This is NOT personalized medical advice. It is educational material to help improve your understanding of dental health and have a better experience with your dentist. Talk to Your Own Dentist about your specific situation.
Mike the Dentist
A dentist trying to make your mouth make sense — and, when I can pull it off, make you laugh about it.
Simple habits, honest answers, and the occasional “life hack” for taking better care of your teeth. No judgment, no drop-kicking cereal out of your hands in an over-zealous anti-cavity rage. Just the stuff I wish every patient already knew.
Why I bother
As a dentist, I’ve seen all the barriers that get between people and the care they need — and I’m convinced the best medicine is the preventative kind. The catch: it only works if you actually understand it and see the value. So that’s what I’m trying to do here. Trust me, I fall short on the healthy-habits thing too in different ways, but I’ve benefitted from all sorts of healthcare provider content online and I want to pay it forward.
Mike the Dentist · Free Guides
Dental guides, written for the person in the chair.
Thirty plain-English guides on the things people actually ask me about. All of them are free, and none of them require you to sign up for anything. Download what's useful, ignore the rest, and send one to somebody who needs it.
Every guide opens as a PDF in a new tab, and you can save it from there. Written by a working dentist. Not a substitute for seeing yours.
Jump to
Start here: everyday care
6 guidesThe boring stuff at home that prevents almost everything else on this page.
- How to Actually Prevent CavitiesA cavity doesn't happen in a moment, it builds. Here's what tips the balance in either direction.Open PDF
- Brushing & ToothpasteYour brush does the cleaning, not your toothpaste. How to use one, and what the tube is really for.Open PDF
- FlossingYour toothbrush can't get between two teeth that touch. Something else has to, and here are your options.Open PDF
- MouthwashA supplement, not a foundation. Which kinds actually do something, and which are mostly flavor.Open PDF
- Fluoride: Friend or Foe?Fluoride doesn't coat your teeth, it becomes part of them. A straight look at how it works and at the safety questions.Open PDF
- Eating for Healthy TeethThe name of your diet barely matters. How often sugar and starch sit on your teeth is the whole ballgame.Open PDF
Something hurts or doesn't feel right
5 guidesStart here if something is bothering you right now.
- Toothaches & Dental PainHow to tell your toothaches apart, and the best ways to manage one at home until you can get definitive treatment from your dentist.Open PDF
- Bleeding Gums & Gum DiseaseA little blood now and then is not an emergency, but gum disease can get well advanced before it gives you much of a warning. This is one to have your dentist keep an eye on.Open PDF
- Beating Bad BreathIt comes down to bacteria and the sulfur gas they give off. How to work out where yours is coming from, and what actually clears it.Open PDF
- Dry MouthDry mouth isn't just uncomfortable, it makes cavities more likely. What causes it and what brings real relief.Open PDF
- “TMJ,” Jaw Pain & Night GuardsThat toothache might not be a tooth at all. Chewing muscles, grinding, and whether a night guard is worth it.Open PDF
Going to the dentist
4 guidesThe appointment, the fear, and the bill.
- What to Expect at Your Dental VisitWhatever you're picturing is worse than what actually happens. A walk through the whole appointment, step by step.Open PDF
- Conquering Dental AnxietyThe fear is normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Practical ways to make an appointment something you can get through.Open PDF
- What Dental Care Really CostsHow dental insurance actually works, what the common procedures run, and why needing less care beats better coverage.Open PDF
- Can't Afford a Dentist?Where to find low-cost care, what to do first when money is tight, and how to protect the teeth you still have.Open PDF
Getting work done
6 guidesWhat the procedure actually is, before you have to say yes to it.
- Fillings: Composite vs. Silver (Amalgam)Two materials do nearly all the work. When each one is the better answer, and why silver still exists.Open PDF
- Root Canals & CrownsTwo different problems and two different fixes. What each one does, and what the appointments feel like.Open PDF
- ExtractionsTaking a tooth out is the last option, not the first. What happens on the day, and how healing goes.Open PDF
- Wisdom TeethThere's no universal rule about taking them out or leaving them in. It's an individual decision between you and your dentist, and here's what goes into it.Open PDF
- Dental ImplantsThe closest thing we have to a replacement for a real tooth, and still not as good as the ones you were born with. All the more reason to protect those.Open PDF
- Replacing Missing TeethImplant, bridge, denture, or leaving the gap. An honest comparison of all four, including doing nothing.Open PDF
Changing how your teeth look
3 guidesCosmetic work, explained without the sales pitch.
- Teeth WhiteningWhitening comes down to a handful of small things most people never think about. Here's how to get the best result you can from it.Open PDF
- Veneers & BondingThere's no one-size-fits-all cosmetic option. Every mouth is different, so here's what you need to have a better conversation with your dentist about yours.Open PDF
- Straightening Your TeethBraces, clear aligners, retainers, and what the mail-order versions leave out.Open PDF
Kids, pregnancy & family
3 guidesDifferent mouths, different rules.
- Kids' Dental Care, Part 1: Birth to Age 5First tooth through preschool. Brushing, bottles, thumbs, pacifiers, and how the first visit should go.Open PDF
- Kids' Dental Care, Part 2: Age 6 to the TeensThe six-year molars nobody notices, sealants, braces, mouthguards, and handing over the toothbrush.Open PDF
- Dental Care During PregnancyCleanings, fillings, x-rays and numbing are all safe while you're pregnant. Here's the detail, trimester by trimester.Open PDF
The bigger picture
3 guidesHow your mouth connects to the rest of you, and to the rest of your life.
- Your Mouth & Your Health: The Oral–Systemic ConnectionNo scare tactics, and no need to be frightened by the headlines. Your teeth and gums are worth taking care of all on their own.Open PDF
- Are Bad Teeth Genetic?Your genes set your starting point. They do not write the ending.Open PDF
- Smoking, Vaping & Your MouthSmoking will cost you teeth, quietly, by breaking down the gum and bone that hold them in. Here's your best chance to put up a fight.Open PDF
All 30 guides, A–Z
If you already know what you're looking for.
- Are Bad Teeth Genetic?
- Beating Bad Breath
- Bleeding Gums & Gum Disease
- Brushing & Toothpaste
- Can't Afford a Dentist?
- Conquering Dental Anxiety
- Dental Care During Pregnancy
- Dental Implants
- Dry Mouth
- Eating for Healthy Teeth
- Extractions
- Fillings: Composite vs. Silver (Amalgam)
- Flossing
- Fluoride: Friend or Foe?
- How to Actually Prevent Cavities
- Kids' Dental Care, Part 1: Birth to Age 5
- Kids' Dental Care, Part 2: Age 6 to the Teens
- Mouthwash
- Replacing Missing Teeth
- Root Canals & Crowns
- Smoking, Vaping & Your Mouth
- Straightening Your Teeth
- Teeth Whitening
- “TMJ,” Jaw Pain & Night Guards
- Toothaches & Dental Pain
- Veneers & Bonding
- What Dental Care Really Costs
- What to Expect at Your Dental Visit
- Wisdom Teeth
- Your Mouth & Your Health
These guides are for learning, not for diagnosing yourself. If something in your mouth is worrying you, the person to see is your own dentist.