Beyond Dentistry / Norma A. Ramirez DDS

May the luck of the Irish be with you today! Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀✨

Happy Pi Day! 🥧 Let's celebrate this irrational holiday with a slice of fun! How do you plan to indulge in the endless digits of π?

Women faced an uphill battle establishing themselves in many career fields, dentistry included. That's why, for Women's History Month, we're celebrating three pioneers for women in dentistry. 🦷

Lucy Hobbs Taylor, born 1833, was the world's first female dental school graduate. 👩‍🎓 Many dental schools refused to admit her, but the Ohio College of Dental Surgery finally let her in. She married a Civil War veteran who was also a dentist and they opened a practice together in Lawrence, Kansas.

Emeline Roberts Jones, born 1836, came from the apprenticeship tradition of dentistry, which was still common well into the 1800s. After facing a lot of opposition, she was trained by her brother-in-law and established a practice in Connecticut. She was famous for her compassionate care and gentle touch.

Ida Gray, born 1867, was the first African-American woman to become a licensed dentist. 👩‍⚕️ She became an orphan in her early teens and went to live with her aunt in Cincinnati. She found the time between school and seamstress work to train under Jonathan Taft, a dentist advocating for women dentists. Gray graduated from the University of Michigan Dental School in 1890 and established a practice in Chicago.

Empowered women empower the world. 💪🌍Celebrating strength, resilience, and equality on International Women's Day.

Smiles are the universal language, and dentists are the artists who keep them shining bright! Happy Dentist Day to the oral health heroes making the world a brighter and healthier place, one smile at a time. 😁🦷

Unveil the smile you've always dreamed of! Your journey to a radiant and confident grin starts with just one visit. Let us make your dream smile a reality! 😁✨

Did you know this is why we have leap years? So cool! 📆

Happy Tooth Fairy Day! 🧚✨ Can you guess the average amount that the Tooth Fairy gives in 2024?

On the long list of things parents need to teach their kids in childhood is proper flossing, but plenty of adults don't know the best techniques themselves! We're here to help. 👍 Daily flossing should be a priority for anyone with two teeth that touch each other because brushing alone cannot remove the plaque and food debris in those spaces. The longer it remains and builds up, the more it contributes to gum disease, cavities, and worse.

Parents should floss their child's teeth for them until they have the dexterity to do it themselves. Make it part of the daily routine. 🔄 Explain that flossing matters for keeping their smile healthy, and flossing is something big kids do like tying their shoes. Floss picks can also make the process easier instead of using string floss.

Good flossing technique starts with pulling out about a foot and a half of floss and wrapping it loosely around the middle fingers, with an inch or two left in the middle to slip between the teeth. Don't just snap the floss down onto the gums, curve it around each tooth in a C-shape and gently work down. 🦷 Then rotate the floss along so that it's always clean floss being used for each new gap. Dirty floss won't clean teeth!

What toothpaste flavor makes your brushing routine enjoyable? 😋 Comment below!

Transform your smile with our distinctive dental expertise. Unleash the power of your grin and embrace a brighter, healthier you! 😊✨

Happy President's Day! 🇺🇸 Honoring the leaders who shaped our nation.

Eating disorders can cause many kinds of damage to the body, including the teeth. 🦷 Oral hygiene habits and regular dental visits are crucial, but in order to maintain good oral health, we also need a variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals every day.

An eating disorder like anorexia nervosa can lead to osteoporosis, which increases the risk of tooth loss. It also causes dry mouth, increasing the risk of gum disease. It also makes it harder to avoid bad breath, because saliva washes away food particles.

Bulimia can be even more harmful to oral health, because in addition to starving the oral tissues of needed nutrients, frequent purging exposes the teeth to stomach acid, leading to enamel erosion, tooth discoloration, decay, and eventually tooth loss.

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses. The road to a healthier relationship with food and weight can be long and difficult. Sympathetic family members, friends, and licensed mental health professionals are key allies on that journey, and dental health professionals can help safeguard oral health along the way. ❤️

Love is in the air! Happy Valentine's Day to all the romantics out there. ❤️🌹

Homecrafted with love or store-bought chic? Share your preference in the art of gift-giving! 🎁

Which team are you rooting for in the Superbowl this year? Comment them below and let the friendly rivalry begin! 🏈🏆

Listen to your smile! If your toothache persists beyond a day or two, becomes unbearable, or brings along a fever, earache, or pain upon opening wide – it's time to schedule that dentist appointment. Your smile deserves the best care! 😬👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️

Ignoring the signs won't make them disappear. 🦷 Be aware, be proactive! Recognize the signs of gum disease this Gum Disease Awareness Month. Your gums speak volumes about your overall health. 🚨 Don't let symptoms go unnoticed – it's time for a healthier smile! 💙

Happy Groundhog Day! 🦫 Let us know if your prediction about the groundhog seeing its shadow or not was right!

Celebrating Black History Month with wisdom from Jackie Robinson! Let's honor the legacy and contributions that continue to inspire change. ✊🏽🌟

Achieve a brighter smile with the proper brushing technique—gentle, circular motions for at least two minutes. Your teeth will thank you! 😁🦷

Being tongue-tied isn't just an expression; for many people, it's an actual medical condition, and a similar one is being lip-tied. We all have thin, stretchy pieces of tissue that connect our tongues to the floor of our mouths and our lips to our gums. Sometimes those pieces of tissue are unusually thick or tight, which restricts the movement of the lip or tongue. 👄👅

Someone with a tongue tie might not be able to touch the roof of their mouth with their tongue, making it hard to chew, swallow, or pronounce words effectively. Someone with a lip tie might have a big gap between their two front teeth and be at higher risk of gum recession. Babies with a lip or tongue tie often struggle to latch effectively to breastfeed. 👶🏻

The treatment for a lip or tongue tie is a frenectomy, a quick and simple procedure with a short recovery period. It is usually performed by a periodontist or oral surgeon. After the area is numbed, a small incision (sometimes made with a laser) releases the tissue, which stops all of the symptoms. Super easy! 👍

Here are some fun tooth facts to know! 🦷 Comment if you already knew any of them!

We’re here to keep your teeth and gums healthy and gingivitis free! I guess you can just call us Guardians of the Gingivitis. 😏😉

Ever wondered why dentists take X-rays? 🧐 It allows us to detect oral health issues before they may worsen and ensure your smile is healthy from the roots up!

Your satisfaction is our success! If you're happy with our services, we'd love to hear from you. Your feedback fuels our commitment to excellence. 😊🌟

Reflecting on the profound words of Martin Luther King Jr. this . Let us stand united against injustice and work towards a world of equality and compassion. 🌍✊

We care for more than just your teeth, we are committed to your overall health and happiness!

Cheers to a fresh start and a brighter smile ahead! 😁✨

1 in every 8 Americans (including kids) has sensitive teeth.

Every tooth has nerves at the center. When the tooth is healthy, the nerve is protected by the outer layers. If the tooth enamel erodes enough, it can expose the porous dentin layer and subject the nerves to much more input than they're supposed to get. That tends to make temperature changes or even a sudden burst of sour or sweet flavor very uncomfortable or even painful. 😬

Erosion is the main cause of tooth sensitivity but not the only one. Exposed roots can be very sensitive because roots rely on gum tissue to protect them, not enamel. Gum recession (which is most often caused by brushing too hard) can leave roots exposed and vulnerable. Damage to a tooth, whether through an accident or cavities, also leads to sensitivity.

There are several things to do for sensitive teeth. First, throw out the hard-bristled toothbrush and get a soft-bristled one. 🪥 It doesn't take much pressure to clean away plaque when we brush, but too much can scrape away enamel and gum tissue. Switching to a toothpaste formulated for sensitive teeth should also help, and cut back on sugar intake and very acidic foods and drinks.