Author Archives: Sixth Avenue Dentistry

The Problems with Oral Jewelry

If you have a piercing on your lip, tongue, or cheek, you will need to take special care with your oral hygiene. Oral piercings entail a certain degree of additional risk for your teeth and gums.

One of the big problems with oral jewelry is that it is hard, and one misstep can be disastrous for your mouth. Biting down on a piece of metal has the potential to crack a tooth. A barbell-style tongue stud poses a particular risk in this regard. Half of people sporting such a tongue adornment will suffer at least one chipped tooth after only four years.

Even if you don’t bite down on your jewelry, it will often rub up against your teeth and gums, breaking down your enamel and cutting up your fragile tissues. Meanwhile, since it is offering yet another place for oral bacteria to hide and flourish, the damage it does is going to be subject to bacterial infections.

If you choose to wear oral jewelry, consider choosing pieces that will be minimally invasive. Further, be sure to remove your jewelry periodically for cleaning. Finally, never miss your regular appointments with our South Seattle dentist.

Why Are Baby Teeth Important?

Do you have young children who still have a mouth-full of baby teeth? Though these teeth will be falling out in a few years, the baby teeth, or “primary teeth”, are still an important part of a child’s oral health. Always be sure to treat baby teeth in the same way you would treat permanent teeth.

First of all, baby teeth are essentially your child’s “training wheels”. The oral hygiene he or she is trained to use on these teeth are likely to carry over to their permanent teeth. A failure to encourage good brushing and flossing will foster bad habits that will be hard to break. Meanwhile, your child is using these early teeth to learn how to speak and chew; if he or she experiences pain in the oral cavity, it can lead to problems that last into adulthood.

Further, as the permanent teeth begin to come in, they are being guided into place by the baby teeth they are replacing. If these teeth have been allowed to rot, or if the nearby gum tissues or bone structure have been neglected, they could come in crooked. Talk to our International District dentist for more information on how to foster good oral health in your children.

Causes of Tooth Sensitivity

Many patients come to our International District dentist office with concerns about sensitivity in their teeth. It’s a tricky problem, as your sensitivity could just as easily come from too much dental care as it can from insufficient dental care.

Tooth decay and receding gums are both negative factors that can cause sensitivity in your teeth. Brushing too little invites decay and infection, but brushing too much strips away your delicate gum tissues. Unfortunately, you can also expect some sensitivity from antibacterial mouthwashes, tooth whiteners, whitening toothpastes, and other products that are actually helping your teeth. You can even expect some short-term sensitivity after a routine dentist appointment.

If you want to conquer tooth sensitivity without sacrificing your oral hygiene, talk to our dentist at Sixth Avenue Dentistry. There may be some way to change your dental routine to be less harsh to your gums.

Who is at Risk of Oral Cancer?

Our International District dentist is about more than just cleaning your teeth and giving you a bright smile. We can also help protect you from the ravages of oral cancer. Though this cancer accounts for a small percentage of cancers in the US, it has a disproportionately large death rate compared to many of the more common cancers. Take a look at this list of oral cancer risk factors to see what kind of threat you might be facing:

  • 70% of oral cancer cases occur in men, with men over fifty being at the greatest risk.
  • Tobacco increases your oral cancer risk by a huge degree, whether it is smoked or enjoyed in a smokeless form, like chewing tobacco or snuff.
  • Smoking marijuana puts you at a high risk of oral cancer.
  • Unguarded exposure to the sun can bring about oral cancer in the exposed regions of your lips.
  • Excessive alcohol is linked to oral cancer, particularly if the drinker is also a smoker.
  • A diet deficient in vitamin A, and other poor dietary habits, can increase your oral cancer risk.
  • Since cancer can be linked to the HPV virus, engaging in oral sex can raise your risk factor.
  • A family history of cancer is always a sign of an increased cancer risk.

The most important key to surviving oral cancer is detecting it at an early stage. If you’re a high risk for oral cancer, be sure to get your regular cancer screenings with your dentist.