Have you ever considered that you may one day have dry mouth? Well as it turns out, 1 in 10 Americans take at least three prescription drugs per day, and dry mouth is among the most common side effects of medication. As a result, close to 50% of Americans aged 65 or older experience dry mouth. Even if this condition hasn’t affected you or your family personally, Dr. Cox wants you to understand why dry mouth is a real health concern and what to do about it.

Dry Mouth: the Facts

The all-important saliva in your mouth is produced by several different glands located beneath the mouth and within the jaw. Salivary glands are responsible for an astonishing 48 ounces of saliva per day. When your mouth waters right before that first bite of a juicy steak, it’s because all three types of these glands are working together in perfect harmony to aid in the first step of the digestion process. When one or more of these glands malfunction you may find yourself with an irritating case of xerostomia, or dry mouth, and the feeling of a healthy, normal mouth could disappear. Read more ›

Keeping your teeth and gums healthy can be tricky, and Dr. Cox wants to help Lebanon residents get their mouths in tip-top shape. Here are five foods you can add to your healthy eating diet that can improve your dental health and may even help you avoid costly procedures such as implants, fillings, and more.

1) Celery

The evil villain in many dental scenarios is plaque. And foods cause plaque, right? But did you know that some foods can actually help remove plaque from your teeth? Celery, along with carrots, apples, and some other healthy foods, have the ability to get some stains and plaque off of your teeth before they cause problems for your oral health.

2) Yogurt

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Why Do My Teeth Need To Be Aligned?

The only reason people get braces is to improve their smile, right? Wrong! Occlusion, or the alignment of your teeth, is a crucial factor in the health and functionality of your entire mouth. It may not seem like anything more than a cosmetic issue, but malocclusion (misaligned teeth) can cause jaw pain, difficulty eating, jaw popping and more. Your mouth is a finely tuned digestive organ and even the slightest issue with teeth alignment could cause big problems.

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We all learned how to brush our teeth when we were about 3 or 4, so you’d think we have it mastered by now. Right? Unfortunately, probably not.

We all make mistakes sometimes. And that’s okay! All that matters is that you’re dedicated to having the healthiest mouth possible. These five tips for how to get white teeth are just to help you take the best care of your mouth between your visits to our Lebanon office.

The biggest thing to remember is that any brushing is better than no brushing, so don’t be discouraged if you are making some mistakes. If you still have questions, try checking out our Oral Hygiene page, or always feel free to contact Dr. Cox today!

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What if You Haven’t Been to the Dentist for Several Years?

Life is busy and we all have a long list of priorities to take care of, so it’s not hard to imagine that any number of things can get in the way of your regular dental hygiene routine, checkups and cleanings with Dr. Cox. You might just wake up one day and realize that you haven’t been to the dentist in years! That’s why we want to tell all our Lebanon patients about the gentle dental care we provide and why regular visits to Dr. Cox are so important.

What happens over many years of dental neglect? Do your teeth turn black and fall out of your head? What if you are really good about flossing and brushing, but don’t go to the dentist? What are the consequences of putting your dental health on the back burner?

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