Dental Tips & Articles
Dental Health Blog
Make Your Game Day Snacks More Smile Friendly
Quick Summary Swapping traditional game day snacks for nutrient-rich alternatives protects your teeth from decay and staining while still delivering satisfying flavor and crunch. Leafy greens provide essential vitamins for gums, Greek yogurt offers calcium without...
Trick Or Treat! Our Dental Team Is Ready For Halloween!
Quick Summary MComie Dentistry celebrates Halloween by having the dental team dress up in costumes, creating a festive atmosphere for patients who visit the office during the holiday. Past costumes have included Batman and Robin dental hygienists, Ant-Man, and various...
Meet Dental Hygienist Kristin
Quick Summary Kristin is a dental hygienist at McOmie Family Dentistry in Chattanooga with 13 years of hygiene experience and 5 years as a dental assistant, totaling 18 years in the dental field. She focuses on improving your dental health through professional...
What Is A Dental Assistant?
Quick summary Dental assistants are specially trained professionals who assist dentists with all procedures, while dental hygienists focus on teeth cleaning. In Tennessee, dental assistants must complete a year-long Registered Dental Assistant program and maintain...
Why Does Food Taste Funny After Brushing Your Teeth?
Quick Summary Surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in toothpaste suppress your sweet taste receptors and enhance bitter flavors, making foods taste blander or more sour immediately after brushing. The effect fades after about 30 minutes as your saliva dilutes...
Helping Your Kids Learn And Love To Brush Their Teeth
Quick Summary Children are more likely to brush their teeth consistently when they understand why it matters, participate in choosing their own supplies, and experience it as fun rather than a chore. Start brushing once teeth emerge using a smear of toothpaste the...
4 Tips To Soothe A Toothache Before Your Appointment
Quick Summary Toothaches stem from underlying causes like decay, gum disease, or enamel erosion and only worsen without professional treatment, so seeing a dentist as quickly as possible is essential for both pain relief and treating the root cause. Temporary at-home...
See The Full Picture On Dental X-Rays
Quick Summary Digital dental X-rays detect tooth decay between teeth, under existing dental work, and below the gum line that visual exams cannot reveal, enabling early diagnosis and treatment. Digital X-rays reduce radiation exposure by up to 90% compared to...
Does Your Child Grind Their Teeth and Can Bruxism Cause a TMJ Disorder?
Quick Summary Between 20 and 30 percent of children grind or clench their teeth at some point during childhood, a condition called bruxism that occurs most commonly at night. Most children outgrow bruxism without lasting damage to their teeth, and TMJ problems are...
Fluoride Removed From Soddy Daisy Water System! Is this good or bad?
Quick Summary Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that strengthens tooth enamel, repairs early-stage cavities through remineralization, and reduces acid production by plaque bacteria, helping prevent decay at all ages. Communities that first added fluoride to...
Dental Health: Why Do I Always Have Dry Mouth?
Quick summary Dry mouth happens when your salivary glands don't produce enough of the two to four pints of saliva your body normally generates each day, putting you at higher risk for tooth decay, gum disease, and infection. Medications for allergies, blood pressure,...
Should We Throw Away Our Dental Floss?
Quick Summary No, you should not throw away your dental floss because failing to floss leads to cavities and gum disease. Daily clinical observation shows that patients who consistently brush and floss maintain healthy mouths, while those who skip these practices...