You sit down for your dental appointment, and before long someone asks a familiar question: "When was the last time you had X-rays?"

Mention dentures and a lot of people picture something from decades ago. Bulky, obviously artificial, prone to slipping at the worst possible moment.

Every six months. Most of us have heard that number since childhood, and most of us have also gone longer than that at some point without much thought. So is it an actual clinical recommendation, or just a scheduling convention that stuck?

Few dental procedures have a worse reputation than the root canal. It's become shorthand for anything unpleasant, and that reputation is mostly outdated. Modern root canal treatment is designed to relieve pain, not cause it.

Veneers come up in a lot of smile makeover conversations, and for good reason. They can fix chips, gaps, discoloration, and uneven shapes all at once, which is more than most single treatments can promise.

If you've been thinking about whitening your teeth, you've probably noticed there's no shortage of options. Strips at the drugstore, trays from your dentist, LED kits on social media, whitening toothpastes, charcoal powders -- the list goes on. And if you've tried a few of them, you may have noticed the results vary pretty wildly.

Dental anxiety is more common than most people realize. Studies suggest that a significant portion of adults avoid the dentist altogether because of fear or nervousness, not laziness or busy schedules. And that avoidance has real consequences: small problems become big ones, and big ones become expensive ones.

If you have ever needed a dental crown, you know the traditional drill.

Here is a dental problem that affects millions of people and goes unnoticed by most of them: bruxism, the clinical term for grinding or clenching your teeth.

Missing a tooth? We break down the differences between dental implants and bridges to help you make the best decision for your smile and long-term health.