Taking birth control can change your life for the better, but it can also have unwanted side effects. If you've noticed that taking your birth control pills after a week of being off of them seems to make your gums bleed, the correlation isn't just your imagination. Keep going to learn how birth control pills can cause problems for your gums and what you can do about it. Hormones The vast majority of birth control taken orally contains hormones that trigger the body to think that it's pregnant.

If you have just received your dental implants or you are planning to get the treatment, you should be aware of the dangerous habits that may interfere with the success of your treatment. Here are a few examples of these habits. Treating Your Teeth as Tools Dental implants are tough, but they aren't indestructible and there are things that can damage them. For example, using your teeth as tools can damage the dental implants by weakening their anchorage and interfering with osseointegration.

Are you in need of some artificial teeth? Have you been considering getting dentures but you still have some questions about them? Your dentist should be happy to answer any questions that you might have about them, but sometimes you may not want to wait until your next appointment before you get at least a few answers. If that applies to you and you're currently doing some research in an effort to determine what to actually ask your dentist next time you see him or her, here are the answers to a few questions that you may currently have:

The golden years are a prime time for romance since many older adults find that they have more opportunities available for dating after retirement. Whether you've been single for years or are new to the dating game after a major life change, the decision to meet new people is the ideal way to spark a relationship. Yet, dating does have a tendency to make you more aware of your physical appearance, and you want your smile to be as dazzling as your sparkling personality.

Dental implants are used to replace the dental roots of lost teeth. The implants are constructed of titanium metal and rest in the bone of the jaw.  Over the course of a few months, the implant stabilizes in the mouth. This stabilization is due to a process called osteointegration. During osteointegration, the bone of the jaw grows, eliminating the space between the implant and the jawbone. As a result, the dental implant integrates with the bone.

If you have recently met with your dentist after some time, then the professional may have informed you of some issues with your gums. Specifically, you may have learned that deep gum pockets sit next to the teeth. These gum pockets can cause some health issues. Keep reading to learn about the pockets, why they form, and how you can reduce their size. What Are Gum Pockets? Gum pockets are the small spaces on the sides of the teeth.

If you smoke, you may realize that the habit is not good for your overall health. However, cigarettes can also wreak havoc with your oral health. Many people know that smoking can cause oral cancer, but there are additional ways that smoking affects the look and health of your mouth. Here are a few of them: Dental Discoloration Many smokers suffer from discolored teeth. The discoloration is due to the teeth's absorption of tobacco pigments.

When a serious dental issue occurs, it may not be able to wait until your next routine dental appointment. This type of situation is often deemed a dental emergency. Still, even in the case of a dental emergency, there may be some steps that you can take before reaching the dentist's office. Here are a few conditions that may be considered a dental emergency and what you should do to start treatment between the time of the incident and the time of your arrival at your dentist's office:

If you suffer from dental anxiety, even routine dental work can be difficult for you to sit through. If that's the case, extensive dental procedures can be downright impossible for you to endure. Unfortunately, once dental problems reach the level of emergency status, you can't afford to delay treatment. Postponing dental care for decay, or gum disease can leave you susceptible to serious health problems. If you've been putting off necessary dental work because you suffer from dental anxiety, sedation dentistry may be the answer you've been looking for.

If you have been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope after a number of fainting episodes, then it's important to take your condition into account before any event that could cause you to faint. For most people, a trip to the dentist's office could be a potential trigger. The sight of a needle, the feeling of a drill in your mouth, or the mere thought of someone pulling one of your teeth could cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, causing you to pass out.