​ February is here, with all its Valentine's hearts and candy, but many people aren't aware that this month is also National Children's Dental Health Month. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) both support this nationwide initiative that aims to bring attention to the importance and benefits ...

​ In-home teeth-straightening aligners are becoming more popular as orthodontic costs rise. People are drawn to these clear aligners because they are more cost-effective, less noticeable than braces, and they require no orthodontist visits. But businesses that sell these aligners are surrounded by controversy, with many dental professionals and cus...

​ Is fluoride safe for toddlers? Many parents have this and similar questions on their mind when thinking about their children's oral health. But there's no straight answer to the question about fluoride. The answer to whether fluoride toothpaste is safe for toddlers depends on several factors. ADA Recommendation The American Dental Association rec...

​ In your quest for a beautiful, bright and healthy smile, you might end up needing to invest in braces to straighten teeth and achieve those #smilegoals. This is a smart decision that usually yields great results, but there may be some discomfort along the way. This is common after first getting braces and then again each time you come in for adju...

​ Halitosis is another name for bad breath, a dental health condition characterized by the emanation of bad odor from an individual's mouth. While the condition is quite embarrassing, it could also be a sign of other underlying conditions. This is why it is more than just a disease on its own. Sometimes, it could be a potentially serious condition ...

​ You might be taking very good care of your teeth and yet they may still look like they are somehow discolored. Sometimes, this may not be due to an underlying dental health condition - it could be the coffee, tea and other foods you're consuming that are causing your tooth discoloration and staining. If you're looking for pearly whites but having...

​ Each November is National Sleep Comfort Month, and even though it's now over, it's important to continually evaluate our sleep patterns year round as quality sleep plays a huge role in individual health and wellness. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea may prevent you from getting quality sleep. This condition can present a variety of symptoms th...

​ Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is more than just an inconvenience. Some people with more severe cases of this condition may find it difficult to eat or speak. It can even contribute to tooth decay and gum disease as the mouth relies on saliva to keep it healthy. Many patients have reported waking up with dry mouth in the middle of the night...

​ A recent survey revealed that about 12 percent of the American population had experienced toothache within the past six months. This condition is characterized by pain around the tooth, or pain that feels like it may be originating from inside or under the tooth, which can be caused by a variety of dental health problems. Sometimes, this may be t...

​ Dental implant surgery is arguably the best tooth-replacement procedure available today. This procedure involves placing a titanium post into the jawbone and then placing a crown on the post once it's safely settled and secure in the mouth. The procedure will make your new tooth indistinguishable from the original natural tooth. It may involve th...

It's a common sight to see: a group of young soccer players come off the field after a game and a parent is waiting on the side lines with a snack and some bright blue and red sports drinks in a cooler. But what if the sports drinks are actually doing more harm than good? Although sports drinks do include carbohydrates to provide a quick fix of ene...

​ About 20 percent of patients simply dread visiting the dentist, according to WebMD . As sad as this makes us (because we love helping our patients so much!), we understand. For many of these people, their fears stem from one or more of these difficult and very real feelings and experiences that may include: Fear of getting hurt Worries and anxiet...

The body experiences many changes as we age. These changes aren't just seen on our skin or felt inside our body - they are also experienced in the mouth. Sometimes these changes are visible and sometimes they are not, such as when nerves begin to become smaller and the teeth become more sensitive to cavities and other dental problems. The need for ...

​ Those who love wine hardly need an excuse to enjoy a glass (responsibly of course) from time to time. But what if it could actually help us avoid things like a sore throat and even dental decay? Well, according to this study, it can! Inspired by a study done in the 1980s that examined the antibacterial properties of beverages including soda, wate...

​ According to a survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, a lot of Americans would like to improve their smile. While teeth whitening is obviously a step in the right direction, having a beautiful and sparkling smile transcends just whitening alone. Here are five of the most important things you can start doing today to get on your way...

​ If you've been following our blog, we recently discussed how sleeping positions can affect sleep apnea . While sleep apnea is just one of the many conditions we are capable of handling here at Dr. Norman's office, we feel we should shed some light on how to sleep with temporomandibular joint disorder as well, considering how painful the condition...

​ It's easy to pass off symptoms of sleep apnea, such as snoring, as just harmless and maybe a little annoying. But what's really happening is far more serious than just snoring. The word apnea means "without breath" in Greek. So, the snoring is just a symptom of a much more serious sleep disorder. The choking and gasping noises people may make whe...

​ Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. Despite being a very big deal, sleep apnea is often passed off as just "harmless snoring," and many times it remains undetected, undiagnosed and untreated, which is extremely dangerous. Sleep disorders affect males and females, adults and children. Leavin...

​ Have you ever wondered why they call the temporomandibular joint the "small joint that can cause big pain"? It's because of just how much can go wrong when anything affects this complicated joint. The temporomandibular joints, or TMJs, sit on both sides of the jaw, acting as a hinge between the skull and the jawbone. You can feel them by placing ...

​ What kind of sleeper are you? Do you toss and turn or stay in one spot all night long? Do you sleep on your side, stomach or back? You may not think any of these things really matter, but as it turns out, this may be something you really have to consider if you think you could possibly be dealing with sleep apnea. So how does your sleeping positi...