If you’re looking for a way to improve your health, your social relationships and your overall well-being, smiling is your best bet!

The simple act of smiling comes with a lot of benefits. According to a recent TED Talk given by Health Tap founder and CEO Ron Gutman, several studies support the theory that smiling improves your health and longevity. One study found that the width of a smile can be used to predict longevity – in other words, the wider your smile, the more likely you are to live longer. If you’re not happy with your smile and don’t smile often or at all, contact your Vancouver dentist, Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry, to book an appointment and improve your life, one smile at a time!

Studies also found that smiling is contagious – which is a good thing, because a single smile can make you feel as good as winning $2500 dollars or eating around 2000 bars of chocolate! Children tend to smile a lot more often that adults do, so if your goal is to live a longer, happier life, get in touch with your inner child and smile.

But if your current smile doesn’t really want to make you…well, smile, come in to Kerrisdale Dental, your Vancouver dentist, for a custom smile makeover that’s sure to leave you grinning ear to ear. Smiling can lower stress levels and increase your attractiveness, so don’t miss out on the benefits of a smile and contact Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry, your Vancouver dentist, today!

Enjoy the  TED Talk below, entitled the Hidden Power of Smiling, for more fascinating smile research:

Subscribe to Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic’s blog for more dental secrets and contact us today to take care of your oral health care. We’re social, too! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Enjoy the Invisalign Infograph below provided by Kerrisdale General and Sedation Dentistry and see why Invisalign Invisible Aligners could be the clear choice for your Orthodontic treatment. 

Contact us if you have any questions about Invisalign Invisible Aligners or if you would like to book your Invisalign Appointment at your Kerrisdale Vancouver dentist today!

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Floss is an essential part of your oral health care routine, along with brushing at least twice a day for at least 3 minutes and visiting Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry for your regular oral health care checkup every six months.

Flossing right before bed can reduce your chances of plaque build-up, tooth decay and gum disease but did you know dental floss can do more for you than just give you a perfectly healthy smile?

Read on for 10 Great Thing you can do with Dental Floss around your house!

1. Hang Pictures

2. Make Flower Garlands 

3. Create a Healthy Dog Toy 

4. Tie up a Roast 

5. Floss your Furniture 

The advantage of dental floss is that it can clean in hard-to-reach places, including crevices in your furniture that a simple dusting won’t get.

6. Help out your Plants 

If you have climbing plants, you can give them a little support with dental floss.

7. Use as Emergency Shoelace 

If your shoelace breaks, you can use dental floss to keep your shoe on and carry on with your day!

8. Sew Things Up 

Dental floss is incredibly strong – you can use it to sew a button or fix a tear in your clothing.

9. Use as a Knife

If you’re missing cutlery, you can use a piece of floss to cut into food such as hard-boiled eggs, cheese, cake or jello.

10. Rescue your Old Photos 

If you have 2 photos stuck together in an album, gently slide a piece of floss in between them to separate them without any damage.

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If you’re wondering about the correct way to use floss when it comes to cleaning your teeth, please watch the informative video below courtesy of Colgate:

“Why should I floss?” is a frequent question asked by many patients at our Kerrisdale dental clinic. In fact, flossing is one of the most important habits in any good oral health routine. Dental floss helps remove any food particles trapped between the teeth and lowers your chances of plaque build-up.

Despite the fact that most patients understand the answer to “Why Should I Floss”, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the proper techniques on how to floss.

It is important to carry out flossing as a part of your regular oral hygiene routine; brushing alone is not enough to remove all the food particles and regular flossing ensures that there is no buildup of plaque on the teeth. Plaque buildup can lead to gum disease, gingivitis or periodontitis. Dental floss can be flavoured or unflavoured, waxed or unwaxed. Talk to a hygienist at our Kerrisdale dental clinic if you’re not sure which dental floss is right for you.

If you are not sure of the right way to use dental floss or if you are still wondering “Why Should I Floss?”, then contact our Kerrisdale dental clinic or come for a  consultation to learn how to floss correctly. Here are a few starter tips:

1. Floss must be held taut and guided between each tooth and also under the gums to ensure that all food particles and plaque are removed. However, be sure the floss doesn’t scrape too much on the gums or it could cause gum bleeding. It is also important to change the strip of floss for each tooth to ensure that bacteria are not transmitted from one to the other.

2. It is important to buy dental floss that’s the right thickness. Floss that’s too thick or thin won’t give you the best cleaning.

3. Use dental floss every day after brushing, preferably before bedtime, as an effective precaution against gum disease, halitosis and dental cavities. Dental floss also helps to reduce the incidence of harmful bacteria in the mouth and hence lessens the risk of associated heart disease.

4. If you generally consume a lot of meat, you’ll want to floss at least once a day to remove the fibres that can get stuck between your teeth and cause cavities and gum disease.

You might notice bleeding the very first time after using dental floss, but this is normal and stops after the first few times. Regular bleeding, on the other hand, isn’t a good sign and you should consult a dentist at Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry to ensure that you are using dental floss correctly.

The video below, courtesy of Colgate, explains how to floss properly:

After a tooth extraction (removal) has been completed by one of our dental health professionals at Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry, it’s important to take proper care of the site to prevent infection, control bleeding and allow the gum tissue to heal well enough that it can accept a denture or dental implant.

What to do after a tooth or wisdom tooth extraction

1. You may experience soreness after a tooth extraction – over-the-counter painkillers can help with the pain or you may request prescription painkillers from your dentist at Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry if you find the pain to be too much.

2. Cold compresses will also help keep the pain and swelling down after a tooth extraction.

3. It’s very important that you don’t touch the extraction site, chew heavily around the area or smoke at all. It is recommended that you drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated. Simply follow these simple steps to ensure proper healing and a happy, healthy smile.

Subscribe to Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry’s blog for more dental secrets and contact us today to take care of your oral health care. We’re social, too! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Whether you’re in a business meeting or a lunch date, halitosis or bad breath can ruin your whole day and your fabulous first impression. However, with these tips from your dentist at Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry in Vancouver, you can quickly fix your bad breath and get back to business – social or professional.

Reach for the Lemon Water 

Dry mouth is often the cause of bad breath so keep your mouth moist and hydrated to avoid bad breath altogether. Washing down bacteria with lemon juice and water can help minimize bad breath and get you smiling again.

Chew on This

Sugar-free gum offers almost instant relief from bad breath. If you’re not a fan of chewing, you can opt for breath strips or mints instead. For a completely natural remedy to bad breath, order a dish that’s garnished with ginger, basil, mint or parsley.

Always Be Prepared 

Carry a travel-sized toothbrush and toothpaste in your purse or bag for optimal oral hygiene on the go. Mouthwash or baking soda are also ideal for quick breath fixes and should eliminate bad breath altogether.

A word of caution from your dentist. Bad breath may be caused by poor oral hygiene or oral infections. If your bad breath is persistent and not caused by anything you ordered at lunch, schedule an appointment at Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry and we’ll help you keep your breath fresh so that you can focus on the important things, like getting a new client or a second date.

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If you suffer from dry mouth – especially in the summer – your dentist at 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre has some valuable tips on what you can do to relieve your dry mouth symptoms and enjoy yourself, whatever the season!

Offer Yourself a Mint or Two

If you suffer from dry mouth, try a sugar-free mint, preferably one that has a strong and natural flavour such as spearmint. Mints should help encourage saliva production and as a bonus, you get minty-fresh breath!

Find Yourself a Tall Drink of Water 

Water is excellent for promoting saliva production and has myriad excellent benefits for your oral and overall health. If you find that your mouth is getting dry, make sure to always carry a water bottle with you and sip accordingly. Drinking plenty of water means that you won’t suffer from dehydration or a dry mouth during the summer.

Give Yourself a Pick-Me-Up with Fruits and Vegetables 

If you’re dealing with a dry mouth, snack on fruits and veggies – which are full of water and vitamins – and keep your oral and your overall health in top shape over the summer.

Dry mouth can increase your chances of gum disease, tooth decay and mouth infections so if you find that your dry mouth persists, contact 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre as soon as possible.

Read to the 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre Blog for more secrets straight from your dentist. We’re social, too! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

One of the most common causes for worn teeth is bruxism. Bruxism refers to tooth grinding or jaw clenching, especially during sleep, which wears down your enamel at an accelerated rate. You may have bruxism and not be aware of it, so contact 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre for an appointment and we’ll let you know if your teeth are showing signs of bruxism and what you can do if that’s the case.

Abrasion is another common cause of worn teeth. Simply put, abrasion describes tooth enamel that is worn down by foreign objects in the mouth. Toothbrushes are the most common type of abrasive objects. If you brush your teeth too vigorously, you risk wearing down your enamel too much. Chewing pens or fingernails can cause teeth to lose enamel fast as well, as can an oral piercing or tongue ring.

Erosion is the third common cause of worn teeth. Erosion is caused by any substance that dissolves the enamel. Citric acid is the number one eroding agent of tooth enamel, but if you or a loved one has made a habit of purging, the gastric acids in your stomach can also dissolve your enamel.

At 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre, we offer several dental solutions for your worn teeth, but it’s our policy to work with you to address the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms. Take care of your teeth and contact 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre today for an appointment.

Preventing cavities is sometimes not an easy task. Do you find yourself prone to getting a lot of dental cavities even though you brush your teeth twice a day, floss daily and visit 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre every six months for a regular checkup? The problem may actually be linked to your diet. Here are a few super snacks that can help keep your teeth and gums at their healthiest in the constant struggle of preventing cavities:

Fruits & Veggies:
Apples, celery and cucumbers are all excellent super snacks for your dental health. These super snacks are nutritious and will help keep clean the surfaces of your teeth and massage your gums, improving circulation.

Dairy products:
Milk, cheese and calcium help with preventing cavities. These super snacks are rich in calcium and help neutralize acids in the mouth, reducing the incidence of cavities and tooth decay.

Other Great Snacks:
Nuts are excellent super snacks for oral health because they provide calcium and phosphate – elements that help keep dental enamel strong.

Dental professionals recommend avoiding any sugary snacks because sugar feeds the bacteria in the mouth and causes cavities. If you have any questions about which snacks are appropriate and which aren’t, or if you would like to book an appointment at 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre in Vancouver to learn more about preventing cavities, please click here.

At 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre in Vancouver, we recommend brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste for at least three minutes and at least twice a day as part of a healthy oral health care routine, but did you know you can also use toothpaste around the house?

Read on for the 10 things you can do with toothpaste – aside from achieving excellent oral health care:

• Fix Insect Bites

Standard non-gel toothpaste can help relieve the itch from an insect bite and keep you from scratching at the site. Try it!

• Sanitize Hands

In a pinch, toothpaste (and a little water) is a great hand sanitizer. As a bonus, if you’ve just chopped onions or garlic, you can neutralize the odour with a bit of toothpaste/water.

• Fix Nail Holes

Nail holes generally require professional putty to fix but with a little bit of inexpensive toothpaste, you can fill in the hole and touch up with paint afterward.

• Clean your Diamond Ring

By scrubbing your diamond ring with a little bit of toothpaste on an old toothbrush, you could have your diamond looking as if you had just bought it!

• Help relieve burns

Always out of aloe? Put toothpaste on your burn right after it happens to help relieve the stinging sensation.

• Removes crayon from wall paint

Little one been drawing on the walls again? Get a damp rag with a little bit of toothpaste on it and simply wipe away the residue.

• Put up posters

Forget tape or thumb tacks, simply put a dab of toothpaste on the back of posters to hang it without damaging the wall.

• Treat Acne

It is only recommended to use this tip at most once a week, but by putting a small dab of toothpaste on a pimple before bed, it should be cleared up by morning!

• Remove scratches on glassware

Polish your scratched glasses with a dab of toothpaste and they should look like new instantly!

• Prevent fog in goggles

Many swimmers swear by toothpaste for keeping their goggles free of food. Simple wipe it on, clean it off and enjoy a fog-free view.

However, don’t forget toothpaste’s most important role! Brush twice daily, floss regularly and visit 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre in Vancouver for a fantastically healthy smile you’ll be proud to show off!

Read our dental blog  for more dentist secrets and oral health care advice. We’re social, too! Find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.