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Vitamins and Minerals for a Healthy Smile Most patients know which foods to avoid to keep a healthy smile, however, do you know what vitamins and minerals are good for your teeth? If you answered calcium, you are correct! But there are many more vitamins and minerals you need to keep your mouth and smile […]

Finding Your Oasis: Food & Drinks for Dry Mouth Xerostomia is the technical term for dry mouth, the condition that results from absent or reduced saliva flow. It is not a disease on its own, but it may be a side effect of medication or radiation treatments.  Xerostomia affects about 20% of the elderly population—not

Pregnant Moms & Oral Health: Brushing & Flossing for Two There are so many things to be concerned about when you find out you’re expecting. Eating right, taking enough vitamins, getting enough rest, telling your husband there is absolutely no way you are naming your firstborn son Bud Light… but what about your teeth? There’s

Are Baby Bottles Bad for Baby Teeth? Tooth decay in infants and very young children is often called baby bottle tooth decay. This happens when liquids with natural or artificial sugars remain in an infant’s mouth for extended periods of time. Bacteria in the baby’s mouth thrive on these sugars, using them to produce acids

Is Thumb Sucking Dangerous? Thumb sucking is normal behavior for babies and young children. But just how normal? More than 75% of little ones suck their thumbs, fingers, hands, pacifiers, or other items such as the corner of a blanket during these early years. Most kids stop this behavior on their own between the ages

Dental Implants: A Brief History of Tooth Replacement Innovation Today’s dental implants boast a long-term success rate of near 97%. Because implants support surrounding teeth, encourage new tissue growth and continued bone formation, and give patients back full chewing ability and a complete smile, they have become the industry standard for tooth replacement.  Today, your

“Buy-Up” Dental Insurance: A Little Extra Protection When it comes to dental insurance, it seems like there can be as many (or more) questions as there are answers. Even when you are fortunate enough to have dental insurance, navigating its use can still be very confusing. Many people don’t give their dental insurance a second

Filling in the Gaps: Restoring Your Smile & Quality of Life Life is full of unexpected surprises, and while we’d love for all of them to be smile-inducing, that’s not entirely realistic—and there may be many reasons you hide your smile. If you’re hiding your smile because of one or more missing teeth, we want

Can Botox® Prevent Migraines? Most people are aware of Botox® being used for cosmetic purposes and thus believe it to be administered only by cosmetic surgeons and others in the field of esthetics. However, Botox has been found and effectively used to relieve pain associated with TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders including chronic headaches and migraines,

The Oral-Systemic Link: Risk Factors for Tooth Decay Did you know the same plaque that decays your teeth can cause major heart problems? What if you could fight plaque and heart failure both by improving your oral health? Veranda Dentistry in Des Moines is here to tell you more! Someone dies from a heart attack