December 27, 2022

Close-up of someone using a floss pick

Flossing is one of the most important things you can do to protect your oral health, yet it’s one aspect of dental hygiene that tends to be neglected. With the new year right around the corner, now’s a good time to try and incorporate flossing into your daily routine.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Any time you try and commit to something new, there are bound to be some bumps in the road. Here are a few ways that you can make a flossing habit stick.

(more…)

December 21, 2022

At the end of each of the past 17 years, I have used this space to publish these 21 Suggestions for Success authored by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Cut this out and put it on the refrigerator. Read this list often and take these suggestions to heart. The more of these you achieve, the better place you are for having your best year ever in 2023.

  1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
  2. Work at something you enjoy and that’s worthy of your time and talent.
  3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
  4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
  5. Be forgiving… (Read More)

December 13, 2022

Most people take saliva for granted, but saliva is necessary for proper digestion of food. Saliva also helps protect the mouth from dental decay, gum diseases and bad breath, because it has the natural ability to stop bacterial growth. Having a dry mouth can lead to a metallic taste in the mouth and the ability to taste food properly decreases. Saliva acts as a major defense mechanism that our bodies need to maintain good oral and systemic health.

Many people don’t realize they have dry mouth, otherwise known as xerostomia, and others find it debilitating. Regardless of whether you feel the effects or not, dry mouth can be very dangerous to your dental health. The… (Read More)

December 5, 2022

We all have people we look up to, whether in our personal or professional life.  One of those people in my professional life is the late Dr. LD Pankey. Dr. Pankey was a true visionary. There is an advanced dental education institute named after him in Florida, where dentists learn from his influential teachings.

I recently read an article he wrote in 1981, 8 years before his death. It is interesting to read some of the things he wrote, because it shows how little things have changed, and how well he understood people and his profession. I would like to share a few paragraphs from this piece:

“Another important element, then, in the future of… (Read More)