The Importance of Tongue-Scraping

You’re probably brushing and flossing every day, but are you also scraping your tongue? If you aren’t, you are missing an important part of your daily oral hygiene.

Bacteria can grow on any surface in your mouth, and it doesn’t need to be growing on your teeth or gums to cause tooth decay or gingivitis. The surface of your tongue is developing a thick layer of plaque which is creating the acid that eats away at your mouth, and also contributes to bad breath. An antibacterial mouthwash can go a long way towards killing off the bacteria throughout your mouth, but it will do little to clear away the plaque.

The good news is that it’s easy to clear this plaque away; simply brush at the top of your tongue with your toothbrush once a day. Since many people find this to be fairly uncomfortable, particularly when they try to scrape the back of their tongues, there are products available designed specifically for tongue-scraping.

Tongue Health and Care

Talk to our Issaquah dentist if you have any questions about tongue-scraping, or anything else that pertains to your daily oral hygiene routine.

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.

Do Wide Gaps Between Teeth Lead to Tooth Decay?

It is a common misconception that, if you have a wide gap between two teeth, you are more susceptible to tooth decay. This is technically not true. Since it is actually easier to clean between teeth that have a bit more of a gap between them, you may actually find that you are less likely to develop cavities in the area of this gap. However, there are some concerns when it comes to teeth that are a little too far apart.

Unfortunately, if two teeth have a particularly wide gap between them, it probably means that at least one of them is crooked. It is probably crowding another tooth, making it more difficult to clean and leaving you more vulnerable to decay. Meanwhile, you may have a weaker bite, and your jawbone structure is being compromised while other teeth drift into the gap.

Should the gap between your teeth be a problem, you may be a candidate for orthodontic work, bridgework, or some kind of implant. Talk to our Issaquah dentist to learn more about your options.

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.