Hi everyone,

With the warmer weather come the fun beverages we all love. They are refreshing and necessary to stay hydrated when it is hot. One thing that is important to remember that sipping on a sugary beverage can lead to nasty cavities.

I hate to be a wet blanket, but if you sip all day you will get decay. Most people never truly understand the cause until it is too late and they are sitting in my chair getting one or more holes fixed. So here it goes, my; “where cavities come from speech”.

Bacteria cause cavities because they make acid as a byproduct of their digestion of food. Guess what? They eat the same things as we do, because they live in our mouth. The only difference is they are really small, so eating a Tic Tac is a holiday feast for them. They produce acid for about 20 minutes. This dissolves away some calcium from your tooth for the next 20 minutes. If you put absolutely nothing in your mouth for the next 2 hours your saliva will replace the lost calcium. Problem solved!

What if you put some more sugary food in your mouth before 2 hours? Well, then you loose some more enamel. If you keep snacking or sipping then you never give your saliva a chance to replace the calcium in your tooth. It is a lot like a negative cash flow situation on a charge card. You never get the principal paid off. With your tooth the result is a hole we call a cavity.

Foods and beverages that contain citric acid eat away the enamel the fastest. Click on the link: ENAMEL DESTRUCTION CHART in the front page of my web site for a list of the offending beverages. There are safer alternatives you can choose. They are on the left of the graph.

Happy summer and enjoy water all day.

Dr. Scott

    It is a new year and I trust everyone is doing well. Our holiday break was short and hectic, but rewarding. Getting together with the family is what the holidays are all about.

    Happy New Year!

    I wanted to take a moment to let, many of you who do not know, that I am approaching my one year anniversary of teaching at the University of Michigan School of dentistry at Ann Arbor. I accepted a position last February as an adjunct clinical assistant professor. I drive down to the “U” every Friday.  I am currently teaching third and forth year dental students in the clinic. I assign and monitor their progress in doing general dentistry; just like I do every day. It is very rewarding to see their eyes light up when I show them one of my “tricks”. This is my way to give back to my profession I am so passionate about.

    Also, by spending time with other faculty in the school I am exposed to a wealth of information about ongoing research and materials science. It is these bits of wisdom I am able to bring back to my own practice and blend it with my 28 years of experience in order to provide the best patient care possible.

    Best Wishes in the New Year,

    Dr. Scott

A respected nutritionist told me; “It’s not important what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas, It’s important what you eat between Christmas and Thanksgiving!”

I have patients who, at the end of their recall visit, thank me for their healthy smiles. I return that we only were in their mouth for one hour every six months. The real hero is the patient! They are the ones who are responsible for their healthy mouth!

So have fun over the holidays and be sure to take care of you mouths.  Take a peek at my enamel destruction chart. It will show you which beverages are the worst and the best.

Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year.

Dr. Scott

Welcome to the Blog of Scott Smith, DDS.

Whether you are an existing patient or searching for a dentist in the Grand Blanc area, we’re excited you are here. With the dental industry advancing, we recognize the importance of keeping our patients and visitors up to date with all of the new and exciting things taking place in our practice.

As we move forward with our blog, we hope to promote dental awareness as a vital part of your healthy lifestyle. Here you will find a variety of articles and topics including dental news, advancements in dental technology and treatments, practical oral health advice and updates from our practice.  

We hope you find our blog to be helpful, engaging and informational to ensure your best dental health. 

As always, feel free to contact Scott Smith, DDS. with any dental questions or concerns.

-- The Dental Team at Scott Smith, DDS.