Dr. Roger Li, DDS

Many people assume that tooth decay in a child’s baby teeth will not be an issue since they'll lose them when their adult teeth develop. However, it's actually been found that dental decay in baby teeth can negatively impact permanent teeth and cause future dental problems. Teach those brushing skills early, in other words. (And let them know how friendly their dentist is!)

We're always told the basic line that sugar is bad for your teeth, right? At some point it dawns on you that (healthy) fruits are high in sugar, though. What exactly does this mean for your smile? Let's walk through it. Highly acidic fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, pineapples, and grapefruits can, in fact, wear down tooth enamel and leave your teeth more vulnerable to cavities. Yes, they are still good for you! Just be aware that even with your healthiest fruits, you'l...l still need to engage in a full brushing and flossing routine. If you want many of the benefits of these types of fruits (like Vitamin C) but are concerned with that acidity level, substitute things like cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelons, or bananas. All are high in vitamin C but not as potentially rough on your enamel. Blueberries are one of nature’s superfoods, but along with all of those antioxidants come that vivid violet coloring, which can leave stains on your tooth enamel. Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries can also stain your teeth. Your best strategy here is to brush your teeth right after eating berries. If you can't manage that, try to give your mouth a good rinse with water. Fruit juices are a much more concentrated source of sugar (and sometimes acids). The juicing process also removes the beneficial fiber found in whole fruit. If you do drink fruit juice, swish with water asap. DRIED FRUITS This category both has no emojis and is a real wild card. Some of these products are actual dried fruits while others are essentially a small bit of fruit with a bunch of processed sugar and preservatives added in. In almost all cases, they're sticky, which even in the healthiest versions, is bad for your teeth. If you want to eat these, be careful with the brand and make it a point to brush afterward. Overall, fruit is great for you and not a huge danger to your teeth. Just be aware of what you're eating and as always, be sure to brush and floss. If you have questions about any of this - particularly dried fruit varieties - leave a comment or shoot me a message!

We hear claims now and then that strawberries are great for teeth whitening. This isn't surprising, since strawberries actually have a number of properties that could indicate teeth whitening strength. For example, ripe strawberries contain malic acid, a natural enamel whitener. They also contain citric acid, which in theory could give teeth a whiter appearance after you apply it to them. That said, citric acid will definitely accelerate the demineralization of your teeth. In... short, your tooth enamel can't be very white if it's no longer there. On top of that: Strawberries don’t contain any ingredients that can actually lift stains from your teeth. While strawberries might give you the illusion of whiter teeth for a bit after eating them (due to the citric acid), there's no actual whitening happening. Any other questions about foods that may or may not be natural whiteners? Message us anytime.

Over 8 years ago you helped us name our fish right here on Facebook!! Look how they have grown.

Since you've been a kid, cavity is the word you've never wanted to hear during a trip to the dentist. A cavity is damage to the tooth that occurs as the result of unaddressed tooth decay. The question for today is this: just how long does it take for a cavity to form? And once the formation of a cavity is in motion, can it be stopped? Demineralization of the enamel is the first stage of tooth decay and the first formal step on the road to a cavity. The demineralized state ha...ppens when a tooth is repeatedly exposed to acids from foods without proper oral hygiene. At this early stage of tooth decay, a corrected oral hygiene program and exposure to fluoride can usually reverse the damage, ie it's not too late to avoid a cavity. Continued demineralization of the enamel leads to enamel decay, the next stage, and this is the point of no return. At this point small holes in the enamel have formed. These holes are better known as...cavities. Once a cavity is fully formed, it can’t be reversed and requires professional treatment. Back to the initial question, then: how long does a cavity take to form? Unfortunately, there’s no exact timeline for how long this takes, since everyone's circumstances, food exposures, genetics, and oral hygiene routines are different. In most cases, cavities develop over years. If oral hygiene is especially bad, it could be months, however. It really can happen that fast. Some of the factors that can affect the timeline: levels of acidity in the mouth how frequently the teeth are exposed to acid tooth enamel health and thickness location of the cavity In the end, and to avoid hearing the dreaded word "cavity" on your next trip to the dentist, remember to brush and floss regularly, and to limit your exposure to sugar and highly acidic foods. Any questions, just shoot us a message.

Mark won our October contest by coming closest to guessing the number of candies in the jar!! Congrats to Mark. We hope he enjoys his $100 Amazon Gift Card. Keep an eye out for another contest soon.

You're entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card just by guessing how many pieces of candy are in the jar! Closest without going over wins - winner chosen on 11/27. No purchase or appointment necessary to win.

One of the worst Halloween candies for your teeth that you're going to come across are LOLLIPOPS. Yes, they're typically pretty small (and can be delicious!) when it comes to how bad a candy is for your teeth, something called "frequency of exposure" is more harmful than quantity. Think about it this way. A gummy bear (and its accompanying sugar) is in your mouth for a matter of seconds. It might not even hit some of your teeth directly. Brush and floss and the risk of dama...ge is minimal. But a lollipop? A lollipop is sitting in your mouth for a good amount of time. And you're basically swishing its sugar around the whole time you're eating it. Not the best situation, and yes, this would go for most hard candy, whether they're on a stick or not.

It feels like we all instinctively know that candy corn is pretty bad for your teeth. How bad is it, though? Candy corn is basically pure sugar with a few other things mixed in. It also seemingly lasts forever. These two things alone clue you in right away that it's definitely not GOOD for your teeth. However, there are surprisingly much worse things you can snack on this month!... Caramel or other sticky, gooey things are going to have the potential to do way more damage than candy corn. And more acidic beverages like sugary drinks will do more harm, as well. Candy corn (like chocolate) brushes off fairly easily if you can get to it pretty quickly. In the end, stick to your brushing and flossing regimen, and a little candy corn will not be the end of the world (at least for your teeth).