• 100 years ago, one half of all adult North Americans were toothless. Today less than 10% of adults over 65 have lost their teeth.
   
• In the middle ages people believed that dog's teeth boiled in wine made an excellent mouth rinse for tooth decay.
   
• According to a Time Magazine survey, 95% of North Americans would prefer to go to the dentist than sit next to anyone using a cell phone.
   
• US and Japanese studies have found that black or green tea has antibacterial powers that help prevent cavities and gum disease.
   
• Over 40% of North Americans have at least one tooth that would benefit from treatment.
   
• Care about oral health has been around for a least 5000 years. The Chinese used acupuncture around 2700 BC to treat dental discomfort. We know from the Greek historian Herodotus that by the 5th century BC, Egyptian medicine had evolved to the point where some doctors treated only disease of the teeth. This is how the dental profession was born!

A dental sealant is a plastic material used to protect the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Dental sealants are applied to deep grooves that are the decay prone surfaces.

Sealants keep out the germs and food that cause tooth decay. The chewing surfaces of the back teeth are rough and uneven and generally have pits and grooves. Food and germs can get stuck in these uneven areas and remain because toothbrush bristles are ineffective in deep grooves. Germs in the mouth change the sugar in food to acid, which can start a cavity in the tooth. Sealants prevent decay from ever starting.

Children should get sealants on their permanent molars as soon as they are above the gum line, before decay has a chance to attack the teeth. Sealants also help in adult care since adults can still get decay. Patients afflicted with a dry mouth, which affects about one third of the adult population, can benefit greatly.

First, the tooth is cleaned and dried thoroughly and conditioned. The tooth is rinsed and dried once more and the sealant material is then applied in liquid form and hardens in just a few seconds, after exposure to a special light.

Yes! The best way you can help prevent tooth decay is to expose the teeth to fluoride and brush, and floss regularly. Sealants and fluoride used together provide the best defense against tooth decay.

The majority of our patients are diligent about their dental care but there are still some who stay clear of our office until they have an emergency. They skip cleaning appointments and checkups thinking, somehow, they are immune to dental diseases - until they have one! The fact is without regular professional preventive care, dental disease is practically unavoidable! Treating these diseases is always more complex and costly than preventing them. They may think they're saving money by missing a few dental appointments, but it is likely to cost much more later.

Research has shown that despite years of dental health education, many people simply don't show up for needed cleaning or treatment. This translates into millions of lost work days as these people take off for more involved dental treatments later on.

Teenagers are well known for neglecting their teeth, and more then 80% of sixteen-year-olds have active tooth decay. Here's another alarming statistic - this year thousands of people will develop oral cancer, a disease for which we routinely screen during each checkup.

It's just common sense! When it comes to dental, as with other areas of your health care, a little prevention goes along way in keeping you and your smile healthy and happy. Gambling on your dental health doesn't pay!

Many cultures had unusual beliefs about teeth. The earliest toothpicks, called siwaks, had a religious ritual significance in Arabia and India. Prayers were made while brushing. In India the eye tooth of Buddha was enshrined in a famous temple and prayed to during fertility rites. Westerners offered prayers to saints for the relief of oral discomfort. It was Persian physician Rhazes who recommened regular dental visits in 900 AD!