Embarking on the journey to become a board-certified dentist is a commendable pursuit that requires dedication, education, and a passion for oral health. This transformative path not only elevates your professional status but also ensures a commitment to the highest standards of patient care. In this blog post, we’ll explore the essential steps and key considerations for those aspiring to achieve dental board certification.
Continue reading “Navigating the Path to Excellence: Becoming a Board-Certified Dentist | Ottawa Dentist”Everything You Need To Know About Oral Herpes | Ottawa Dentist
Oral herpes, commonly known as cold sores or fever blisters, is a prevalent viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). While it may not be a comfortable topic to discuss, understanding oral herpes is crucial for promoting awareness, reducing stigma, and preventing its spread.
Continue reading “Everything You Need To Know About Oral Herpes | Ottawa Dentist”Understanding and Preventing Oral Infections | Ottawa Dentist
Oral health is a crucial aspect of our overall well-being, yet it often takes a back seat in our daily healthcare routine. One of the most underestimated risks to our oral health is the threat of oral infections. These infections can silently wreak havoc, causing discomfort, pain, and even long-term damage if left untreated.
Continue reading “Understanding and Preventing Oral Infections | Ottawa Dentist”Diabetes Can Affect Your Smile’s Health | Ottawa Dentist
Diabetes is a disease that affects more and more people every day, but did you know that it affects more than just your blood sugar? It’s true. Diabetes not only needs to be monitored to maintain your overall health but not taking care of your diabetes can also affect your mouth. Let’s explain.
Continue reading “Diabetes Can Affect Your Smile’s Health | Ottawa Dentist”A Review Of Dental Specialties | Ottawa Dentist
Dentistry, like many healthcare fields, allows practitioners to specialize in a given aspect of their craft. It is important to understand these differences and to seek the appropriate care for any concerns you may have regarding your oral health.
Continue reading “A Review Of Dental Specialties | Ottawa Dentist”How To Make the Most of Your Dental Visit | Ottawa Dentist
Visiting the dentist is an essential part of your oral health. Many people are timid about regular cleanings and check-ins, but they help you notice warning signs sooner.
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that your dentist is on your team; they are open to answering your questions with knowledge and experience. If you have any concerns about your teeth, gums, or jaw, or are experiencing any pain it is important to share that with your dentist. It’s easy to turn to the internet for answers to these concerns, but lifestyle habits among other things are factors your dentist can consider with you.
Continue reading “How To Make the Most of Your Dental Visit | Ottawa Dentist”The Causes and Symptoms of Dry Mouth | Ottawa Dentist
Dry mouth can be caused by a natural inability of your glands to produce sufficient saliva, medication, aging issues, or as a result of radiation therapy. Dry mouth is a condition in which one’s salivary glands produce an insufficient amount of saliva to keep your mouth wet.
Continue reading “The Causes and Symptoms of Dry Mouth | Ottawa Dentist”Nail Biting Impacts Your Teeth, Here’s How | Ottawa Dentist
We only get one set of adult teeth. They should be one of the most important things you work to protect through proper oral care and intended use. Biting your nails may seem harmless, but it can cause serious damage to a beautiful smile. It increases the risk you may chip a tooth, increase the number of harmful bacteria in your mouth and begin to shift your teeth.
Before you chip a tooth or otherwise damage your smile, here are some tips to help yourself keep from biting your nails:
- Identify your triggers
- Keep your nails trimmed
- Get regular manicures
- Apply a clear or bitter-tasting to your nails or the edge of your fingertips
- Replace the nail-biting habit with a good habit
- Try to gradually stop biting your nails, going nail by nail until the habit is kicked
Small steps may be the key to making a bigger change. The sooner you kick your nail-biting habit, the less time you spend unconsciously damaging your teeth.
For more information about smile makeovers, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit us online at www.ottawadentistryonkent.com
Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serves patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.
Oral Care Accessories to Enhance Your Smile At Home | Ottawa Dentist
In the ever-evolving technological age, there are a number of ways you can enhance the hygiene and aesthetic of your smile. There are also a number of gadgets on the market specifically designed to fill whatever gaps you feel are present as you strive to enhance your smile. These means essentially fall into two categories; hygienic and aesthetic. Of course, a well-rounded oral care routine is the first step towards attaining the smile you want, but if your hygiene is quite good, and you still aren’t seeing the results you want, these care additions may do the trick.
Hygienic
Electric Toothbrushes: Do you even complete your two-minute scrub and think “my teeth don’t feel very clean”? It may be because the traditional toothbrush just isn’t cutting it anymore. Electric toothbrushes have gained popularity because they are designed to provide brush strokes that work to give you a better clean in the same amount of time. It can go a long way to providing the basic care your teeth need.
Flossers: There are so many ways to floss available for your choosing. Traditional waxed or unwaxed threads are no longer the only option. Water flossers and plush threads are great alternatives (if not better alternatives) to the floss we commonly associate with.
Tongue Scraper: While there is no definitive rule that these need to be employed in your care routine, the benefit of incorporating one is the added removal of potentially harmful bacteria. Tongue scraping removes the same bacteria that feed on the sugars left between the teeth after a meal from the surface of the tongue, improving overall hygiene.
Aesthetic
At-Home Aligners: At-home aligners are an easy, effective means of straightening out your teeth for an enhanced aesthetic. While they aren’t meant for everyone, and you should speak with your dentist prior to incorporating at-home aligners into your oral care practices, they can gently move your teeth into their proper position and enhance your smile.
Whitening Trays: These work similarly to the teeth aligners mentioned above. Instead of working to straighten your teeth however, you simply mold the trey to your teeth, brush on the included whitening solution to the inside of the tray and allow it to rest on your teeth for the prescribed amount of time. Kits are easily accessible and when done properly can make your smile up to a few shades whiter.
UV Light: This is another means of enhancing the color and brightness of your teeth. Typically, when you employ a UV light, you first brush on the whitening solution and allow the light to rest on that set of teeth for a number of minutes. The solution and the light combination works to enhance your smile and can potentially do so up to a few shades whiter.
For more information about smile makeovers, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit us online at www.ottawadentistryonkent.com
Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serves patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.
Do You Have Xerostomia? | Ottawa Dentist

Have you ever heard of the medical condition xerostomia? Dry mouth is a condition that may be a side effect of various medications, salivary gland problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth. But this isn’t the only symptom. It can also cause bad breath. Below are five easy ways to keep your breath fresh all day:
Stay hydrated. If you can’t brush your teeth after a meal, drinking a lot of water can help speed up the process of cleaning harmful bacteria and debris from between your teeth, by rinsing your mouth out as well. Drinking milk can even help deodorize some offensive breath odors.
Keep drinking a cup of joe to a minimum. It may be tasty, but coffee is a tough smell to get off the back of your tongue. If you feel like you can’t function without it, don’t quit completely. Instead, keep the intake to a minimum and have a toothbrush or sugar-free gum handy for afterwards.
Stave off tobacco products. Cigarettes, pipes, and snuff can not only make you more susceptible to health issues, but smoking gives people horrible breath. Keeping them out of your life will have multiple benefits.
Cut back on alcohol. Alcohol can lead to a dry mouth. Too much beer, wine, and hard liquor can make your breath smell less than fresh for up to eight to 10 hours after you finish drinking.
Chew sugarless gum. Wait for a good half hour after a meal before popping in a piece of sugarless gum. It can help with saliva flow, cleaning cavity-forming bacteria from your mouth before they can do any damage. Gum that’s 100% xylitol-sweetened can help reduce cavities, so feel free to indulge in this sweet treat after a good meal.
For more information about xerostomia, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit www.ottawadentistryonkent.com.
Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serve patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.