Many people worry about their dental health during this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, from concerns over keeping dental appointments to questions about safe home hygiene. Here are some guidelines to follow.

Tip 1: Make Your Dental Appointments Wisely

Many leading health organizations (including the American Dental Association, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommend that dental patients delay any non-urgent care until social distancing advisories have ceased.

Fluoride is probably in your toothpaste. It may be in your mouth rinse, and your dentist probably recommends regular treatments for your children. Fluoride is everywhere when you look at dental health. And it may even be in your water.

Many cities and other areas in the United States add fluoride to their water supplies, but many people aren’t sure what fluoride really is, why it’s added, and how safe it actually is.

What Is Fluoride and What Are the Benefits?

What’s in your toothpaste? If you’re curious about what makes toothpaste freshen your breath, fight cavities, whiten your teeth, and protect enamel, take a look at the top ingredients in most toothpaste.

Fluoride

This naturally occurring ingredient plays a primary role in dental protection. Even though fluoride is in tap water (most communities add it to the water supply), it’s also a key to your toothpaste product’s ability to keep your teeth cavity-free.

While you may be familiar with more classic dental appliances, such as dentures and braces, you may not have heard about the Snap-On Smile appliance or all of its uses. This dental appliance can hide a variety of smile imperfections and it can be worn daily or on an occasional basis.

A Snap-On Smile is made of an acetyl resin, which is a strong, yet flexible material that is now also being used in the creation of some types of partial dentures. This dental appliance can be worn all day, even when eating, and must only be removed when brushing your existing teeth or sleeping.

Read on to learn about four surprising uses for a Snap-On Smile.

Technology is changing the way that dental procedures are being performed. A dental laser, called a Waterlase laser, is able to remove decay from a tooth, remove decay from the tooth root, and deep clean your roots and teeth to help prevent gum disease and treat existing gum disease.

If you have never heard of a Waterlase laser, you may be wondering what the benefits are to using this tool for your dental procedures, compared to traditional tools, such as a dental drill or dental scalpel. Here are four of those benefits. 

1. Reduces Pain During Dental Procedures