Dental Articles

Taking Care of Your Pet's Teeth

IT’S EASY TO ASSUME that our pets don’t need dental care like we do. After all, wild animals can’t exactly brush their teeth, and that doesn’t seem to be a problem for them. However, it turns out that our pets’ teeth have a very different situation than the teeth of wild animals, and they do need our help to stay healthy.

Kissing and Cavities

WE HOPE ALL OF our patients are excited for Valentine’s Day! We also hope the topic we’re about to discuss won’t spoil the romantic mood, but we need to talk about what kissing does to oral bacteria. Our cavity prevention dentists in Grand Rapids, MI want to make sure that you and your family keep your teeth healthy.

Getting Your Smile Back With Dental Implants

SPORTS INJURIES, ACCIDENTS, and tooth decay are just a few of the reasons we might lose a tooth. Thanks to modern dentistry, however, we don’t need to settle for having a gap in our smiles for the rest of our lives. There are a few ways to fill that gap, and one of them is with dental implants.

Fighting Back Against Oral Cancer

ORAL CANCER IS A SUBJECT we’d all prefer not to have to think about, but it’s critical to have a basic understanding of risk factors and symptoms. More than 50,000 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with oral cancer last year, and that number is expected to rise.

OralDNA: Getting Ahead Of Gum Disease

Ten years ago, scientists developed a new method to test for oral diseases, such as periodontal disease. This method is called OralDNA testing, and it enables us to spot these diseases much earlier than we could before and offer treatment that is tailor-made for individual patients.

Don’t Let Those Insurance Benefits Expire!

2017 IS ALMOST OVER, and that means it’s time to talk about dental insurance. Most dental plans don’t let the benefits roll over into the next year if they go unused. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of all your benefits, then now is the time to do so!

Managing That Halloween Sweet Tooth

HALLOWEEN IS OUR favorite spooky time of year, but when it comes to sugar’s effects on teeth, all that candy can be downright scary. The reason sugar is bad for our teeth is that it feeds harmful oral bacteria that excrete acid, and the acid erodes enamel and leads to tooth decay.

Back To School Dental Check-Ups

DID YOU KNOW THAT TOOTH DECAY is the most common chronic disease in children? An estimated 42 percent of children between ages two and 11 get tooth decay in their baby teeth, and it doesn’t stop there, with 59 percent of kids between 12 and 19 getting at least one cavity.

Overcoming Dental Anxiety

Fear of going to the dentist is fairly common, with an estimated nine to 15 percent of Americans completely avoiding visiting the dentist because of anxiety and fear. That means up to 40 million Americans are taking a serious gamble with their dental health.

4 Fun Apps To Improve Your Oral Hygiene

Our smartphones are never farther than an arm’s length away and help us do everything from track our calendars to track our calories. Today, we want to show you the wonders they can do for our daily hygiene routines with the help of these apps!

Common Misconceptions About Gum Disease

WE BELIEVE the more educated our patients are about dental health issues, the better they’ll be able to prevent them. We often warn of periodontal disease and the detrimental effects it has on the mouth and body. But there are also many common misconceptions about gum disease.

How Pregnancy Affects Your Oral Health

Pregnancy affects nearly every aspect of your life-your lifestyle, your diet, your health, and much more! Your mouth is no exception to the changes your body may experience during pregnancy. During this special time, you’ll need to pay particular attention to your oral health for both your sake and your growing baby’s.

February Is Children’s Dental Health Month

THE CDC REPORTS THAT 1 in 5 children (between ages 5 and 11) in the US have untreated tooth decay. Not only should tooth decay be treated in regular dental appointments, it should be prevented! Tooth decay is 100 percent preventable with effective personal care and regular dental cleanings.

A Brief History Of Dental Floss

TODAY, FLOSSING IS A staple of oral hygiene and health. But have you ever wondered when we started flossing? You might be surprised by the answer.

The Impact of Food and Drink on Dental Health

The dentists at Great Lakes Dental Care continuously stress the importance of cavity protection towards your overall health. However, preventing cavities involves more than brushing your teeth — proper oral hygiene also requires a balanced diet.

Dental Implants | Frequently Asked Questions

The Grand Rapids Dentists at Great Lakes Dental Care want patients to know about the many benefits to using dental implants. Do you have questions about dental implants? Are you a good candidate? Are they painful? What are the costs?

Regain Confidence in Your Appearance with Cosmetic Dentistry

Do you feel self-conscious about laughing or smiling in front of others? Do you try to hide your mouth’s problem areas when talking or smiling? If you have stained, crooked, gapped, decaying or missing teeth, it can easily cause you to lose confidence in your appearance.

Protecting and Maintaining Your Child's Teeth

Did you know that some children develop cavities before they reach kindergarten? Thankfully, you can raise your children with clean, healthy mouths by instilling in them good practices and routines when they are young.