Dentures that fit not only add to your enjoyment of life but are essential to maintaining your health. Properly fitting dentures also help support facial muscles and allow for more natural speaking and chewing. There are many types of dentures and options to consider when determining your oral health future. Dental implants placed in the jaw and attached to the denture, for example, help prevent bone loss and improve your ability to chew more naturally. Financial planning is another very important aspect to consider. Medicare and Medicaid provide little to no dental benefit coverage. Plan ahead to create a treatment plan with your doctor to ensure that you are fit for life.

A great question was asked the other day by one of our Facebook friends—How acidic is milk or coffee? Often we think about the acidity of sodas or sports drinks, as depicted in the visual we created to explain why acid matters. Tooth enamel starts to break down at pH 5.5, and the root surface of teeth start to break down at pH 6.5. Most sodas, juices, and sports drinks range from pH 2.4 to 4.0. So how about other drinks that often make their way into our daily routine? We did a little research—coffee on average is reported around pH 5 while milk is far more neutral ranging between pH 6 and pH 7. Another beverage to keep in mind is wine, which averages between pH 3 and pH 4. Food also ranges from acidic to more alkaline (basic). For example, lemons are very acid at pH 2 while egg whites are considered basic at pH 8. Obviously, we aren’t advocating giving up fruit, coffee, and wine forever, but rather suggest that these beverages are treated as treats. Sipping on acidic beverages all day, as opposed to water, perpetuates the cycle of decay. To learn more about this process...

Have you heard your child snore? Take a moment to read Mouth Breathing: Adverse Effects on Facial Growth, Health, Academics, and Behavior to learn about how sleep disorders impact children. Talk to your child's dentist or pediatrician if you have concerns about your child's sleep hygiene and orofacial development. Consider checking in on your child or use the baby monitor every now and then to monitor his or her sleep patterns. Local pediatricians often refer parents to healthychildren.org as a resource for many health, developmental, and nutritional issues. This site also has information available for the different ages & stages that talks about sleep. Check it out—It could literally change your child's life!

Added acid in the food industry comes in basically two forms: phosphoric acid and citric acid. Phosphoric acid is added to all carbonated drinks to preserve the carbonation (the bubbles) until the beverage is opened. Citric acid, which is made and produced as a byproduct of the corn industry, is used as a preservative. To note, we are not talking about citric acid in its natural form--citrus fruits. Although, citrus fruit in the form of juices is just as damaging. As you may recall, pH is a relative scale we use to indicate acids and bases. A neutral pH is 7 which is for the most part the pH of our bodies. Water is also at a neutral pH. Battery acid is highly toxic at a pH of 1. Most juices, energy drink, sour candies, and sodas range in pH between 2.4 and 4.0. Tooth enamel starts breaking down at a pH of 5.5. The root surface of teeth starts breaking down at a pH of about 6.5. The Minnesota Dental Association launched a Sip All Day, Get Decay campaign to bring awareness to this issue. The acid in sports drinks, energy drinks, and sodas, whether they contain sugar or...

The health of your mouth has countless impacts on your overall health. Think of your mouth as the gateway to the rest of your body. From diabetes to sleep apnea to emotional health, the mouth matters. Malocclusion Malocclusion means teeth that don’t fit together well. Baby teeth are the placeholders for adult teeth. Lose the placeholders and the adult teeth can come in crooked or crowded. This can be caused by losing a baby tooth too early to decay or even by decay between the baby teeth. Teeth that don’t fit together trap food. Crooked or crowded teeth are harder to keep clean. This can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. In a growing child with lots of decay the shifting teeth can cause the inside shape of the mouth to narrow and the tongue can become crowded. There is scientific evidence suggesting that this can affect the shape of the airway in the throat and could lead to sleep apnea or breathing problems during sleep. Heart Disease Roughly 80% of US adults have some form of gum disease. Gum disease is preventable and reversible. Bacterial infection in the gums can spread to other parts of your body. Researchers...

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Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur (more…)

It's our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique. And that's what I know for sure... I think.

Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur (more…)

The following post is testing the basic HTML elements that can be used in WordPress Easily. (more…)