Tetrick Family Dentistry

Recently, a team at the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences took a look at the dental habits of eight hundred men and women.

Participants in this study underwent an examination of their oral health, and then were asked a set of questions in regards to their understanding of dental care. After examining the results, the team determined that women were, on average, more diligent in their dental care than men were.

This is according to the following findings:

• The flossing habits of women are about 26% better than those of men.
• A woman is about twice as likely as a man to schedule her regular dental visits every six months.
• 44% of the women surveyed were aware that the overall health of their bodies could benefit from regular visits to the dentist. 33% of men were similarly aware.
• A woman is about twice as likely as a man to take notice when someone she is talking to is missing a tooth.
• 74% of the women surveyed stated that they would feel embarrassed to be seen with a missing tooth. 57% of the men said the same.

If you feel that you are falling short in your own dental care, consider making a call to Tetrick Family Dentistry. Our Bellingham dentist office can help you to get back on track and maintain good oral health for many years to come.

Suffering a stroke is never an easy thing to go through. Your daily routine can change dramatically in many ways, and your regular oral hygiene is no exception. If you’ve recently had a stroke, you should be sure to take special measures to assure that your dental care does not suffer as well.

A big problem for many people is that they lose the manual strength or dexterity that they need to brush their teeth properly. If this is your experience, consider making the switch to an electric toothbrush or a flossing aid. In some cases, you may only need to wrap a cloth around your toothbrush to make it easier to grip.

When it comes time to visit our Bellingham dentist again, bring along a list of any medication you may have been prescribed following your stroke. Some medication, like anticoagulants, can encourage excessive bleeding and have unfortunate implications in your dental treatments. If you are experiencing poor memory as a result of your stroke, consider writing down any instructions that your dentist gives you. In this way, you should be able to maintain healthy teeth and gums in spite of your stroke.

People around the world are currently looking forward to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, with all the excitement and athleticism that the events are known for. Unfortunately, if the last summer games has taught us anything, there is also a great deal of oral decay going on under the surface.

Indeed, during the 2012 games in London, it was observed that about a fifth of the participating athletes exhibited some degree of dental problem. Some suffered toothaches, some bleeding gums, and some had such serious decay that their ability to participate in the games was jeopardized.

It would seem that this is a problem common among athletes. Though they are often models of great physical health, their mouths suffer as a result of their workout routines. Part of this is because they become dehydrated, which fosters oral decay. Further, many athletes favor consuming a lot of carb-heavy foods and sports drinks, both of which have a lot of sugar in them.

Therefore, if you are an avid athlete, be sure to keep your regular appointments with our Bellingham dentist to make sure your teeth do not prevent you from participating in the sports you most love.

Are you a tea-drinker? Good on you! There are few better substances to put into your body than a good cup of tea. Green tea in particular is known to contain a variety of antioxidants and other nutrients that serve to foster good health, reduce stress, and even prevent cancer. But could your tea-drinking habit also be putting you at an increased risk of certain cancers?

Indeed, a study has shown that people who regularly drink tea have a greater chance of suffering esophageal cancer. After looking at a selection of esophageal cancer patients, researchers observed that those who drank more than a litre of black tea every day were among the most vulnerable.

The good news is that it is apparently not the tea itself that is the problem, but rather the temperature at which it is consumed. Drinking tea at above sixty five degrees seems to put your throat at a significantly greater risk, while drinking it at over seventy degrees is even worse. With this in mind, try allowing your own tea to cool a bit before you drink. A good rule of thumb is to let it sit for at least four minutes after it is done boiling. Meanwhile, if you get your regular check-ups with our Bellingham dentist, you should be able to maintain good oral health.

I’ve you’ve ever suffered from severe dental pain, you probably know that it can be among the worst pain you’ve ever felt. Many people struggling with such pain are willing to try all sorts of crazy things to find relieve their agony, including magnet therapy. This is the practice of using powerful magnets in an effort to lessen pain and promote your body’s natural healing practices.

Advocates of magnet therapy explain that magnetic fields run through your body, and manipulating these fields can have a real effect on your health. Some claim that the magnets act upon your blood, which contains iron. Unfortunately, these claims are highly suspect; while it is true that there is magnetism in your body, the iron in your blood is not in a state where it should be affected by magnets. Though it is not impossible that magnets could be used to heal, the supposed effects of magnet therapy are unproven at best. If you need help managing dental pain, talk to our Bellingham dentist for effective, time-tested dental treatments.

Have you ever thought much about the effects of the ingredients hiding in your toothpaste? Many big toothpaste brands contain trace amounts of substances that are not entirely beneficial. Here is a list of some of the common substances that you might want to look out for:

• Blue Dye Number 2: Some research has indicated that this artificial coloring agent might lead to allergies and certain behavioral issues in children.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: This substance is potentially aggravating to your delicate gum tissues, which can sometimes cause canker sores.
• Triclosan: It is not well understood what effects extended exposure to this substance has on human health. The Environmental Protection Agency says that further research is needed.
• Hydrated Silica: This substance is an abrasive. It is valuable for cleaning teeth, but has the potential to wear down enamel.

If you are looking for a toothpaste to best suit your own needs, talk to our Bellingham dentist. We can advise you on the best ways to go about your regular oral hygiene.

Does going to the dentist make you feel anxious? This is a common occurrence, particularly if you are a child. Indeed, most of the more impactful cases of dental anxiety can be traced back to a bad childhood experience, making it all the more important to make your little ones comfortable when they come to visit our Bellingham dentist. To do so, keep the following tips in mind:

Start taking a child to the dentist as early as you can. Exposure to the dentist at a young age helps to accustom him or her to the experience.
Don’t resort to bribery. If you feel the need to offer your child a reward for going to the dentist, he or she will pick up on the idea that this is an unpleasant experience.
Be encouraging, but don’t use phrases like “everything will be okay”. You can’t guarantee that your child won’t feel any pain or discomfort, and you don’t want to lose his or her trust in such an event.
Manage your own dental anxiety! You may not even be aware of the emotional cues that you give your child when you discuss going to the dentist’s office.

A lot of our favorite foods are supposed to be eaten either hot or cold. Whether you’re digging into a pizza fresh out of the oven or dishing out a frosty bowl of ice cream, you probably agree that heat and cold our among our best culinary friends. Unfortunately, these extremes in temperature are generally not doing any favors to your mouth.

When you consume particularly hot or cold food or beverages, you risk damaging the fragile tissues that make up your gums. You’re also impairing their ability to repair themselves. The problem is all the more pronounced if you’re eating a hot food and a cold food in quick succession. Be mindful of what you eat, avoiding anything that starts to burn your mouth and staggering your hot and cold dishes to mitigate any damage on your gums. In this way, you should be able to enjoy all of your favorites without putting yourself at greater risk of gum disease.

Talk to our Bellingham dentist to learn more about how you can maintain healthy teeth and gums.

The human tongue should have a healthy, pink color. Therefore, if you ever notice that your tongue has turned red, this may be cause for concern. There is a number of reasons that your tongue may have turned red, including the following:

• Benign Migratory Glossitis: This condition is characteristic of patterns forming on your tongue that resemble geographic formations, giving this condition the nickname “geographic tongue”. Sometimes, these patterns will have a thin, white outline. It is usually a harmless condition, though you should talk to our Bellingham dentist if it persists longer than two weeks.
• Scarlet Fever: If your red tongue comes with swollen taste buds that give it a strawberry-like appearance, you might have this disease. In such a case, you will want to talk to your doctor to learn more.
• Kawasaki Syndrome: Generally, this condition will only be observed in young children. It is accompanied by a high fever, and sometimes swelling in the hands and feet. Children suffering from this condition should be brought to a doctor.
• Vitamin Deficiency: Occasionally, a red tongue can mean that you simply need to get more vitamin B12 or folic acid.

A large number of children will suffer from bruxism at some point. Somewhere between fifteen and thirty-three percent of American children are thought to exhibit some degree of tooth-grinding. It is common for this to occur as new teeth come in, since the pain caused by this experience leads to grinding. Most kids will quickly stop grinding after this passes, but the habit will occasionally persist. Should you observe this activity in your own child, try the following:

Stress is a major cause of bruxism. Is your child going through major life changes? Look for potential stressors, and find ways to help manage them.
Dehydration is another big cause of bruxism. Be sure that your child is getting enough water, especially if he or she is an athlete.
Show your child how to massage the muscles around his or her jaw, or try applying a warm washcloth to relax the muscles.
Does your child chew a lot of gum, or other objects? You may want to put an end to this.

Bruxism is a serious problem, and can lead to costly dental issues if allowed to persist. Talk to our Bellingham dentist for help identifying the cause of your bruxism and find a way to manage it.