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.

Is Your Mouth Tasting like Pennies?

If you are otherwise healthy, that metallic taste in your mouth usually goes away after you’re done with a cold, an infection has cleared, or you’ve stopped taking certain medications. The condition is typically benign and so, there’s nothing to worry about. But there may be conditions that result in the metallic tang that you should know about. We list here the most common ones.

At the top of the list is poor oral hygiene. Lack of proper brushing and flossing can lead to tooth decay and gum diseases, infections that alter taste. When you treat these infections, the odd taste goes away.

Now, there are prescription drugs that treat conditions outside of your mouth and taking them changes taste perception. Drugs like tetracycline antibiotics, allopurinol for gout, lithium for psychiatric conditions, and some cardiac drugs can leave a metallic taste as they are absorbed into your system and passes your saliva.

Antidepressants can cause dry mouth and still alter taste because they close the taste buds. Multivitamins with heavy metals (such as copper, zinc or chromium) or cold remedies (such as zinc lozenges) can cause a metallic taste. So can prenatal vitamins, and iron or calcium supplements.

Upper respiratory infections, colds and sinusitis change your sense of taste but will resolve when your infection clears up. The change in taste can also affect women in their early stages of pregnancy, those who are under chemotherapy and radiation for the treatment of cancer, and those with dementia. In dementia, taste buds connected to nerves do not respond as before due to the breakdown of that part of the brain that regulates taste.

Another cause for the taste change is exposure to high levels of mercury or lead. Inhaling them can produce this metallic taste in the mouth.

Better consult your doctor if this change persist.

Knowing About Taste Changes | Consult with our Lynnwood Dentist

Ask your dentist at Lynnwood Song Dental about metallic taste in the mouth and if it’s dental-related he can resolve with treatment and advice. Otherwise, a medical consultation is the next thing to do.

Using Lemons to Whiten your Teeth

There has been a lot of articles about using lemon to whiten your teeth. What you may not know is that acidic food always has the potential to weaken your enamel and allow your teeth to decay. Unfortunately, even foods that are otherwise very healthy for you, like citrus fruits, have this potential.

Lemons are a particularly strong offender in this sense; lemon juice is responsible for the most dental damage of any citrus fruit in a scientific study. When you add the copious amounts of sugar that is generally paired with lemonade and similar lemon-related treats, you’ve got a very potent tooth-rotter.

When you enjoy lemonade or fruity drinks, consider following your drink by rinsing out with a drink of water. Don’t brush right away, as your enamel needs at least twenty minutes to remineralize. Keep this up, and get your regular cleanings with our Lynnwood dentist, and you’ll be able to stave off tooth decay without having to give up citrus.

Matcha Green Tea Benefits

There are many good reasons to drink green tea, one of which has to do with your dental health. According to researchers, such tea contains antimicrobial molecules that serve to protect your teeth from harm. Subjects between the ages of forty and sixty-four who drank one cup of green tea every day were found to be 19% less likely to lose teeth as they aged.

Oolong tea was found to contain a lesser amount of the catechins responsible for this effect. Green teas sweetened with sugar, meanwhile, were far less beneficial.

Part of the benefit of tea may be attributed to the lukewarm fluid washing out your mouth. However, similarly warm coffees seem to lack the same benefits. Regular coffee has demonstrated no ability to keep your teeth healthy, while sweetened coffees are actually quite detrimental to your oral health. Coffee may also stain your teeth because of the dark coloration.

Drinking fluids that are too hot is also harmful to your delicate oral tissues and be aware that drinking hot tea may cause teeth sensitivity. It’s best to drink beverages that are closer to room temperature. With this in mind, do not hesitate to drink your tea cool.

For more tips on maintaining a clean, healthy mouth, contact our Lynnwood dentist, Dr. Song today!