What You Can Do In A Dental Emergency

Different Dental Emergencies

At some time, children and even adults will encounter a dental emergency or two. It is best to know what the situation is, how severe it is, not to panic, and just be prepared. A dental emergency can be addressed by your dentist with a call and/or a visit to the clinic.

Your emergency may be a chipped or broken tooth, or a broken crown or filling that needs attention as they can be the start of cavities and later decay. They can cause tooth sensitivity and are most likely difficult to clean. Some emergencies involve trauma to your teeth and may cause you to panic.

Here are simple steps you can take until you see your dentist.

You broke or chipped a tooth. If this happens, save and rinse the pieces with warm water. Similarly, do this too with your mouth. Apply gauze to bleeding areas. Then apply cold compress once any bleeding stops. See your dentist as soon as possible, bringing the broken pieces. Depending on them, reattachment may or may not be possible.

If you have to replace the tooth, there are options you and your dentist can agree on. You dislodged a tooth. If your tooth becomes partly dislodged, put a cold compress on the area to decrease swelling. See your dentist right away.

Your tooth has been knocked-out tooth.

Pick up your tooth by the crown, not the root as it still has tissue fragments attached to it that need to be preserved. Rinse the tooth but don’t scrub. It may still be saved if it is put back in place within the hour of the accident. You can try to put it back in its proper place and direction, but do not force it. If this is not possible, place your tooth in a small container of milk, or water with a pinch of salt, or a specialized growth medium. Take it to your dentist as soon as possible.

You have a missing filling.

If a filling falls out of a tooth, plug the cavity with a small piece of dental wax or dental cement. See your dentist right away and if you can find the filling bring it along. If the crown itself is missing, use dental cement, toothpaste or a denture adhesive to hold it in place until you get to your dentist. A broken brace might be found in your child mouth (so it is best to check regularly). A wire may have snapped, or protrudes into the soft tissues. In this case, use the rubber end of a pencil to push it away. If not, cover the protruding wire with a small piece of gauze, a small cotton ball, or orthodontic wax. Don’t cut that wire – it may be accidentally swallowed. See your orthodontist right away.

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In Cases of Dental Emergencies in Issaquah

Do not hesitate to call or come see us, your dentist in Issaquah, for any dental emergency. Just stay calm, be aware at what has happened, and just follow the tips we shared.

Regular Maintenance at Issaquah Dental Clinic

Why Go for Regular Maintenance?

Most people’s first dental visit may have been prodded by an emergency or perhaps a long-standing dental issue that has been put-off for some time. Where medical doctor check-ups are viewed with more seriousness, regular dental maintenance is treated with some laxity.

Let’s look at a few reasons why people should come for those regular visits.

One is for cosmetic reasons and not for vanity alone. Discolorations, tooth breakages, tooth spaces, gingivitis, even bad breath from dental caries affect your self-esteem. Putting them aside is detrimental to normal function and aesthetics in the long run. Optimal oral health doesn’t just happen and needs professional care.

Also, with regular maintenance, one receives education. Regular cleaning is part of proper care and your dentist educates you on the pros and cons of your dental habits. Young children started off on early dental visits receive training about oral hygiene and which also eases their anxieties about dentists.

Another reason is for general health. A regularly visited dentist is usually the first to spot a medical situation inside the mouth. Health hazards such as diabetes, cancer, or HIV are seen early on and can hence be immediately and medically addressed.

Regular is Healthy

Even those in the pink of dental health require regular maintenance. With age, your eating habits, hygiene practices, lifestyle, and medical status do change and require some professional looking-in. Our dentist in Issaquah, Dr. Dipti, reminds that keeping up with your regular oral maintenance is a beneficial and healthy practice.

Dealing With Tooth-Grinding

Is tooth-grinding starting to cause you pain?

Your Issaquah dentist can help you out! Try following these simple tips to reduce your grinding and spare yourself the grief of broken teeth and jaw pain:

People often grind when they are feeling stressed. Figure out the cause of your stress, and find a way to cope with or alleviate this stress.
Pain in the teeth or jaw area can cause you to grind. Have your dentist look at any potential aggravators in your oral cavity.
Cut back on caffeine.
Avoid drinking alcohol.
If you habitually chew items that are not food, like pens, bottle caps, or even gum, you’re training your jaw muscles to clench. This can lead to grinding.
If you grind during the day, you can train your jaw muscles to relax by placing the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
If you grind while you sleep, try relaxing your jaw muscles. Hold a warm washcloth against your cheek for a few minutes before going to bed.

Visit Meadow Creek Dental in Issaquah

Visit our dental office in Issaquah if you need a consultation for your teeth-grinding or if you may think you grind or even clench your teeth while sleeping.

Tooth-Friendly Nutrition

It’s old news that, if you want a healthier mouth, cutting down on refined sugars is a good start. However, this is not the only way to tailor your diet for superior oral health. There are important nutrients you should be looking out for in order to get the best out of your teeth and gums.

Make sure you’re getting enough of the following:

Calcium: Your body uses calcium to rebuild damage in your teeth and bones. A lack of calcium leads to weakness in your teeth.
Vitamin D: This vitamin is necessary for your body to absorb the calcium it needs to repair your teeth.
Vitamin C: You need vitamin C to fight infections. Further, a lack of vitamin C is associated with loose teeth and weak gums.

Also, eating foods that are low in sugar and high in fiber, like vegetables, grains, and meats, serves to scrub your teeth as you chew.

You can learn more about how to maintain healthy teeth by talking to Meadow Creek Dental’s Issaquah dentist.

Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

Our Issaquah dentist is proud to be able to offer sleep apnea treatment. This unfortunate condition affects the lives of many Americans, many of whom don’t even know that anything is wrong. It can sap your energy, increasing stress levels and contributing to heart disease, so be on the lookout if you think you may be at risk.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which you frequently stop breathing while you sleep. This forces your brain to wake up, often only partially, so as to start the air flowing again. You could potentially have your sleep cycle interrupted throughout the night without even being aware of it.

Possible Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

If you think you might have sleep apnea, look for the following symptoms:

You’re prone to loud snoring.
Your partner reports that your breathing occasionally stops while you sleep.
You sometimes wake up suddenly, choking or gasping for air.
You frequently wake up with a sore or dry throat in the morning.
You sleep restlessly, or suffer from insomnia.
You are unusually sleepy during the day, even if you think you got a full night’s sleep.
You suffer from frequent morning headaches.
You experience forgetfulness and changes in mood.

Sleep Apnea Treatment at Meadow Creek Dental

Sleep apnea is very difficult to diagnose, and can only be properly identified by a medical professional. To find out more about sleep apnea and to explore your options for getting treatment, contact Meadow Creek Dental.

Dental Emergency? We’re here for You

To many of us regular people, our little to no understanding of dental emergencies can cause us to panic and for a while be disoriented. Sometimes a little show of blood, a sharp pain in the mouth, or a beloved tooth about to fall off , will do just that.

Actually, if you’re a regular at this Issaquah dental clinic, the Meadow Creek Dental, you’ll have none of the panic. Dr. Dipti Srivastava, the Emergency Dentist in Issaquah, stresses more on prevention. She would have given you pointers to handle unexpected situations without fear. But when emergencies do arise, Dr. Dipti, is an expert, someone to rely on.

Most Common Dental Emergencies

Dr. Srivastava has seen them all. She advises calls to the clinic to let her know , or you can drop by in any of the 23 to 24 days she is open for same day treatments. Otherwise, a call even after clinic hours would assuage your situation.

Severe toothaches that won’t go away are most common. This may be due to pulp involvement, presence of abscess in or around the tooth, or swollen gums. Pericoronitis is a painful gum swelling that needs immediate attention. Other emergencies are tooth fracture and tooth luxation, a condition of loosening tooth that has to be addressed right away.

What you Eat Affects Your Teeth

Are there good foods and bad foods for teeth?

It will be beneficial for us to mind certain foods that are helpful to our dentition. Foods rich in calcium and phosphorus supply the mineral content of teeth that are lost over time to acid.

Calcium sources as dairy products – low-fat milk, hard cheese and yogurt – are good for teeth and bones. Leafy green vegetables, fruits and seafood also supply the lost calcium in teeth. A calcium-poor diet has been associated with risk of developing periodontal disease.

On the other hand, calcium needs phosphorus to potentiate its bone-strengthening capabilities. Cereals, sardines, salmon, and skim yogurt are phosphorus-rich. Also, get those foods with high water content like fruits and vegetables that keep the mouth hydrated and counteract the effects of sugar and acid, and increase saliva flow.

On the bad side, foods and drinks with high sugar content are poor choices for dentition. They attach to tooth surfaces and get into crevices which later attract bacteria. Acidic foods and fruits, and carbonated drinks, including diet sodas, are harmful to tooth enamel, causing a slow erosion of its protective layer.

Advice from Dentist

Dr. Dipti Srivastava is not saying not to enjoy your favorite food and drink, but if you must, then be mindful to keep your mouth cleaned up and washed off of those potential dangers.

Keep your basic oral hygiene practices – brushing, flossing, mouth washes – every time you have to indulge. Our Issaquah dentist says that eating healthy affects oral health and general well-being. Stay with mouth-healthy foods instead and keep the smile.

An Easy Way to a Cleaner Mouth

When our Issaquah dentist gives you your routine check-up, do you find that you’re developing plaque in a lot of the same places? Sometimes this is because you’re just neglecting a certain area, but this can also happen to people who are pretty sure they’re doing a thorough job.

If you know enough to cover every surface on your teeth, but you’re still seeing the same problem areas at your dental cleanings, the answer may be simple: you need to rotate your starting point.

Changing Your Brushing Habit

The fact is that people are creatures of habit. It’s likely that you always start brushing in the exact same area, and the rest of your brushing routine probably looks nearly identical from day to day.

This means that the same area is routinely getting the best of your attention, and you’re only reaching other parts of your teeth after you’ve grown impatient with brushing, diluted your toothpaste, and aren’t as focused on doing a good job.

To counter this, pay attention to where you start every day and try to change it up. Divide your mouth into quadrants, and focus on starting in a different one every time you brush. You may be surprised by the improvement you see on your next trip to the dentist!

Your Child’s First Dental Check-Up

Importance of Primary Teeth

Our Issaquah dental clinic is a family dentistry, so we see a lot of children coming in for their very first check-ups. Some parents think that oral hygiene is less important at a young age, as the children do not yet have their permanent teeth, but this is a dangerous misconception. The truth is that your primary teeth have a very important role to play that can affect your child’s mouth well into adulthood.

Developing Healthy Habits

What you need to understand is that primary teeth are your mouth’s “training wheels”, and you can’t get too far on broken training wheels. These are the teeth that your child is using to develop proper chewing habits, speech patterns, and brushing technique.

If their teeth bother them, your child could develop long-lasting problems. These teeth also serve to guide your permanent teeth into place. If primary teeth are not cared for properly, the permanent teeth may come in crooked. The consequences on your child’s health and self-esteem can be disastrous.

Visit Meadow Creek Dental

The recommended age for a first dental visit is within six months of the appearance of his or her first tooth, or about when he or she turns one year old. Do the right thing for your children, and get them to Meadow Creek Dental as soon as they’re ready.

The Do’s and Don’t’s of Brushing

Our Issaquah dental clinic sees many problems that could have been avoided with proper brushing technique. Even a small flaw in your routine can gradually turn into a big problem for you and your teeth. If you think that your own habits could do with a little “brushing up”, take a look at our easy-to-follow tips here:

Flossing should come first. This allows the toothpaste to put its fluoride to better work between your teeth.
Brush twice a day, once after you wake up and once before you go to sleep, after your last meal of the day. You shouldn’t eat or drink anything aside from water after you last brush, as your mouth is more vulnerable to lingering food particles as you sleep.
Brush for two minutes at a time. Too little may leave you insufficiently cleaned, and too much might be too hard on your gums.
Do not brush too soon after eating. Acids in your food can compromise your tooth enamel for a short while, making them vulnerable to being stripped away by your brush.
Hold your brush at a forty-five degree angle to your teeth and brush in a circular motion so that you gently massage your gums.
Remember that plaque can gather on your tongue. Use a tongue scraper if you have one, or simply brush your tongue.
If you’re so inclined, follow up your brushing with mouthwash. There are many good options available to give your teeth the extra edge they need.