Saturday, October 31, 2020

Aging and Cosmetic Dentistry


You're never too old to improve your smile. With age, teeth sometimes become discolored, worn or chipped, or other damage may occur. Find out how treatment options like tooth whitening, veneers, tooth-colored fillings or dental implants can make your smile look years younger.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Why Does Sugar Make My Teeth Hurt?


Picture this: you're gorging on leftover Halloween candy. You take a bite of a fun-size chocolate bar and instead of sugary goodness, you get a flash of blinding pain in your tooth! What's the deal?

Hosted by: Stefan Chin

Sunday, October 25, 2020

Six Foods That Are Turning Your Teeth Yellow


What makes your teeth turn into yellow? These are six types of foods that you should avoid, since they may stain your teeth. These are just six of more offenders out there. Keep your teeth protected.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

How to Ease Your Child’s Fear of the Dentist


It can be hard to get children to cooperate. Often, “Eat your vegetables, Timmy” is followed by a “No!” and stalks of broccoli flying past your head.

The same can be true of visiting the dentist, especially if your child experiences anxiety in the dental office. But good oral habits begin at young age. So, it’s important to get your kids comfortable with their dental provider and regular checkups and cleanings – especially in the COVID era.

Now that dental offices are reopening, it’s a good time to learn a few tips and tricks you can use to help ease your child’s fear.

KISS: Keep It Simple, Silly

Be as honest and open as possible with your child before their appointment, but for the technical stuff it’s better to let the dentist do the explaining.

Dental professionals are trained to describe procedures in simple, non-threatening ways and are e equipped to answer your child’s questions. And if your child does start to get nervous, they’ll know the best ways to tackle fear in the moment.

In fact, there’s a whole slew of dentists who cater exclusively to children and specialize in getting kids acquainted and comfortable with regular dental visits!

Give Them a Heads Up

Children thrive on predictability – from daily schedules to bed times, they like to know what to expect and when.

So, make sure to tell your child in advance that they have a dental appointment. It gives them time to mentally prepare by expressing their fears and asking questions. And gives you ample time to help them through their dental anxiety.

Bribery is a No-Go

When it comes to getting Timmy to eat his broccoli, the promise of ice cream or cookies might do the trick. But when it comes to preparing your child for their dental visit, experts say it’s best to avoid the sugary treats all together.

Dentists emphasize clean, healthy teeth by avoiding sweets that can cause cavities, so offering a lollipop if they behave sends the wrong message. If you promise your little one candy to keep them from crying or fussing, they’ll wonder what there is to fuss or cry about in the first place. And this can generate more fear leading up to the visit.

Some dentists do give out small treats -- like stickers or toys – as a reward for good behavior. It’s best to keep these incentives as reinforcement for good behavior. It leaves your child with a positive impression about the entire visit.

Talk to Them About Good Oral Hygiene

Just like regular checkups at a doctor’s office, cleanings and routine dental visits are key to maintaining good overall health.

Start by telling your child that the dentist helps keep teeth healthy so that he or she may eat well and grow big and strong. As they get older, explain that taking care of your oral health means a bright and beautiful smile for years to come. If you need some help with this, check out our Tooth Fairy Experience. There’s lots of resources that help make oral health fun for youngsters.

Start ‘Em Young

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, children should have their first dental visit no later than his/her first birthday.

Why? Well not only does this get them accustomed to visiting the dentist on a regular basis, but it provides them with what experts call a “dental home.”

This “dental home” will be where you child becomes accustomed to getting all of their needs – from periodic preventative visits to emergencies – taken care of. The more familiar they are with the dentist and the dentist’s office, the less likely they are to experience dental anxiety.

Article Source: https://www.deltadentalwa.com/blog/entry/2020/05/How-to-Ease-Your-Childs-Fear-of-the-Dentist

Monday, October 19, 2020

What If You Stopped Brushing Your Teeth Forever?


What if you never brushed your teeth? Or even stopped for a year? Here's what would happen!

Friday, October 16, 2020

What is a Filling & When do you need One?


A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

The Link Between Oral Health and COVID-19 Symptoms


As the world adjusts to a new normal in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, new research has emerged indicating that people with advanced gingivitis and poor oral health are at greater risk for developing severe COVID-19 symptoms.

But what exactly links these seemingly unrelated issues together? And what can you do to protect yourself and reduce your risk of suffering from severe COVID-19 symptoms? We’ll break it all down below.

Oral Health and COVID-19

With over 10 million people having been infected with COVID-19, British researchers Victoria and Ariane Sampson wanted to know what might be causing severe symptoms in some and not others.

So, they asked the question: “Could there be a link between oral hygiene and SARS-CoV-2 infections?”

Turns out, there is – in fact, they found that 20 percent of those who contracted COVID developed severe symptoms due to a high “bacterial load.”

In other words, those who suffer from gingivitis or periodontitis have higher rates of infection causing bacteria in their mouth, which enters their body in a myriad of ways. The first, is through the blood via the vessels in the gums and teeth. The second is via respiratory, by breathing in this bacteria.

As a result, those who may have contracted COVID or are suffering from minor symptoms, develop post-viral bacterial complications, such as pneumonia, sepsis, or respiratory distress syndrome. When this happens, the body’s immune system is weakened, resulting in much more severe symptoms than would have otherwise occurred.

Additionally, the researchers note that “those with periodontal disease are at a 25 percent raised risk of heart disease, thrice the risk of getting diabetes, and 20 percent raised risk of getting high blood pressure.”

Which means that having anyone of these diseases puts you into the CDC’s recognized “at-risk” groups for COVID-19, so understanding the connection between oral health and coronavirus is that much more important.

How to Protect Yourself


Now that you understand the connection between oral health and severe COVID-19 symptoms, keeping yourself safe and healthy is simple.

As this study shows, it’s even more important to prioritize your dental hygiene, whether you fall into one of the “at-risk” groups or not.

Brush your teeth for 2-minutes twice a day with a soft bristle toothbrush, floss at least once-a-day with an ADA recommended floss, and schedule a preventative care visit with your dentist at least once every six months. If you’re over the age of 70, consider following the CDC’s guidance on activities to avoid, mask wearing, and social distancing to keep yourself and loved one’s safe.

If you’re worried about tooth decay, gum recession, or other oral health issues or you have questions about your oral health and whether you’re at risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms, consult your dental provider. But what exactly links these seemingly unrelated issues together? And what can you do to protect yourself and reduce your risk of suffering from severe COVID-19 symptoms? We’ll break it all down below.


Article Source: https://www.deltadentalwa.com/blog/entry/2020/09/COVID-Oral-Health

Saturday, October 10, 2020

What to Do If Your Tooth is Cracked


Some teeth have cracks too small to show up on X-rays, or cracked are under the gum. These small cracks are known as cracked tooth syndrome

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

The Real Reason Humans Have Those Sharp Front Teeth


We share our sharp canine teeth with lions, hippos, and other mammals. But believe it or not, they have nothing to do with tearing into meat. Instead, our ancestors originally used them to fight for mating rights, and they shrunk over time as we stopped using our teeth as weapons.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

What is a Filling & When Do You Need One?


A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

10 Causes of Bleeding Gums


You noticed a little pink in the sink after brushing your teeth. Or maybe you noticed blood in your mouth after flossing. What caused your bleeding gums? And is it serious? Gums bleed for many reasons. Some reasons, like gum disease, are serious and warrant a call to your dentist sooner rather than later. Other causes for bleeding gums are less serious. In some cases, you can stop bleeding gums with simple changes to your daily brushing and flossing routine.

Besides serious gum disease, here are ten other reasons gums bleed and how to stop bleeding gums before the problem becomes a bigger issue.

Bleeding Gums Reason #1: Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. Symptoms include tender and swollen gums, and in some cases bleeding gums during brushing and floss.

Gingivitis happens when plaque along your gum line isn’t properly removed. This sticky plaque breeds all sorts of nasty bacteria that infect the gums, causing bleeding and sensitivity. At this early stage, gingivitis can be stopped and reversed before it turns to more serious gum disease.

Prevent or stop bleeding gums caused by gingivitis with proper oral care. Brush and floss regularly and stay on top of your routine dental check-ups.

Bleeding Gums Reason #2: Medications
Another possible cause of bleeding gums is blood thinning medication. Blood thinning medications decrease the blood’s ability to clot, leading to easier bleeding, including at the gumline. Every time you visit your dentist, let her know about any new medications. This helps the dentist identify the cause of bleeding gums and other oral problems.

Your dentist might recommend a different oral care routine to help minimize or stop gum bleeding caused by medication.

Bleeding Gums Reason #3: New Flossing Routine
If your gums bleed after flossing, when they’ve never bled before, the flossing itself could be the cause. If you took a few days off from flossing or increased the rate per week at which you floss, you might notice minor gum bleeding. This gum bleeding should stop on its own after a couple of flossing sessions. If your gums bleed frequently, or every time you floss, visit your dentist.

Bleeding Gums Reason #4: New Toothbrush
A new type of toothbrush can also cause gum bleeding. If you switch from soft bristles to hard bristles, bleeding is sometimes your gums’ way of telling you to take it down a notch. Most dentists recommend a soft bristled toothbrush, specifically because it is easier on gums. So, if your gums bleed from a hard-bristled toothbrush, heed the warning. After switching back to soft bristles, bleeding along the gumline should stop within a few brushing sessions.

Bleeding Gums Reason #5: Pregnancy Gingivitis
Yep, it's a thing. Increased hormones during pregnancy cause increased blood flow to your gums, making them extra sensitive to plaque and bacteria. This in turn often leads to tender gums and gum bleeding during brushing. Pregnancy gingivitis, and any associated gum bleeding, usually stops shortly after pregnancy.

Bleeding Gums Reason #6: Poor Oral Hygiene Habits
You might be surprised to learn that even a temporary lapse in otherwise stellar oral hygiene sometimes causes bleeding gums. Research shows healthy gums can become bleeding and diseased gums with just one day off proper oral care. Yikes!

Prevent or stop bleeding gums with daily hygiene habits. Brush for two minutes, twice a day and floss daily to keep plaque at bay and prevent swollen, bleeding gums.

Bleeding Gums Reason #7: Poor Diet
Some ingredients in processed foods irritate gums and cause minor gum bleeding. Opt for healthier alternatives instead. Fruits and veggies, along with calcium, vitamins C and D, and magnesium are critical components of oral health. Make sure you get your daily recommended allowances of these nutrients

Bleeding Gums Reason #8: Stress
Living in a constant state of agitation and anxiety compromises your immune system, making it harder to ward off any number of issues, including bleeding gums and gum disease. Stress also causes inflammation in the blood vessels. This breaks down soft tissues in your mouth, further slowing the healing process for bleeding gums. Try reducing your stress levels whenever possible.

Bleeding Gums Reason #9: Misaligned Bite
If your teeth aren’t properly aligned you may develop “bite disease,” which is yet another possible cause of bleeding gums. If your teeth are misaligned, the wrong type of pressure is applied to the wrong places when you bite down or grind your teeth.

These destructive forces affect your teeth, as well as the supporting tissue and bone. If you apply repeated pressure in one spot, the gums recede and the bone deteriorates, creating a prime spot for gum disease and bleeding gums. Talk to your dentist about solutions for an unbalanced bite.

Bleeding Gums Reason #10: Smoking or Vaping
It’s true. Both smoking and vaping increase your risk for oral health problems, including sensitive, diseased, and bleeding gums. Once gum bleeding starts, dangerous bacteria trapped between the teeth and the gumline can get into the bloodstream, causing further complications.

If you are worried about how smoking or vaping affects your oral health, talk to your dentist or doctor about alternatives or programs to help you quit.

Visit Your Dentist for Persistent or Serious Gum Bleeding
These ten reasons for gum bleeding are meant as a guideline. But as with anything related to your oral health, nothing substitutes regular dental checkups. At routine dental appointments, your dentist checks for signs of gum disease and screens for other oral health issues. He helps identify if your gums are bleeding, the causes for your bleeding gums, and a plan to stop it.

If your gums bleed persistently or if you experience ongoing pain association with bleeding gums, don’t wait for your next checkup. When left untreated, bleeding gums leads to more serious oral health problems, so make an appointment with your dentist now if you are concerned.

Article Source: https://www.deltadentalwa.com/blog/entry/2018/08/causes-bleeding-gums