Posts Categorized: General Health

All About Dental Cleanings

preparing for a dental visit

Brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day are certainly important steps to keeping your smile beautiful, but it’s also important to schedule professional dental cleanings and checkups every six months. Our Lake Forest dentist Dr. James Fondriest wants you to know the benefits of regular dental preventative care examinations and how… Read more »

Tongue Thrusting

Tongue Thrusting: How does your child swallow?

Did you know that 20 to 80 percent of orthodontic patients throughout the U.S. present with some form of tongue thrust? Do you know what tongue thrusting is? Babies are born with this natural “extrusion reflex” for survival. When their lips are touched, they extend their tongue expecting the breast or bottle.  Within the first… Read more »

Strong Enamel – The Secret of Healthy Teeth

There is no secret, one time trick to keep your teeth healthy for life. A healthy mouth requires a lifetime commitment of routine care to protect your teeth and gums. What many people don’t realize, however, is that teeth also have their own protection. A protective layer that keeps the vulnerable inner tooth from being… Read more »

Whoopi Goldberg’s Struggle with Gum Disease

Whoopi Goldberg gum disease

Celebrity gum disease Whoopi Goldberg has struggled with gum disease for many years. Sharing her problems has put light on a topic that many suffer from. Learning to brush your teeth is a right of passage for all children. We’re told about the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day and going to the… Read more »

Canker sores | What are they and what can I do about them?

Treat canker sores at home

Does pain from canker sores in your mouth keep you from smiling? Even if you have worked hard to maintain a healthy and beautiful smile through regular dental care and professional teeth whitening, the discomfort can take away your desire to show off your pearly whites. Many children and adults struggle with canker sores. While… Read more »

Allergy medications affect dental health

Allergy medications affect dental health

Allergy medications will affect dental health. Aeroallergens exist indoors and outdoors, and spring is ripe with pollen and allergy inducing fungi. Airborne spores and other fungi may originate in fields, forests, agricultural crops, flowers, or grass. Because they are light, sticky, and plentiful, they are easily transferred into homes, offices, and cars. Impossible to get… Read more »

Popping Jaws – Do your jaw joints click or pop?

popping jaws

If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from jaw joint problems, then clicking or popping jaw joints may be a daily occurrence. For many people, the sensation can be uncomfortable, and perhaps a little disturbing. For others, it may be a barely noticeable annoyance that doesn’t seem to warrant any serious… Read more »

Dental Reactions to Overwhelming Stress

You might recognize a headache, tense back muscles, and an upset stomach as telltale symptoms of stress and anxiety, but can you recognize how the condition affects your dental health? Stress is considered one common cause of tooth grinding. One of the most common indications of prolonged tension is bruxism, or habitual teeth-grinding, which can… Read more »

Allergies to Dental Medications

Allergies to different types of medicine are quite common in the medical field. To teach his patients about the differing types of dental allergies, Dr. James Fondriest shares the following information. Commonly Seen Allergies to Dental Medications Penicillin. Some form of penicillin appears in a number of antibiotic medications and allergic reactions range from very… Read more »

Repair a chipped tooth

A number of factors can cause a tooth to chip. For example, eating something too hard or suffering with dental trauma can lead to a damaged tooth. Regardless of the cause, though, a dentist can typically repair the tooth. To help his patients understand how a chipped tooth is treated, Dr. James Fondriest shares this… Read more »

Teeth Grinding | How to manage it

Teeth grinding can cause headaches

Unconscious teeth grinding or rubbing the teeth together is very common. It is thought that about 50% of us grind to some degree. Though commonly referred to as a habit, the truth is that sleep bruxism is a chronic condition, and patients who experience it often can’t stop even if they want to. The good… Read more »

TMJ Earaches: The Solution for Your Ear Pain

TMJ Earaches

Do you experience frequent TMJ earaches or a constant ringing in your ears that affects your hearing? Does the pain spread to your face, jaw, or neck or cause frequent headaches? Have over-the-counter pain remedies failed to relieve your pain? While ear infections can cause ear pain, chronic ear pain might be a sign of… Read more »

The Psychology of Smiling

An emerging field of study known as “positive psychology” or “happiness research” offers new insight into human emotions – more specifically, the act of smiling. Many people hide their smiles because they don’t like their appearance. As a cosmetic dentist, Dr. Fondriest builds beautiful smiles that convey a positive image. Do you know what’s in… Read more »

Craze lines on your teeth | Enamel cracks

If you’ve noticed small lines on your teeth, you may have what dentists call craze lines. These web looking imperfections should not be confused with a truly fractured tooth, which is painful. Craze lines are merely hairline cracks in tooth enamel. Though these lines on teeth are cosmetically displeasing, they are not particularly harmful to… Read more »

Name some healthy treats for teeth

Finding healthy treats for teeth can be difficult in a busy world. The holidays are approaching, and this means an increase in sugar consumption for many people. When you place special treats around the house for family and guests to graze on, chances are you’ll be munching on the morsels as well. In the spirit… Read more »

Americans Score Low for Dental Health Knowledge

According to the American Dental Association, the United States needs some education on the facts about oral health. The association’s new Web site, mouthHealthy.org, features the results of a national survey that recently gave the average American a “D” on the fundamentals of oral health. The survey offered a range of true or false questions… Read more »

Oral Cancer Rates are Rising

In 2012, an estimated 40,000 Americans were diagnosed with oral cancer. Approximately 8,000 people will die this year from cancer of the tongue, mouth, and throat, according to a report published by the American Cancer Society. While doctors aren’t certain why one person will get mouth cancer and another won’t, there are several risk factors… Read more »

Sports Drinks and enamel erosion | Protect teeth from acidic drinks

Sports Drinks and Enamel Erosion Sports drinks are not as healthy as you might think. In fact, sports drinks have a deadly combination of sugar and acidity that can wreak havoc on your tooth enamel. Weakened enamel creates an environment for cavities, tooth sensitivity, and staining. If you are an athlete this news may be… Read more »

Dark chocolate and cavities

Dark chocolate and cavities

Does dark chocolate cause cavities? The consensus up until now has been that chocolate is bad for your teeth. It is high in sugar and sugar causes cavities, right? Wrong. Sugar helps cause cavities but it is not solely responsible. A number of factors come together to create tooth decay including sugar and pathogenic oral bacteria. Pathogenic… Read more »

Gum Disease Myths Dispelled

Gum disease is common. Recent findings show up to 80% of the population in the United States has gum disease. Despite the fact that gum disease is very common, many patients lack awareness and information on the disease. Early stages of gum disease (gingivitis) are reversible with regular dental cleanings and thorough oral hygiene. If… Read more »

Sports Drinks Are Dangerous

Did you know that sports drinks are dangerous? Dr. James Fondriest encourages his patients to live an active lifestyle with plenty of cardiovascular exercise. Many of us are concerned about staying hydrated throughout the day and sports drinks are a common choice for maintaining a healthy level of hydration. Although beneficial ingredients in sports drinks like… Read more »

Alternatives to Drinks That Stain Your Teeth

If you start your morning with coffee or finish an evening off with red wine, you might be staining your teeth. These beverages, along with cola and many others, are notorious for causing extrinsic tooth stains. Many of our patients can ease the incidence of these stains with regular dental cleanings and comprehensive daily oral… Read more »

Connection between diabetes and gum disease

As scientists and researchers discover more about the connection between oral health and overall vitality, we would like to provide our patients insight into how diabetes and gum disease are connected. Dr. James Fondriest strives to continually educate his patients, especially patients with certain conditions and special needs. Below are some commonly asked questions about… Read more »

Oral Cancer Exam at the Dentist

oral cancer exam at the dentist

An oral cancer exam at the dentist can help detect precancerous or cancerous lesions at an early stage. The earlier oral cancer is identified, the earlier it can be properly treated. Cancer kills over two million people annually. Of these two million people, approximately 7,900 people will die from oral cancer. The death rate is… Read more »