Dr. John W Portwood DDS

According to a new study published in the Journal of Natural Products, licorice, the main ingredient in candy, may help to keep tooth decay and gum disease at bay. Teeth protection is provided by the compounds found in the dried root of licorice plant. Chinese licorice, found in northern mainland...

It goes without saying that good habits are the key for healthy teeth without plaque. Richard Price, DMD, spokesman for the American Dental Association, says that having teeth without plaque is easy. One needs to be consistent with healthy habits to have the best results.Plaque is a film of bacteria...

A toothbrush is not as clean as we think, and harbors more than 100 million bacteria, according to researchers at the University of Manchester in England. This includes E. coli bacteria, which cause diarrhea, and staphylococci bacteria, which cause skin infections. “This condition is the same as...

Dental fillings for children were worrisome because of the presence of mercury in the amalgam. The latest addition to this fear is the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) in dental sealants and white fillings. BPA is a resin used in plastics, including water bottles and metal food can liners. Many studies...

What are dentures?A denture is a device prepared by laboratory technicians in order to replace missing teeth. Dentures are a good option for patients without any teeth, or for patients with some missing teeth who want to have a beautiful smile again. Dentures are not only meant for cosmetic...

Gum contouring, also known as gum reshaping or tissue sculpting, is a dental procedure done to correct an uneven gum line in people who have teeth resting either too high or low on the gums.The cause of the gums being too high or too low is mainly genetics. It may also be due to certain medical...