Why Are My Teeth Getting Stained?

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

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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by Lynnwood Song Dental

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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by Lynnwood Song Dental

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.

Preventing Gum Disease Decreases Health Risks

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Simple Ways To Prevent Gum Disease

When it comes to oral health, people think more of teeth health. Hence, we consider proper oral hygiene practices, avoiding food and drinks that stain teeth, regular dental visits, we think we are only looking after our teeth. While it’s true that taking care of your teeth is important to stay healthy, most people forget the gums. They are an essential part of the mouth, but are are just as important to overall health as your teeth.

Gingivitis is early stage gum disease and is rather common. Signs may include red and puffy gums that bleed easily when tooth brushing.The condition often resolves with good oral hygiene. However, it is also common that mild cases may go unnoticed, presenting no distressing symptoms until it progresses to its more serious form – periodontitis.

Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss and has been associated with a risk of serious diseases. This starts from swelling of gums and redness to complete destruction of the tooth’s bones, which is responsible for tooth loss. It has also been discovered that those with periodontitis have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and even pregnancy complications.
So how can gum disease be prevented? There are several proven ways.

Practice good oral hygiene everyday. Brush at least twice a day, floss daily, have mouth rinses. It can prevent plaque build-up and freshens the breath. Flossing removes food debris between teeth where toothbrushes can’t reach.

Quit smoking. It is strongly associated with gum disease. It weakens the immune system, making it harder to fight off gum infection. It also increases the risk of developing gum disease and makes treatment much more difficult.

Eat foods healthy for gums. Include green vegetables to your diet, such as broccoli, celery and green peppers. Consider also shiitake mushrooms, carrots, onions; among fruits, best are citrus fruits and apples. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are dairy products good for the gums.

See your dentist every 6 months for check-up and cleaning. Your dentist can detect if you have early symptoms of gum disease and can treat them right away before they get serious. Have a dental cleaning every six months to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Taking Care of Your Gums in Lynnwood

Bring down your health risks by taking care of your gums. At our Lynnwood dentistry, your gums are just as important as the teeth they support. See us for a consultation.

Why Your Teeth are Sensitive to Hot or Cold Food

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Causes of Tooth Sensitivity

Sometimes, while eating either hot or cold food, a pinching pain from a tooth shoots up and might catch you by surprise. This pain occurs because of tooth sensitivity, a rather very common yet curable condition. Cells within the tubes in dentin are stimulated by the hot or cold temperature of the food or drink, sometimes even by air, and causes that sudden, intense pain.
Experiencing tooth sensitivity is not a spur of the moment episode, does not develop overnight and there are several underlying reasons. Sensitivity follows a pattern, starting with acquiring sensitivity to cold foods due to bad oral practices. If this is ignored, it is likely to escalate to sensitivity to hot foods. When this happens, it may indicate the presence of a serious dental condition.

What may cause teeth sensitivity to cold and hot food?

A cavity or a decayed tooth may be a major reason behind the tooth sensitivity to hot foods. A cavity exposes the inside of the tooth to entry of food debris, saliva and bacteria that interact and lead to the beginnings of decay. When there is tooth decay and if left untreated, further severe oral issues may follow. Another cause of tooth sensitivity is enamel breakdown. The enamel becomes thin at the gum line; as it weakens it breaks down exposing the inner dentin which is sensitive to temperature changes. The pain can travel to the roots and can be excruciating.

Infections can also induce sensitivity.

Accumulation of plaque leading to hardened tartar can irritate the gums causing them to swell and inflame. This can end up with gingivitis. At this point, teeth can become sensitive to coldness and hotness. Likewise, improper brushing can also irritate the gums. Harsh and robust brushing with hard-bristle toothbrush can weaken the enamel and expose dentin. Finally, bad eating habits, like consuming too many acid-based processed foods, can also cause sensitivity.

So how does one prevent tooth sensitivity?

One must maintain proper oral hygiene with the correct brushing technique and frequency, right toothbrush and toothpaste with fluoride. Drink plenty of water to wash away traces of acidic or sugary food and drink. Regular visits to the dentist are important to oral well-being; routine check-ups can keep one abreast of the condition of teeth, gums, and mouth.

Sensitive No More in Lynnwood

Suffering from tooth sensitivity? Whether that’s hot or cold sensitivity, it is commendable to see your dentist right away. Our team at Song Dental in Lynnwood address this issue immediately to prevent further progress of this otherwise common and treatable condition.

Is There A Rule About How Often You Should Floss?

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To Floss or Not To Floss

There’s this nagging question at the center of oral hygiene debate. How often should you floss? Some people floss three times daily, others, whenever they remember. Others, only a few times after a dentist visit, then forget all about it.

In the 2015-2020 version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the government removed its recommendation for daily flossing. Before this, the Associated Press asked the Agriculture and Health and Human Services for their evidence that flossing was actually beneficial. The government acknowledged the effectiveness of flossing had never been researched, as required.

However, the American Academy of Periodontology quickly responded saying flossing is an important part of daily oral hygiene. They admit that studies are generally lacking, but in the absence of quality research, patients should continue to include flossing as a part of their daily hygiene. Later, the ADA released a statement saying that flossing is an essential part of taking care of teeth and gums.

What do you have to know about flossing?

Flossing helps to remove food particles and bacteria from between teeth and along the gum line. Gingivitis may result when bacteria builds up and forms plaque. Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease that can develop into periodontitis. When left untreated, periodontitis can lead to tooth loss. Dentists see bleeding gums, a high rate of cavities, bone loss, and bad breath in people who don’t make flossing a habit.

According to oral-health experts, no matter what the science says or doesn’t say, food particles would remain in between your teeth even after you brush. If you floss after you brush, then the debris you took out would not create future problems. It is hard to believe that flossing is not beneficial. Flossing may not be ‘essential’ as suggested, but it definitely is important in maintaining dental and periodontal health.

Ideally, flossing is every time you brush your teeth, at least twice a day – morning and night – and maybe after lunch, too. We should brush and floss after every meal to make sure there is no food or bacteria accumulating between the teeth. Other experts advice at least once daily. Flossing is only effective, however, if you do it correctly. The bottom line is, when combined with brushing, flossing every day is a great way to keep your mouth healthy.

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Finding Flossing Advocates in Lynnwood

We at Lynnwood Song Dental encourage interdental hygiene via the use of flossing instruments. Lynnwood dentistry believes in the importance of this routine in attaining optimal oral health.

Oral Hygiene Essentials to Live By

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

All About Keeping the Mouth Clean

Take note of these practices that dentists say are the most important when talking about oral hygiene.

Brushing with the right technique. Your toothbrush is your teeth’s best friend, but use it correctly. Small circular motions to brush all the tooth surfaces per tooth is the right way, not that sawing back-and-forth motion. Don’t brush too aggressively and don’t use hard bristle toothbrushes. They can damage enamel and the soft gums. Use soft bristles and change the brush every couple of months.

Using fluoride in your toothpaste. Fluoride is well studied to cause the prevention of tooth decay by strengthening enamel through mineralization. Studies show that tooth brushing without fluoride is not as effective in preventing cavities.

Flossing once daily. Flossing helps in a way brushing may not. Those hard-to-reach areas, spaces between the teeth, and areas below the gumline all benefit from flossing.  It is recommended to gently push the floss all the way down to the gum line before hugging the side of the tooth with up-and-down motions.

Using mouthwash. Mouthwashes complement tooth brushing and flossing, and certain mouthwashes contain antibacterial agents to fight plaque and gingivitis. And control bad breath.

Quitting smoking. Smoking does not only stain teeth into yellowish to yellowish brown color but also contributes to bad breath. Nicotine compromises the immune system and makes it difficult for the body to fight infections, like infections in the oral cavity. It delays wound healing and worsens gum disease.  

Controlling sugar and starches intake. Studies have shown what a high sugar diet can do to oral tissues. Cakes, candies, soft drinks and juices have high caloric content and loads of sugar, increasing the risk for cavities.  Starchy foods like crackers, bread, chips, and pasta, can linger in the mouth and break down into simple sugars that acid-producing bacteria feed. This acid can cause tooth decay. Fiber-rich foods are better recommended, such as fruits and veggies.

Drinking lots of water. Water is a better alternative to sugary drinks, even energy drinks. It keeps the mouth hydrated without leaving sugar or acid. Sugar-sweetened beverages are the most common cause of high cavity risk in a typical American diet.

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Better Oral Health with Song Dental Lynnwood

Good oral hygiene is a cornerstone of dental health. We can teach you more and show you more health tips when you see us in Lynnwood.