Category Archives: Blog

Choosing a Toothpaste for Your Children

Fluoride is an important part of your oral health. This is the substance that is used to rebuild your dental enamel, repairing the damage done to them every day. Unfortunately, high degrees of fluoride are not good for young children, potentially causing learning and memory problems if they are exposed to too much during their early development. It is for this reason that you will want to select your child’s toothpaste carefully.

If your child is under three years old, look for a toothpaste that has about 1,000 ppm (parts per million) of fluoride. Apply a light smear of the paste to less than three quarters of a brush before cleaning their teeth. Children between the ages of three and six years old can benefit from a pea-sized drop of toothpaste of between 1,350-1,500 ppm. Emphasize that they should not swallow their toothpaste, as their young instincts will want to treat the minty-tasting substance like candy.

Bring your child to our International District dentist to learn more about how to keep his or her teeth healthy.

The Problem with Mouth-Breathing

Do you have a child who habitually breathes out of his or her mouth? This is a common habit for young children. About half of children under the age of eight will be guilty of at least some mouth-breathing. If he or she hasn’t grown out of the habit by eight years old, though, it might be wise to bring this to our International District dentist.

The main problem with mouth-breathing is that it dries up the saliva in your mouth. You need this saliva to protect yourself from the harmful microbes that cause tooth decay and gum disease, so a dry mouth can invite serious dental problems upon you. Children with dry mouths are highly prone to tooth decay, gum disease, and other such conditions, which can seriously affect their oral health well into their adult years.

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.