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After Your Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

If you need to have a wisdom tooth extracted, Tetrick Family Dentistry can make the experience quick and convenient for you. After your extraction, though, you will need to take certain measures to maximize your comfort and minimize your recovery time.

Post-care and Tips for Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Here are some tips regarding what to expect and what to do in the days following the removal of your tooth:

  • Under normal circumstances, your recovery period shouldn’t last more than a few days.
  • During this time, you will probably want to take painkillers or apply an ice pack to the outside of your mouth to reduce your pain and swelling.
  • Avoid smoking products of any kind. Your sensitive gum tissues are easily aggravated by the smoke.
  • Consume softer foods, like soup and pudding. Reintroduce yourself to solid foods gradually as your condition improves.
  • As you sleep, prop your head up with pillows. Laying flat on your back can encourage bleeding.
  • Avoid using a straw. This can loosen your blood clot.
  • Relax. An increased heart rate can encourage bleeding.
  • After the first 24 hours, try rinsing your mouth a few times a day with salt water.
  • You can make an appropriate salt solution by mixing one teaspoon of salt with eight ounces of warm water.

Contact Tetrick Family Dentistry Bellingham

If you have any questions or concerns about getting your wisdom teeth extracted, please feel free to contact our Bellingham dentistry so we can explain the procedure process and answer your questions.

The Filth on Your Tongue and How To Clean It

The Importance of Tongue-Scraping

Are you brushing and flossing every day? That’s a good start for a healthy mouth, but you should never forget that your oral bacteria is growing on more than just your teeth and gums. This is why Tetrick Family Dentistry advises that you remember to scrape your tongue as a regular part of your oral hygiene.

Bacteria on Your Tongue

Your tongue has as much potential to harbor the microbes that cause tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath as your teeth do. Fortunately, cleaning away this bacteria is a simple matter. You can clear away this bacteria by gently brushing at your tongue with your toothbrush.

Most people find the brush uncomfortable on the tongue, particularly when trying to reach the back, so you may want to get yourself a proper tongue scraper. Scrapers are available in many dental care sections, and are designed to clean your tongue with the even pressure that you can’t get with a normal brush.

A good antibacterial mouthwash can also serve to kill off bacteria on your tongue, but a tongue scraping is the only way to clear off the detritus and dead cells that are gathering on your tongue surface.

A Cleaner Tongue Means Stronger Tastes

Cleaning your tongue is an important part of your daily dental hygiene, and there are additional benefits that tongue scraping has for your dining experience.

When you neglect to scrape your tongue, your taste buds aren’t able to do their job. You’re tasting your food through a thick layer of plaque. Blocked taste buds also bring about false cravings and a reduced ability to enjoy your food. It is only by regularly cleaning your tongue that you can properly enjoy all of your favorite dishes.

Consult our Bellingham dentistry to learn more about proper tongue cleaning techniques and habits.

What’s Wrong With Your Brushing Methods?

What You Should Know About Proper Tooth Brushing

You have been brushing teeth since you were a kid and then somebody tells you you’ve been doing it the wrong way. Don’t worry. Many people are on the same boat as you. Better pay heed and find out if you’ve been doing it improperly. Otherwise, there’s nothing to worry about. See if your brushing techniques and habits fall into any one of these blunders.

You are brushing too hard. Aggressive brushing is a mistake many people make. They think that it leaves teeth cleaner. When you brush too hard, it can erode the first layer of the teeth, called the enamel, weakening it and making it prone to brittleness in the long run. Aggressive tooth brushing is a leading contributor of sensitive teeth. It can also damage the soft gums, causing irritation, cuts and breaks.

You are using the wrong toothbrush. An important feature of a toothbrush is the bristles that remove the bacteria, and loosen plaque from your teeth and gums. Choosing a toothbrush with hard bristles can wear down your tooth structure. Soft bristles can clean teeth more effectively.

You are not brushing long enough. Many people don’t take even a minute brushing their teeth, like the routine is something you get over faster the better. Take enough time to brush your teeth properly and thoroughly. It is advisable to spend at least 2 minutes every time you brush – and you should be brushing your teeth twice daily..

You don’t floss correctly. The rightful brushing should also be accompanied by dental flossing every day for complete removal of the plaque in between teeth as well as cleaning of the tongue.

You don’t change your toothbrush regularly. It is recommended to change to a new toothbrush every 3 months or sooner when the bristles are starting to fray already. You will be unable to properly remove plaque and food particles with an overused brush. Besides, keeping it too long can harbor more grime and bacteria that you will spread over all your mouth instead.

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More Tooth Brushing Tips in Bellingham

Learn more about good tooth brushing tips and techniques at Tetrick Family Dentistry. Make an appointment this week to keep your mouth healthy!

Children’s Good Dental Habits – Starts with You

What Kids See Kids Do

What your kids see in you and what you do are the blueprint of the future life of your child. When it comes to oral health, you are the best model and teacher. So if you want optimal dental health for your offspring, be sure they see the best practices at home while growing up. Here are some of the ways you can lead by example.

Eat healthy breakfast together.
Be sure breakfast served is healthy – carbohydrates, protein, dairy, starch, fruits and veggies and some sugar – sufficient that your kids will not crave more sweets and sugary snacks and drinks the rest of the day. We know how too much sugar can damage teeth and gums, leading to caries and tooth decay. After breakfast, set a good example by packing healthful lunches with fruits and vegetables for yourself and your children.

Train your kids to always drink water.
Water should be your main household beverage to help limit exposure to sugary alternatives. It can also provide ongoing hydration for everyone’s mouth between meals and after snacks. Drinking water frequently will also limit the length of time food particles remain on the teeth. This is not to mention that the habit of drinking water also freshens breath.

Brush and floss together.
At first, small kids should see how their parents brush and floss their teeth. Following the ADA recommendations, everyone should be able to brush twice a day for two minutes each time and flossing at least once daily. Children can be made to understand what happens if brushing and flossing are not done and if done improperly. They must know that sugar and acid can harm teeth and gums by causing cavities, tooth decay, toothache and host of other problems that can be prevented just by proper oral hygiene.

Have regular dental appointments.
It’s good if the family go together to visit the dentist for checkups and routine cleanings.Children ought to know why dental checkups are important and should not be missed. Make the experience as positive, cheerful and fun as can be. Your dentist of choice must be able to help you here.

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Visits to the dentist can be less scary

These are quite simple steps to keep your kids on the proper road to optimal oral health. Start off with a visit to Tetrick Family Dentistry in Bellingham.

Having the Best Smile: Just Keep These 5 Habits

Developing the 5 Habits for Good Oral Health

Do you know how to get your teeth and gums in top shape and have that smile, the envy of everyone? You only have to develop these easy but great oral health habits. Let it be your standard for oral health.

Take care of your gums. Just do not only mind about your teeth, but your gums as well. Brush around your gum line and don’t forget to floss in between your teeth. Gum disease can cause swelling, discomfort, and inflammation.

Prevent cavities and tooth decay. The best prevention is still good oral hygiene – proper way and frequency of brushing and flossing are key. Also, reduce the consumption of sugary and acidic food and drinks. They attract bacteria easily and cause weakening of the enamel.

Prevent bad breath by discarding bad habits. Halitosis or bad breath can be brought about by certain habits, such as smoking and eating strong-smelling foods as garlic or onions. The presence of tooth decay, gum disease, an unclean tongue, and even a buildup of plaque can also manifest as bad breath. So don’t smoke and avoid too much sugar in your diet. Be sure to keep proper oral hygiene so as to decrease the chances of foul-smelling odor from the mouth.

Prevent dry mouth. Dry mouth increases the risk for tooth decay. Due to decrease salivary production, the lack of fluids enables the proliferation of bacteria and the buildup of plaque leading to tooth decay. Breathing through the mouth, sleeping with open mouths, taking certain medicines, and generally dehydration causes dry mouth. Increase fluid intake throughout the day and chew on sugar-free gum to increase saliva production.

See your dentist regularly. Regular visits to your dentist can avert the occurrence of oral problems as your dentist can detect beginnings of tooth decay and gum disease. Professional cleanings can prevent the progress of tartar buildup and thus save your teeth and gums early from the development of caries and of gingivitis.

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Teaching You the Essentials in Bellingham

Get reminded about these top five essentials for the best smile around by regular visits to your Bellingham dentist. We just don’t treat oral problems, we give great tips as well. See us for a consultation soon.

Dental Care of the Whole Family is Everyone’s Concern

From Toddlers To Seniors

For every family, oral health is directly related to each family member’s well-being. A family dentist in the neighborhood is just the easiest person to go to for concerns of health of teeth and gums.

If you have a baby in the family, the first teeth will be erupting by 6 months (sometimes as early as 3) and the baby’s gums will be tender and irritable. Rubbing gently with a clean finger can be soothing. Infant sucking is normal but doing so on extended periods may lead to some jaw development problems and altered teeth positioning. It is best to start the child early on toothbrushing with a pea-size toothpaste with fluoride.

Children’s Teeth

Children’s teeth will start out porous and not so mineralized, so by this time a healthy diet is very important. Amount and frequency of sugar consumption in meals, snacks and drinks must be controlled. Teeth brushing must be supervised at first to ensure that the proper techniques are used and the twice a day frequency is followed. It is also around this time that the proper alignment and spacing between teeth are monitored.

Pre-Teenagers

Tweens between 10 and 12 years are still losing their primary teeth. By age 12, the second permanent molars appear. New permanent teeth are more prone to decay. Proper oral hygiene must be stressed here. Teenagers between 16 and 20 will be growing their third molars which will generally be recommended for extraction to avoid future issues. Around this time, kids can be pressured to adopt harmful oral habits, such as smoking and piercing, develop eating disorders or opt for bad choices in food and drinks. Parents must also be able to decide if their children need braces for misaligned, crooked teeth or abnormal bites.

Adult Oral Health

Adults are more likely to neglect their oral health for a variety of reasons. With an increased risk for gum disease, care for the gums can be neglected. Gingivitis can be overlooked; most might just wake up to periodontitis. Bad breath or halitosis can be a manifestation. Oral hygiene is most important here, as well as regular dental appointments. Diabetes, heart diseases, and other inflammatory conditions can affect oral health severely.

Majority of seniors may no longer have most of their natural teeth. They could be wearing dental bridges, dental fillings, having teeth more prone to oral health issues, such as gum diseases that can result in overall health complications related to digestion, heart and other vital organs.

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New Study: Brushing Might Not Be Enough for Kids

Kids Who Snack More Must Brush More?

Social scientists and researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Glasgow did a study on the snacking habits of children and discovered that kids who eat snacks all day, instead of just eating meals, were far more likely to have dental decay. It also suggested that brushing might not be enough to protect a child’s teeth, and parents are a little worried with that.

The scientists used statistical models and survey data to predict dental decay among children by age five. According to the BBC, it’s a study of almost 4,000 pre-school children. It showed that tooth brushing alone to keep dental decay at bay may not be enough. Also impacting dental decay and health of children’s teeth are the kids’ snacking habits and parental socioeconomic factors.

The Issue of Snacks

Snacking was actually the factor most strongly associated with decay. Children who snacked all day, those sugary, salty or starchy snacks,and then not eating meals, had twice the chance of decay when compared to those who did not snack at all.

The results also showed an association between “lower frequencies of tooth brushing” at age two and higher chances of dental decay by age five. Among children eating sweets or chocolate more frequently, once a day or more, tooth-brushing more frequently reduced the chance of decay in the end. So if kids snack this way it becomes important to toothbrush more.

The study was published in the Journal of Public Health. The findings in this study is an issue of great importance to doctors and dentists in the United Kingdom right now. Last year, it was recorded that almost 43,000 children and teenagers in England and Wales had operations to remove teeth, according to the National Health Service. This study is just saying that it definitely takes more than brushing to protect your child’s teeth, and that other factors are at play – factors that parents can sometimes control, along with others that might be out of their hands.

Looking After Oral Health of Kids

Letting you know that young patients under our care are well looked after in terms of monitoring and advice to parents. True, it’s not just brushing that can keep tooth decay at bay. Education of parents is also crucial. You can always ask our Bellingham dentists during your appointment about your child’s oral health and prevention of future complications.

Wisdom Teeth: Extracting The Problem

Why Most Wisdom Teeth Have To Go

Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars in the back of your mouth, last to emerge in the dental arch, around the ages 17 to 21 years, making their appearance in the later teen years to early adulthood. With enough space left in the arch, assuming the jaws have reached their full growth, there should be no problem for wisdom teeth coming in. But wisdom teeth are known to create problems for a lot of young people.

Why do most people, including their dentists, want wisdom teeth out of the picture?

In many instances, wisdom teeth grow in impacted. They’re so far back in the mouth, they usually may not come in normally. They can be trapped in your jawbone or gums, which can be painful and lead to infection. Even if they are partially trapped, they can weaken the jaw bone and do future damage.

They come in at a wrong angle, pressing against other teeth causing crowding. As a result, you may not be able to reach your wisdom teeth with your toothbrush or dental floss. Without proper cleaning, they are usually the first teeth to develop cavities leading to decay, including gum disease. Their crooked appearance may only mean there is no longer enough room in your jaw bone for the third molar.

In addition, if you feel pain and there is infection during eruption of your third molar, there is gingivitis, or this tooth is going to compromise your normal bite or your normal alignment – the tooth has to come off. Some experts say that even if wisdom teeth do not cause problems in the youth, there is no evidence to show that they won’t be problematic in adulthood.

Wisdom teeth extraction is not a painful procedure, though there is some discomfort after the surgery. Your dentist will administer local or general anesthesia, or use IV sedation, in which case you are asleep throughout the procedure. In 45 minutes or less, it can be over, even if it involves two wisdom teeth with relative ease of removal. Just follow your dentist’s instructions for home care and you’ll be back to normal routine in a few days. There is no need for follow-ups, stitches will resolve on their own, swelling will subside. Complications are not common, but if they happen, just let your dentist know right away.

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Wisdom Tooth Extraction? See our Bellingham Dentist

You might be experiencing the pain of wisdom teeth growing in and may or may not have complaints at all. Nonetheless, see us at Tetrick Family Dentistry for a consultation. Learn more if you need to need your wisdom teeth extracted.

When Your Gums Change Color

More Than Just A Color Change

Can you tell the health of your gums merely by their color?

Healthy gums should be somewhat a shade of pink. Gums may look lighter pink around the teeth and a bit darker pink in other areas. All healthy gums won’t look the same and may differ from person to person. Some have paler and some have darker gums. When your gum color starts to change, it may be time to see your dentist, especially if you notice any other symptoms.

What might be the underlying causes of gums changing color?

Anemia is one cause, when lack of oxygen causes tissues to become pale. Aside from pale gums, the anemic person suffers from general weakness, shortness of breath, yellowish skin and eyes, headaches and palpitations.

There may be some vitamin deficiency also, like iron, folate acid and vitamin B12 in an anemic person. These medical conditions can also lead to anemia: heavy menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, hypothyroidism, stomach ulcers, colitis, and certain liver, spleen, or kidney conditions. Chemotherapy can increase a person’s risk of developing anemia.

Another cause for anemia is oral leukoplakia which form uniform, thin, white patches on the gums that alternate with regular gum or mucous tissues. They can be raised, with red specks, or appear as white nodules; appearing anywhere in the mouth, they cannot be rubbed or scrubbed off. Alcoholics, smokers or those with poor oral hygiene can have them. Generally harmless, leukoplakia can be cancerous. They can be surgically removed if indicated.

Oral lichen planus are web-like, slightly raised white threads throughout the gums. They can be erosive involving ulcers or open sores, treatable using topical corticosteroids or systemic steroids. Though a biopsy may be necessary to rule out other medical issues, there is no cure for the condition. Symptoms can only be decreased as well as eating healthy and quitting smoking.

When do you seek medical or dental advice?

If you notice your gums are pale and they are accompanied by any or some of the following symptoms, you must seek consultation: bleeding, receding painful, tender or swollen gums, gum abscesses, bad breath, pain or discomfort when swallowing, loose teeth, a metallic taste in the mouth, pain in the jaw, or a fever.

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Questions about gum health? Contact our Bellingham dentists.

If you are interested to know about the health state of your gums, make a visit to Tetrick Family Dentistry in Bellingham soon. Even if you don’t see symptoms, it’s always better to maintain and keep your gums healthy than later seek treatment.

Don’t Put It Off: A Trip to the Dentist

Signs Your Teeth are Not Healthy

Dental experts say that there are some signs you may not be too aware of and they’re telling you that your teeth are not healthy as you thought they were. Here are some of those signs you need to pay attention to.

Bad Breath

Sign #1: You have bad breath all the time. Occasionally you’d experience a not-so-fresh breath especially when you’ve eaten strong flavored foods, or you’ve had coffee or wine, or just smoked a cigarette. However, a persistently odorous breath is a sign of gum disease. Among other things, poor oral hygiene can lead to a buildup of plaque and bacteria on teeth and gums causing inflammation and bleeding of the gums. If your oral hygiene is good, then you might consider sinus problems or even stomach issues. A trip to the dentist is about time.

Color of Your Tongue

Sign #2: A healthy tongue should be light pink. And yours is white. If you notice that your tongue is coated and persistently of white color, then your mouth is not in a healthy state. That might be because you don’t brush your tongue while you’re brushing your teeth. The accumulation of bacteria on your tongue gives it that white coating and which also contributes to bad breath and overall unhealthy mouth. Hence, the tongue should also be brushed as teeth are brushed; brushing and flossing is also a good way to decrease the harmful bacteria in your mouth.

Bleeding Gums

Sign #3: Your gums bleed when you brush or floss. If after brushing or flossing, you find a bit of blood in your toothbrush or saliva, it’s a sign of distressed gums. While inflamed gums bleed with the lightest touch, even with a toothbrush, healthy gums do not. Gum disease presents with redness and swelling, and if your gums are painful and bleed easily without cause, do see your dentist.

Teeth Sensitivity

Sign #4: Your teeth are sensitive to hot or cold drinks. Sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages can mean a cavity is present in your teeth. Extreme temperatures do not usually cause sensitivity to healthy teeth. However, the longer the sensitivity lasts, the more severe is the problem. Apart from cavities, sensitivity might also indicate an uneven bite that is causing some teeth to wear down.

White or Dark Patches

Sign #5: You have white patches on your teeth or you have dark areas. White spots could indicate early tooth decay with porosity and weakening of the enamel, in other words, an impending cavity underneath the surface. A tooth that starts to look darker than the others might indicate a nerve problem. This might be the result of a traumatic injury to the tooth where the nerve inside is struck, the tooth becomes necrotic and darken over time.

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Contact our Bellingham Dentists

If you see any of these signs and symptoms, please feel free to contact Tetrick Family Dentistry with any questions and concerns. It’s important to get treatment as soon as possible and also to learn how to manage your oral health well.