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Small Bites

Spring Into Healthy Dental Habits

By: John Dougherty Here in Arizona spring is one of the most beautiful times of year. It’s also a time of change – a season of fresh starts and renewed commitments. At Artistic Dental, we’re encouraging our patients to spring clean their oral hygiene routines, for healthier, happier mouths. Consider some back-to-basics tips to make your smile this year your brightest one yet: 1. Choose the toothbrush that’s right for you If you’ve been using the same toothbrush for as long as you can remember, it might be time to make a change. Is it hard for you to brush your [...]

2018-12-19T18:32:08+00:00
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Dental Red Flags: Four Reasons to See the Dentist Right Now

By John Dougherty If you brush twice a day and floss once a day, you’re ahead of the game. But even those who take good care of their teeth sometimes need to make an extra trip to the dentist. Bi-annual appointments provide important preventative care, but some issues can’t wait for your next cleaning date. Here are four red flag symptoms you should never ignore: Bleeding Gums - Bleeding gums can result from brushing too hard or from taking a long break from flossing and then starting again. However, they can also be an early sign of gum disease. If [...]

2019-11-05T19:37:31+00:00
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Does fluoride help or hurt?

By: Dr. John Dougherty It’s alarming to learn that tooth decay is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases in the U.S. Dentists are now seeing an increasing number of children as young as four years old with moderate to severe cases of tooth decay. The good news is this is preventable; and fluoride is an important ingredient in prevention. To keep children cavity-free for as long as possible, the American Dental Association recently changed the recommended age of fluoride use from two-years-old to the first signs of baby teeth. It was previously thought that fluoride use on babies [...]

2018-10-16T22:54:20+00:00
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Dental sealants prevent tooth decay

Just in case you missed this month's Raising Arizona Kids Magazine article. Our very own Dr. Dougherty gives his expert advice on sealants. Think of it as a protective nail polish for the teeth. Dental sealants were developed in the 1950s by researchers at the University of Rochester’s Eastman Dental School. Their efforts were part of the attempt to prevent tooth decay from causing cavities. Unlike today, dentistry at that time wasn’t always viewed by the public as a preventative care vocation. Many people payed a visit to the dentist as a last resort when they could no longer stand [...]

2020-07-11T23:16:40+00:00
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Help your kids kick bad dental habits, for healthier teeth

February is National Children's Dental Health Month – a good time to focus on teaching kids how to take good care of their teeth. Start by helping your children avoid the four most common bad oral habits. If your kids have already picked up some of these bad habits, don't fret! 1. Baby Bottle Tooth Decay The challenge: Babies are in constant contact with sugar, found in milk or formula. Mouth bacteria feeds on sugar and causes tooth decay. How to prevent it: Don't give your baby a bottle to calm them down when they're cranky. Instead, offer them a [...]

2018-10-16T22:36:06+00:00
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Give your New Year’s resolutions teeth: How to stick to your new goals

We are 10 days into the new year, and that means more than 25 percent of folks have already broken their New Year's resolutions. Get this – only 8 percent of people who set new goals on January 1 will achieve them. But don’t let that dissuade you from setting new goals. We did a little research to help you keep your resolutions this year. In a recent USA Today article, John Norcross, a psychology professor at Scranton University recommended the following: Set SMART goals That stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-specific. Let's say your resolution is to [...]

2018-10-11T23:24:56+00:00
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No Dental Insurance Plans, No Worries

Not Covered by Dental Insurance Plans? If you’ve been reading our blog posts or received our monthly newsletters, you may have heard about our ArtisticD Cares Dental Plan--it's a great alternative to traditional dental insurance plans. We realize that many of our people do not have access to dental insurance, and we want to make sure that no insurance, does not lead to no longer taking good care of your teeth. The ArtisticD Cares Plan is designed to help our patients maintain dental care and keep costs down. Insurance can sometimes require costly premiums and non-covered procedures. The ArtisticD Cares [...]

2018-10-11T23:19:55+00:00
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Maximize care, minimize costs

With all the recent talk of The Affordable Healthcare Act and changes to insurance, the American public may be a little less spirited during the upcoming holidays, when trying to understand and navigate the new healthcare plans for 2014. Fortunately, we are a resilient bunch that will lose ourselves in family gatherings and office parties soon enough. Before year-end, it is wise to check your current insurance plan and flexible spending accounts to see what remaining benefits you still have available to use; and to make sure you get a clean bill of health. It may give you a little [...]

2018-10-11T23:17:37+00:00
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Dental myths exposed: Maintaining oral hygiene and a healthy smile

We read and hear about dental care tips from a variety of sources, but how can do we know what is fact and what is fiction? To help dispel some of the myths and offer some clarity on what you really should or should not do when it comes to taking care of your pearly whites and maintain your overall oral health, here is some expert advice. DO Believe that “baby” or deciduous teeth act as space maintainers and guide for the eruption of baby teeth Understand that large doses of fluoride, iodine, water and pure [...]

2018-10-11T23:15:33+00:00
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