Brian H. Bergh, DDS, MS, APC

WE LOVE LOOKING back at the history of dentistry, and Pierre Fauchard is one of the early revolutionaries of the field. One of the first to describe himself as a surgeon dentist, he figured out that cavities are caused, not by worms, but by sugar, and he recommended cutting back on sugar intake just like we do today. Unlike most other dentists of the early 1700s, Fauchard did more than pull teeth. He filled cavities, cleaned away plaque and tartar, and removed benign tumors... in gum tissue. He also made false teeth and braces! Baby teeth stumped him a little. He wasn’t sure where the roots go when the adult teeth come in (now we know they are broken down on the cellular level). So much of what Fauchard did was new that he had to improvise a lot of the tools he used, making his own out of tools used by watchmakers, barbers, and jewelers. He pioneered the dentist chair and even an early version of the light above it! Fauchard was a steadfast opponent of charlatans in the field of dentistry and a great advocate of techniques to help with patient comfort. Despite humble beginnings, he eventually became recognized as the best dental surgeon in all of France, and his books became the gold standard in dentistry for at least a century after his death. It’s an honor to be following in his footsteps. #oralhealth #history #funfacts

AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY! WE’RE READY FOR some holiday cheer! Comment below with your favorite thing about the holiday season to enter to win an Amazon gift card. HOW TO ENTER:... 1. LIKE our page. 2. LIKE this post. 3. COMMENT with your favorite thing about the holiday season! *Giveaway ends on December 14 **This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook. #holidays #happyholidays #holidayseason #giveaway

WE’RE POSTING in remembrance of those who risked or lost their lives on December 7, 1941. #pearlharborday #inremembrance #history

AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY! AN IMPORTANT QUESTION to ask yourself every day is have you brushed today? Comment with a thumbs up emoji if you have to enter to win an Amazon gift card. HOW TO ENTER:... 1. LIKE our page. 2. LIKE this post. 3. COMMENT with a thumbs up emoji! ONE LUCKY WINNER will get a $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD! *Giveaway ends on October 23* #oralhealth #healthysmile #brushyourteeth #giveaway

WE WANT all of our patients to feel like their smile sleighs and achieve a healthy, confident smile this holiday season. #holidayseason #orthodontics #healthysmile

IT’S A HOLIDAY song showdown, who will win? Comment below with your favorite out of these two great holiday season songs! #holidaysongs #poll #fun

WHEN HALLOWEEN ROLLS AROUND, do you typically choose a costume to scare your friends or make them laugh? #halloween #halloweencostume #halloween2020

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that handwashing can significantly reduce respiratory infections. Make sure to wash hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds to kill germs and stop the spread of disease. #washyourhands #stopthespread #stayhealthy

WE HAVE THE BEST BOSS! We want to wish a happy Boss’s Day to our boss and all of the other bosses out there. Thanks for being awesome! #bossday #bestboss #thankyou

WE’RE REMINISCING ON the very first scary movie we ever watched! Do you remember yours? If so, comment below! #scarymovie #halloween #spookyseason

IT’S SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY and we want to hear about the small businesses in our community that our followers recommend! Comment with, or tag, a small business you love in the comments below! #shopsmall ##smallbusinesssaturday #supportsmall

HAPPY THANKSGIVING. This year and every year, we're thankful for you! #thanksgiving #thanksgiving2020 #blessed

SEVERAL ANCIENT CULTURES, from ancient Egypt to the Roman Empire, and lasting all the way up to early modern England, blamed cavities and toothaches on a nefarious creature called a tooth worm. Gross! (But, more importantly, false.) We still aren’t sure where this theory came from, but it could be as simple as that they looked at diseased dental pulp and mistakenly thought it was a worm that had bored holes through the tooth. It wasn’t until the early years of the Enlight...enment era that pioneering dentists like Pierre Fauchard debunked the tooth worm theory. Still, they were kind of on the right track. It’s true that tiny organisms cause tooth decay but those organisms are bacteria, not parasitic worms. People didn’t have microscopes to be able to observe bacteria back then, so they gave it their best guess. Points for effort? Even though their theory about the cause was wrong, tooth decay wasn’t a widespread problem historically until sugar (oral bacteria’s favorite food) became a readily available commodity. That’s why we in the modern dental health community recommend cutting back on sugar consumption and limiting it to mealtimes! #toothdecay #history #dentalhistory

WE OFTEN REMIND our patients of the importance of brushing for two full minutes twice a day. We stand by that, because doing so, along with daily flossing, is the best way of combating the constant encroachment of plaque, particularly for orthodontic patients looking forward to Braces Off Day. However, technique is important, and so is the toothbrush. We shouldn’t be brushing so hard that the bristles quickly become bent outward or using toothbrushes with stiff bristles. Why...? Because overbrushing can damage enamel and even wear away gum tissue over time. That’s right, gum recession is a real risk of brushing too hard. Our teeth and gums are not built to stand up to frequent, harsh scouring. We encourage our patients to aim for a Goldilocks approach in their brushing: do still brush two minutes twice a day, but use a soft-bristled toothbrush and don’t use a ton of pressure. It also helps to hold the toothbrush like a pencil and to use gentle circle motions instead of sawing back and forth. #oralhealth #toothbrushtips #brushyourteeth

IT’S BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH so we’re posting to say that our team supports all those who’ve been affected by breast cancer. We stand with you! #breastcancerawareness #breastcancerawarenessmonth #awareness

WE KNOW IT’S TRICKY throughout the month of October to say no to sticky sweets, but in honor of Orthodontic Health Month, let’s pledge to do our very best to avoid them and save our brackets! #orthodontichealthmonth #orthodontics #orthodontist

ORTHODONTISTS DON'T JUST specialize in teeth alignment, we help patients with jaw alignment as well. Jaw position could be the root of some sleep issues, such as sleep apnea. #orthofacts #orthodontics #healthysmile

IT’S WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY! We want to make sure we express our gratitude for all that teachers do for their students and communities. #worldteachersday #thankyouteachers #teacherappreciation

YOUR BRACES AND SMILES look boo-tiful this fall! #october #orthodontics #spookyseason

AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY! WE CAN’T STOP thinking about all of the delicious food we love to eat on Thanksgiving. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side? Comment your answer below to enter to win an Amazon gift card. HOW TO ENTER:... 1. LIKE our page. 2. LIKE this post. 3. COMMENT with your favorite Thanksgiving side! ONE LUCKY WINNER will get a $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD! *Giveaway ends on November 24 * **This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook. #thanksgiving #thanksgiving2020 #food #giveaway

IT'S NATIONAL HOMEMADE BREAD Day! What bread recipes have you tried this year? #2020 #homemadebread #yum

AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY! IT’S INTERNATIONAL COFFEE DAY and since it’s no secret that we’re big fans of a good cup of joe, we want to hear what your favorite way to order a coffee is! Drop your usual order in the comments below to enter to win an Amazon gift card. HOW TO ENTER:... 1. LIKE our page. 2. LIKE this post. 3. COMMENT with your coffee order! ONE LUCKY WINNER will get a $20 AMAZON GIFT CARD! *Giveaway ends on October 2* #internationalcoffeeday #coffee #coffeefans #giveaway

PUMPKIN SPICE and everything nice sounds just about perfect right now! #pumpkinspice #fall #autumn

WHAT'S YOUR band name? Comment with it below! #commentbelow #bandnamegenerator #fun

IN EUROPE DURING the Middle Ages, the same person was in charge of both. They were called barber-surgeons, and they performed the kinds of medical procedures that trained physicians wouldn’t, including setting broken bones, lancing infections, applying poultices, and even pulling teeth. Back then, there was no such thing as a regular dental check-up, so people mostly only went to the barber-surgeon for help with a dental problem when they were experiencing a bad enough toot...hache that they were ready to have the problem tooth pulled. Despite the lack of preventative dentistry, one particularly skilled barber-surgeon, Ambroise Paré (considered the father of modern surgery) made significant advancements in dentistry in the 1500s. He improved techniques for tooth extraction, developed a procedure for helping an impacted tooth erupt, and he even invented dental implants! Possibly his most famous patient was a princess with a missing front tooth, which he successfully replaced. Paré’s accomplishments paved the way for many more in the centuries that followed. Today, we know much more about what causes cavities and how to prevent them, and where we have access to separate categories of specialists who can focus on straightening crooked teeth or saving teeth with root canal therapy or treating pediatric patients, just to name a few. Still, it’s interesting to look at how far the field of dentistry has come!

AN IMPORTANT TOOL for keeping teeth and gums healthy is the toothbrush, especially for orthodontic patients. That might seem so obvious that it’s not worth saying, but people make a surprising number of basic mistakes when it comes to their toothbrushes. 1. Replace That Toothbrush Regularly Are the bristles frayed or bent? Are some missing? It’s time to get a new one. The ADA recommends that we replace our toothbrushes at least three times a year. ... 2. Take It Slow When Brushing As often as dentists everywhere remind patients to brush for two full minutes, the average is only about 45 seconds. This simply isn’t long enough to get the full cleaning effect. The repeated motions are what clear plaque and food particles away, so don’t skimp! 3. Brush Gently (and Use a Gentle Brush) Cleaning plaque away from teeth is not the same as scrubbing tile grout. Soft bristles and gentle pressure are enough, but brushing hard or using a firm-bristled brush can actually result in gum recession over time. 4. Proper Toothbrush Storage The longer toothbrushes stay damp, the more likely they are to end up smelly and covered in germs. Toothbrushes need a chance to dry out between uses. Store it upright in a place with airflow (but not close to the toilet yuck!). #brushyourteeth #toothbrush #tips