Author Archives: Sixth Avenue Dentistry

Causes of Black Hairy Tongue

Does your tongue look like it is growing hair? This is a condition known, appropriately, as black hairy tongue. This condition occurs when your papillae swell and lengthen. This allows for bacteria and particles to become trapped, taking on a hair-like appearance. The pigments from your food and bacteria turn the papillae black, or occasionally a different color.

There are many potential causes of black hairy tongue, including the following:

  • Insufficient oral hygiene
  • Smoking or chewing tobacco
  • Dehydration
  • Antibiotics or certain medications
  • Drinking large amounts of tea or coffee
  • Radiation therapy in the head or neck
  • Mouthwash containing peroxide, menthol, or witch hazel

The good news is that black hairy tongue can be cured by improving your oral hygiene. Start scraping your tongue, get more water, and consider giving up smoking. Finally, be sure to make your regular visits to our dentist in the International District.

Is Plaque the Same as Tartar?

You might have heard your dentist discussing the plaque and tartar on your teeth. Though these two are closely related, there is an important difference between them.

Plaque is the name applied to the film of bacteria that grows on every surface in your mouth. This bacteria is responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. Fortunately, removing plaque is a simple matter of brushing your teeth.

Tartar, or calculus, is what plaque turns into if it is allowed to remain on your teeth for too long. The plaque has hardened into a resilient shell on your tooth. When a tooth ceases to feel smooth to the touch and begins to take on a rough texture, you probably have tartar. Tartar can no longer be removed through conventional brushing, and needs to be removed by your dentist in a process called scaling. When you begin to develop tartar, visit our International District dentist to restore your pearly-whites to their former glory.

When You Lose a Filling

When you have a tooth drilled and filled, the end result is not likely to be as durable as your natural tooth structure. Particularly if you are using silver amalgam fillings which don’t bond to your dentin, your fillings can occasionally fall out. When this happens, the next actions you take will be very important.

Your first priority should be to contact our International District dentistry clinic as soon as possible. Without your filling, your tooth is extremely vulnerable to decay and further breakage. As a matter of fact, when a filling falls out, it’s a good sign that you may have some decay or cracked tooth structure to deal with.

Should you swallow your filling, don’t worry. Modern fillings are non-toxic, and will pass harmlessly from your system. In the rare case that the filling goes down your windpipe and gets stuck in your lungs, you should contact your doctor.

Identifying a Mucocele

Do you have a small, round bump in your mouth? This might be something called a mucocele. These will typically come in the form of a painless, pearly white or light blue blemish of between two and ten millimeters in diameter. They develop anywhere on your gums, the roof or floor of your mouth, or the inside of your bottom lip.

If you have a mucocele, it’s generally nothing to worry about. They are indicative of a salivary duct becoming blocked or damaged, possibly as the result of trauma to the face. You might simply be biting or sucking on your lip or cheek too much. You can expect them to go away by themselves without any treatment. If they start to become irritated or bothersome, though, you can call upon our International District dentist for help.

How to Brush Your Teeth

The most basic skill you can learn for the sake of your oral health is properly brushing your teeth. As simple as it may seem, it takes more to keep your mouth clean than to rub a little toothpaste over your teeth for a couple minutes. Consider the following brushing tips to see what you might be doing wrong with your own routine:

  • Brush at least twice a day, two minutes at a time. It’s best to do this after you wake up and before you go to sleep at night.
  • Don’t brush for at least twenty minutes after you eat! The bacteria in your mouth is feeding off of your food and producing acid, which weakens your enamel. You want to let your teeth recover before brushing, or else you can strip this enamel away.
  • Moisten your toothbrush and apply a thin layer of toothpaste.
  • Hold your brush at a forty-five degree angle with your teeth, brushing in a circular motion instead of a sawing motion. When you brush behind your front teeth, try holding the brush vertically and pulling down against the tooth surface.
  • Be gentle! Remember, if you’re brushing with a proper circular motion, you’re massaging your delicate gums as you go. Brushing too hard can erode your gums and leave you vulnerable to decay.

If you require any additional help with your brushing, contact our International District dentist.