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Getting the Most Out of Your Mouthwash

in Did You Know? by Bella Dental Clinic Leave a comment

Religiously rinsing with Listerine, Crest Pro-Health, or one of the other leading mouthwash varieties is a good way to get better check-ups at our Federal Way dentistry clinic. Unfortunately, if you make the mistake of relying upon a single product, you might not be getting the best out of your wash anymore.

This is according to research conducted by Clinical Research Associates. This group observed that the microbes in your mouth will gradually build up resistance against your mouthwash. You can prevent this by rotating the product you use every two or three months. Try to find an alternate product that lists a different active ingredient than your primary wash.

Are Lemons Killing Your Teeth?

in Did You Know? by Bella Dental Clinic Leave a comment

Acidic foods always have the potential to compromise your dental enamel and invite decay upon your teeth. Unfortunately, even foods that may be a highly beneficial part of your diet, like citrus fruits, have this potential. Lemons can be particularly problematic; according to a study, lemon juice does more damage than any other citrus fruit. When you add the high levels of sugar that are generally paired with lemonade and similar lemon-related favorites, and you’ve got a very potent tooth-rotter.

With this in mind, consider following your lemonade by rinsing out with a mouthful of water. Don’t brush your teeth right away, as your enamel needs about twenty minutes to remineralize. If you stay vigilant, and get regular cleanings at our Federal Way dentistry clinic, and you’ll be able to stave off tooth decay without having to give up the nutritional benefits and great taste of citrus.

Tooth-Friendly Nutrition

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Everybody knows that a tooth-friendly diet involves cutting back on the refined sugars. However, there is also a number of important nutrients you should make sure to get enough of in order to get the best out of your mouth. Get enough of the following in your diet, and you should be well on your way towards favorable oral health:

  • Calcium: This mineral is used to make new teeth and bones.
  • Vitamin D: Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium.
  • Vitamin C: If you don’t get enough of this vitamin, you invite loose teeth and weak gums upon yourself.
  • Fiber and Whole Grains: When you consume low sugar, high fiber foods like crunchy vegetables and grains, they can act as a natural toothbrush as you chew.

Talk to our Federal Way dentistry clinic for more information on how you can tailor your diet towards achieving strong oral health.

Braces: Not Just for Kids

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Nobody likes to have to get braces, especially after they reach adulthood. However, our Lynnwood dentistry clinic wants to remind you of the importance of wearing braces, and the significant developments that may have been made in orthodontic technology since you were young that serve to make the experience more comfortable all around.

Firstly, today’s braces can be surprisingly unnoticeable. Through the use of clear, ceramic materials and gentle, unobtrusive structures, an orthodontist can construct a set of braces that will be invisible to the people around you. Many people can even get so comfortable with their braces that they forget they are wearing them.

Even if you had braces as a child, there is no guarantee that you won’t require them again as an adult. Your teeth can drift out of position throughout your life, and are all the more likely to do so if they were crooked in the first place. If you feel like you may be a candidate for braces, consult your dentist for more information.

Your Genetics and Your Dental Care

in Did You Know? by Bella Dental Clinic Leave a comment

Brushing and flossing well will go a long way towards maintaining proper oral health. Unfortunately, there is also a certain degree to which forces beyond your control, like your genetics, are going to play an important role. Tell our Federal Way dentistry clinic if you have a family history of any of the following so that we can customize your treatments appropriately:

  • Gingivitis. You may be more genetically disposed to gum disease.
  • Bleeding disorders. A family history of clotting problems or similar bleeding issues can impact your dental treatments.
  • Crooked teeth. If there are a lot of braces in your family, chances are good that you’ll need them as well.
  • Certain disease that tend to run in families, like diabetes, can have a powerful effect on your oral health.

Do Tooth-Colored Fillings Stain?

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The advantage of tooth-colored fillings is that they blend in with your natural tooth structure. Unfortunately, as you expose your teeth to coffee, smoke, and other staining materials, your fillings can be made to stand out starkly among the rest of your tooth. You may gradually begin to see a distinct, brownish outline around your fillings, which can mar the aesthetic of your smile if located on a front-facing tooth surface.

The bad news in this case is that bleaching stains away is not as feasible for composite filling materials. However, a badly stained filling can often be polished until it matches your natural teeth again.

More importantly, a stained filling may be indicative of tooth decay. You’ll want to visit our Federal Way dentistry clinic so that we can inspect the filling, and replace it if need be.

Are Wide Gaps Between Teeth Unhealthy?

in Did You Know? by Bella Dental Clinic Leave a comment

Some people believe that having a sizeable gap between your teeth makes you more susceptible to tooth decay. Fortunately, this is not the case. In fact, a wide gap between your teeth makes them easier to clean and less likely to get food caught between them. By contrast, two teeth that are too close together are difficult to floss, and therefore may be somewhat more prone to cavities.

The bad news is that, when your teeth have wide gaps between them, they’re probably crooked. It may indicate that one tooth is crowding another, or it may mean that you’re missing a tooth and your adjacent teeth are drifting out of place. This weakens your bite, and compromises your jawbone structure. Consult our Federal Way dentistry clinic to decided whether or not you may need to fit yourself with braces, bridge work, or a similar treatment.

Should I Stop Flossing if it Hurts My Gums?

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Do you experience excess pain when you try to floss your teeth? Do you frequently pull out your floss to find it stained with red? If so, don’t make the common mistake of using it as an excuse to not floss. In fact, keeping up a proper once-a-day flossing schedule may be exactly what you need.

Any pain and bleeding that may occur during flossing is not going to go away if you stop flossing. So long as you floss regularly, once every day, you should discover that the pain diminishes over time while your fragile gum tissues become stronger. On the other hand, if you have already begun to develop gingivitis, you may need professional help. Contact our Federal Way dentistry clinic for additional information.

Is Your Tea Giving You Cancer?

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There are many good reasons to drink tea. Most varieties of tea have valuable health benefits, including reduced stress, antioxidants, and a decreased risk of cancer. With this in mind, it may therefore come as a surprise that your tea may also be increasing your throat cancer risk.

Studies conducted on esophageal cancer patients determined that those who said that they regularly drank more than a litre of hot black tea were more likely to contact the disease. It would seem that the high temperature of the tea is the detrimental factor here; tea of above sixty five degrees seems to put you at a substantially greater risk, while tea of over seventy degrees is even worse.

The good news is that you don’t need to cut down on your tea drinking to keep your throat healthy. By allowing your tea to sit for a minimum of four minutes after boiling the water, you can generally expect it to fall below the important sixty degree mark. Meanwhile, get your regular cleanings at our Federal Way dentistry clinic, and you should enjoy a low risk of oral cancer.

What is Hyperdontia?

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If you’re like most people, by the time you grow up, you have roughly thirty-two teeth. There is a little variation from person to person, often depending on whether or not they develop wisdom teeth. In rare cases, an individual may grow far more than their usual allotment of teeth. This is a condition known as hyperdontia.

Hyperdontia is characteristic of extra teeth erupting throughout the mouth, possibly in places where teeth have no business erupting. It can be an uncomfortable condition at best, and can compromise the rest of your teeth. The general solution is to extract any excess teeth, and possibly have some orthodontic work done on your remaining teeth. Should you have a need for such services, come to our Federal Way dentistry clinic to set your smile right!

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