It’s All About The Sugar

Carbonated water is also called sparkling water, a refreshing beverage and an alternative to sugary soft drinks. It’s trendy, perky and energizing. But is it just our dissatisfaction with shelves upon shelves of other drinks in the market? Aren’t you worried about claims that sparkling water is bad for your health? Your teeth in particular?

Sparkling water is just water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. It produces a bubbly drink and that’s why it’s also called seltzer water, fizzy water, soda water or club water. Sodium and other minerals are sometimes added for taste. Sparkling water is slightly acidic, triggering a burning, prickly sensation that can be both irritating and enjoyable.

However, experts say that, drinking acidic beverages like carbonated water does not make your body more acidic. Your kidneys and lungs can remove excess carbon dioxide, maintaining your blood at slightly alkaline ph.

Because sparkling water is acidic, the question is, can it harm tooth enamel? A study found that it can damage slightly more than still water, yet a hundred times less damaging than soft drinks. Another study claimed that it can potentially damage enamel if it has added sugar. There’s another trial wherein samples of tooth enamel were placed in various beverages for up to 24 hours.

The result?

Carbonated and non-carbonated drinks with sugar resulted in significantly greater enamel loss than diet drinks. Hence, sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages can erode tooth enamel, but plain carbonated water appears to be relatively harmless.

Carbonated drinks seem to have some benefits affecting digestion. It is said to improve swallowing, helps one feel full longer than plain water, and may relieve constipation. Where bone health is concerned, plain sparkling water appears to have a neutral or positive effect; however, carbonated cola drinks may harm bone health.

Recommending Carbonated Drinks Without Sugar

Sparkling water is just fine for us at Song Dental. We indulge this refreshing drink occasionally and have fun. Nonetheless, your dental experts in Lynnwood are more into plain water, with fluoride. Visit us and know more about healthy and not-so- healthy drinks.

Top Advice in Oral Hygiene

Even if you have the most thorough professional dental cleaning every 6 months or so, if don’t do much for oral hygiene in the remaining 363 days of the year, good dental health may not be pretty much achieved.

Veteran dental hygienists give the top oral hygiene tips of all time.

1. Fight bacteria with brushing, flossing and rinses. Bacteria is the culprit in tooth decay and gum disease. Don’t put off flossing during the day; no barriers should keep you from it.
2. Keep dental appointments faithfully. Twice a year professional cleanings are an essential part of dental visits. Missing only one can make things really tough for teeth and gums to handle.
3. Floss thoroughly. It takes time and a lot of practice to be thorough. Brushing alone is not enough which takes care of top surfaces and sides of teeth, but not the in-betweens.
4. White teeth is not always a sign of healthy teeth. Color does not necessarily matter, just like skin tone.
5. Drinking water is better than coffee and sodas. While coffee can stain and both coffee and sodas are acidic to the enamel, limit them considerably and stick to plain water.
6. Clean the tongue by scraping or brushing it. Use one direction only, or you’ll gag. Bacteria can live on your tongue. Want to have fresh breath? Clean the tongue daily.
7. Spend quality time with your toothbrush. Brush twice daily, spending a good 2 minutes at the least per brushing session. Do routinely, in the morning when waking up, in the evening before bedtime.
8. Have the oral exam. At twice a year visits, one must ask for a thorough oral exam. Screening can detect early cavities, gingivitis, oral cancer and other suspicious changes in the gums, tongue, soft tissue, jawbone, and throat. Early detection can save lives.
9. Take care of your teeth and gums well and you can avoid wearing dentures.
10. There is no excuse not to have a clean mouth. With all the dental aids and dental products available, like water flossers and air flossers, power toothbrushes and dental picks, there is no reason not to be able to attain clean and healthy teeth and gums. The better to smile with.

Your Friendly Dental Hygienist in Lynnwood

Your dental hygienists over at Song Dental in Lynnwood are some of the most experienced and affable practitioners you’ll find around. We provide quality professional cleanings and great advice to live by.

Original Article

Bleaching Versus Laser Whitening

Teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures today. People recognize the benefits that improved appearances can bestow on careers and personal lives. One’s self-esteem and confidence get a tremendous boost with a bright, pearly white smile. Clients also love the relative ease of getting the procedure, its affordable cost, fast, noticeable results, and noninvasive manner.

The most popular teeth whitening requested is in-office whitening, also called ‘professional bleaching’, performed in the clinic by your dentist. It can be accomplished within one session and may take an hour or less. Your gums are protected by a rubber shield or a gel, the whitening product (usually hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) is placed in a special tray which fits into your mouth like a mouthguard. As peroxide is broken down, oxygen seeps into the enamel lightening its color. You may need two or three visits to the dentist while you continue the treatment at home.

Gaining in popularity is laser whitening or ‘power whitening’. Also using the rubber shield for protection, the bleaching product is painted onto your teeth. Laser is shone on the teeth to activate the chemical in the bleaching product. The light speeds up the reaction of the whitening product and the colour change can be achieved faster. It can make teeth up to five or six shades lighter and may take an hour in one sitting.

Which teeth whitening procedure is best for you?
While there are teeth whitening products that are easily bought over-the-counter, their effectiveness depends on the strength of the whitening agents. Instructions have to be followed properly, yet some may be ineffective. We are just concerned here about professionally administered whitening procedures.

Both professional bleaching and laser whitening can cause tooth sensitivity due to the high concentrations of their bleaching agents. That’s why strict adherence to proper procedure is observed, with precautionary measures like rubber dams and desensitizing agents.

However, laser whitening is a much quicker procedure and requires less dental visits. It provides higher grades of lightening that can be maintained by simple home care. Also, laser equipment is a precision machine requiring expert handling by the dentist who has to have special training for it. The cost of the treatment is a special concern, though. Laser therapy is a more expensive option than regular bleaching. Still, it is a popular option, the cost offset by its many benefits.

Safe and Efficient Laser Whitening in Lynnwood

Song Dental offers both teeth whitening procedures in Lynnwood. See us and know which one best suits your purpose. Either way, you’ll have excellent dental cosmetic work done for improved smiles.

Wisdom Teeth Dilemma: Staying or Going

Third molars, also called wisdom teeth, are infamous for being trouble-makers. In many cases, wisdom teeth grow in impacted, not always straight in their positions. As such, they can cause damage to other teeth and their irregular angle of growth can crowd other teeth in the mouth. Their very posterior location in the arch makes them difficult to clean; the toothbrush often do not reach them adequately. If they didn’t grow in straight, all the more are they difficult to clean. Hence, they can trap food debris that cause plaque build-up. Susceptible to caries, the wisdom teeth increase your risk for gingivitis and periodontal disease.

With the risk involved, dentist often recommend extraction. But should the teeth be perfect in their place, straight in position and are healthy, there is no need to take them out. Only those that will present problems are candidates for removal.

If all four third molars should prove problematic, then all should be extracted. Will it be wise to have them all removed in one sitting or should that be at different times?

You might be worried about the pain and trauma to your tissues, your recovery time, especially the time it will take you to get back to your normal routine, if you should opt for the surgery one time only. This is not to mention how those open wounds will affect your food intake and speech facility. Actually, it is a wiser choice to have it done all together.

Multiple visits to the dental surgeon will cost you more in fees, anesthesia, hours and time off from your regular routine because of the inconvenience. Discomfort and not pain may be an issue with you but whether that’s one or four extractions does not differ much in discomfort.

The wound sites usually heal within about three to five days, and the gums are completely recovered within a few weeks. The better to have them done at once as you save more resources this way. Your dentist-surgeon will advise you anyway to prepare yourself for the appointed day, including stocking up on the prescribed soft foods you need during your recovery and that somebody can take you home after the procedure which may leave you groggy or dizzy, post-anesthesia. Follow your dentist’s instructions faithfully to have a safe and uneventful recovery.

Best Wisdom Teeth Extraction Options

When it is about wisdom teeth extraction, come to Song Dental in Lynnwood for best options. Let us look into your individual situation and agree on the best course of action. We personalize surgery in Lynnwood.

Causes and Predisposing Factors

When you unconsciously grind, gnash or clench your teeth, while awake or asleep, it is called bruxism. If you experience it during sleep, it is considered a sleep-related disorder and it’s possible you might have other sleep disorders, like sleep apnea.

Some people may have mild bruxism that may not require treatment. Some are not even conscious of it. However, severe forms have to be seen and treated by your dentist or they can lead to complications in your teeth and jaw.

Recognise bruxism in its many forms so you’ll know if you should consult right away. Firstly, the condition might be so loud and disturbing that it wakes up your sleep partner. When you wake up in the morning, you might feel pain or soreness in your face, neck or jaw. Your jaw muscles might feel tired or tight, the jaw may not open or close completely. It might feel like an earache ora headache around your temples.

You notice your teeth are somewhat flattened, the top enamel looks eroded, exposing the deeper layer dentin. You may be feeling tooth sensitivity already with hot or cold drinks. In some cases, bruxism can cause your own sleep disturbance. Why does this happen?

Most doctors cannot pinpoint the exact cause – it can be a combination of physical, psychological and genetic factors. Emotions can play a part in ‘awake bruxism’, such as anxiety, stress, anger, frustration or tension. It may be your habit when you concentrate heavily, or it may be a coping mechanism you’ve adopted. ‘Sleep bruxism’ may be a sleep-related chewing activity associated with arousals during sleep.

You might have predisposing factors that cause teeth grinding. It can be genetic, with family members suffering the same condition. It may be your aggressive, hyperactive personality style, your stress and frustration level, and certain lifestyle habits, like excessive smoking and alcohol consumption.

Certain medications like antidepressants, certain mental conditions like dementia, epilepsy, or Parkinson’s, and other conditions like sleep apnea or reflux disease can predispose you to bruxism.

Medical and dental attention should collaborate to give treatment. Dental complications can be quite serious – damage to teeth, crowns, restorations; also severe facial and jaw pain, in particular, temporomandibular jaw damage. Tension headaches can be debilitating.

Teeth Grinding Help by Lynnwood Dentistry

Seek your Lynnwood dentist if you experience these signs and symptoms of bruxism. Children’s grinding may be transient, though you need guidance. For adults, Dr. Song can offer solutions for this dilemma.

Back To Basics: Techniques to Fight Gum Disease

In 2015, the Center for Disease Control says that nearly one in every two Americans over the age of 30 has periodontitis. It also means that at the time, half of the US population at that age range suffers from the condition. It was said to be the most common oral condition of the human population, affecting people across all age groups, from adolescence to the elderly.

This might be the latest, most accurate assessment of periodontitis prevalence in the US by a credible body. Back in 2010, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, involving thousands of patients, reported a more than 5 times increase of the incidence since a 2004 concluded survey. It only speaks of the viciousness of the disease.

It can also mean that periodontitis is not being properly addressed. Certainly, we do not lack in awareness campaigns. But a UK dental practitioner endorses a technique that must be working in her practise that can reduce gum disease by just going back to the basics. She said that just by being meticulous about tooth-brushing, you can reduce your risk for gum disease.

While most people will toothbrush twice a day, it will be better to brush twice a day for at least 2 minutes. The best times to brush are before bedtime and at least once more during the day. It can be helpful to set the alarm time to really ascertain you don’t go under 2 minutes.

Switch to a specialist toothpaste if you have a problem of bleeding gums, There are specialist toothpaste, clinically proven products specifically formulated for those bleeding gums. You must ask your dentist. Use a small headed toothbrush with soft bristles if gums bleed. Also, be more meticulous about flossing. Cleaning in between teeth is essential. Though flossing can be challenging for some people, interdental brushes can do the job of poking the gap in between teeth. Then use mouthwash to neutralize remaining bacteria.

Try to leave fluoride toothpaste in your mouth for a while. Or don’t rinse or gargle too much with water so as not to rid your teeth of this beneficial mineral too soon. Use disclosing tablets to see how well you are cleaning your teeth. They will temporarily stain plaque but will enable you to see the areas you’ve missed. Aside from this home-care back-to-basics techniques, live healthy, quit smoking and visit the dentist regularly.

Fighting Gum Disease Rise

We at Song Dental advocate back-to-basics practice for good oral health. Toothbrushing and flossing are still the cornerstone of healthy teeth and gums. Do them right and you would have won much of the battle.

What Causes Halitosis in Children?

When you think your child has consistent bad breath, you may have to look into his mouth and you’d probably see the cause. Bad breath in children is most of the time brought about by improper oral hygiene. The child you taught to brush and floss might not be doing it correctly; food debris might still be lodged in his teeth, open to bacterial colonization and development of caries.

Gums can also be irritated with bad hygiene and can develop gingivitis. If gums are swollen and tender, the child’s tendency is not to brush at all and that compounds the situation. The tongue can also be the seat of foul odor. Bacteria can lodge in the tongue and colonize there. Not brushing or cleaning the tongue regularly can cause odor-causing bacteria to accumulate and cause bad breath.

Untreated sores that appear on the soft tissues of the mouth can also be odorous. A root fragment that was not taken out, its pulp having died already so that it is painless, can become the source of foul smell. Its opening can hide food debris, bacteria and decay.

Also check the mouth for dryness, the child may have dry mouth. Decreased saliva flow allows bacteria to accumulate. Or the child might be breathing through his mouth, either as his habit or maybe the result of a clogged nose.

Eating strong smelling foods like garlic and onions can promote bad breath as well. Certain medications can do that, too. Allergies, sinusitis, tonsillitis and other infections in and around the mouth may be culprits also.

If you see to your child’s oral hygiene and determine that neglect is the cause, bad breath can be a transient situation. Bring the child to the dentist to confirm. If it is determined that poor oral hygiene is not at fault or none of the other causes are found, your dentist can recommend a medical specialist to run tests and determine the real, underlying cause of halitosis or bad breath.

Hello to Fresh Breath in Lynnwood

Notice your child’s strange or odorous mouth breath? Check first with his oral hygiene and then consult with us. We’d love to gently instruct your little one how to have a healthy mouth and refreshing breath.

Your Mouth and Your Body: The Connection

It’s been known recently that the gums and teeth act as a barometer for how well the body is doing, they may directly affect the health of the heart, metabolism, or the brain. Doctors, universally, don’t seem to make the connection considering the mouth is the most common entry point for infection. They don’t take the health of the mouth more seriously when almost every medical condition has some kind of manifestation in the mouth.

Since inflammation is a major force behind almost every chronic disease, we consider, for example, how bad oral hygiene can eventually lead to serious periodontal disease. Inflamed and infected, bacteria can travel the bloodstream from the gums to the rest of the body triggering a harmful inflammatory response far from the mouth. Such as the heart. One should consider, in theory, the development of cardiovascular disease. And the odds can stack up pretty fast – heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and possibly erectile dysfunction and Alz­heimer’s can all be connected to an unhealthy mouth. A study even reported that patients with periodontal disease were 30 percent more likely to suffer a first heart attack than patients with a clean bill of health.

Diabetes is the other major area of oral-systemic research. Studies show that if you’ve got gum disease, you’re more likely to develop diabetes; the worse the gums, likely the worse the diabetes. Mouth bacteria can interfere with the body’s ability to clear sugar from the blood. Conversely, diabetics have a harder time keeping bacteria off their gums as the tissues are more susceptible.

There’s the potential impact oral bacteria have in the brain. A small British study found Alzheimer’s patients with gum disease suffered cognitive decline at six times the rate of the group without. And yes, people whose brains are rapidly deteriorating are more likely to forget to brush their teeth.

These connections should be considered more seriously as doctors and dentist work together to build a healthier society.

Making the Connection in Lynnwood

Here at Lynnwood Song Dental, we are only too aware how connected the mouth is to the rest of the body. Surely, we advice well should we find tell-tale signs in the oral structures of a medical condition existing that is best dealt with by a physician.