Ensuring a healthy smile begins with taking care of your mouth--teeth, gums, healthy saliva production--all of this lays the groundwork for good oral health. In fact, without diligent daily care, your smile is prone to enamel decay, tooth sensitivity, cavities, and tooth loss from the buildup of acid in the mouth. Without daily removal, bacterial acid forms into plaque and... read more »

You probably know that you should visit your dentist at least once every six months if you’re interested in maintaining a healthy, strong smile. However, did you know that if you avoid these checkups, you could be putting yourself in danger of gum disease? Many Americans have gum disease and don’t realize it. Unfortunately, if bacteria builds up on your... read more »

The American Dental Association is an organization that helps each dentist provide the best dental care and experience possible, and your dentist, Dr. Samuel Schmitz, is a member of that organization. There are ADA promises that your dentist makes and keeps each day, and those promises are: No. 1: Respect a patient’s wants and needs Your dentist respects your privacy... read more »

Your tooth enamel gets its durability from microscopic mineral structures that interlace with each other to form a matrix that is stronger than bone. There are, however, some extreme cases when a hard blow to the mouth can carry enough force to shatter or crack a tooth. The severity of the crack will determine the course of treatment and restoration... read more »

Do you know what you would do if you found yourself with bad breath? Similarly, do you ever wonder if there’s anything you can do to keep your teeth healthier? Fortunately, there are a number of things you can consider. For example, using breath mints might mask bad breath, but it won’t do anything to benefit your oral health. In... read more »

As time goes on, teeth can develop deep stains. If this is compounded by chips and visible fillings, you might be interested in ways to have a more appealing smile. One of the more popular and effective cosmetic dentistry applications is to have porcelain dental veneers installed onto your smile. These are custom shaped and shaded porcelain shells that are... read more »

Half of the American population drinks a sugared drink on a daily basis. While they taste great, they're terrible for your oral health; specifically, the damage they do to your teeth is particularly concerning. You may think that too much soda consumption leads more to obesity and type 2 diabetes than oral health problems, but sadly, soda will erode your... read more »

As you probably know, a toothache can be a strong indicator that something is wrong with your teeth. Occasionally, your toothache could fade on its own, but usually you’ll need to visit a dentist to have the issue addressed. Still, what do you do if you have a toothache but aren’t able to visit a dentist right away? While not... read more »

At Family Dentistry located in in Newburgh Indiana, we see many of our patients heading out during the summer months to travel, whether to visit extended family, explore our great state by road trip, or boarding an airplane to check out new destinations. To make the most of your travels, it is a good idea to pack a dental emergency kit to tide you over until... read more »

We know it can be embarrassing to be missing teeth. In fact, having a missing tooth—or other imperfections in our pearly whites—can be a major blow to our self-esteem. Fortunately, our dentist can provide a number of solutions for a missing tooth. While we recommend considering all of your options, please don’t forget about the benefits of dental implants. As... read more »