Facts on Fluoride

Fluoride is a natural mineral found throughout the earth’s crust and widely distributed in nature and is often added to water to help reduce tooth decay. Research has shown that fluoride not only reduces cavities in children and adults, but it also helps repair the early stages of tooth decay, even before the decay is visible. Here at Bishop & Bishop Dental, we can discuss professional fluoride treatments with you to see if you are a prime candidate.

When fluoride reaches your teeth, it is absorbed into the enamel. Fluoride helps to repair the enamel by replenishing the lost calcium and phosphorus to keep your teeth hard through a process called remineralization. When fluoride is present during this process, the minerals deposited into the tooth enamel help strengthen your teeth and prevent dissolution during the next demineralization phase. The results are stronger tooth enamel and a cavity-free grin.

If you have questions about fluoride treatment, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.bishopdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. David Bishop at Bishop & Bishop Dental here in Silver Spring, Maryland, call 301-608-9270.

Oral Hygiene Techniques

Here at Bishop and Bishop Dental, we believe that proper patient education is a huge aspect of a great dental practice. Preventative care is the best step you can take when it comes to maintaining a healthy smile. Regular brushing and flossing along with regular cleanings are the only way for you to assure that you won’t have any periodontal issues.

Our main goal is to teach our patients how to brush and floss properly. Everyone should be maintaining a regular brushing and flossing routine, regardless of age. We recommend that our patients brush at least twice a day and encourage a regular flossing regimen that will help maintain a healthy smile. With the wide array of dental products available, it’s easy to buy the wrong product. The best thing you can do is just ask us. Dr. David Bishop is happy to recommend a certain type of toothpaste or even what type of bristles you should have on your toothbrush.  

If you’re not going to the dentist because of a dental phobia or because you don’t feel any pain, you could have undiagnosed gingivitis that will eventually lead to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States. The best treatment for periodontal disease is preventative care. Our approach to preventative dental care includes routine checkups that include X-rays and fluoride treatment, thorough dental cleanings and we also like to provide you with education and advice that can help give you great oral hygiene regimen at home. Our goal is to prevent any type of disease from happening in the first place, that way it won’t become a bigger issue further down the line.  

If you have further questions about oral hygiene give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide, visit www.bishopdental.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at Bishop & Bishop Dental in Silver Spring, MD, call 301-608-9270. 

Oral Hygiene Techniques

Here at Bishop and Bishop Dental, we believe that proper patient education is a huge aspect of a great dental practice. Preventative care is the best step you can take when it comes to maintaining a healthy smile. Regular brushing and flossing along with regular cleanings are the only way for you to assure that you won’t have any periodontal issues.

Our main goal is to teach our patients how to brush and floss properly. Everyone should be maintaining a regular brushing and flossing routine, regardless of age. We recommend that our patients brush at least twice a day and encourage a regular flossing regimen that will help maintain a healthy smile. With the wide array of dental products available, it’s easy to buy the wrong product. The best thing you can do is just ask us. Dr. David Bishop is happy to recommend a certain type of toothpaste or even what type of bristles you should have on your toothbrush.  

If you’re not going to the dentist because of a dental phobia or because you don’t feel any pain, you could have undiagnosed gingivitis that will eventually lead to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States. The best treatment for periodontal disease is preventative care. Our approach to preventative dental care includes routine checkups that include X-rays and fluoride treatment, thorough dental cleanings and we also like to provide you with education and advice that can help give you great oral hygiene regimen at home. Our goal is to prevent any type of disease from happening in the first place, that way it won’t become a bigger issue further down the line.  

If you have further questions about oral hygiene give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide, visit www.bishopdental.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at Bishop & Bishop Dental in Silver Spring, MD, call 301-608-9270. 

Here’s Why You Should Own a Tongue Scraper

Bad breath is a common problem for many people, given the wide variety of substances traveling through our mouths daily. While the regular brushing and flossing addresses the teeth and gums, it’s all too easy to forget about the tongue. Tongue scraping is an oral hygiene practice that removes bacteria, food debris, fungi, toxins, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue. Here at Bishop Dental, we recommend implementing this step to enhance your oral hygiene routine.

When we sleep, our digestive system remains awake, removing toxins from our body by depositing them onto the surface of our tongue. If we don’t scrape away these toxins, they get reabsorbed by the body and can lead to respiratory difficulties, digestive problems, and a compromised immune system. Dental research has concluded that a tongue scraper is more effective at removing toxins and bacteria from the tongue than a toothbrush. Although brushing and flossing will loosen and move debris around, they do not actually remove the bacteria.

Tongue scrapers are inexpensive, and can be found at most health food stores as well as online. To learn more about dental hygiene and the services we offer, visit www.bishopdental.com for more information. To schedule a consultation with Dr. David Bishop, D.D.S. or Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, D.D.S. in Silver Spring, MD, call 301-608-9270.

Periodontal Disease

Caring for your teeth is an essential part of maintaining good oral health, but your gums also play an important role in your health, and proper care is crucial. Gum disease can be a serious detriment to your oral health and overall wellness, and Drs. David Bishop and Dorienne Taylor-Bishop of Bishop & Bishop Dental provides the regular periodontal and checkups you need to maintain peak periodontal health and prevent gum disease.

With periodontal disease responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, it is critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when they first arise. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums that starts when a build-up of plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar. As the tartar accumulates, bacteria collect and attack the soft tissue in the surrounding gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis. Periodontis can destroy your gum tissue and lead to tooth loss. Periodontis can even result in a loss of bone mass in your jaw bone, and heart disease, diabetes and stroke have also been linked to poor periodontal health.

The state of your gums affects the health of your entire body, so come to our office for periodontal cleanings and treatment. We will make sure your gums are well cared for. Call (301) 608-9270 to schedule an appointment. For more information about our practice, visit www.bishopdental.com.

A Healthy Smile is a Beautiful Smile with Dr. David Bishop

Regular checkups and dental cleanings are a part of any good oral hygiene routine, and at our office in Silver Spring, MD, we provide dental care services of the highest quality to ensure that our patients’ smiles stay healthy year after year.

Plaque is a soft and sticky film of bacteria that can build up on your teeth despite regular brushing and flossing. Because teeth are constantly bathed in saliva, which contains calcium and other substances to strengthen and protect teeth, tartar or calcium deposits can also build up over time. Dental cleanings work to remove both plaque and tartar from the teeth. If it is not removed and is allowed to accumulate, bacteria will be provided a perfect environment and thrive on the gums and teeth, which can cause cavities, infection and gum disease.

While good for maintaining oral health between dentist visits, at-home brushing and cleaning are not enough to make sure teeth stay clean; regular dental cleanings are required. We will clean and polish your teeth, leaving the surface clean and smooth. The smoother the teeth, the more difficult it is for bacteria to stick to them and the more effective at-home brushing will be.

We recommend checkups and dental cleanings every six months for optimum oral health. To schedule an appointment with Dr. David Bishop or Dr. Dorienne Taylor-Bishop of Bishop & Bishop Dental, call (301) 608-9270. For more information, visit www.bishopdental.com.

Tips for a Healthier Smile from Bishop & Bishop Dental

Regular exams and cleanings with Dr. David Bishop or Dr. Dorienne Taylor-Bishop are only a small part of a good oral hygiene routine. Everyday oral care habits also play a vital role in a healthy smile, and if you want to improve your oral health, here are some simple changes you can make.

1.            Brush better. Good technique and proper duration are essential for effective brushing. To maximize your brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle and make sweeping circular motions away from the gums. You should brush for at least two minutes or for the length of a song.

2.            Floss. Dr. Bishop has probably already told you how important this is. This is because flossing can actually do a better job of removing harmful plaque than brushing, and it only needs to be done once a day. So why aren’t you doing it already? It’s the key to healthier teeth and fresher breath.

3.            Chew sugarless gum. Sugarless gum is a great way to keep your smile fresh after a meal. Not only will it improve your breath, but chewing gum increases saliva production to help wash away the acids released by the bacteria in plaque. If the gum has xylitol, it even helps reduce decay-causing bacteria.

4.            Replace your toothbrush. How long have you been brushing with your toothbrush? As your toothbrush ages, the bristles will fray and lose their cleaning ability. Extremely frayed bristles can even hurt your gums. Bacteria can also build up in the bristles of toothbrushes, so make sure you are replacing yours ever three to four months.

5.            Switch to tap water. Tap water is treated with fluoride, which is a safe and effective technique for lowering tooth decay across the nation. Plus, it’s basically free.

For more ways to keep your smile healthy, turn to Bishop & Bishop Dental in Silver Spring, MD. To schedule an appointment, call (301) 608-9270. For more information, please visit www.bishopdental.com.