Oral hygiene

Virginia Tims-Lawson

What beets, bacteria and chewing gum have to do with your blood pressure

Beets can help support healthy circulation, but your body has to activate an important conversion pathway first. And one of the most important steps begins in the last place most people think to look: your mouth. So what’s gum got to do with it?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The mouth bacteria stealing your memories

When you think about memory loss, you likely picture a problem that starts in the brain. But what’s happening in your mouth can block the formation of a chemical crucial for a youthful brain, memory retention and independence…

Carolyn Gretton

The amino acid ‘hack’ for fewer cavities

Keeping your teeth in good shape can be an uphill battle, even with a stellar oral hygiene routine that includes flossing and brushing a few times a day. If you need extra help, give the cavity-busting power of arginine a try…

Joyce Hollman

Weird toothpaste ingredient regenerates tooth enamel

Fluoride can slow enamel loss and prevent tooth decay, but it can’t stop it. That’s why a discovery about a weird ingredient is so exciting: It can restore tooth enamel to save your smile for years to come…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

‘Ozempic teeth’: Another weight loss wonder drug side effect

GLP-1 agonists, like Ozempic and Wegovy, promise easy weight loss. But the outlandish side effects are stacking up. The latest? Bad breath, dry mouth, inflammation and tooth decay. Here’s why, and how users can lessen the threat to their oral health…

Joyce Hollman

The oral health-mental health connection for happy aging

There’s a lot of focus on living longer and living healthier. But depression and anxiety can often sneak in with age, surprisingly through your mouth. Here are four ways to keep that from happening…