atlanta dentist Archives - Page 7 of 13

January 25, 2012

What’s in Your Mouth?

When you look at the inside of your mouth using a mirror, what do you see? There are many components that help your mouth stay healthy and function properly. Dr. Peter Pate can explain how to keep all the parts of your mouth healthy.

The Visual Parts

When you open your mouth, you can see a number of important features::

Teeth: The white part of a tooth is called the crown. The roots of your teeth are located under your gums, and help attach your teeth into your jaw bone. You may notice that your teeth are different shapes and sizes to help with different parts of chewing.
Gums: The pinkish tissue that supports your teeth is called your gums. When you look at your mouth, your teeth are attached to your gums. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums are signs of periodontal disease, which can eventually lead to tooth loss.
(more…)

Comments (0)

January 24, 2012

What Happens When I Sleep?

Filed under: Healthy Living,Stop Snoring — Tags: atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta general dentist, atlanta sleep apnea, buckhead sleep apnea, healthy living atlanta, sleep apnea atlanta, sleep apnea buck head, sleep apnea dentist, sleep apnea vinnings, stop snoring atlanta, stop snoring buckhead — dr_pate @ 3:01 pm

In a previous blog post, we discussed the risks, causes, and symptoms of sleep apnea. Dr. Peter Pate offers his patients snoring and sleep apnea treatments. Scientists devote a lot of research to sleep. Although we spend nearly 30% of our life in bed, we are often unaware of the science of sleep. Below are a few interesting facts and trivia dedicated to what happens while we rest.

Facts You May Not Know About Sleep

Sleep is a necessity. Sleep deprivation can result in death before starvation. In as little as 10 days without sleep, you could be facing mortality.
There are four stages of sleep that you progress through in your sleep cycle. The deepest stages of sleep help your organs and tissues repair from daily damage
Outside of the four sleep stages, you enter Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep multiple times throughout the night
In the past, researchers believed that humans only dreamed during REM sleep. However, recent findings have shown that we dream throughout the night, but REM dreaming is more vivid and strange. (more…)

Comments (0)

January 23, 2012

Why Do I Need Fluoride?

Filed under: General Dentistry,Healthy Living — Tags: atlanta dental checkup, atlanta dental cleaning, atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta health, buckhead atlanta childrens dentist, buckhead atlanta dentist, buckhead atlanta family dentist, fluoride atlanta, fluoride buckhead, fluoride sandy springs, tooth decay atlanta, toothpaste atlanta — dr_pate @ 8:35 pm

Dr. Peter Pate and our team at Dentistry in Buckhead encourage the use of fluoride in our patients’ oral health regimens. You have probably heard countless times from your parents, dentists, and toothpaste commercials that fluoride is essential to guarding your teeth against dental problems. Although this may seem like common knowledge, fluoride and its history in the use of dentistry is scientifically proven to protect your mouth from harmful bacteria and plaque.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral widely distributed in nature. Read more about it here. In the middle of the 20^th century, after conclusive research, the United States and many countries in Europe began adding small amounts of fluoride to city water supplies. Although the amount is miniscule, the overall oral health of the country has improved. (more…)

Comments (0)

January 5, 2012

What Do Your Teeth Say About You?

Filed under: Family Dentistry,Fun Dental Facts — Tags: atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta general dentist, buckhead dentist, buckhead family dentist, buckhead general dentist, dental health, dentist atlanta, dentist buckhead, going to the dentist, oral health, preventive dentist atlanta, preventive dentist buckhead, teeth and personality, tooth shape — dr_pate @ 6:42 pm

Your smile says a lot about you. It’s a proven fact that people with attractive, healthy smiles are perceived to be friendly and intelligent and are more likely to be promoted at work, earn more money, and have personal and professional success.

Buckhead dentist Dr. Peter Pate knows the importance of a beautiful and healthy smile. Take a look at the dental characteristics below and see if your dental traits match your personality traits.

The Shape of Your Teeth

Your front two top teeth are called the central incisors and serve as the center of your smile. They also indicate age. Younger people tend to have rectangular-shaped central incisors with rounded corners, while the central incisors of older people often become square with square corners as they shorten with age.

The teeth to the immediate left and right of your central incisors are called lateral incisors, and they indicate gender. Women have lateral incisors that are slightly shorter than the central incisors and rounded at the tips. Men, on the other hand, tend to have lateral incisors that are close to the same length as the central incisors and are more square-shaped. (more…)

Comments (0)

December 31, 2011

Keep Germs Outside Your Mouth

Filed under: Healthy Living — Tags: atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, buckhead dentist, cold and flu, dentist atlanta, dentist buckhead, family dentist atlanta, germs inside your mouth, germs outside your mouth, getting sick, spreading bacteria — dr_pate @ 10:15 pm

Many viruses and illnesses can be spread from person to person. Everyone has different bacteria that could infect others, and every time you touch your mouth, you could be exposing yourself to other people’s bacteria. Dr. Pate can reduce the amount of dangerous bacteria in your mouth to help keep you healthy. How do germs travel from the outside environment to inside your mouth?

People

With just one kiss, you swap more than 500 types of bacteria. Tooth decay, cold sores, and other mouth hazards can be transferred through kissing. In addition, with cold and flu season among us, remember that coughs and sneezes can push bacteria through the air, which you can inhale. Sharing dishes, cups, toothbrushes, and other items that come in contact with your mouth will also spread bacteria.

(more…)

Comments (0)

December 26, 2011

How to Recycle Your Toothbrush

Filed under: General Dentistry,Just For Fun — Tags: atlanta dentist, buckhead atlanta dentist, buckhead dentist, clean with a toothbrush, dentist atlanta, dentist buckhead, how to use old toothbrush, oral hygiene atlanta, oral hygiene buckhead, replacing my toothbrush, teeth cleaning atlanta, teeth cleaning buckhead, uses for old toothbrush, when to replace toothbrush — dr_pate @ 8:50 am

The American Dental Association recommends replacing your toothbrush every three to four months, or sooner if you’re sick or the bristles become frayed. So what do you do with the brush when it can no longer clean your teeth? Dr. Pate suggests disinfecting your brush to prevent contaminating other areas, and trying these tips to make your old toothbrushes useful.

Around The House

Toothbrushes are useful cleaning tools because they can get into crevices that your sponge or rag cannot reach. The brush can clean between the bristles of your hairbrush or between the tongs of your forks. In addition, the long handle makes it easy to reach deep down into bottles or glasses. It’s also convenient to scrub grout and grime from the corners of kitchen and bathroom sinks. You’ve probably eaten while watching TV or using the computer, which leaves your buttons dirty and sticky. A clean, dry brush can also help remove dust between keys on your remote control or computer keyboard.

(more…)

Comments (0)

December 20, 2011

What on Earth is a Tongue Scraper?

Filed under: General Dentistry,Preventive Dentistry — Tags: atlanta dentist, bad breath, brush your tongue, buckhead atlanta dentist, cause of bad breath, clean the tongue, cleaning tongue, dental hygiene, dentist atlanta, halitosis cure, tongue cleaning, tongue scraper, types of tongue scrapers — dr_pate @ 3:58 pm

Though it sounds like a medieval torture tool, a tongue scraper is actually an effective oral hygiene aid. Even in ancient India and China, people cleaned their tongues to remove toxic debris. In the 1900s, people used tongue scrapers fashioned from ivory, silver, or tortoise shell.

Today, tongue scrapers are usually made of plastic, and most have a U-shaped head and a handle. However, some new toothbrushes feature a tongue scraper in the form of indentations on the back of the head, opposite the bristles. Floss or toothbrush bristles can also be used as a tongue scraper. (more…)

Comments (0)

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »