can hurt your implants and why you should quit!

Many experts consider dental implants the gold standard for replacement teeth because of their many unique advantages. Unlike dentures and dental bridges, these restorations include a titanium rod embedded directly into your jawbone. This gives them increased strength and durability over the alternatives.

However, despite their incredible resilience, dental implants are not completely invincible. You may be indulging in negative habits that could cause them to fail. Continue reading to learn about 3 lifestyle changes that can benefit your new teeth!

If you’re considering replacing your missing teeth with dental implants, you’re certainly not the only one! These restorations are popular for a reason, and you no doubt find their realistic appearance, superior fit, and enhanced strength to be enticing. But all that is made possible by anchoring the implants to your jawbone, which sounds painful. Will the placement process hurt?

This boils down to a matter of dental implants vs. local anesthesia. Don’t worry – you’ll find that the local anesthesia and your dentist’s expertise will win.

Gingivitis, a form of gum disease, results from harmful bacteria that cause inflammation of the gums. While the bacteria themselves thrive within your mouth, it raises a key question: can these germs spread to others through direct contact, such as sharing saliva? Let’s explore how sharing saliva with someone who has gingivitis may increase the risk of transmission, especially when oral hygiene is neglected.

You wouldn’t be the first person to want to be completely unconscious for a dental treatment. Dentophobia, or simply the fear of going to the dentist’s, is not an uncommon anxiety. Knowing you’re going to be scared and uncomfortable certainly makes it difficult to arrange an appointment, and your dentist doesn’t want you to have a negative experience in their office.

So, many practices do offer sedation options like laughing gas to help patients relax. However, it won’t “put you under”. Here’s what you need to know about laughing gas, and why it might actually be better for you than a stronger anesthetic.

Diabetes is a common disease, so if you don’t have it, you likely know someone who does. It affects approximately 29.1 million people in the USA, or about 9.3% of Americans! A lot of people don’t even know that they have it. Diabetes affects your body’s ability to produce sugar, and it can be linked to a variety of issues throughout the body, including gum disease. Read on to learn how the conditions are related and how you can work towards better gum and systemic health.

Regular dental care is essential for maintaining a healthy smile, but some people might have trouble finding room in their budgets for visits to the dentist. Luckily, dental insurance can be an invaluable tool for making a wide array of dental services more affordable. But do you know exactly what sort of treatments are covered by your plan? Here’s what you need to know about your dental insurance benefits.

Chewing gum is pretty normal, so you might be wondering what the big deal is. Under normal circumstances, you’d be right to be skeptical. A stick of gum can refresh your breath and, if it’s sugar-free, benefit your teeth by increasing your mouth’s production of its natural mouthwash: saliva.  

However, if you experience recurring jaw pain, you could very well have a TMJ disorder – in which case chewing gum is likely to make things worse. Keep reading to learn more about this condition and why you might want to kick the gum habit.

Nobody is ever really excited about the prospect, least of all the dentist who is recommending it. While this is sometimes the best way to handle a severely infected or damaged tooth, dentists typically only offer them to patients when just about every other option has been exhausted.

You might be a little confused then if your dentist says that you need to remove a tooth that doesn’t hurt. Here’s why that could be.