Some patients will come to our Lynnwood dentistry clinic with concerns about unusual bumps or discolorations in their mouths. One of these is known as a mucocele. These typically manifest as a small, round bump, between two and ten millimeters in diameter, either pearly white or light bluish in color. They may appear anywhere on the inside of your bottom lip, on your gums, or on the roof or floor of your mouth.

Mucoceles are the result of a salivary duct getting blocked or damaged. Maybe you experienced some trauma on your face, or maybe you have a habit of biting or sucking on your lip or cheek too much. The good news is that they’re generally painless and harmless, and will likely go away without treatment, but your dentist can help you if they start to grow or become bothersome.

Thrush is a fungal condition caused by the candida fungus. It can afflict people of any age, though it is most common as an infection of the mouth in infants and toddlers. You can help to protect yourself and your little one from this painful condition by taking the following advice from your Lynnwood dental clinic:

What you need to understand about the candida fungus is that it is generally going to be present in your mouth at any time, though it is largely kept under control by your saliva. This is why stress, smoking, medication, and other forces that cause dry mouth can allow the fungus to flourish. If you can keep such factors managed in your own life, you are less likely to spread an infection to your vulnerable infant.

Aside from this, it’s mostly a matter of general dental care; observe proper oral hygiene with your child, limit his or her intake of sugary or yeast-heavy food, and take him or her in for regular dentist appointments. Should all else fail and your child end up with thrush, please contact Song Dental Center.

Some people like to use baking soda as an alternative to toothpaste. Indeed, some toothpastes even advertise that they contain baking soda, so what could the harm be? If you’re wondering whether or not baking soda actually can serve as a viable substitute for your regular toothpaste, our Lynnwood dental clinic has the answer.

In truth, you can get a lot out of a baking soda that you need from a toothpaste. It’s good at neutralizing acids, killing microbes, and scrubbing harmful plaque off of your teeth. The big problem with straight baking soda is that it is fairly abrasive, compared to a proper toothpaste. So, while it may serve well in a pinch, you would do well to not make habitual use of baking soda.

Meanwhile, baking soda toothpastes give you the benefits of baking soda without all of the same abrasiveness. These products represent a good option for your teeth, and one that many shoppers appreciate for their thorough cleaning, their low price, and the fresh feeling they leave behind in your mouth.

Acid reflux can cause a lot of problems. People suffering from this condition have trouble with their stomach acid escaping up their esophagus, which can burn the throat and cause a lot of pain. Some of this acid can also get into your mouth, which can be very harmful to your teeth. Our Lynnwood Dentistry advises that you take steps to manage your acid reflux for the sake of your oral health.

You can manage your acid reflux by carefully considering your diet. There are many foods that contribute to your acid reflux, among these being alcohol, chocolate, caffeinated beverages, coffee, tea, garlic, onions, dairy products, citrus fruit, tomatoes, mint, spicy foods, and fatty fried foods. Avoid eating these late in the day, and try propping up the front legs of your bed a few inches so that your throat is uphill of your stomach. This will go a long way towards preserving your tooth enamel from the ravages of acid.

Everybody knows that soda is bad for your teeth. Obviously, as a high-sugar beverage, sodas are a big contributor to cavities and gum disease. With that in mind, some people think that they can dodge the bullet by drinking only sugar-free soda. Unfortunately, this is not the fix that you may think it is. Our Lynnwood Dentistry cautions you to take as much care with sugar-free sodas as you should with sugary beverages.

What you need to remember is that it’s not just the sugar in soda that is hurting your teeth. Drinks with carbonation in them are highly acidic, and this acid has a lot of potential to weaken your tooth enamel. In many drinks, it’s this acid that is doing the most damage to your teeth. Try minimizing this damage by following an acidic beverage with a calcium-rich drink, like milk, and stick to drinking water between meals as much as you can.

Everybody knows that you say “cheese” when you’re getting your picture taken in order to help flash your beautiful smile. But how do you go about getting a beautiful smile in the first place? You may be surprised to learn that cheese can, again, play a valuable role here. Try making cheese a bigger part of your diet, and you may find yourself experiencing better checkups at our Lynnwood Dentistry.

Cheese isn’t only rich in the calcium that is so important to the health of your tooth structure. Most cheeses also contain casein and whey proteins, which serve well to fight the demineralization of your tooth enamel. This prevents cavities, keeping your teeth strong and healthy.