Can you imagine maintaining a 17 year letter-writing campaign to five different presidents to secure a national holiday for an idea you held dear? Sarah Josepha Hale did just that between 1846 and 1863 to secure a national Thanksgiving holiday – perhaps it helped that Ms. Hale was a writer by trade! In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln became the final president to convince, and agreed to support legislation ushering in the national holiday that year. Believe it or not, there is a lot to be thankful for when it comes to your teeth as well. Read more

Tonsiliths? What is That?

Kidney stones, bladder stones, gallstones … tonsil stones? What? Most are familiar with the first three, but the last is nearly always a stumper. Since tonsil stones (or, tonsiliths) only affect about 10% of the population, many people just don’t know about them. However, of the percent that does get them, most are aware that something is amiss, but have no idea what they’re experiencing. So, if you’ve ever coughed up an irregular lump of whitish-looking gunk from the back of your mouth and not known what the heck that stinky mess was, or if you have bad breath that no one seems to be able to put their finger on, well … you just might be among that “lucky” 10% who gets tonsiliths. Read more

My Teeth Are Shifting, But I Don’t Want to Wear Braces!

If your teeth have shifted since your teenage years, and you’re starting to think you might need to wear braces as an adult – perhaps for the second time – fear not. You’ll be happy to know one of the most common methods for re-aligning slightly crooked teeth isn’t braces at all – it’s a cosmetically unobtrusive spring retainer. Read more

Things You Should Know About Your Teeth as You Age

If you’ve ever considered the prospect of living without teeth as you age, it’s probably caused you considerable amount of distress just thinking about it. Multiple tooth loss can indeed be traumatic and costly, and, for some, the remedies are less than ideal. That said, you’ll be pleased to know that aging itself isn’t much of a contributor to tooth loss, and that many people live their entire lives with nearly all of their natural teeth intact. So what’s the best way to ensure you’re among this coveted group? Read more