Entries by vacendak

Virginia Commonwealth University Debuts Its Oral Research Ph.D.

Virginia Commonwealth University, where both Doctors Sheila and Daniel Vacendak received their Doctorates of Dental Surgery, is blazing new trails in dental research and innovation. The School of Dentistry made an announcement last week that introduced their Doctor of Philosophy in Oral Health Research, a new program for Fall 2016 and the first of its kind […]

Nervous Nail Biting

An onychophagist, or more commonly a “nail biter,” is a person who habitually bites his or her fingernails. Nail biting is a common oral habit among children and young adults, and is the most common of the typical nervous habits such as nose picking, hair pulling, tooth grinding or skin picking. Now you may think […]

Dental Care Tips for Caregivers of the Disabled or Elderly

Caregiving for a Disabled or Elderly Loved One You may have an elderly parent, spouse or friend who has difficulty maintaining a healthy mouth on their own. How can you help? Two things are critical: Help them keep their mouth clean with reminders to brush and floss daily. Make sure they get to a dentist […]

The Toothbrush: a History

The toothbrush of today comes in various different colors, shapes, sizes, styles, and power options (if you are buying an electric variant) so choosing the right one can be hard to do when we are inundated with so many choices at the checkout line. However, we should consider ourselves quite fortunate for having so many […]

The Best Waiting-Room Music for Your Mind

Music can change how we perceive time and how we react to anxiety-inducing situations; the right music can be a total difference-maker in terms of the overall experience for patients in waiting rooms across the country. Exactly how big is the difference? Pretty significant actually, studies have shown that “86% of patients report that waiting […]

Amalgam vs. Composite: A Tale of Two Fillings

Dental patients in need of a filling face the choice between an amalgam metallic alloy or composite resin filling. These filling classes are often referred to as “silver” and “white” because of the distinctive color variation. There is more difference than color however, as with most things in life there are pros and cons that […]

Easter Candy Alternatives

It’s the time of year when the weather starts to warm up and grocery store aisles turn pastel in time for Easter. While many parents prepare Easter baskets for their children with marshmallow chicks, chocolate bunnies, and jellybeans, there are many other healthy alternatives to consider that are better for their teeth. Why is candy bad? Your mouth contains natural […]

Making Dental Appointments Easy for Kids

Here are our additions to these great tips from the Delta Dental Tooth Fairy: 1) Make their first trip to the dentist around their first birthday.  Kids who get used to dental visits as young toddlers have an easier time than kids who wait until they are three or four. 2) Don’t over prepare them. […]

When should children have their first dental visit?

According to a 2009 study, most children in the U.S. don’t see a dentist until they over two years old.  This is far later than recommended by medical and dental professionals.  The study found that the average age of children’s first dental visit was 2.6 years old.  The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends […]

Chemotherapy and Dental Care

Cancer sucks.  Sadly, 40% of people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lives. If you or a loved one are diagnosed with cancer, there are some things you should know about how cancer treatment can affect dental health. Chemotherapy drugs are one of the most common treatments for many different types of cancer. And while […]

What are my options for replacing a missing tooth?

Did you know that on average, adults between 20 and 64 have three or more decayed or missing teeth?  Besides being a cosmetic issue, large spaces between teeth can affect speaking and eating.  Teeth adjacent to the missing tooth will move over time, causing bite problems and could potentially lead to bone loss. Thankfully, there […]

New Year’s Resolutions for Better Dental Health

Do you have New Year’s Resolutions?  Here are a few resolutions that will lead to better dental health in 2015 and beyond: 1) Quit Using Tobacco. Tobacco use causes stained teeth, dulls your sense of taste and smell, causes slower healing after dental procedures, contributes to gum disease, and causes oral cancer.  There are lots […]