Smart Mouth Blog™

I became a dentist to help people, but when I started my career, I thought this meant treating patients so they could achieve their best oral health. What I didn’t appreciate at the time was a beautiful smile’s enormous positive impact on a person emotionally.  I see the most emotional…

While filling cavities and performing crown restorations are a big part of my day, more patients continue to ask for aesthetic improvements to their smiles. I love this part of my work because I can combine the science of dentistry with the art of design. Whether improving a patient’s current…

Since I began using laser light therapy in 2009, it has truly been one of my practice’s greatest treatment tools. Laser therapy helps technologically advanced practices achieve greater results for our patients with dramatically less discomfort and much shorter recovery time. A dental laser is a focused beam of light…

My patients are always surprised if my team or I recommend more frequent dental office visits than semi-annual. For some patients, six months is too long to wait. In fact, most of my patients come in for regular check-ups or treatment sooner than six months. The habit of visiting the…

The tongue was once thought to be the body’s strongest single muscle. Modern science revealed that it is actually eight muscles working together to enable daily tasks like talking, chewing, tasting, swallowing¹, or even testing a frozen flagpole. Unfortunately, tongue-cleaning often takes a back seat during at-home oral care, with…

Accidental dental emergencies can be scary. A sports mishap or a slip-and-fall can happen in a moment and often at the most inopportune time. Understandably, we are emotionally attached to our teeth, both cosmetically and functionally. I have found over the course of my 22-year career that being available with…

The quest for whiter teeth is not a modern phenomenon. Ancient Egyptians used pumice stones and wine vinegar to get a dazzling smile 4,000 years ago. Goat’s milk and human urine were the ingredients for mouthwash for ancient Romans 2,000 years ago! Luckily, hydrogen peroxide is the active whitening agent…

You do not need a bathroom full of expensive gadgets or lots of time to maintain good oral health! A simple, consistent home hygiene routine is all you need to supplement your regular dental office exams and cleanings. Here are my professional home care tips that will keep you smiling…

I don’t take it personally when I see parodies or hear jokes about visiting the dentist. Dental offices can be intimidating if you had a bad experience or if you simply have an innate fear of the dentist. However, unlike the early days of dentistry, modern dentistry addresses the patient’s…