Dental Tips for Halloween

Halloween is full of tricks and treats but it should not be full of cavities or emergency dental visits! Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS wants to be sure patients are taking care of their dental health all year long, even during candy-filled holidays like Halloween. Take some of our tips for taking care of your teeth through the holiday and avoiding emergency dental visits.

Sugary and sour candies are delicious, but try to limit the amount you eat every day. With all of that candy collected from trick-or-treating (or left over from passing it out), it is tempting to snack on it all day until it is gone. However, set a healthy limit for yourself and stick to it. This will help you from going overboard. In addition, make sure you do an excellent job brushing and flossing. Acidic candies (sour candy) in particular can wear down tooth enamel, so you should wait at least thirty minutes after eating it to brush. This allows enamel softened by the acid to re-harden before you brush.

Sticky candies like gum, taffy, and caramel are known for pulling out loose fillings and dental crowns. If you have a dental crown, recent fillings, or even braces, it is smart to stay away from these types of candies. Unfortunately, that includes those caramel apples on sticks! Instead, cut up an apple and dip it in smooth caramel.

Have a great Halloween but also remember to take care of your teeth! To schedule your next cleaning and examination with Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS, call our Enid, OK office at (580) 237-2213 or visit our website, www.eniddentalcare.com. 

Choosing the Correct Mouthwash

Mouthwash or rinses are used for a variety of reasons: to freshen breath, to help prevent or control tooth decay, to reduce plaque, to prevent or reduce gingivitis, to reduce the speed that tartar forms on the teeth, or to produce a combination of these effects.  Mouthwash has a few beneficial properties and Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS would like to explain some of them.

• Antimicrobial agents act directly on oral bacteria to help reduce plaque, decrease the severity of gingivitis and control bad breath.


• Fluoride helps reduce tiny lesions (tooth decay) on tooth enamel and make teeth more resistant to decay.


• Astringent salts can serve as temporary deodorizers that mask bad breath.


• Odor neutralizers act by chemically inactivating odor causing compounds.

If you have questions about oral hygiene, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.eniddentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS in Enid, OK, call 580-237-2213.

Choosing a Toothpaste That’s Right for You

When stepping foot into the oral hygiene aisle at the drugstore, our staff at the dental practice of Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS understand that the selections of toothpaste can be overwhelming. Should you go for tartar control, fluoride, sensitive or whitening toothpaste? When it comes to choosing the toothpaste that is best for you, it’s important to consider your unique oral health needs. The best way to discover what those are is by scheduling an oral exam with Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS. In the meantime, here are some options to consider while browsing:

• Anti-cavity: This type of toothpaste contains fluoride. Fluoride plays an active role in preventing decay, and it actively strengthens tooth enamel.


• Anti-gingivitis: If you spit blood in the sink, this is an early sign of gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease. Antigingivitis toothpaste helps reduce oral bacteria and can be very effective at stopping gingivitis in its tracks.


• Desensitizing: If you’ve ever bit into an ice cream cone and felt a sharp pain in your tooth’s nerve, this type of toothpaste will provide relief by blocking the tooth’s pain signal to the nerve.


• Tartar-control: This toothpaste does exact what it says, however, the best way to remove tartar is by scheduling a professional dental cleaning with one of our doctors.


• Whitening: This toothpaste contains chemicals that are able to help maintain the natural color of your teeth.

If you have any questions about oral hygiene, don’t hesitate to give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.eniddentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dennis Morehart, DDS in Enid, OK, call 580-237-2213.