Your oral health is important and at your Vancouver dentist, Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry, our team of oral health care experts want to share with you the most important oral health secrets that will give you a healthy smile you’ll be proud to show off everywhere.

• If your gums are bleeding, there’s a very high chance you have periodontal (gum) disease. Come for an appointment as soon as possible!
• An oral health care checkup at your Vancouver dentist, Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry every 6 months applies only to healthy gums. If you don’t have healthy gums, you’ll want to schedule a checkup at least every 3 months.
• Pay attention to your back teeth when brushing/flossing. We’ve found that Vancouver dental patients at Kerrisdale General and Cosmetic Dentistry focus too much on their visible front teeth.
• Proper oral health care includes 10 minutes of careful brushing and flossing.
• Mouthwash that contains alcohol can dry out your mouth and actually worsen your bad breath.

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.

Halloween is on the horizon and your health partners at 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre want to help you protect your kids from something even scarier than zombies, ghosts and goblins this Halloween. There’s something even more bone-chilling called tooth decay!

We all remember the joys of trick-or-treating, and coming home to unload our sugary spoils and eat candy until our tummies ached. Parents are in the scariest position at Halloween, predicting the cavities, temper tantrums and hyperactivity that will result from the copious candy intake by their youngsters.

The best way to avoid any of these truly tricky consequences in the aftermath of Halloween is not to consume any candy at all. However, we know that’s highly unlikely and that’s why your experts at 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre have created a Halloween candy guide to help protect your kids from tooth decay and thereby ensure their optimal oral health for life.

Below is a listing from most harmful to the safest treats your kids should be choosing from their trick-or-treat bag:

Sour Power – Sour candies are the absolute worst in that studies have revealed that the acids in sour candies are so destructive because they dissolve enamel on contact!

Hardly Harmless – Hard candy needs to be sucked on for an extended period of time and very chewy candies are harmful in that they get stuck between the teeth. Both hard and chewy candy allow bacteria to wreak havoc on your child’s teeth for a much longer period of time.

Resist Raisins – Don’t be fooled by their natural derivative. Raisins easily damage dental work because they are very sticky and do not mix well with fillings, braces or retainers.

Candy Bars Get Four Stars – While we can’t say candy bars are good for your oral health, they are less harmful because they are eaten quickly allowing less time for the sugar to damage with acid.

Dissolve Your Worry – Powder candy is fairly safe as the sugar dissolves quickly and makes little contact with the teeth.

Eat Two or Three if They’re Sugar Free – As obvious as it seems, sugar-free candy is the most highly recommended Halloween treat for your children’s teeth. You can even prevent cavities by chewing sugar free gum! Sugar free gum promotes increased saliva which neutralizes harmful bacteria.

If your little monsters will be in need a routine dental cleaning after Halloween give us a call and book an appointment today!

"One of the leading causes of cavities is from carbonated beverages; which not only result in cavities but also increase obesity in today’s teenager."

With teenagers eating an increased amount of fast food and carbonated beverages to keep up with their busy lifestyle, family dental clinics are witnessing a generation inflicting serious damage to their oral and overall health.

A poor diet that consists of sugary treats and fast food can result in premature loss of tooth enamel, resulting in a weaker tooth structure. Due to this, it is especially important that teenagers try to maintain a healthy diet.

One of the leading causes of cavities is from carbonated beverages; which not only result in cavities but also increase obesity in today’s teenager.

The citric, tartaric, carbonic and phosphoric acids that come from pop can often lead to the breakdown of tooth enamel, naturally leading to cavities or tooth decay.

In order to actively prevent cavities from occurring, teenagers and parents need to decrease the amount of sugar-filled pop consumed. In addition, regular checkups and cleanings need to be scheduled at your local family dental clinic to ensure optimal oral health.

Contact 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre today to book an appointment or to learn more about cavity prevention for teenagers.

Is there a connection between the two diseases? Yes. Recent studies conducted by the American Diabetes Association have proven that diabetes and gum disease are linked. Diabetics not only have the problem of everyday blood glucose monitoring and maintaining; they are more prone to gum disease and oral health complications.  With the serious disease of diabetes, numerous other complications can occur such as a low immune system and oral health complications such as gingivitis. Diabetics do not have as much fighting power within their immune system as healthy people and this makes them vulnerable to a variety of problems.

Diabetes and gum disease are connected because when blood glucose levels become unstable the teeth cannot remain strong. This can cause a diabetic to lose teeth throughout their lifetime. The risk of serious gum disease is higher when a diabetic’s blood sugar level becomes unbalanced. New research and studies performed indicate that if we focus on maintaining our oral health, we can maintain or improve our general health. An unhealthy set of teeth can lead to numerous problems and health conditions. Gum disease can seriously affect a diabetic because it can increase blood glucose levels so high that it may be more and more difficult to maintain on a daily basis.

If you are suffering from diabetes, you must take good care of your gums. By brushing your teeth two to three times daily after meals, flossing, booking routine dental cleanings, controlling glucose levels and using mouthwash, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting gum disease. It is also important to observe your teeth and gums daily to see if any teeth are loose and if any gums are bleeding as this has been a sign of individuals dealing with diabetes and gum disease

We at 123 Kerrisdale Dental Centre understand how diabetes and gum disease can deeply affect your life and quality of living. We remain educated and updated on the most recent dental studies, confirmed healthcare reports and offer state-of-the-art technology and treatments. It is our job to keep your teeth and gums healthy and we commit ourselves to providing optimal oral health and hygiene in all of our patients.