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General Cleaning

Regular dental cleanings from your Portage dentist are the key to oral health. Even with proper brushing and flossing at home, plaque and tarter build up which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease which is even shown to negatively impact your overall health. 

Children’s Dentistry

It’s no secret that most children do not enjoy seeing their dentist, especially at first. Our staff is experienced and trained in working with children and making them feel comfortable while in our care. 

As every dentist (and patient) probably knows, most people do not floss often enough. The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly recommends flossing at least once a day. This is incredibly important, as brushing does not remove all plaque from your teeth. Not to mention, food and other debris lodge themselves in between your teeth and in your gums which causes plaque. Flossing is a tried and true way to help you prevent plaque from hardening into calculus or tarter which causes gum disease. Please keep in mind that prevention is always easier and less costly than treatment. While traditional flossing is recommended, in this post we will look at three alternatives that have gotten more popular over the years. 

Most parents know that it’s not easy getting their young children to practice dental hygiene. Trying to get your child to brush and floss can often result in tantrums and tears. It’s so important to instill in them the importance of brushing and flossing at a very young age. Turning dental hygiene into a habit is not only a necessary part of limiting conflicts during brushing time, but it also means that they’re more prepared to have better habits as they get older and more independent.

It may be surprising to learn that nearly 30 percent of adults who see a dentist are not honest about how often they floss. Of the 30 percent who lie about their flossing habits, over 30 percent say they prefer doing unpleasant chores over flossing their teeth. We believe that part of the reason for this aversion to flossing is that children are not taught its absolute importance at a young age like they are with brushing. It’s seen as much less necessary, and therefore a waste of time. 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), most Americans experience stress levels that are considered unhealthy. Typically when people think of the effects high levels of stress can have on their health, they think of their cardiovascular system, not their oral health. However, high levels of stress can cause mild to severe problems in the mouth, teeth, and gums. In this post, we will look at some common oral health problems that come from high levels of stress. 

Taking care of your oral health, particularly teeth and gums, is more important to oral health than many people may realize. Health problems and issues of the mouth can and often will cause or lead to problems elsewhere in the body. In fact, research has shown a very strong correlation between gum disease and heart disease. In this post, we will look at a couple common oral health problems and what you can do to prevent them and protect your overall health. 

As a dentist office that offers professional teeth whitening in Portage and Kalamazoo, we get a lot of common questions regarding the service. People who are interested in professional teeth whitening are typically those who take pride in their smile and practice good oral hygiene, so, it stands to reason that these people would want to make sure that teeth whitening will not damage their teeth or gums. In this post, we will look at the most common questions we are asked by our patients our teeth whitening services. 

Primary teeth help with the alignment of secondary teeth

The primary function of baby teeth is to guide permanent teeth when it’s time for them to grow in. If primary teeth are not properly taken care of and one needs to be removed due to decay, other teeth will likely shift which can cause spacing problems as secondary teeth come through. If a primary tooth needs to be removed prematurely spacers or other dental hardware should be used to ensure proper spacing for the secondary tooth.

There is a lot of misinformation out there in regards to root canals. If you’ve never had a root canal, it can be an overwhelming and scary prospect that’s made worse by false information that’s available all over the internet and spread through word of mouth (pun intended)! As long as you’re under the care of your Portage Family Dentist, Steven F. Boden, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that your root canal will likely be only as unpleasant as having a tooth filled. In this post, we will look at four untrue things you may have heard or read regarding having a root canal. 

1. Use proper brushing technique

This is the key to keeping your mouth healthy. Most dental professionals recommend brushing in small circles with your brush held at a 45 degree angle. This ensures your gum line is getting the care it needs to remove plaque. It’s also important to make sure that you’re brushing all of your teeth and gum surface – this includes your molars in the back that are havens for plaque when not properly cleaned.