Thomas Livingstone DMD
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Office News
Our goal is to develop a strong partnership with every patient. When you understand the importance of your dental health, we can help you maintain a healthy mouth, as well as treat the causes and symptoms of any dental condition.
We invite you to read our latest SmileLink newsletter and to check out our website often for new information, or contact our office with any questions or concerns. Working together, we can help you achieve a lifetime of healthy and attractive teeth and gums.
Featured Article |
SmileLink Articles |
Tongue Cancer? Beat the Odds!
Rolling dice and playing poker are popular ways to try to beat the odds and win money. But when it concerns your health, like betting against the house, gambling with tongue cancer is a sure loser. The American Cancer Society warns that over 34,000 new oral cancer cases will be diagnosed this year. The majority of those cancer cases will be people under 30 years old. Sadly, 50 percent of those victims have only a 5-year survival rate. Tongue cancer is an unforgiving disease whose origin is not well-established, but research is showing encouraging results unmasking this vicious disease.
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Home Whitening: Convenient, Inexpensive, Disappointing
It’s easy to use. The price is low. But the effect of an over-the-counter (OTC) whitening pen may not be what you expected. OTC ads for tooth whitening pens, strips and gels lure you in with dramatic pictures and convincing results, but they don’t tell you the whole story, such as—The condition of your teeth, your genetics and your lifestyle impact your results. The ad says your teeth will be four shades whiter in one week, but you may not see a difference for six weeks, and it may be only 1 shade lighter.
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Childrens' Biting Power
By staggering the loss of the front upper and lower primary teeth, children are assured of having at least half of their biting power at all times. This won’t help if they want to whistle, but they’ll look cute in family photos. Permanent tooth eruption follows a well-designed sequence that is similar to when the primary teeth erupted, beginning with the lower front teeth. However, one set of permanent molars come in about the same time as the new lower front teeth. The timing of the molars’ eruption allows your child to maintain adequate and complete chewing ability.
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A Germ-Free Toothbrush
The runny nose, dry cough, body aches and the headache can mean only one thing: flu season has arrived. You got your flu shot, but it doesn’t protect you from every type of flu known to humans, so there you are, in misery. You may not feel like crawling out of bed, but it’s important to maintain your oral care routine while you are sick. Oral bacteria don’t take a vacation while you have the flu. Your gums can become infected and progress into periodontitis, which can result in tooth loss.
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Chocolate—A Decay Fighter
Valentine's Day is every day; tell your sweetie that chocolate may be just what the doctor ordered. Chocolate, the ultimate feel good snack of chocoholics, has been given a scientific thumbs up. Researchers discovered that dark chocolate contains tannin, a bitter-tasting substance that can prevent cavities.
Tannin prevents oral decay-causing bacteria from using sugars and starches to produce acid that pulls minerals out of your tooth enamel.
Tannin is found in many foods, such as—
- several varieties of berries (blueberries, cranberries and strawberries),
- apple and grape juices,
- grapes,
- red beans,
- red wine,
- fish or meats cured or smoked in some woods, and
- the spices cinnamon and cumin.
If you have ever bitten into an unripened fruit, puckered and made a squinty face, that pucker is caused by tannin.
Your favorite black tea and raisins also contain tannin.
Raisins have gotten a bad rap over the years. Many people think they are junk food because of their high sugar content, but new research shows that bacteria are unable to stick to your teeth after you eat raisins. However, any food left on your teeth, healthy or not, can cause decay.
It's important to limit the amount of snacks you eat and not graze throughout the day. Remember, even though a snack food may help you...