Toothpicks are No Substitute for Floss!

Some people like to use a good toothpick or similar pick-like device to clean out between their teeth. However, there is really no substitute for a proper string of floss.

While toothpicks are good for extracting a corn husk or piece of spinach after a meal, they’re just not built to do the job of floss. Floss lets you get all the way into the gap between your teeth, which is the only way to reliably clear away plaque and detritus that has gathered there.

Possible Toothpick Risks

Trying to force a pick to go where your floss is meant to go only risks of spearing your gums or even splintering the pick, leaving irritating bits of wood amid your fragile tissues. The length of the floss also lets you cycle in a fresh bit of thread with every tooth, while a toothpick forces you to use the same plaque-stained tip for every gap between teeth.

Our Issaquah dentist recommends that you always get your daily flossing in, and never try to use a toothpick in its place. Consult Meadow Creek dental for more information on proper oral hygiene.

Is Sugar-Free Soda Better for Your Teeth?

We all know that soda is bad for your oral health. The logic behind this is easy enough; after all, a substance so sugary is sure to feed your oral bacteria and invite serious tooth decay and gum disease. Knowing this, there are some people who think they can avoid such problems and still enjoy all the soda they want simply by switching to sugar-free soda options. Unfortunately, this is nowhere near as good an idea as it may sound.

Indeed, even a completely sugar-free soda can encourage cavities and gingivitis. The fact is that, when it comes to your dental care, sugar is not the biggest problem with soda. Soda is carbonated, and any beverage with carbonation is going to be highly acidic. This acid serves to weaken your tooth enamel in the same way that the acid produced by your oral bacteria does. It is this acid that is doing most of the harm to your teeth.

You can minimize the effect of soda on your teeth by following up your drink with some water. Meanwhile, always be sure to keep your regular dental check-ups with our Issaquah dentist.

Dental Care During Pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, her whole body goes through a serious adjustment. Her mouth is no exception. There are many ways that pregnancy impacts your routine oral health, so keep the following tips in mind to ensure the best health for yourself and your unborn baby:

Plan Your Dental Appointments Around your Trimesters: Dental treatment should be avoided during your first and third trimesters, as these are important times in the baby’s development. Try to plan your routine checkups with our Issaquah dentist during your second trimester. Also, be sure to ask us about any dental medication you may be taking.
Avoid X-Rays: Modern dental x-rays are safer than ever before, but there is no reason to expose your unborn baby to radiation during this particularly vulnerable time.
Watch Out for Gum Disease: Hormonal changes are putting your gums at particular risk. Practice strict oral hygiene, and pay close attention for signs of gingivitis.
Switch to a Bland Toothpaste: Anyone who has been through morning sickness knows the value of a bland toothpaste.
Rinse After Vomiting: Morning sickness often means vomiting, which exposes the delicate tissues and enamels in your mouth to harsh stomach acids. Rinse out with water or mouthwash after vomiting, but don’t brush; the acids in your mouth have temporarily weakened your teeth, and brushing too soon can strip this enamel away.

Are Pickles Rotting Your Teeth?

It’s old news that candy and other sugary foods encourage tooth rot. Of course, this is not the only way to get a cavity quickly. There are some tooth-rotting foods that you may never expect to be harsh on your enamel, one of these being pickles.

This revelation comes to us from a team of British researchers, who conducted a study on the eating habits of English teenagers. Many of these teenagers had a penchant for pickles, and these same youths were found to have a particular tendency for tooth decay. The acidic vinegar used in the pickling process is apparently to blame for this decay, as it has largely the same effect on your enamel that your oral bacteria does.

If you like pickles, the good news is that you have to eat a significant number of pickled substances for it to have a notable effect on your teeth. Be mindful of your eating habits, get your regular cleanings with our Issaquah dentist, and you should be able to ward off cavities while still enjoying your favorite pickled foods.

Warning Signs of a Cracked Teeth

A crack in your tooth is nothing to trifle with. Any fracture in your tooth represents a breach of your protective enamel layer, which invites decay at least as bad as any cavity.

To make matters worse, you can have a crack in your tooth without even realizing it for weeks on end. They might feel normal to the touch, and not exhibit any symptoms until the bacteria infect your pulp and you require a root canal.

Possible Warning Signs

With this in mind, be on the lookout for the following warning signs:

A potentially erratic pain, particularly when you chew. The pain might come when you release your bite.
Swollen, pocketed, or painful gums.
Sensitivity to exposure to hot or cold substances. It is common for cold temperatures to be particularly painful.
Irregular feelings on the surface of a tooth, like a rough or sharp feeling.

If you think that you may have cracked one of your teeth, make an appointment with our Issaquah dentist right away. It may be your best shot at saving the tooth.

How to Overcome Childhood Dental Anxiety

Dental Anxiety

Millions of people suffer from dental anxiety, and most of them can trace the roots of this problem back to their childhood. Indeed, fostering comfort with the dental office is something that should begin at an early age.

Tips to Help Dental Anxiety

You can help your child feel better about his or her dental appointments with Meadow Creek Dental in Issaquah by considering the following tips:

The general recommendation is that a child’s first dental visit should occur at the age of one. Bringing him or her in at an early age is not just a good way to prevent decay, but also a great way to acclimate the child to the experience of being in the dentist office.
Children have a surprising sense of the emotions of their parents. If you are anxious about visiting the dentist, your child could be picking up on this and learning from your example.
Present the dentist office to your child with a positive light, but avoid using language like “everything will be alright”. You want to avoid losing your child’s trust if he or she experiences discomfort during your visit.
Never offer your child a bribe to go to the dentist. Children are smart enough to realize that, when you promise them a reward, there must be something bad to look forward to.

Most Common Dental Emergencies In Children

What Every Parent Should Know

Most parents likely panic when their young children should suddenly have a dental emergency. It’s important to know what to do next to better manage an otherwise nerve-wracking situation. Here are some of the most common emergencies and what it takes to have you calm and prepared.

A broken tooth

A cracked or broken tooth needs to be attended to right away by your dentist even if the damage does not look extensive. However, immediately rinse the mouth with warm water to clean the area, and, if swelling is present, apply cold compresses on the area of the face to lessen swelling. See your child’s dentist as soon as possible.

A knocked-out tooth

If a tooth has been knocked-out and is a permanent one, keep it moist in a container of milk or a tooth preservation product that will keep the tooth alive for 24 hours until a dentist can replant it. If it’s a baby tooth, there is no need to moisten it but must be brought to the dentist as well if it is found.

A loose tooth

It is best to leave the loose tooth in place though it may be a discomfort to the child. Let nature take its course, falling out without assistance. A permanent tooth coming loose may be the result of injury or trauma and needs to be attended to right away at the dentist.

A toothache

Firstly clean the area by rinsing the mouth with warm water. Remove any food debris caught in between teeth. Do not use aspirin. If the pain persists, contact your child’s dentist. It may indicate the presence of tooth decay.

Swelling gums

It may or may not be painful. See your dentist right away. It can indicate the presence of an infection of the gums.

Bitten tongue or lip

If your child bites his tongue or lip, clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress. See your child’s dentist or go to the emergency room as soon as possible.

Broken jaw

If you think your child’s jaw is broken, apply cold compresses to control the swelling. Go to your child’s dentist or a hospital emergency department immediately.

Accidents can happen anywhere and any time. Always keep your dentist’s contact information handy.

^Source

Available Dental Emergency Treatments in Issaquah

At Meadow Creek Dental, a dental emergency is our priority. Whether you walk in or call ahead, we make every effort to accommodate dental emergencies on the same day.

Building Good Flossing Habits

Flossing may be a difficult habit to develop, but it’s one that our Issaquah dentist strongly advises. Good flossing is in many ways more important even than brushing in terms of maintaining a clean mouth, as much of the surface of your teeth is out of the reach of your brush.

Flossing Tips

If you need a refresher course on how to floss, try following these simple steps:

First, pick a floss that works for you. Some people have narrower gaps between their teeth, for example, and need a narrower floss.
Floss at least once a day, preferably before your final brushing before going to sleep.
Use a length of floss about as long as your forearm (or around eighteen inches). You should then wind either end around your index fingers such that you’re holding about two inches between your hands. Unwind from one finger and wind up on the other as you go, giving yourself a clean piece of floss for every tooth.
Begin flossing, gently maneuvering the string into the space between your teeth and between your back teeth and gums. Make sure that you get both edges of all teeth, pulling the floss into a “V” shape against either surface as you go.
Take care with your gums! If you routinely draw blood, it might be because you’re sawing at your delicate tissues.

How is Invisalign Compared to Braces? Is it for Everybody?

Clear Aligners Versus Braces

There are many reasons to choose Invisalign over the traditional teeth straighteners – braces. While braces still work for others, Invisalign has more amazing benefits. It also has its downside, though. You’ll know if Invisalign is for you by reading on.

For starters, Invisalign does away with metal braces and wires. The brand uses soft, flexible patented plastic called SmartTrack. They come in trays. Aside from being more comfortable to wear, it gives you a clear, neat look that is barely there. Generally, no one will suspect you are under treatment for crooked teeth, so it is more aesthetically pleasing. It is designed to be more gentle on your tissues and hence, more comfortable.

Invisalign is removable, unlike conventional braces. You can take it off during meals and afterwards attach it again. No worries about what you want to eat; you can enjoy apples or any crunchy food without fear of breaking your straighteners; because they’re off while you eat. They are also very easy to clean, unlike braces; let alone cleaning your teeth while with braces. You can go on without bother while engaging in brushing and flossing your teeth. Henceforth, you deter the likelihood of developing cavities or plaque buildup as your aligners are not permanently attached.

While under treatment, you are provided with backup aligner trays. In cases that you might crack or break a tray, you always have a reserve. Likewise, it can happen that you lose a tray or misplace it. You do not need to rush to your orthodontist for an emergency appointment.

There are a couple of downsides to Invisalign, though. Using Invisalign requires a certain degree of compliance. This means that even forgetting to reapply your aligners, even by just a few hours, you could set your progress back. Remember that Invisalign requires some 20 to 22 hours each day of wearing.

Another issue is that Invisalign may not work for certain teeth misalignment issues. It’s not effective for complex bite problems, it’s not used for impacted teeth, too large spaces, or presence of bridgework. This suggests Invisalign is more effective for people whose teeth require only certain kinds of movement.

Nonetheless, a visit to your orthodontist can clear up things for you and help you determine if Invisalign is the best teeth aligner for you.

^Source

Finding More Benefits of Invisalign in Issaquah

When you think that Invisalign might be an option for you, knowing their benefits over braces, come see your certified Invisalign professional here at Meadow Creek Dental. We are happy to help.

What is Invisalign and How Does It Straighten Crooked Teeth?

Saying Yes To A Clear Solution

If you are thinking of fixing that smile, that could have been perfect except that it’s a bit crooked, you might want to consider Invisalign. Know about Invisalign and why it’s a popular option to fix crooked teeth.

It is actually a brand name of clear aligners to straighten out-of-place teeth. Unlike conventional teeth straighteners called braces, it’s almost unnoticeable, removable, and made up of soft plastic. Of course, just as braces, they are custom-made to fit your particular mouth and issues and works similarly by gradually straightening a person’s teeth. It is easy to use as it does away with wires and metal brackets that can leave some users uncomfortable.

How does Invisalign actually work?

Firstly, you must consult with an Invisalign dentist, who must be an orthodontist certified in Invisalign. Once evaluated and settled, your dental professional should get a precise 3D digital scan of your teeth and this will be the basis of your custom treatment plan.

Invisalign typically utilizes small ridges glued to certain teeth that are called attachments and they are the same color as your teeth. These attachments are three-dimensional and critical to achieve the goal. The aligners have corresponding ‘bumps’ built into the flexible plastic so as to engage with the attachments on the teeth. This engagement generates the specific force system. Invisalign moves teeth in micro-increments, just enough force with each change of movement until the desired position is reached.

Wearing your Invisalign keeps the pressure consistent to your teeth, gradually breaking down and rebuilding bone in the direction of the pressure. They are worn 20 to 22 hours a day and meant to be removed while eating or drinking. Depending on your orthodontist, you’ll have a change of aligners every one or two weeks. Once the goal is reached, a transparent retainer must be worn to keep the teeth in position, however, only to be worn at night.

^Source

Having Confidence with Invisalign in Issaquah

When you’re looking to improve your smile and confidence with Invisalign, do visit your Issaquah dentist here at Meadow Creek Dental. We’ll tell you more about Invisalign and how it can change your life.