Columbia Healthy Smiles Blog

When it comes to mental health struggles, the woes are many, but the connection to your oral health is one you may not have made yet. Data pulled from a survey conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination showed that within one year, two-thirds of patients struggling with depression also reported having a toothache. Aside from changing the way your body chemically keeps itself healthy, mental issues can have an array of other negative effects on your oral health. Keep reading to see what your Columbia dentist has to say about the ways prolonged stress, anxiety, and depression can wreak havoc on your mouth.

The new year is in full swing, and if you’re like most other people, your life is busy, and your schedule for the year is filling up quickly. While you’re setting up dates and jotting plans down in your calendar, make sure to prioritize your next dental checkup. Your Columbia dentist shares the reasons why getting a visit to your dentist in the books as early in the year as possible can save you time and money and promote oral and overall health.

The holiday season brings tons of fun with it. You’re decorating your house, playing festive music, and picking out thoughtful gifts for your close friends and family. However, this time of year isn’t so great for your smile. With so many sweet treats, delicious meals, and traveling, it is easy to fall out of your otherwise healthy lifestyle. That’s why a dentist in Columbia is here to help. Here are a few tips to help you take care of your teeth during the holidays.

You may think that your regular checkups with your dentist in Columbia is all about your teeth, but that is just the beginning! Even though your oral health is the main concern of your dentist, the truth is that they are able to tell a lot about your body just by looking at your mouth. In addition to checking your teeth and gums, they also look for abnormalities that could indicate that you have medical conditions elsewhere in the body. Continue reading to learn about the different overall health issues that your dentist could discover first.

Do you have a tooth that needs attention but feel worried about visiting the dentist during the COVID-19 pandemic? Delaying dental treatment can allow a damaged or decayed tooth to worsen. In fact, if you wait too long, you may eventually need to have your tooth extracted! Fortunately, you can now get a high-quality dental crown in just a single trip to a dentist in Columbia thanks to CEREC technology. CEREC crowns are the perfect way to restore one’s smile in a flash during these socially distant times.

Unfortunately, nothing ever seems to come free, including dental care. Generally, when it comes to taking care of your oral health, you have three options: dental insurance, cash payments, or a dental savings plan. If your employer doesn’t provide dental insurance and you’d still like to save money at the dentist, a savings plan may be your best bet. Continue reading to learn more from your dentist in Columbia about dental savings plans and who should be considering one.

Did you know that October is National Dental Hygiene Month? If you haven’t already been prioritizing your oral health with a good dental hygiene routine, now is the perfect time to start. After all, your smile is the only one you’ve got so you might as well take care of it and show it off for as long as possible. Your dentist in Columbia shares some helpful tips to implement into your dental hygiene routine this month and going forward.

When you think about the health of your smile, you are probably mostly concerned about your teeth. However, caring for your gums is just as important. After all, a beautiful smile relies on healthy gums in order to last. The problem is that half of Americans over the age of 30 are experiencing periodontal disease which can be detrimental for your smile and the rest of your body when it’s left untreated. Not only does it lead to tooth loss, but it’s also linked to heart disease, diabetes, and other serious conditions. Your dentist in Columbia shares some tips that can help you maintain healthy gums.

Do you frequently struggle with bad breath? It’s actually a much more common problem than you may think. Believe it or not, over 80 million American suffer from chronic bad breath, also known as halitosis. Most of the time, it originates from bacteria on the tongue and gums. As common of a condition as this is, it can still be quite embarrassing. Fortunately, you don’t need to put up with it. Your dentist in Columbia shares some ways that you can stop bad breath in its tracks.

COVID-19 has shaken up so many of our lives in a strange way, but there are certain things that you shouldn’t be changing. One of them is your regular dental appointments. Even though it may seem like a good idea now, missing your visit to the dentist could lead to all sorts of issues in the future. Living through a pandemic doesn’t mean that you should be neglecting your oral health. Continue reading to learn more from your dentist in Columbia about why you should continue to attend your regular dental appointments.