This Year, Make a New Year’s Resolution to Smile About!

Let’s face it- when was the last time you managed to keep a New Year’s resolution? We at The Smilezone believe the key to sticking to a goal is picking one that is both reasonable and attainable. If you haven’t yet picked a New Year’s resolution, consider setting one that will improve your oral health!

For example, resolve to brush twice and floss once a day. Good oral hygiene only takes a few minutes a day, and can make a big difference in your oral health and overall health too! For more oral health-themed resolutions for you and your family, check out this article.

We would love to see what you come up with, share with us by commenting on this post or on our Facebook page. Whatever your New Year’s Resolution, we wish you the very best for 2011!

-Happy New Year, from your friends at The Smile Zone

Season’s Greetings from The Smile Zone

In this season given to tidings of comfort and joy, and as the team at The Smile Zone
reflects on the year that was, we’d like to ask you, our wonderful patients: What do you love about the holidays this year? Being with your loved ones? A clean slate for 2011? Opening presents by the fireplace? All the delicious food? Also, what gift are you most looking forward to getting this year?

We’d love if you shared with us on our Facebook page all the things you love about the holidays. Stay warm, and don’t forget to stay away from those sweets!

--The team at The Smile Zone

Write a review for The Smile Zone!

The Smile Zone, serving Edmonton and surrounding areas, strives to help every patient achieve a healthy, beautiful smile that transcends the boundaries of their expectations and gives them a renewed sense of self-confidence. Today, we would like to hear about your experience with Dr. Jerome, Dr. Rob and our team!


Just select the “Review us on Google Places” button to share your story on our Google Place Page. We look forward to receiving your feedback!

Thank you,

-Dr. Jerome, Dr. Rob and team

Patient Question: What’s so bad about nail biting?

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at The Smile Zone found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.

Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!

Here’s why:
• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

What can you do about it?
Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation. Ask Drs. Rob and Jerome, or visit the article for tips on how to break a nail biting habit. Good luck!