Oral Health

If oral health is your main concern, then this section is written just for you! How often should you brush, why is flossing important, and does mouthwash really matter? We answer questions not only on adult dental health but infant, child, and pet dental health as well.

Smoking has deleterious affects on the gums and other oral tissues.

How Smoking Affects Oral Health

Tobacco use may be one of the biggest risk factors in the development of periodontal disease.” — David A. Albert, D.D.S., M.P.H., associate professor at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine According to the US Department of Health and Human Services,...

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Suffering from TMJ pain has a solution and our Placerville dentists are it.

Take a Bite Out of TMJ

Help For TMJ Sufferers Facial pain, neck discomfort, jaw clicks and clacks, soreness, tenderness — TMJ sufferers experience all of this. First, we should point out that everyone has temporomandibular joints and jaw muscles, shortened to TMJ. They make it possible for...

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A child will generally pull their teeth on their own.

Should I Pull My Child’s Tooth?

Pull It or Leave It? It’s a big deal in a young child’s life to lose their “baby” teeth. Some young ones are excited and can’t wait to feel like they’re a “big kid.” Others might want to be a big kid too, but they’re not so eager due to...

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Fight halitosis with a tongue scraper.

Why Clean Your Tongue?

Because It’s There? You ideally brush and floss everyday, brushing your teeth at least in the morning and before bed, but do you need to brush your tongue? Is tongue care really that important? Since we use our tongue everyday to talk, swallow, eat and drink,...

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Our Placerville dentists help your children have healthy teeth.

What to Do for Healthy Teeth

Give Children a Good Start Having a healthy mouth isn’t complicated, but training children to have healthy dental habits can be challenging. The importance of oral health for youngsters is emphasized by California law, which requires a dental check-up before...

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You may be able to whiten your teeth with steps that don't involve tooth whitening.

A Whiter Smile Is Possible!

So many photos get taken during the holidays! And now with apps and websites like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, people are sharing them instantly around the world. Have you ever looked at friends or seen photos of others and questioned why their smile is so bright...

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Minocycline and tetracycline have the potential to cause tooth stains that our Placerville dentists can repair.

Avoiding Antibiotic Tooth Stains

Tetracycline is a broad form of antibiotic, used to treat a wide variety of infections. Unfortunately, one of tetracycline’s potential side effects is to stain teeth. Even if you are prescribed this antibiotic, it is possible to avoid tooth stains, as our...

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Chewing tobacco is strongly discouraged by our Placerville dentists.

The Truth About Chew

Chew, dip, snuff — there’s many names for smokeless tobacco, but one thing it cannot be called is “harmless.” Chewing tobacco is more popular in some parts of the United States than others, but if you watch baseball or rodeo, you see people chewing tobacco. Some...

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Alcohol and tobacco together greatly increase your oral cancer risk.

Avoid Oral Cancer Risks

The staff of the Placerville Dental Group cares about your health. One major form of disease often diagnosed first by dentists is oral cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2015 over 45,000 Americans were diagnosed with oral cancer and almost nine...

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Our Placerville dentists can help you understand your teeth.

From Enamel to Root

The Anatomy of a Tooth Explained Your teeth are amazing tools! They give you a great smile, help you to speak clearly and to chew and enjoy delicious food. Sometimes though, we take our teeth for granted or neglect them until we have a problem or we are in pain. Teeth...

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The salivary glands, as seen under a microscope.

Drool and You

Saliva is an essential fluid for maintaining your oral health. What is it and how is it made? Saliva is secreted by the salivary glands (a microscopic view is shown) in your mouth and throat. The primary glands are called the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual...

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A desire for inexpensive gold teeth often leads to the purchase of a "grill."

Are Grills Safe?

And We Don’t Mean BBQs Believe it or not, there are dental fads and dental fashion. Some extreme and ill-advised dental fads include tooth piercing, tooth filing (to look like a vampire), and “fronts,” “grills” or “grilz.” A grill is a snap-on tooth cover made...

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