Tetrick Family Dentistry

The Problem of Receding Gums

Pink and firm to the touch, healthy gums fit around tooth roots snugly. Made of soft tissue, gums (also called gingiva) support teeth and keep them in place. Sometimes it might not always be the case. You might notice that some teeth appear to look longer than usual, the gum tissue around them have a reddish hue. This indicates receding gums, slowly pulling away from their usual firm grip. In addition, the gums are swollen and tender, bleed easily when you brush. You might even notice bad breath.

What might have caused the recession? There may be several reasons for this. One is neglect of oral health which can lead to gum disease. You might be brushing too hard, which can do more harm than good. Crooked teeth and misaligned bite are also risk factors. There might have been injury to the teeth involved, or you might be into teeth grinding. Genetics also play a role.

The edge of the gum tissue, which surrounds your teeth, is known as the gingival margin. If this margin pulls away from the teeth, it leaves the roots exposed and more susceptible to decay and tooth loss. Your gums won’t return on their own because they do not grow back. It can affect your self-esteem, your smile. There are a few ways to treat gingival recession. Stopping the habits within your control and improving dental hygiene can reverse the recession process. These are two immediate changes you can make.

If your gum recession is advanced already, the most appropriate treatment will depend on whether you have symptoms of periodontal disease and the severity of the recession. With signs of gum disease, the dentist might perform a deep cleaning of the teeth, to remove any bacteria and debris, before the tissue is attached. If there is a considerable amount of recession, a gum graft is recommended to replace the lost tissue, taking tissue from one area, like the roof of the mouth, then transferring it to the gum area. Another is the pinhole surgical technique which involves manipulating existing gum tissue over the exposed roots.

Good oral habits must be maintained at all times to prevent worsening of your gum recession. Fix crooked teeth or have your bite aligned. Stop smoking which can advance gum recession.

Gum Recession is Treatable in Bellingham

Don’t delay any further if you’ve noticed gum recession. See your Bellingham dentist right away for advice and treatment. Know that gum disease is rampant and when it is long-standing, it can jeopardize oral and body health.

Better Oral Health in 2018

With 2018 upon us, we take stock of things and resolve to start doing new stuff or following thru with old resolutions. Most people will make some health related resolutions in the list for the new year – going to the gym, quitting the bottle, getting more sleep, and the like. Oral health must figure also in the resolve for change and for the better. Here are some great ideas to begin with.

Make better your oral hygiene regimen

Avoid dental caries and gum disease by being mindful of your brushing style, choice of toothpaste, timing and frequency, as well as your nightly flossing. Remember that flossing prevents plaque build-up in between spaces that your toothbrush have difficulty reaching. Be sure to replace the toothbrush every 3 to 4 months or as necessary, especially when you’ve just recovered from the cold or the flu, to prevent the spread of germs.

Eat better and eat healthy

Reduce your consumption of sugars, starches, and acidic foods that can harm teeth. Sugary foods, snacks, and beverages are notoriously tied with caries and tooth decay. Starches as chips, bread, pasta or crackers break down into sugars that bacteria feeds on. We know acidic foods like citrus, tomato products, as well as coffee and wine can stain and weaken enamel if they linger in the mouth. Consider dairy products high in calcium. Crunchy fruits and raw vegetables, like apples and celery, clean plaque and freshen breath. Antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, and other fruits and vegetables help protect gums from bacterial infection.

Quit bad habits damaging to teeth

Smoking doubles the risk for gum disease and is linked to many other health issues. There is absolutely no reason to keep it. Other unhealthy habits you should stop subjecting your teeth to are nail biting, chewing ice and other hard objects, opening caps with your teeth, ignoring teeth grinding or engaging in sports without a mouthguard.

Get an in-office whitening

It’s a great way to start the year. Have bright, white and healthy smiles done professionally; it’s a precise and safe option.

Dental Check-ups at Tetrick Family Dentistry

Don’t be part of statistics that say 1/3 of the population doesn’t visit the dentist at least once a year. Every six months is recommended. Have that professional cleaning and can identify and address any serious issues before they become dangerous to your health.

The Culprit: Too Much Sugar Intake

We were told that tooth brushing with toothpaste is one of the cornerstones of proper oral hygiene, complimented by interdental cleaning or flossing, enables the removal of plaque-forming debris. Towards the aim of preventing decay and caries, it is a widely accepted hygiene practice. So comes this latest research from the UK claiming that toothbrushing is not enough to protect children’s teeth from damage?

Published in the Journal of Public Health, a UK study found that the snacking habits of children under five years of age have the most impact on their oral health, even as parents rely on toothbrushing it does not suffice to prevent decay. Toothbrushing alone cannot protect children’s teeth from the damage caused by sugary food and drink snacks.

The research supports that snacking is unhealthy and confirms that snacking on sugary foods and drinks is the key contributing factor. Child and teenager tooth extractions reached record highs last year, equating to 170 hospital operations a day. The Local Government Association found that there were a little less than 43,000 hospital extractions in England for those under 18 years of age during 2016/17, almost a fifth over the last four years. The cost of extractions are a staggering £36 million every year. This is how severe the incidence of tooth decay is in England.

There is an urgent need to introduce measures to curb children’s sugar addiction. There must be innovative oral health education so that parents and children understand the impact of sugar on teeth and the importance of a good oral hygiene regimen. The British Dental Association is critical of the situation. It condemned ministers for a ‘short-sighted’ approach towards tooth decay when it should be reaching millions of patients. It pointed to the lack of a national oral health programme for children, unlike in Wales and Scotland.

The government is set to reduce the number of children having teeth extracted because of tooth decay and plans to implement a sugar tax by April on soft drinks with the most added sugar. Their world-class NHS dentists are also playing a vital role to improve dental hygiene in the child population.

Concern About Children’s Sugar Intake in Bellingham

Bellingham dentistry is just as concern with our pediatric cases, seeing the rise of tooth decay incidence. We strongly advocate sugary food and drinks reduction among kids for a healthier future adult population.

The Sugar and The Acid In Soft Drinks

Love Coke or Diet Coke? Did you know that Coke contains 9 teaspoons of sugar? With this amount of energy from a can or bottle of this famous soft drink, no wonder it’s addictive. Indulging in high-sugar soft drinks is mostly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. But it’s not only that. Sodas can also have negative effects on your teeth, potentially leading to cavities and tooth decay.

Soda’s high sugar content get into nooks and tight spaces in the grooves, sides and hard to brush areas of teeth, including under the gums. In a matter of hours, bacterial colonization turn them into plaque. Decay can set in and cavities formed. Dental erosion is another type of decay that results from acidic liquids contacting your teeth. Sodas, like Coke and Diet Coke, have levels of phosphoric acid that can bathe the entire tooth structure and erode or thin away enamel. This can lead to sensitivity, pain, or cracking of the enamel. Did you know that this is the same phosphoric acid used in industrial cleaners?

Did you know also that Coca Cola’s deep brown color is actually a dye? It’s caramel dye that actually does not add any flavor to the soda but can contribute to staining of the teeth. The teeth becomes yellow, and the more yellow it becomes, the weaker is the enamel. Your teeth looks unhealthy, and that can affect your smile and your confidence.

The best way to keep from damaging your teeth is to do away with soft drinks or soda completely, or reduce your intake. If you must, choose the ones that are less acidic, like Sprite or Diet Coke. Or else, use a straw that limits the contact of the drink with your teeth. Take water after you’ve had soft drinks.

Avoid drinking soft drinks before going to bed for you are letting sugar and acid stay in contact with your teeth overnight. Remember, after taking soda, don’t brush your teeth immediately. Your enamel has just been exposed to cola’s acidic content and brushing right away will only erode your teeth much quicker. Gargle with water first, rinsing off any remaining sugar and acid clinging to tooth surfaces, your tongue, gums and other structures. After a while, you can brush.

Know What’s Good and Bad for Teeth

The next time you reach out for a can of soda, think again. Your Bellingham dentist recommends wise choices for food and drinks to keep your dentition in better condition much longer.

You must have heard about oil pulling – that’s swishing oil around the mouth, like it were mouthwash. This 15 to 20-minute remedy is said to be an Ayurveda practice in India some 3000 years ago, aimed at keeping breath fresh and clean, eliminating bacteria and whitening teeth. Ayurveda texts claimed that oil pulling is not just for dental issues, but can cure over 30 systemic diseases as well.

Washing with a tablespoon of oil in the mouth might be uncomfortable for most people for the taste and texture of oil is novel. It can take some getting used to, keeping in mind that the benefits outweigh the negatives. Some people like sesame oil, others find coconut oil more pleasant. Done first thing in the morning, oil is swished around the mouth, the jaws moving up and down as though chewing, but what’s important is the oil be kept moving around. It collects bacteria this way, so you don’t swallow the oil. Spit it out, rinse with water, and proceed to brushing and flossing.

Oil pulling is a natural cleansing process. Oil is capable of cutting through plaque and removing toxins. Plaque is said to be fat-soluble. Lipids in the oils pull out or absorbs toxins from the saliva. The mix usually ends up turning thick, viscous and white. Once it reaches this consistency, it is spit out before the toxins are reabsorbed. Some studies have shown that teeth, gums and jaws are strengthened; the process also prevents bad breath, cavities, gingivitis, bleeding gums, and dryness of the mouth.

People who have tried it say it is an oral health treatment, but when practiced regularly, the process benefits the rest of the body as well. They say oil pulling can relieve migraines, correct hormone imbalance, reduce inflammation, allergies, eczemas, and improve vision. It can also treat digestive issues, support normal kidney function, and detoxify the body of heavy metals.

While oil pulling benefits are proved by testimonials and some studies, there are quarters who say that the remedy may be beneficial to oral health, but further research may be needed to make claims that it can also treat medical conditions.

Fact From Fiction In Bellingham

Why don’t you ask us, your Bellingham professionals, about oil pulling? Know more about it and separate what’s true and what’s not. We all work for everyone’s oral health here at Tetrick Family Dentistry in Bellingham.

Effect of Mouthwash

Regularly rinsing with a mouthwash is a strong choice for your daily oral hygiene routine. A good, antibacterial wash is able to get into even the hardest-to-reach places in your mouth and kill off much of the bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease throughout the day. Unfortunately, bacteria are resilient organisms; they are constantly adapting, and every generation that is subjected to your mouthwash makes the cultures in your mouth slightly more likely to survive next time.

According to a study conducted by Clinical Research Associates, the harmful bacteria in your mouth will gradually build up a resistance to the active ingredients in your mouthwash. Using the same product for an extended period of time means that you will be getting a lesser effect later on.

In order to avoid this, try rotating your mouthwash products; if you just finished a bottle of mouthwash that uses alcohol as its active ingredient, look for a different product that uses a non-alcoholic antibacterial agent. By the time you are finished with this second product, your oral bacteria should be more vulnerable to the first again.

Proper Dental Care by our Bellingham Dentist

For more tips on proper dental care, talk to our Bellingham dentist. If you would like to set up an appointment, please contact our office directly during our office hours.

Stress and Oral Health

Stress has a lot of negative effects on a person’s health. It can raise your blood pressure, cause your skin to break out, and even take its toll on your oral health. There are many ways that this can happen, including the following:

• Many cases of bruxism can be linked to, or at least aggravated by stress. This condition breaks down your tooth structure and leaves you vulnerable to serious decay.
• Gum disease can be aggravated by stress.
• Canker sores, cold sores, and similar afflictions may sometimes be caused by stress.
• People often manage stress by overeating, or indulging in sugary comfort foods. This encourages tooth decay and gum disease.
• Other people resort to nervous habits when they are experiencing stress. If these habits include chewing your nails, chewing ice, or chewing anything else that isn’t food, you are putting your teeth at unnecessary risk.
• Serious stress can lead to depression. When you are depressed, regular routines like brushing and flossing often suffer.

Contact our Bellingham Dentist

If you are plagued with stress, seek out ways to manage the stressors in your life. Meanwhile, keep your regular appointments with our Bellingham dentist, and you should be fine.

Causing the Link: Inflammation and Bacteria

Research has revealed that if you have periodontal disease, you are almost twice as likely to have heart disease, and more so if you have high cholesterol. The same research also point out that more than 85 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease, while more than 200 million American adults have some form of periodontal condition. The relationship between these two systemic diseases can be attributed to the suspected role of bacteria and inflammation.

Consider this scenario. In the human body, there are always barriers between different tissues. The gums surrounding your teeth are effectively separated from other tissues such as muscles and bone. However, nerves and blood supply are continuously providing stimuli and vital nutrients to all tissues and organs of the body. In cases of gum infection, like periodontal disease, its bacteria can break down the barrier between the gums and underlying connective tissues causing swelling and inflammation.

Normal activities like chewing and brushing can cause bacteria to travel the bloodstream and invade other organs, such as the cardiovascular system.

There is a high possibility that oral bacteria can trigger a similar response that can lead to the formation of plaques in arterial walls of the cardiovascular system. In fact, the same oral bacteria have been found in the fatty deposits of people with atherosclerosis. The fatty deposits, made out of cholesterol, can break loose and clog arteries that may lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Usually, hypertensive people also suffer from high cholesterol levels that contribute to the narrowing of arteries. While scientists are still researching whether inflammation is at the root of the problem, they say it is firmly established that a link exists between periodontal disease and heart disease.

Avoid a Heart Attack: Treat Periodontal Disease in Bellingham

If you wish to know more about this link, visit your Bellingham dentist. Don’t let yourself be a statistic in the growing number of adult Americans with periodontal disease, who might also just have a heart condition.

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Linking The Mouth and the Kidneys

Growing in prevalence and associated with severe life-threatening complications, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is becoming a worldwide public health problem. In the US alone, 11.6% of adult Americans have chronic kidney disease. This gradual loss of kidney function, mainly caused by diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure, can lead to waste buildup in the body leading to kidney failure. This state of failure requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life.

Sufferers living with CKD encounter many health issues impacting quality of life. One of this is dental in nature. Did you know that during disease progression, a majority of CKD patients suffer oral complications, foremost is periodontal disease. Because those with kidney disease have weakened immune systems, they are more susceptible to infections. A study in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology reported that people with kidney disease and those on dialysis are more likely to have periodontal disease and other oral health problems than the general population. Some studies even said that it’s 90% of patients.

Patients undergoing dialysis manifest a variety of oral disorders. The teeth, oral mucosa, salivary glands, periodontium, and alveolar bone can all be affected, leading to manifestations like gingival bleeding, early tooth loss, periodontitis, and dry mouth, etc. Because of calcium imbalance or calcium loss the jaw bone can weaken and lead to loss of the teeth.

If a CKD patient requires a dental procedure, he must advise his doctor who will prescribe antibiotic cover to guard against infection. If the patient is on dialysis, dental procedures, even as simple as a tooth extraction, should be scheduled on a non-dialysis day. Heparin, a drug that inhibits blood coagulation, administered during dialysis, may cause some patients to have extra bleeding.

In the same vein, when a patient is scheduled for a kidney transplant, part of the workup is a thorough oral examination. Existing infections from gum disease or advanced tooth decay can defer a transplant procedure or prevent the patient from being eligible for the transplant until dental work is done. Caution is exercised in these situations because any oral infection can compromise these treatments for CKD.

Chronic Kidney Disease Patient in Bellingham

If you have a CKD patient who require expert oral care, see us in Bellingham. We at Dr. Tetrick’s know the special considerations for those with kidney disease.

Chewing and Swallowing with Parkinson’s Disease

About 1 million Americans are living with Parkinson’s disease or PD, that we know as a neurodegenerative disorder wherein brain cells progressively die. Parts of the brain affected will manifest in motor and nonmotor symptoms. Hence, there’ll be tremors, rigidity, extreme slowness of movement, and impaired balance. Swallowing and speaking difficulties are also common, all seriously affecting quality of life.

Persons with Parkinson’s also have oral health issues just like anyone else. However, they face more challenging scenarios that impede or at least make difficult dental problems that are otherwise simple for healthier individuals.

If facial muscles are affected, it can change the way they speak or chew food, more so if they have a toothache or are missing some teeth. Unable to chew, Parkinson’s sufferers are unable to swallow more than bite-sized food and can run the risk of choking. They can also accidentally aspirate or inhale food or drink particles that can lead to lung infections, like pneumonia. If they have rheumatoid arthritis and are taking medications for that, the drugs can depressed their immune system and leave them open to a higher risk of infections that their oral cavity and structures may not be able to handle.

It may seem that little may have changed with regards to the dental challenges faced by persons with PD. Many years ago, a study in Hokkaido, Japan tested a group of patients with the condition as against a control group. It concluded that PD patients had more complaints about their oral health and more problems in oral health behavior than the general population.

It reported also that PD patients had more complaints of chewing difficulties and denture discomfort than controls. Fewer PD patients had their own teeth. Likewise, it also said that few PD patients cleaned their dentures every day and more than half of them had problems with swallowing.

Be that as it may, regular visits to the dentist, as well as twice daily brushing and flossing, and proper cleaning of dentures, will help to eliminate most dental issues with persons suffering from Parkinson’s.

Caring for the Parkinson’s Patient in Bellingham

Bellingham dentistry recognizes the special needs of persons with PD, the condition making proper oral hygiene and oral health behavior full of challenges. We are more than capable to meet those. Come visit us for an appointment.