Harrisonburg Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Blog

In the United States, 50,000 people are diagnosed with oral cancer each year. Your dentist performs an oral cancer screening at your biannual dental visits to keep an eye out for symptoms so they can administer prompt care. To learn more about this condition, read on for information on the different stages, what you can do to lessen your chances of developing it, and how to treat it.

Think you’re “too old” to achieve the smile of your dreams? Think again! Whether you’re interested in straightening your teeth or brightening your smile, your age shouldn’t stop you from visiting your cosmetic dentist. In fact, there are several smile-enhancing treatments that are ideal whether you’re 35, 55, or 75. To learn what they are, read on!

You might be surprised to learn that teeth whitening has been around for thousands of years. After all, people today tend to associate it with Hollywood stars, models, and anyone else seeking a photogenic smile. It’s enough to think that earlier ages would’ve been too focused on survival to care about the issue.

Still, the pursuit of a gleaming smile is as old as humanity. To prove it, here’s a brief history of teeth whitening that spans the practice’s origins up to its present techniques.

The higher your blood pressure is the greater your chances of having health issues are, so maintaining a healthy level is crucial. All your body’s important organs, such as your brain and heart, receive nutrients and oxygen through your blood flow. High blood pressure is very common with more than three million cases per year in the U.S. According to a 2021 report in the journal Hypertension, severe gum disease can make an otherwise healthy person significantly more likely to develop high blood pressure. Keep reading to learn from your dentist in Harrisonburg how you can protect yourself from this dangerous combination.

During a standard dental appointment, you get your teeth cleaned, your mouth examined, and then you’re out of the chair until the next time. However, you’re missing an important aspect of the visit – learning! By asking questions, you can gain a better understanding of your smile and how to better take care of it in the future. After all, who better to learn about oral health from than your dentist in Harrisonburg? Here are some questions you should be asking during your next appointment.

Nowadays you can replace your teeth conveniently with comfortable and natural looking dentures, but it wasn’t always like that. Before there were the advanced replacement teeth you see today, there were the more barbaric methods of gaining your smile back. Read on to learn the evolution of dentures throughout history and where we are now!

Dental implants are one of the most popular restoration options out there. While patients will definitely enjoy having their missing teeth back again, some are concerned about how these posts will make them look. Fortunately, there are also several aesthetic factors implants provide that are unlike other treatments. Read on to learn three major cosmetic benefits of dental implants.

Do you have missing teeth? If so, then you know firsthand how having an incomplete smile can affect your quality of life. Not only does it impact your bite, but your speech and appearance as well. You might be researching options for replacing teeth. Partial dentures and dental bridges are two excellent ways to restore your smile – but how do you know which option makes the most sense for you? Find out by learning from your dentist in Harrisonburg about the difference between partial dentures and dental bridges.

You may have heard you need to practice excellent oral hygiene to prevent the onset of gum disease, but there is much more to it than that. Gum disease is an infection of the tissue that surrounds and secures your teeth into place. To stay strong, they need healthy gum tissue to support them. While poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of periodontal disease, it certainly isn’t the only one. Continue reading to learn more from your dentist in Harrisonburg about gum disease risk factors so you can be informed about how to protect your dental health.

Bad breath is like mosquitos and poison ivy – nobody wants to deal with it. Think about how it can be there to “greet” you when you wake up, if given the opportunity it’s ready to mess up your date or a job interview. Simply put, it’s the worst.

Some people struggle with halitosis, aka bad breath, more than others. Your first line of defense should definitely be a consistent oral health regimen, but it may come as a surprise that yogurt could be the factor to help you win this battle!

Read on to learn from your dentist in Harrisonburg about common causes of bad breath, how yogurt can help, and other preventive measures you can take to ward off this unwelcome guest.