General

Oral cancer accounts for only a small percentage of cancer in the United States, but it has one of the higher death rates of any cancer. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of your own risk factor, and work with our Bellingham dentist to make sure that you catch any signs of this deadly disease in its early stages.

Any of the following can raise your chances of developing oral cancer:

• Men statistically have a higher chance of oral cancer than women, with men over fifty representing the biggest risk.
• Any sort of tobacco use will dramatically increase your risk factor, including smoking, chewing, or snuff.
• Smoking marijuana also increases your risk by a large degree.
• Excessive drinking of alcohol is linked to oral cancer. If you are both a drinker and a smoker, your risk is exponentially higher.
• Poor diet, particularly a diet deficient in vitamin A, can increase your risk.
• Any exposure to the HPV virus can cause oral cancer.
• Unprotected exposure to the sun increases your odds of developing oral cancer around your lips.
• If you have oral cancer in your family history, you may have a genetic disposition to the disease.

Do you struggle with bruxism? This condition, known commonly as tooth-grinding, represents a significant hazard to your oral health. Fortunately, there are many ways to help manage your grinding and better assure that you maintain strong, straight teeth for years to come.

• Stress is one of the biggest root causes of bruxism. If you are feeling stress, identify your stressors and find a way to manage them.
• Sometimes, your bruxism can be linked to pain in your teeth or around the area of your jaw. 14Talk to your dentist to address any pain you may be feeling.
• Cut back on your consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
• If you habitually chew on items like pencils, ice, bottle caps, or even gum, you may be training your muscles to clench more than they need to. Try to avoid such habits.
• Place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This will force your jaw muscles to relax.
• If you’re a nighttime grinder, apply a warm compress to your cheeks for a few minutes before bedtime to relax your muscles.

You can learn more about bruxism and how to manage your condition by talking to our Bellingham dentist during normal business hours.

Dental anxiety is a legitimate condition, one that affects between ten and twenty percent of people in the United States. Such anxiety prevents many people from getting the dental care that they need. If you struggle with a fear of the dentist, we can work with you to help you feel comfortable and get the treatment you need and deserve.

One of the big causes of dental anxiety comes from a childhood trauma linked to the dentist office. Fortunately, modern dental technology has lessened and eliminated the pain associated with many common dental procedures. By talking to your dentist, you may be surprised to learn that your treatment can be much less invasive or painful than you would expect. Our Bellingham dentist office also makes use of sophisticated sedatives to make even the more common procedures a more comfortable experience.

Other people are made anxious by the lack of control they feel in the dentist chair. Again, the solution is communication. You can establish a signal that lets your dentist know when you are in pain. This alone can go a long way towards fostering a positive experience.

No matter how often or how well you brush your teeth, you’re not going to be doing much good if your brush isn’t up to the task. Many people neglect their brushes, allowing them to break down over time so that they start to do more harm than good. To avoid this, try taking measures to preserve your toothbrush.

The first thing to remember is that you generally shouldn’t expect to use a brush for more than three months. Your bristles are becoming bent and broken, and after a while they’re splayed about and too weak to properly scrub your teeth. You may need to change your brush even more frequently if you brush particularly hard, or if you are struggling with gum disease.

You also want to watch out for bacteria and other contaminants building up on your brush. Not only is your oral bacteria lingering on your bristles after you finish brushing, but airborne particles ejected from your toilet can accumulate on your brush. Take care to store your brush where it can dry out between brushes, but still shielded from your toilet. Also, don’t allow your brush to touch the head of any other brushes that are stored in the same bathroom.

Periodically clean your brush by dipping it in an antimicrobial mouthwash. Do not put it in the dishwasher or the microwave, as these can easily damage the brush.

There is more to this important practice than just scrubbing at your teeth with your brush. Consider the following tips to make sure you are getting the best from your oral hygiene:

• Ideally, you should be brushing twice a day: once after you wake up and once shortly before going to sleep. Time your brushings to take two minutes each. Choose a time that is at least thirty minutes after you last ate.
• When you floss, do so before you brush.
• Moisten your bristles and apply a thin layer of paste.
• Bring your brush to your mouth with the bristles held at a forty-five degree angle with the teeth so that you can lightly massage the gums. Brush with a circular motion, taking care not to brush so hard that you break down your fragile gum tissues.
• Divide your mouth into four sections and focus on each on in sequence. This will help you to remember to cover all of your mouth.
• Scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper, or scrub it with your brush.
• Rinse out and follow with an antibacterial mouthwash.

To learn more about maximizing your daily oral hygiene, talk to our Bellingham dentist at Tetrick Family Dentistry.

If you’re like many people, you’re being held back by the difficulty that you experience with your flossing. Fortunately, there are many options available to help you along your way. Consider the following advice to select a product that will make it easier for you to keep up the daily flossing regimen that you need:

One of the biggest concerns in your floss selection is its thickness. Some people struggle with particularly narrow gaps between some of their teeth, which conventional floss doesn’t fit into too easily. If you find that your floss gets stuck and breaks frequently, look for a finer floss. However, if you can comfortably use a thicker floss, you’re probably better off doing so.

Some people have trouble maneuvering their floss through their back teeth. Either they lack the manual dexterity that they need, or their fingers are just too thick to fit into their mouths. If this is your experience, you can probably benefit from a floss holder or similar flossing aid. Consult our Bellingham dentist to learn more.