HELP! I burned the roof of my mouth eating pizza! What should I do?

If you burned the roof of your mouth eating something hot, like pizza, first try cooling your mouth down with a cold drink or a popsicle. Ice cream or yogurt can also do the trick. It’s best to stop eating the pizza until it cools, to prevent damaging your mouth further.

Once the pain has subsided, you can gargle salt water to clean and disinfect the area. Medical professionals recommend using a mixture of ½ teaspoon of salt and 8 ounces of water.

If you’re in a lot of pain, you can take an ibuprofen or try a topical numbing spray. However, if you think the burn is serious, contact your doctor right away. Most burns are first-degree burns, but second- and third-degree burns can cause long-lasting nerve damage to your palate. Symptoms of these types of burns include severe pain, blistering, swelling, redness, or white patches.

It can take up to a week for the skin in your mouth to heal. While your mouth is healing, avoid food with sharp edges like chips, which can aggravate the roof of your mouth. Spicy foods, citrus, mint, and alcohol can also irritate the burn. Additionally, if your mouth doesn’t heal within a few days to a week, follow up with your doctor.

We know that flossing can be a task that’s easy to forget

We know that flossing can be a task that’s easy to forget, but by flossing daily, you can actually help to prevent gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath!

Brushing your teeth can’t remove plaque from your teeth and gums the way that floss can, which is why we encourage our patients to make flossing a daily ritual.

Floss comes in all kinds of flavors and sizes, and you can do it just about anywhere.

Whether it’s, at your desk, or in the comfort of your own home, you can take your floss with you wherever you go!

No Toothpaste? No Problem!

Have you ever gone to brush your teeth and suddenly realized you were out of toothpaste? It's certainly an annoyance, but before you rush out to the store, here are five alternatives you can use.

Baking Soda - Baking soda is an ingredient in many toothpastes, so it makes sense to use it by itself.

Hydrogen Peroxide - A lot of people use hydrogen peroxide to brush their teeth, and it can be used by itself or with baking soda.

Natural Soap - While it may not taste great, natural soap can work as an effective toothpaste.

Dry Brushing - You can actually clean your teeth well without anything, just a dry toothbrush. 

Water - A wet toothbrush can also do a good job of getting your teeth clean.

How to Make Flossing Fun for Your Kids

The best way to become a consistent flosser is to start early. Here are three ways you can make flossing fun for your kids:

Make it a game - Turn flossing into a story or a song and your kids will be excited to do it.

Give them cool tools - Let your kids pick out their own tools, like brightly colored floss sticks, and they'll be more eager to use them.

Show their progress - You can put up a chart in the bathroom that tracks their success and give out prizes or rewards.

Any other ideas to get kids flossing? Let us know!

Five Foods that Help Stop Bad Breath

There are certainly plenty of foods that cause bad breath, but did you know that these five foods can help fight it? Cheese and yogurt - Cheese can help neutralize acids and unsweetened yogurt can reduce hydrogen sulfide, both of which can cause bad breath. Sugarless gum and candy - Both increase saliva which helps to reduce odor. Tea - The polyphenols in green and black teas prevent the growth of bacteria. Water - A dry mouth can be rather odorous, but as long as you stay hydrated, you won't have to worry about it. Crunchy foods - Foods such as apples and carrots act as teeth scrubbers, helping to remove any leftover food particles.

How You Can Eat and Drink Your Way to Better Dental Health

We all know that brushing and flossing helps maintain our teeth, but did you know that these foods and beverages can also help with dental health?

Cheese - Cheese can reduce levels of acid in our mouths.

Tea - Polyphenols, which are found in black and green teas, slow the growth of bacteria that causes gum disease and cavities.

Milk - Milk lowers the level of acid in the mouth.

Raisins - Raisins contain phytochemicals, which may kill cavity-causing plaque bacteria.

Cranberries - Just like tea, cranberries have polyphenols, which may prevent plaque from sticking to teeth.

Gum - As long as it's sugarless, gum creates more saliva, which clears away bacteria.

Knocking out a permanent tooth is a true dental emergency. Don’t be afraid to contact your dentist right away. If you knock out a permanent tooth, here is what to do.

1. Hold the tooth by the crown and not the root so as not to spread bacteria unto the root

2. Rinse dirt or any debris off with room temperature water but be gentle with the root.

3. Try to reinsert the tooth until you get to the dentist and hold it into place.

4. If reinserting is not an option, keep it moist by covering it with milk or water.

5. For optimal outcome, try to get to a dentist within 30 minutes.