When Your Children Should Start Brushing by Themselves

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Do you have children in your household? You’re probably taking care of their dental hygiene for them for the first few years of their lives, but eventually they’re going to have to start brushing by themselves.

When this time comes, our Lynnwood Dentistry advises that proper brushing technique requires motor skills and an understanding that may be beyond children under the age of six or seven.

Children may not understand that their teeth aren’t clean just because they don’t see any stains on them. They may not understand that they needs to brush all of their teeth, and not just the front teeth. Maybe your child doesn’t understand that the toothpaste is not supposed to be swallowed like the candy it tastes like. These are all concerns for when your child starts in on his or her own dental hygiene.

Let them Watch and Observe

Until your child is ready, it’s good to let them watch and observe you brushing your own teeth and do some practice brushes under your direction. Give them a pea-sized drop of toothpaste. Guide their hand, and let them watch what they’re doing in the mirror.

Assure that they cover the entire surface area of the teeth: top, front, back, and in between if they’re ready for floss. Teach them the habit of brushing in circular motions, gently scrubbing the gums. Have them brush their tongues, spit, and rinse out with water. In this way your kids can develop the right brushing habits that will serve them well for the rest their lives.

Conquering Your Bruxism

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Are you grinding your teeth?

Our Lynnwood dentist can help you get over your problem before it takes its toll on your jaw or tooth structure!

Try following these easy tips to help ease the discomfort:

  • Much of the time, grinding is caused by stress.  Identify your stressors, and figure out how to deal with them.
  • If you are experiencing any pain in your mouth, this may cause you to grind.  Alert your dentist so he can help you get rid of your pain.
  • If you drink alcohol frequently, try cutting back.
  • Cut back on your caffeine consumption.
  • If you often chew items that are not food, like pencils, candy wrappers, or even gum, your jaw muscles are getting trained to clench.  This might aggravate your grinding problem.
  • If you grind during daytime, you can encourage your jaw muscles to relax by holding the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
  • If you grind while you sleep, try relaxing your jaw muscles before bedtime.  Hold a warm compress against your cheek for a few minutes before going to sleep.

If you’re still grinding your teeth, clenching your jaw, or experiencing discomfort or pain, talk to our dentist to seek solutions.

The Myth About Root Canals

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Are you facing a root canal treatment?

Many believe that root canal therapy is painful.

The truth is that the public notion of root canal treatment is astonishingly dated. Older techniques were such a grueling experience that people who have never had them are willing to avoid them like the plague based on secondhand rumor alone. In the modern dental world, with all our latest equipment and scientific know-how, many patients are finding that root canals are quicker, easier, and more effective than they ever could have hoped.

Most root canal patients report not experiencing any pain at all during their procedures. The process is also shorter than it used to be, often taking only one or two appointments to complete. You’d be surprised how easily you can be free of your crippling toothache!

Some people also believe that root canals can make you sick. This fear leads back to research conducted between 1910 and 1930. Not only has medical science progressed far throughout the last eighty years, but the studies that established the dangers of root canals have not been successfully reproduced.

Lynnwood Dentist

If you need a root canal, don’t put up with the pain for another day! Call our Lynnwood dentist and make an appointment for a modern, hassle-free procedure that will put your mouth back in working order in no time!

What Causes Crooked Teeth?

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

“Malocclusion” describes when your teeth aren’t fitting together properly.  This can be very uncomfortable, making it difficult to eat, speak, or clean your teeth properly.  Song’s Lynnwood dental center can help you in avoiding this unfortunate condition, which starts with looking out for the following risk factors:

  • Bad habits like thumb-sucking or mouth-breathing at a young age can cause teeth to come in crooked.  If your child has a persistent habit, consult your dentist for options.
  • Tooth loss can cause teeth to move out of position.  This can be any kind of tooth loss, resulting from tooth decay, injuries, or a tooth extraction.  Try to hang on to all of your teeth by maintaining proper oral hygiene and wearing a mouthguard for all athletic activities.
  • Some people just have bad teeth in their genes.  If you suffered from malocclusion that didn’t result from one of the above effects, there’s a good chance that one of your parents had it, and there’s a good chance your children will have it as well.

If you or one of your family members has malocclusion, consult Song’s Lynnwood dentist to be connected with a proper orthodontist.

Why Are My Teeth Getting Stained?

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We whiten a lot of teeth at our Lynnwood dental clinic, and many patients want to know what they can do to keep their teeth white.  Many of them are already aware of the bigger threats to their enamel: they eschew smoking, coffee, candy and soda, and yet they still routinely find themselves with a lackluster smile.  The unfortunate truth is that it’s hard to completely avoid tooth-staining substances, for even many of our healthier options can have a tendency to leave a mark on your pearly-whites.  Consider this list of tooth-stainers:

  • Berries.  This includes both whole berries and berries that have been processed into pies, jams, wines, and the like.
  • Colorful sauces, like soy sauce, tomato sauce, and curry.
  • Tea, even herbal teas and white teas, may have at least as much staining potential as coffee.
  • Sports drinks and energy drinks.

Obviously, you can’t be expected to cut all of these out of your diet.  Some represent foods that a good nutritionist would advise you to eat on a daily basis, and you shouldn’t be denying yourself a healthy diet to preserve the whiteness of your teeth.

What you can do, however, is adopt habits to minimize tooth stains.  Drinking certain drinks through straws can reduce their staining potential, and brushing soon (but not too soon!) after staining meals can eliminate staining agents before they settle in.  And of course, no matter what may happen, you can always count on Song’s dental center to put the sparkle back into your grin.

Plaque and Tartar: What’s the Difference?

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When you go in for a cleaning with our Lynnwood dental clinic, you’ll probably hear the words “plaque” and “tartar” a lot. Some people make the mistake of thinking that these terms are interchangeable, and this shows an unfortunate lack of understanding in the harmful build-up that afflicts your mouth.

In simple terms, plaque is a sticky film that grows on your teeth. This is where bacteria is mingling with the food you eat and producing the acids that can break down your teeth and gums. The good news is that it’s easy to remove; a gentle, twice-daily brushing and flossing is all you need to keep plaque down to manageable levels.

When plaque isn’t dealt with quickly enough, it will eventually turn into tartar. Tartar is similar to plaque in that it continues to contribute to tooth decay, but now it’s a hard shell that cannot be removed with normal brushing. This is the substance that your dentist needs to scratch away during your regular cleanings.

The process of removing tartar deposits is called scaling, and only a dental professional should attempt it. If you attempt to scale your own teeth, you might dig into your enamel and damage your tooth. So keep up your regular brushing to manage your plaque, and leave the tartar to Song’s Lynnwood dental center.

The Ins and Outs of Teething

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Got a new baby? Not looking forward to the teething? Your Lynnwood dental clinic can help. It can be a tough phase for an infant, but there are ways for you to help your little one to ride it out in comfort and make sure that he or she has a good and healthy start with his or her new teeth.

For most babies, teeth will begin to erupt anywhere between three and twelve months, most often around the six month mark. Be on the lookout for the signs: irritability, drooling, gumming, loss of appetite, a fever or a change in bowel movements can all indicate that a tooth is coming in.

If your baby appears to be in pain, try massaging the gums for two minutes at a time using a clean finger or a cool, clean cloth or teething ring. Some babies can benefit from chewing on a teething ring or teething biscuit, though you should supervise such activity to prevent a choking hazard. If your baby is having particular problems, you may consider an age-appropriate painkiller; be sure to consult your doctor for any medication you want to give your baby.

If your baby develops a rash during teething, this is likely due to the excessive drooling he or she is doing. Keep your baby clean to minimize this problem.

A tooth will usually erupt about three to five days after symptoms of teething start, and symptoms should go away quickly thereafter. If a tooth is not erupting, or if symptoms persist longer than they ought to, call your doctor.

Is Your Toothbrush Contaminated?

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Be Aware of the Germs and Bacteria on your Toothbrush

If you share a bathroom with other people, you may need to watch out for your toothbrush. According to a study presented at this year’s meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, your chance for finding human feces on your toothbrush is roughly 60%.

Further, brushes stored in a room used by multiple people had an 80% chance of featuring waste coming from a person other than the brush’s user, which represents a greater health risk than contaminants that come strictly from yourself.

This contamination occurs when a toilet is flushed. Every flush sends up a barely perceptible spray of toilet water, which often contains particles of human waste. If your brush is stored openly near the toilet, this water can land upon the bristles and the tiny particles of waste can build up.

Ideally, you should store your brush in a container that covers or can close, but still exposed to air so that it can more easily dry out between brushing. Contact our Lynnwood dentist for further information on proper toothbrush maintenance.