Mix Up Your Brushing Routine!

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Brushing Your Teeth

When you get your routine check-up at our Lynnwood Dentistry, do you find that you’re developing plaque in the same places over and over again? Maybe you’ve even tried to pay more attention to brushing thoroughly, and you still experience the same plaque growth. If this is the case, the answer to your problem may be as simple as rotating your normal brushing routine.

Humans are creatures of habit, and it’s easy to fall into a strict pattern with your tooth brushing. You probably always start brushing in the same area every time you pick up your brush. This means that the same teeth are always getting your best attention, and you’re only getting to the other parts of your teeth after you’ve grown impatient, diluted your toothpaste, and lost focus on your routine.

To avoid doing this, pay attention to where you begin brushing and try to mix it up. Divide your mouth into four quarters, and focus on starting on a different quarter every morning and night. You may be surprised at the improvement you experience!

What is a Dental Abscess?

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If you get a cavity, you want to get it fixed by our Lynnwood dentistry clinic as soon as possible. Otherwise, you are at risk of developing a debilitating infection that will cause you a lot of pain and grief. This infection is known as a dental abscess.

Cavities and Dental Abscess

The cause of an abscess is the same bacteria that causes cavities. When the cavity penetrates deep enough, the bacteria begins to flourish in the soft tissues and the bones of your face and neck. It manifests itself as a pain in your mouth, face, jaw, or throat region, and can include any of the following symptoms:

  • Redness or swelling in the mouth or face
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Diarrhea
  • Tenderness
  • Pus drainage
  • Difficulty opening your mouth
  • Difficulty swallowing

Should you experience these symptoms, it is time to visit our dentist right away.

When You Lose a Filling

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Lost Dental Filling

Despite all the advances in dental care, fillings are never completely invulnerable. A filling will occasionally pop out, possibly after taking a sharp impact, possibly while you are chewing on a sticky food, and maybe for no discernible reason at all. If this happens, it’s important to alert your Lynnwood dentistry clinic as soon as you can in order to replace this filling and protect the fragile insides of your tooth.

If you swallow a filling, do not worry. Modern dental fillings are non-toxic, and should pass from your system harmlessly. However, there are rare cases of a filling going down the windpipe and getting lodged in the lungs; should this happen, you should bring it to the attention of your doctor.

Possible Pre-existing Issues

When you lose a filling, remember that you shouldn’t necessarily blame the taffy that yanked it out or the baseball that knocked it loose. Chances are that there was a pre-existing issue with your filling; maybe you have some decay underneath the filling that let it fall out. With this in mind, you can look at your lost filling as a sign that it’s time to address what might have been a more serious problem in the future.

Scrape Your Tongue for Better Taste Sensations!

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Scraping your tongue is an important part of your oral hygiene routine. If you fail to clear away the build-up on your tongue’s surface, you are inviting tooth decay, gum disease, and a laundry list of tongue-related illnesses upon yourself. And, in case the health concerns are not enough to motivate you to get a proper tongue scraper, you should also consider the benefits that tongue scraping has at the dinner table.

Cleaner Tongue, Better Taste Buds?

When you allow plaque and detritus to gather on your tongue, your taste buds aren’t able to do their job as well. Tasting food through a thick layer of plaque is like trying to feel something through a thick set of gloves.

Blocked taste buds lead to false cravings and a reduced ability to enjoy the flavor of your food. It’s only by cleaning your tongue that you can open up your tongue’s pores and properly enjoy your favorite meals.

Tongue Cleaning Tips at Song Dental

Consult our Lynnwood dentistry clinic for more on how you can effectively clean your tongue, using a tongue scraper, and more tips.

Looking Out for Oral Cancer

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Oral Cancer Screening

When you get your teeth examined at our Lynnwood Dentistry, we’re also on the lookout for oral cancer.  This represents any cancerous developments on your lips, inside your cheeks, on your tongue, on the floor of your mouth or on your hard palate.

In addition to our efforts, there is also a lot you can be doing at home to look out for malignant growths between your regular dental visits.

Possible Symptoms of Oral Cancer

Keep the following symptoms in mind, and call us immediately if you think you are in danger:

  • Strange lumps, swelling, crusts, roughness, or eroded areas on your lips or anywhere inside your mouth.
  • Lumps in your neck.
  • Velvety red or white patches in your mouth, or a speckled white and red patch.
  • Unusual bleeding in your mouth.
  • A sore throat, or a sensation that you have something caught in the back of your throat.
  • Numbness or loss of feeling in your face, neck, mouth, or ear.
  • Unexplained pain or tenderness in your face, neck, mouth, or ear.
  • Sores in your face, neck, or mouth that bleed easily and persist for more than two weeks.
  • Persistent hoarseness.
  • Difficulty swallowing, chewing, or moving your tongue.
  • Slurred speech or changes in your voice.
  • A change in the way your teeth fit together.
  • Inexplicable weight loss.

What About Toothpicks?

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Are toothpicks beneficial to your teeth?

Every so often, our Lynnwood dentist will have somebody ask about the benefits of toothpicks. Are they beneficial to your teeth? Are they a valid substitute for flossing?

The answer is that toothpicks are a mixed bag and, though they have some valid application, they should never be considered an alternative to a proper oral hygiene system.

Like floss, toothpicks can reach between your teeth somewhat better than the bristles of your brush. Of course, a toothpick is obviously thicker than a string of floss, so you can hardly expect to get as much coverage. They serve well to dislodge bothersome chunks of food, which can lead to a somewhat cleaner mouth, but that’s more or less the limits of their utility.

Possible Issue with Toothpicks

A problem with toothpicks is that they can be a little hard on your gums. Don’t try to shove them too far in between your teeth, as the hard, wooden edges can easily damage your fragile tissue. This is also a good way to splinter the pick, possibly lodging tiny pieces below the gum line. So take care with your tooth-picking, brush and floss every day, and see your Lynnwood dentist regularly to keep your smile clean.

On Guard Against Dry Mouth

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Issues with Having a Dry Mouth

You need saliva in your mouth to guard you from infections.  When your mouth is too dry, it invites harmful cultures of bacteria and fungi to thrive in your teeth and gums and cause tooth rot and gingivitis.

It is for this reason that our Lynnwood dentist wants you to be on the lookout for dry mouth, and be mindful of anything that contributes to this condition.

  • Any kind of smoking can cause dry mouth.
  • Chewing tobacco can dry out your mouth.
  • When you breathe from your mouth, you’re venting moisture faster than it can be replaced.  Excessive mouth-breathing generally leads to dry mouth.
  • A lot of diseases, including AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, anemia, hypertension, mumps, rheumatoid arthritis, and strokes, cause dry mouth.
  • Many medications list dry mouth as a side effect.  Check your medications for such side effects.
  • Certain medical treatments, like chemotherapy, can cause damage to your salivary glands and impair their ability to produce saliva.
  • If you suffer an injury that damages your nerves in your head or neck area, it may inhibit your salivary glands.
  • When you become dehydrated, your body is likely to cut down on saliva production in favor of more vital functions.  Be sure to drink enough water.

What Causes Crooked Teeth?

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“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.