Jackson Family Dentistry

09/06/2026

This is the one that made me stop and read it twice.

A systematic review pooled seven cohort studies covering close to 1.9 million people, followed for anywhere from three to fifteen years. It asked a narrow question: do people who take care of their gums have fewer strokes?

The answer leaned yes. Regular dental care was associated with lower stroke risk than episodic or no care. Routine cleanings showed the strongest and most consistent protective signal of anything they looked at. And brushing frequency showed a graded relationship, meaning the risk dropped at two or more brushings a day.

I want to be careful with what this does and doesn't prove. These are observational studies. People who keep up with dental visits tend to keep up with other things too, and no study design fully separates that out. Nobody should read this as brushing prevents strokes.

But here's what I keep coming back to. The two interventions with the best signal, a cleaning and brushing twice a day, are the two cheapest and least invasive things in all of dentistry. Whatever else is true, that's a remarkably low bar for a possible upside.

https://www.drbicuspid.com/dental-hygiene/oral-systemic-link/brain/article/15829356/this-may-reduce-stroke-risk

Jackson Family Dentistry, 2033 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. (630) 963-6750.

09/06/2026

Before the new week begins, a simple home-care reset can help set the tone. Make sure your toothbrush is still in good shape, keep floss where you can actually see it, and check that your bathroom setup makes healthy habits easy to follow. Oral health often improves when the routine becomes easier to maintain, not more complicated.

09/05/2026

A study is going around with a headline that reads like a green light, and I want to slow it down before somebody gets hurt.

Researchers in Brazil, working with Harvard, ran a year-long randomized trial in 109 patients with severe gum disease. Everyone got a deep cleaning first. Then they were split into four groups: placebo, antibiotics, omega-3 plus low-dose aspirin, or both together.

At twelve months, the omega-3 and aspirin group hit the clinical targets at almost exactly the same rate as the antibiotic group. Both were more than double the placebo group. Adding the antibiotics on top of the supplements did nothing extra.

That is a real finding in a real journal and it is worth paying attention to. Here is what it does not say.

It does not say supplements treat gum disease. Every single patient in that study had the cleaning first. The supplements were an add-on to treatment, not a substitute for it. Take the aspirin and skip the cleaning and you have done nothing at all.

It does not say start taking aspirin. Daily aspirin is a real medication with real bleeding risk, and it interacts with blood thinners and with a number of other drugs. That is a conversation with your physician, not something you start because of a headline about your gums.

And the evidence is not settled. A smaller trial published earlier found no added benefit at all. The lead researcher on this one used the words cautious optimism and said routine use will need more evidence before it replaces anything.

If you have gum disease and you cannot tolerate antibiotics, this is worth asking about. If you are otherwise healthy and just read the headline, the useful takeaway is the boring one: the cleaning was doing the heavy lifting.

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2026-08-12/aspirin-omega-3-combo-matches-antibiotics-in-treating-gum-disease-trial-finds

Jackson Family Dentistry, 2033 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. (630) 963-6750.

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09/05/2026

September is a smart time to start thinking about unfinished dental treatment and remaining dental insurance benefits before the end of the year. Many annual maximums do not roll over, and larger treatment plans often take more than one appointment to complete comfortably. Planning early gives patients more flexibility, more scheduling options, and less year-end stress. If you have diagnosed treatment that you have been meaning to move forward with, now is a great time to revisit it before the calendar gets tighter.

09/04/2026

Kelly Ripa has been off her show recovering from gum graft surgery, and she said something on her podcast that I want every patient of mine to hear.

"I'm an over-brusher. I brush my teeth too much. It's a good-bad habit. But I've caused gum recession down here specifically."

She did not get there by neglecting her teeth. She got there by trying too hard. Brushing with too much force, scrubbing side to side at the gumline, stiff bristles. Over years that wears the gum tissue away, and gum tissue does not grow back on its own.

The graft is exactly what it sounds like. Tissue is taken from the roof of the mouth and placed over the exposed root. She was told not to speak for ten days. Her husband, who says she normally skips the numbing at the dentist entirely, said this one actually hurt.

But the line that stopped me was the other one. "Before you praise me, I was supposed to do it five years ago." By the time she went, her surgeon told her she no longer had the luxury of waiting.

That is the whole lesson in one sentence. Early recession is watchable. A small area that has looked the same for years often needs monitoring and nothing more. The window where you have options is quiet, and it closes without telling you.

So here is what to do with this. At your next visit, ask three questions. Do I have any recession? Has it changed since last time? What do you think is causing it in my case?

I would much rather answer those than do the surgery.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/08/13/kelly-ripa-gum-graft-surgery-dental-procedure/91287726007/

Jackson Family Dentistry, 2033 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. (630) 963-6750.

Kelly Ripa, who recently underwent gum graft surgery, opened up about the oral hygiene habit that caused her to have the dental procedure.

09/04/2026

Bleeding gums are common, but they should not be ignored. Many people assume it simply means they brushed too hard, but it can also be a sign of plaque buildup, gum inflammation, or inconsistent cleaning between the teeth. The good news is that early attention usually helps. Better home care, more consistent flossing, and professional evaluation when needed can often get things back on track before they become more serious.

09/03/2026

Thinking about quitting Invisalign halfway through? No judgment 🦷 but here's what actually happens. Stop mid-plan and your teeth get stranded in a temporary, awkward position, then drift somewhere unplanned, and your trays stop fitting. You can't just pick it back up. The move that changes everything: if you NEED to pause, pause WITH your dentist, not by disappearing, we can keep your teeth stable. Already stalled? Come back, no judgment. Full video on the channel.

link in bio or watch here → https://youtu.be/n5eIFMFftD8

09/03/2026

File this one under things I did not expect to read in a dental trade journal this month.

The pop singer Kesha has asked her fans to mail her their teeth. She collects them and makes jewelry out of them, and she has apparently already produced a necklace, an earring, a belt and a crown. She posted a P.O. box.

It started, by her account, because fans kept telling her their kids had lost baby teeth.

I have no professional objection to any of this. Baby teeth are a keepsake, people have been saving them in envelopes and jars for generations, and if the tooth fairy has competition now, so be it.

But since I have your attention, one thing that actually matters.

If an adult tooth gets knocked out, that is a genuine emergency and it does not go in an envelope. Pick it up by the crown, the part you chew with, and never by the root. If it is dirty, rinse it gently. Put it in milk, or tuck it in the cheek, and get to a dentist as fast as you can. The first thirty minutes matter enormously, and after a couple of hours the odds of saving that tooth drop off a cliff.

Baby teeth, mail them to a pop star. Adult teeth, call us.

https://www.drbicuspid.com/dental-specialties/smile-design/article/15831802/done-with-your-teeth-this-pop-star-wants-them

Jackson Family Dentistry, 2033 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. (630) 963-6750.

This pop star wants your teeth, which she uses to create one-of-a-kind jewelry.

09/03/2026

One thing patients do not always think about is that preventive care is not just about avoiding future problems. It is also about protecting the dental work you already have. Fillings, crowns, implants, retainers, and other restorations all benefit from regular evaluation and ongoing maintenance. Routine visits help us monitor how everything is functioning and give us a better chance to address small concerns before they become more complicated.

09/02/2026

Crowded teeth are one of the most common things patients bring up, and almost always as a cosmetic complaint.

The part that matters more is that overlapping teeth are the ones your brush and floss can't fully reach. That's where decay and gum problems tend to start, quietly, years down the road. And crowding usually gets worse over time rather than better, even for people whose teeth were straight as teenagers.

This post walks through what causes crowding, how treatment creates the space to fix it, and what to expect along the way. There's also a full video from our channel embedded in it if you'd rather watch than read.

I've been an Invisalign provider for more than 20 years, and for mild to moderate crowding it handles more than most people expect.

Read it here: https://jacksonfamilydentistry.us/how-orthodontic-fix-crowded-teeth/

Jackson Family Dentistry, 2033 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove. (630) 963-6750.

Whether you've noticed your teeth overlapping, twisting, or simply not lining up the way they used to, crowded teeth can really affect your smile.