Derek Song, DMD Blog

Are you thinking about making a New Year’s resolution? Now that it’s January, many people are starting new healthy habits to become the best version of themselves. If you’re looking for an easy way to improve your health this year, commit to a regular dental checkup! Visiting your dentist twice a year for cleanings and examinations can keep your teeth looking good now while saving you money and discomfort later. Here’s what to expect every six months when you visit your dentist, and why these important checkups should be your New Year’s resolution for 2020!

As the year ends, many people are getting ready to take planes, trains, and cars all over the country to spend the holiday season with their loved ones. According to a report conducted by AAA, roughly 107.3 million Americans will journey at least 50 miles from home between December 23^rd and January 1^st. If you’re one of those people, while you’ve been packing and planning, have you considered how to keep your teeth healthy? Both traveling and the holidays can be difficult on your teeth, so keeping good oral health this time of year is essential to avoiding dental issues in the New Year. Here are the best holiday travel tips for maintaining a happy, healthy smile all season long!

You walk into your dentist office and sit down in the examination chair with a big smile. You’re feeling confident about how well you’ve taken care of your teeth since the last time you came here. You’ve been brushing twice a day for two minutes, and even flossed a little! Surely your dentist will see how flawless your teeth are. The dentist comes in and pokes around your mouth before sitting back to break the bad news: you have two cavities! It can be frustrating to practice great oral hygiene and suffer from tooth decay, especially if you feel like you get more cavities than your friends or family. If this sounds familiar, you may be cavity prone! Find out what factors in your life could be putting you at a higher risk for tooth decay.

It’s that time of year again. A time when people are calling in sick to work because they’ve come down with the dreaded flu. The aches, pains, running nose, and other more cringe-worthy symptoms are never welcome, but if you don’t take the proper steps to stay well, you could find yourself laid up in bed, too. Instead of carrying around a bottle of Lysol and spraying the area around you to prevent germs, why not try these 5 flu season tips to keep yourself healthy this year.

In a single calendar year, millions of people lose, on average, close to $1,000 in unused dental insurance benefits. The reason is that most people don’t realize that what they’ve accumulated throughout the year does not roll over. If this is a new revelation to you, and you want to avoid it happening to you, take a few minutes to read through the steps you can take to maximize your plan before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.  

Your child is probably counting the days until Halloween. Trick-or-treating is a family tradition that transforms your house into a child survivalist’s dream bunker. With bags of candy hiding in every corner of the house, eating it over the couple of months following October is hard to resist. However, constantly exposing your teeth and gums to sugar can create the perfect environment for harmful oral bacteria to live and plaque to form. To avoid an unexpected appointment with your dentist, follow these six tips for candy consumption at Halloween. 

Nearly everybody will agree that there’s no better way to get in the mood for the holidays than trying all the new seasonal hot drinks that are coming out. Because of the brisk breeze and cold weather, hot cups of tea and coffee are vital to help keep you warm. It may surprise you to know that some of these delicious beverages are even great for your oral health. Read on to learn how certain hot drinks like coffee can benefit your gums and teeth.

Finding a dentist you can build a relationship with and entrust your oral care to is of the utmost importance. One reason is that it ensures your access to preventive care, which is one of the cornerstones of maintaining excellent dental health and avoiding serious problems. Before you can reap this and the many other benefits of working with a dentist, you first need to choose the right professional. To make the decision process easier, here are 5 key traits to look for in your next dentist!

Summer is over, and school is back in session. You know what that means—it’s time to resume the habit of packing your child’s lunch. This daily task can feel tedious at times, but you also know a healthy lunch can give your child the energy they need and the ability to focus and learn better. However, while you pack that lunchbox, don’t forget about your child’s teeth! The foods your child eats can impact the health of their smile. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that children with poor oral health typically earn lower grades than those with good oral health. So here are three tips from your children’s dentist to keep in mind while you get your child’s lunch ready for school.

Do you want to improve your oral health all while getting the most out of your routine checkups and cleanings with your dentist? Whether you’re trying out a new dental care provider or sticking with the same one you’ve had for years, don’t be afraid to pick their brain about oral hygiene. Read on for some questions to ask your hygienist after your next appointment so you can fortify your oral health.