What Toothpaste Should My Child Use?

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Fluoride is an important part of maintaining healthy teeth. This is the material that reinforces your enamel against the acids that try to break them down. This is why our Lynnwood Dentistry advises that all children should be using a fluoride toothpaste as soon as they start developing teeth.

If your child is younger than three years old, a smear of toothpaste that covers less than three quarters of the brush should do the job. Look for a toothpaste that has at least 1,000 ppm (parts per million) of fluoride. Kids between the ages of three and six should use a pea-sized drop of toothpaste between 1,350-1,500 ppm of fluoride. Instruct your children to not swallow their toothpaste, as ingesting large amounts of fluoride is unadvisable.

Crown Problems

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

If you have a crown, it may occasionally give you problems. This can come from an improper fitting, decay, or simple wear and tear on the cement that holds your crown in place. Most crown problems are reasonably easy to remedy, but you will want to bring them to our Lynnwood dentistry clinic as quickly as you can in order to avoid more severe damage.

Firstly, a lot of people experience some degree of pain or sensitivity. When this happens, you may simply need to brush with a paste designed for sensitive teeth. If you experience pain when you bite down on your crown, the crown may be too high up; your dentist should be able to fix this problem for you.

Sometimes a crown will loosen or fall off. If this happens, a very vulnerable part of your tooth is exposed to decay. Be alert for a loose crown, and tell your dentist immediately if you notice anything askew. Should your crown come out, clean both the crown and the tooth and replace it with temporary dental cement until you can get it to your dentist to be refitted.

What Causes TMD’s?

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

A TMJ disorder represents any kind of problem with the temporomandibular joint.  In simple terms, it’s a problem with the joint of your jaw or the muscles that manipulate it.  The cause of any individual TMJ disorder is frequently unclear, but our Lynnwood dental clinic advises you to be on the lookout for the following possible culprits:

  • An injury to the jaw area, including around the head or neck.
  • Grinding or clenching in your teeth puts unnecessary strain on your jaw, and can cause TMD.
  • Oral cancer and certain dental problems can affect the way your jaw fits into your skill, bringing about a TMD.
  • Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in your jaw can manifest as a TMD.
  • In general, women are more likely to suffer from TMD than men.  Specifically, women between the age of twenty and forty represent the most cases.  Reasons for this are unclear.

Should you find yourself with a TMD, Song Dental Center can help you.  Contact our office for more information.

Caring for Teeth While Wearing Braces

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Braces can make your normal tooth care routine difficult. Wire braces offer food and bacteria more places to hide from your brushing, making brushing and flossing all the more essential. Your orthodontist should provide you with a special flosser to use around your braces if you need it. You may also want to schedule more check-ups with our Lynnwood Dentistry for as long as you have braces.

If you have braces that can be routinely taken out, you should always remove them before eating. If your braces can’t be removed, it is best to steer clear of foods that can stick to or damage them. Hard, gummy, and chewy candy is out, as is popcorn and gum. Sodas and sugary juices are unadvisable as well.

Some pain is to be expected as your teeth adjust to the braces. In this event, simple painkillers should be enough to help you cope. All the same, you should be aware of any poking or scratching sensations in your mouth that may be the result of a broken wire; damaged braces should be brought to your orthodontist as soon as possible.

The Dangers of Mouth-Breathing

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Do you have a child who habitually breathes through his or her mouth? This is fairly common. About half of all children under the age of eight do some degree of mouth-breathing. If he or she hasn’t grown out of the habit by the age of eight, though, it might be wise to bring this to the attention of your Lynnwood dental clinic.

One of the problems that comes with mouth breathing is that it dries up your mouth. Your mouth requires saliva to protect it against harmful bacteria and fungus, so a lack of sufficient moisture can invite serious problems to your teeth and gums. People with dry mouths are highly prone to tooth decay, gum disease, and other such conditions. Stay on the lookout for mouth-breathing and save your child’s mouth!

Protect Your Baby from Bottle Mouth!

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Our Lynnwood dental center wants your little ones to get a good start on their teeth, and there are few greater threats to an infant’s oral health than bottle mouth. The good news is that it’s an easy enough condition to avoid, if you’re aware of it, so simply follow these easy guidelines and you’ll save your baby from serious, catastrophic tooth decay.

The term “bottle mouth” comes from the fact that it generally arises from misuse of a bottle. Sometimes babies can fall asleep while drinking from bottles, and this causes the sugary substance within to pool in their mouths and linger for far longer than it should. As the baby sleeps, saliva production drops, so there is very little guarding his or her mouth from rampant decay.

With this in mind, never put your baby to sleep with a bottle of milk, juice, or any other sugary substance. Pacifiers are a good alternative, as is a bottle of regular water. To learn more about proper dental hygiene for infants, you can consult Song’s Lynnwood dental clinic.

Do You Have Tonsillitis?

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Tonsillitis, or an inflammation of the tonsils, generally represents a viral or bacterial infection in your tonsils.  It can be a condition that requires medical attention, so our Lynnwood dental clinic advises that you be on the lookout for the following warning signs:

  • A pain or tenderness in your throat.
  • A coating of white or yellow on your tonsils.
  • The development of blisters or ulcers in your throat.
  • An inexplicable hoarseness, or a loss of your voice.
  • Headaches.
  • Earaches.
  • A loss of appetite.
  • Difficulty swallowing.
  • Difficulty breathing through the mouth.
  • A swelling in the glands of your neck or jaw.
  • Fevers or chills.
  • Halitosis.

The Proper Way to Store Your Brush

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Your bathroom is not the most sanitary place.  All the same, though, it’s probably the place where you keep your toothbrush.  In order to minimize the amount of bacteria and other unhealthy substances on your brush, try taking the following storage tips from your Lynnwood Dentistry:

  • Store your brush upright, like in a cup or a brush holder.  This will keep the bristles drier, which makes them less bacteria-friendly.

  • Avoid using a toothbrush cover whenever you can.  Bacteria thrive in a cramped, moist environment.

  • Don’t mix with other brushes.  Putting more than one brush in a single cup allows them to exchange bacteria and viruses.  If somebody in your household has gingivitis or a cold sore, they could very well be sharing this problem with you.

  • Watch out for the toilet!  Whenever you flush, the toilet sends a light spray of bacteria and toilet water into the air.  This spray can settle on your toothbrush if you’re not careful.