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Mouth-Body Connection

Stressed out? Your dentist can tell

Financial, family, work and other stresses can all take a toll on your teeth. Learn more about how the signs of stress can show up in your mouth and what you can do about it.

New Articles

Cough syrup and cavities

Cough syrup can contribute to tooth decay. There are several things you can do to lessen its effects.

Acid reflux – your dentist may notice before you do

Never have heartburn? That doesn't mean you don't have acid reflux. The good news is that if you have acid reflux, your dentist can detect symptoms of this disease during your regular oral examination.


VideoWatch Your Health

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Brushing and flossing properly can help you maintain your healthy smile.
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What causes gum disease and how can you play a role in preventing it?
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The mouth and the body are connected - more than 120 conditions may be detected in the early stages by a dentist.

Recent Articles

The facts about fluoride

How does fluoride protect your teeth? Is it safe to have fluoride in your drinking water? What if you drink mostly bottled water? It’s time to learn more about the safe, effective cavity-fighting properties of this mineral.

Gum chewing: helpful or harmful?

When chewing gum, it’s the type of gum you chew that makes a difference in whether it’s helpful or harmful to your teeth. Find out more about the best kind of gum for protecting your smile.

Dental Cavity Quiz

Is your smile safe?

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Just for Kids

Just for kids!

Dental health tips, games and stories for kids and health education materials for teachers.

Meet the Smile Kids
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Tooth Trivia

Tooth Trivia

One of the earliest toothpaste mixtures was made of what ingredients?

Wine and pumice. As early as 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians were making toothpaste for dental care. In addition to wine and pumice, other ingredients used by the Egyptians were rock salt, mint, dried flowers, pepper and the ashes from burned oxen hooves or animal bones. Honey, myrrh and charcoal are the more recent additions to the list of possible ingredients for toothpaste and were used in toothpastes as recently as the 1850s.

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