What are the Chances I Have Oral Disease?

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Do you ever find yourself postponing your regular dental visits, asking yourself, “What are the chances that there’s anything wrong going on in my mouth?” The answer may not be the one you’re hoping for. Indeed, between the threat of tooth decay, gum disease, oral cancer, or the countless other conditions that can afflict your oral cavity, it’s simply not worthwhile to take the risk. In fact, it has been estimated that a full 90% of people have some sort of disease or infection in the mouth, and a far smaller number is aware of it.

With this in mind, don’t put off your regular cleaning with our Lynnwood dentistry clinic any longer than you need to. Call Song Dental clinic in Lynnwood today!

The Five Different Types of Tooth

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Your mouth is made up of five kinds of tooth, each one designed for a particular purpose.

  • Incisors: You should have eight of these teeth, all at the front of your mouth. They form a scissor-like structure designed to bite off pieces of food.
  • Canines: Behind your incisors are your four sharp, fang-like teeth, designed to rip and tear meat.
  • Premolars: There are four of these teeth, representing the smallest of your molars. Their job is to chew and grind.
  • Molars: Bigger than your premolars, the molars are responsible for most of the chewing and grinding.
  • Third Molars: These are your wisdom teeth. Some people don’t get these teeth, and many who do need to have them removed. However, it is possible that they can fit comfortably in your mouth and serve the same function as your molars.

You can talk to our Lynnwood dentistry clinic to learn more about your various teeth and how to take care of them.

The Best and Worst Candy for Your Teeth

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

As far as sugary candy goes, the best choices for your teeth are the ones that don’t stick around for too long in your mouth. Selections like smarties and york peppermint patties are good examples. Even near-pure sugar, like pixie sticks are easy for your saliva to rinse away after you are done enjoying them.

Things get worse as they get hard or sticky. Caramels, starbursts, skittles, tootsie rolls, and similar items get caked in your teeth and stick around for lengthy periods of time. Hard candies designed for sucking, like jolly ranchers, suckers, and jawbreakers, have a similar problem. One of the worst candies for your teeth comes in the form of the now and later, a very hard chewable that exposes you to a strong dose of sugar while you strain your teeth to break it down.

When eating candy, it is best to do so following a meal, when your saliva is in full effect. Consider rinsing out with water when you are done, and don’t brush for about thirty minutes. Consult our Lynnwood dentistry clinic to learn more.

Cheek Biting: Do You Have a Problem?

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by Lynnwood Song Dental

Every so often, everyone bites down on the inside of their own cheeks. When it happens, some people wonder if they may have a problem. Could there be something wrong with their teeth? Fortunately, the answer is generally simple.

Biting your cheek is normal, even when you have straight, healthy teeth. The problem is that, when you bite your cheek, you’re likely to experience swelling in your delicate cheek tissues, which makes it easier to bite yourself in the damaged area and further aggravate the swelling. All you need to do is be mindful of your injured cheek. Take care when you chew so as to allow the cheek heal. In some extreme cases cases, you might benefit from the application of orthodontic wax or another product designed to protect your cheek. Consult your Lynnwood dentistry clinic for more information.

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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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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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.

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.