Boyles General Dentistry & Implant Center Blog

Maybe you have a traditional job with typical benefits, including dental insurance. Perhaps you’re a freelancer or gig worker and don’t have employee benefits, or you’re retired and don’t have dental coverage through Medicare. These days, situations vary widely, and there isn’t just one solution that’s right for everyone’s needs. Fortunately, some dentists provide multiple ways to reduce your oral healthcare costs, namely dental insurance and in-house membership plans. But what’s the difference between the two and their pros and cons? Keep reading to learn more.

Everyone wants a white smile, right? But having patches that are whiter than the rest of your teeth may not be the look you are going for. In fact, these white spots can stand out just as much as yellow or brown discoloration! Knowing the various causes can help you understand the cosmetic treatments you have available to correct white spots.

Before you make a significant decision, you need to know all the facts, especially prior to pulling the trigger on a purchase. You should do your research and understand what you’re getting into so that you can make your choice confidently. When it comes to getting veneers, there are some facts you should be aware of going into treatment. Here are five essential tidbits you need to know!

You may think of your dentist purely as a “tooth doctor,” but they are trained in and concerned about your total oral health. As a result, when you come in for your routine dental checkup and cleaning, they do so much more than just focus on your teeth. In fact, they are likely doing things you don’t realize!

Keep reading to learn just a few examples of what the dentist does during your checkup appointment and why these things matter.

Good things come to those who wait—or so the saying goes. However, in many situations in life, especially when waiting to make your smile whole again, it can be challenging to remain patient. As you have teeth extracted, you mentally start counting down the days until you can get your custom dentures.

But just how long will you have to wait after extraction to get your new teeth? Why can’t you get them right after extraction? Is the wait even longer for implant dentures? Keep reading to find out!

At the grocery store, you stand in the soda aisle debating whether you should get a case of your favorite sweet beverage. Right next to it sits the diet version, which does not have any sugar. You put a case of this sugar-free option in your cart, thinking you’ve found a healthier alternative, but when it comes to your teeth, is diet soda better than regular? The answer may surprise you!

If you’re like many American adults, you don’t like being unnecessarily restricted. You want freedom to make your own choices. If you have traditional dentures, however, you may find that you’re not able to enjoy the same diet you did before.

Many foods require a strong bite to begin breaking them down for digestion. When you put food in your mouth, your teeth must grind it up before you swallow; otherwise, you could suffer from digestive discomfort and not absorb nutrients your body needs.

What food limitations do you have with dentures? Here are just a few examples. If you don’t want to give up these foods or adjust how you eat them, there’s a simple solution that can empower you to eat what you want.

With maturity and age, many people realize that memories are more precious than possessions. Unfortunately, brain shrinkage caused by dementia and Alzheimer’s can rob the afflicted patient of the pleasure of remembering special moments and even special people in their life. Friends and family can also suffer, feeling as though they’ve lost their loved one.

In July of 2023, an important study from the American Academy of Neurology showed a strong association between brain health and oral health. Basically, researchers found that those who had advanced gum disease, which is the top cause of tooth loss, tended to have more brain shrinkage, particularly in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory.

But can memory loss be prevented through good oral hygiene? It’s possible! Learn more about how these two areas of the body are connected and how you may preserve your memories through caring for your smile.

Are you replacing your old dentures with state-of-the-art dental implants? It’s an exciting upgrade for your smile, but you need to keep in mind it will be a change from what you have gotten used to with dentures. Especially if you’ve had dentures for a while, the transition to dental implants could be a little jarring at first. How? Here are three things you’ll have to adjust to when your dentures are attached to implants.  

Are you like millions of Americans who start out the new year with ambitious goals? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to accomplish something significant in 2024, but that doesn’t mean you have to shoot for the moon and choose something impractical. For instance, you can set a worthy goal to have a healthier smile!

How can you achieve this resolution, and perhaps even other goals too, this year? Implement the following into your lifestyle.