Blog

Oral hygiene is the foundation of good dental health. Brushing and flossing regularly is the best way to keep your smile healthy and clean. Consider this your personal cleaning tutorial on the art of dental hygiene, instructed by Dr. Rebecca Charpentier and the skillful hygienists at Charpentier Family Dentistry. Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss & Mouthwash Before […]

Orthodontic treatments have been around for centuries, but luckily the materials and methods used have been updated with the expansion of education and technology. If they hadn’t, you might see metal bands or golden wires wrapped all the way around teeth instead of small brackets held in place by wires—or worse, cords made from animal […]

Bad breath stinks, doesn’t it? Pardon the silly pun, but we think some icebreakers (get it, like the mint?) can make it easier to jump into what might be less than comfortable subjects. How do we know it isn’t a comfortable subject? Well, the fear of bad breath is so common, there’s even a name […]

For a long time, we’ve been told to brush our teeth right after we eat, but conventional wisdom might be changing on that. Thanks to your mouth’s powerful and natural ability to clean itself, rinsing with water might actually be the best way to freshen your breath and prevent cavities after you eat.  In addition […]

Bruxism is the dental term for teeth grinding and jaw clenching, a habit that children and adults can develop and maintain, often without being conscious of it—until symptoms hit. Those symptoms can include: Worn, sensitive teeth Headaches Earaches Facial and jaw pain Tinnitus If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, or you have […]

According to the American Dental Association, at least 13% of all injuries to the mouth occur during sports activities. While helmets, shoulder pads, shin guards, and the like do a great job of protecting most of the body, Dr. Rebecca Charpentier would like to make sure that every athlete knows how to keep their teeth […]

Cold sore. Fever blister. Herpes Simplex Virus-1. These babies go by a lot of different names, but the experience is always the same: Telltale burning or itching near the lip A red bump appears a day or so later The bump becomes a cluster of blisters The blisters dry up and scab over The scab […]

If braces are in your child or teen’s future, or they have just had them placed, you may be wondering just how the heck they’re going work around them when flossing and brushing. We’d love to calm your mind by reminding you those wires and brackets are temporary visitors, hanging out to help correct the […]

The seasons seem to fly by, quickly turning into years. Before you know it, your little one is not so little (they grow up so fast!) and it’s time to consider braces. At Charpentier Family Dentistry, we highly recommend early intervention when it comes to orthodontics.  Contrary to the popular belief that you should wait […]

You’ve heard of kidney and gallbladder stones, but have you heard of tonsil stones or experienced their formation yourself? The symptoms of tonsil stones may include: Bad breath Sore throat Difficulty swallowing Ear pain None of these are pleasant, so your dental team at Charpentier Family Dentistry is here to tell you ways you may […]