Dental Blog

patients of Olson Family Dental from Norwalk, CT

Dr. Karl Olson has created this informative blog to help educate the community.

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Latest Posts:

How to Keep Teeth Safe When Playing Sports

Posted on 1/25/2020 by Karl Olson

Have you ever lost a tooth or damaged your jaw when playing a sport? The experience can be quite excruciating. Moreover, the jaw can undergo severe damage. When it comes to some athletes, a lost or broken tooth is just a rite of passage. However, for the common average hobbyist, it is a nightmare. Not only does it cost more than a fancy mouth guard, but your friends are also bound to laugh at you for a few months. Using the right gear when playing sports has been proven to prevent unnecessary harm, including to the teeth and guns. Luckily, it is not hard to learn how to protect your teeth when engaging in close-contact activities or a sport. Protecting Your TeethWhen engaging in a sport that involves the use of sticks, bats, balls or person-to-person contact such as hockey or soccer, a mouth guard is necessary. Not only are some options very inexpensive, some of them are easy to maintain. Some are soaked in boiling water while some require more care. Whichever the case, they are both quite pocket friendly. Picking the required helmet when playing a sport should also be at the top of your priorities. Do not play hockey with a helmet meant for a cyclist. Good headwear provides an extra layer of protection. Since you need neither a mouth guard nor a helmet in a sport like swimming, proper maintenance of the pool is necessary. If the pH is too low (acidic), you are at a risk of getting swimmers calculus. It makes your teeth extra sensitive and appear yellow because of enamel erosion. You can further protect your mouth by keeping it closed while swimming. This reduces the contact with chlorinated water. Lastly, booking an appointment with us can be a good avenue for you to ask more questions exhaustively and grow your knowledge about oral hygiene. Feel free to contact us about any worries you might have....
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What Are the Most Common Reasons People Fear Coming to See Us?

Posted on 1/15/2020 by Karl Olson

It may be an old stereotype, but it's still true: many people are afraid to visit the dentist. We don't like it, but we have to face the fact that many of our patients are afraid of us. Understanding why people are afraid can help us to take steps to lessen that fear. So here are some of the most common reasons people fear visiting us. Irrational Childhood FearFor many people, the feeling is simply a carry-over from when they were kids. As kids, people tend to fear the unknown or the unfamiliar. Few things are more unfamiliar to a young child than a dentist's chair. Sadly, as people grow and become adults, they often carry that fear with them. So we like to encourage our patients: really examine your fear of the dentist and see if you can pinpoint a reason for it. If not, there's a good chance that it's just a continuation of that irrational fear you developed as a child. Bad Past ExperiencesSome people fear the dentist because they had a bad experience with one once. If this sounds like you, please rest assured that we always work very hard to take excellent care of our patients. We want to be sure that your visit is a pleasant one, and we go out of our way to set your mind at ease. Sometimes, people are simply afraid because they don't know what to expect. So, we want you to know that you can always call us and ask about any particular procedure or visit that is coming up. We will be happy to sit down with you and explain exactly what we will be doing, and why we will be doing it. So, come see us whenever you want! There is no reason to be afraid!...
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Which Drinks Can Discolor Your Teeth Most?

Posted on 12/25/2019 by Karl Olson

If you are keen on maintaining a bright smile, then proper hygiene is quite indispensable. However, apart from appropriate dental health, it's also essential to watch what we drink and eat. Certain beverages can quickly discolor our teeth. If you want the brightest teeth possible, then make sure to avoid as many of these beverages as possible. TeaWhile tea is healthy for our bodies, it might not be an excellent choice for someone keen on keeping their teeth white. Research has found black tea to be more problematic than coffee. Lighter teas are still able to cause stains, but they are also more acidic and can damage the enamel of our teeth. Sports DrinksApart from tea, another common culprit that is sports drinks. Studies show that acidic beverages and meals can also impact our teeth. Energy and sports drinks can erode the enamel on our teeth. Instead of consuming sports drinks, we highly encourage you to consume water instead after intense workouts. WineIf a drink can stain a tablecloth, then it can also stain the enamel of our teeth. Known for its dark, vibrant, and acidic nature, red wine is one of the varieties that can easily stain teeth. Apart from red wine, white wine also can discolor your teeth, since it's more acidic in comparison to red. Carbonated DrinksAnother drink that you should avoid is anything carbonated. Soda is a great example of a carbonated beverage that cause teeth discoloration due to their acidic nature and dye content. The flavor and chemicals also can eat away at our enamel. While it's essential to avoid the drinks discussed above, it's also necessary to have your teeth examined from time to time. Visit us as soon as possible so that we examine your teeth and determine whether your perfect smile is at risk....
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All Posts:

How to Keep Teeth Safe When Playing Sports
1/25/2020
What Are the Most Common Reasons People Fear Coming to See Us?
1/15/2020
Which Drinks Can Discolor Your Teeth Most?
12/25/2019
Where Acids Could Be Hiding in Your Daily Diet
12/15/2019
How We Can Help You With Erupting Wisdom Teeth
11/25/2019
Keeping Your Toothbrush Healthy
11/15/2019
The Difference Between Panoramic X-Rays and Digital X-Rays
10/25/2019
Why a Healthy Mouth During Cancer Treatment is So Important?
10/15/2019
Some People Do Not Need to Have Their Wisdom Teeth Extracted
9/25/2019
The Basics of Bruxism - Should You Be Worried?
9/15/2019
How Fillings Can Help Decrease Tooth Sensitivity
8/25/2019
Make Sure Your Teeth Have Help Staying White
8/15/2019
Are Your Gums Trying to Tell You About an Underlying Illness?
7/23/2019
Relieving the Harmful Effects of Chronic Dry Mouth Can Start with Water
7/13/2019
Soothing Burn Pain in Your Mouth
6/25/2019
Signs You Need to Improve Your Brushing Technique
6/15/2019
Which New Patient Questions Should You Always Ask When Going to a New Dental Office?
5/25/2019
What Stress Does to Your Gums
5/15/2019
Ideal Dental Goals for 2019
4/25/2019
How Your Tongue Affects Your Breath
4/15/2019
Ways of Getting Your Smile Ready for Photographs
3/30/2019
There Are Many Myths About Root Canals - Do Not Let Them Stop You From Getting Treatment!
3/20/2019
Dental Reviews Can Help You Find the Right Dentist
2/28/2019
Could Sound Reduction Reduce Your Dental Anxiety?
2/20/2019
Questions to Ask the Hygienist at Your Next Appointment
1/30/2019
Problems You May Face with Overlapping Teeth
1/20/2019
What Dry Mouth Can Do to Your Teeth
12/30/2018
What Does the Most Damage to Your Tooth's Enamel?
12/20/2018
Common Procedures That Fall Under Restorative Dentistry
11/30/2018
Caring for Elderly Teeth is Different than Young Adult Teeth
11/20/2018
Recovering from Receding Gums
10/20/2018
Do Some People Tend to Get More Cavities?
9/30/2018
Can Your Bite Get Adjusted?
9/20/2018
Ways of Explaining Dental Pain When You Come See Us
8/30/2018
Uncommon Things That Erode Your Enamel
8/20/2018
Things to Do to Decrease Tooth Sensitivity Between Visits to Our Office
7/20/2018
How Long Does a Socket Take to Heal?
7/10/2018
Composite Resin Allows You to Get Veneers Without the Trimming!
6/23/2018
Chewing Tobacco Hurts More Than Just Your Teeth
6/13/2018
Do Some Foods Clean Off Common Dental Stains?
5/23/2018
Do Dental Chips Need Repair?
5/13/2018
Should You Make Homemade Mouthwash?
10/30/2010

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The doctors have participated in multiple missions trips to the Dominican Republic to perform extractions for children in schools who have never seen a dentist.
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