Dentists and hygienists are always sucking saliva away or blowing your teeth dry. You’d think we had something against it. But the truth is that saliva is very beneficial to your oral health.

A dentist or a dental hygienist can take a quick look inside your mouth and tell you whether you clench and grind your teeth in your sleep

Dental hygienists see thousands and thousands of patients’ mouths each year. They know that no two people’s mouths or oral health are quite the same. Nonetheless, there are some things that patients don’t know about caring for their smiles that seem to come up again and again.

In addition to good dental hygiene and regular checkups, knowing how to spot a dental problem early can be extremely helpful when in preventing toothaches or the need for a root canal.

As dentists, we’ll warn you away from sweet treats most of the time, but chewing gum is a surprising exception. That is, as long as it’s sugar-free. Yes, it’s true that sugar-free chewing gum is actually good for your teeth and can help prevent tooth decay.