Dentist and Skin Care Blog from Boston's Area Leading Dental Office

An estimated 35,000 Americans will develop oral cancer each year.  Half of those diagnosed will die from the disease within five years, according to the American Dental Association. It’s a frightening figure, but the chances for survival improve dramatically with early detection—and dental professionals are the first line of defense. Routine dental examination often includes oral cancer screening. By using special skills and tools, dentists can identify small, but dangerous, lesions or spots that you may not be able to detect on your own.

Convincing children to eat foods that are good for their bodies—including their teeth—is not an easy task, especially when some kids crave junk food that are heavily promoted at stores and on TV commercials. As the holiday dessert season rolls back around, trying to get kids to eat sensibly may be even more challenging—but not impossible. It may not be practical to eliminate sweet treats completely, so here are a few ways to encourage your children to make healthier food choices:

A run-in with the door, an accidental fall, or a smack on the mouth with a flying ball can all result in a loosened tooth. When it’s a baby tooth, you can make a profitable trade with the tooth fairy. But a permanent tooth that breaks off of the socket requires emergency care—and time is ticking so you need to act quickly! The chances of saving knocked-out, or an avulsed, teeth are greater for young children than adults. But in most cases, injured teeth can be re-implanted if stored properly and receive immediate attention—ideally within an hour.

Your skin doesn’t lie.  By the time you reach age 50, it will reveal a lot about your lifestyle and overall health. Blotchy brown spots that appear during aging are often the result of years of mistreatment and sun damage. However, other factors—such as medication, hereditary genes, or hormonal changes—can contribute to darkened patches around your face, scalp and hands. Sometimes called age spots, liver spots, sunspots, hyper-pigmentation or freckles, the dark spots are generally harmless but could grow larger with time.  Fortunately, you can prevent or reduce the appearance of uneven skin pigmentation:

With parts of the country already looking like a winter wonderland, it won’t be long before Jack Frost nips at your nose—and the rest of your body. The arrival of frigid, windy, dry air can mark the beginning of months of uncomfortable, itchy, cracked skin. To keep the harsh conditions from stripping your face of its supple glow, here are some tips to winter-proof your skin:

Numerous celebrities and supermodels are famous for it and display it with pride. But, diastema—or gaps between the teeth—is considered unsightly by many. Although it may not be preventable, it’s treatable and very common, especially in the early years of dental development. In fact, up to 97 percent of children have diastema. In most cases, the extra spaces close in naturally when adult teeth erupt. However, if gaps remain, it’s likely to be a permanent condition and you may need orthodontic or cosmetic dentistry treatment.

Notorious for their ongoing struggle with problem skin, teenagers’ busy schedules, lack of sleep and hormonal changes can wreak havoc on their body. Having a beautiful complexion as a teenager is possible, though—and it will make them smile, inside and out. There are a few simple steps your teen can take to make his/her skin healthy and radiant.

As the strongest tissue in the body, tooth enamel serves an important purpose: to guard teeth from the daily stress of chewing, biting and grinding. The enamel is a semi-translucent outer shell that envelopes the vulnerable “inside parts” of the teeth, shielding them from exposure to temperature extremes and the effects of acidic foods and drinks. While enamel seems as solid as a rock, if you’ve ever had painful sensations from your tooth, you know it’s not indestructible. 

Causes of Enamel Erosion

Calcium that naturally exists in your saliva neutralizes acid and protects enamel from erosion.  However, a diet high in

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There’s a dizzying array of anti-aging products on the market as the beauty industry capitalizes on women’s—and men’s—fears that their fine lines will give away their real age. Wrinkles are a natural part of aging, so you can’t prevent it. But, fortunately, you can delay the process by making a few changes in your daily routine. Skin experts say these non-surgical methods actually work and will keep more wrinkles from forming: