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Move Over, Mono: Another Kissing Disease?

If you’ve heard about (or experienced) mononucleosis, often shortened to “mono” or “the kissing disease”, you might think it can’t be compared to gum disease in any way. However, there is one trait these infections have in common.

According to pathologists, mono is caused primarily by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and it’s definitely something you’ll want to guard yourself against, both because its symptoms “can feel like the worst cold or flu you’ve ever had”, and because in some people, EBV can lead to the development of other disorders later in life.

But did you know gum disease, which is the leading cause of adult tooth loss and linked to 52 other systemic illnesses, is communicable in the same way mono is?

Kissing & Telling

You read that right: gum disease is not only contagious but can be spread through kissing. Along with smooching, common activities like sharing food or eating and drinking utensils can expose you (or your loved ones) to the bacteria that cause the traveling inflammation.

Your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, doesn’t want you to panic over this information, but we do encourage you to remain conscious and diligent about your prevention methods (*cough* oral hygiene *cough*). 

If you’ve got any questions or concerns, or you’d like to ensure you’ve been keeping the bad bugs at bay, contact us today to schedule an appointment with Family Dental Health!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Feeling Worn Down?

As people get older, the body naturally begins breaking down, and unfortunately, that includes our teeth. Worn teeth are somewhat inevitable, but diligent oral hygiene[LINK] and quality dental care from Family Dental Health can help save as many of your natural teeth as possible.

It is extremely common for adults to have tooth wear beyond the degree that is healthy for their age, and unfortunately, severe tooth wear ages them as well.

Some of the problems caused by worn-down teeth include:

• Temperature-sensitive teeth
• Difficulty chewing
• Chipped teeth
• Fractured teeth
• Bite-related problems
• Headaches
• TMJ and jaw joint issues
• Nerve exposure, leading to a severe toothache
  

If you suffer from bruxism (grinding and clenching teeth), some tooth wear may be alleviated by using a nightguard while you sleep, but there are other causes for tooth wear:

• Malocclusion (teeth and bite misalignment)
• Abrasion (external forces on teeth, including hard-bristle toothbrushes or teeth whiteners)
• Erosion (chemical or acid breaking down of teeth)

Restorative dentistry may be recommended in cases of severe tooth wear, particularly if significant tooth damage should occur. However, it is important to identify the cause of tooth wear before undergoing treatment, and Family Dental Health can help! Saving your teeth is the most important thing to your Portland dentist, and for your health in the long run.

If you’re concerned about tooth wear, please make an appointment with Family Dental Health today. 

Disclaimer: The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Keep Lipstick Off Your Teeth With These Handy Tips

You work with Family Dental Health to achieve your most beautiful smile, but if you also add makeup to enhance your appearance, you may have the problem of lipstick drifting. At one time or another, we’ve all talked to someone with lipstick on their teeth and faced that awkward question: “How do I let them know?” Here are a few tricks Family Dental Health has learned to prevent sporting runaway lipstick:

• Outline your lips and help anchor lipstick color with lip liner.
• Apply lipstick with your finger in your mouth and slowly pull it out when the application is complete, transferring any excess lipstick to your hand. 
• Use a lip brush to control the amount of lipstick used.
• Drink through a straw; excess lipstick will end up on the straw rather than your teeth.
• Try not to bite your lips; it leads to smudging!
• Finally, for your own peace of mind, check your teeth from time to time.
  

If you have any questions about keeping your brightest smile or it’s time for your oral hygiene appointment, get in touch with Family Dental Health today.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Do You Hate Needles?

If you fear shots, injections, or medical needles in general, you may be suffering from trypanophobia, and an estimated 10 percent of Americans share the same aversion. The general public calls it “needle phobia,” but the DSM-IV classified it as a specific phobia of medical needles as of 1994. 

Dr. David Case understands these fears, and Family Dental Health treats patients dealing with them every day. We do everything we can to keep your dental treatment as comfortable and stress-free as possible, but it’s good to be aware of needle phobia and its effects.

Negative Effects of Needle Phobia

• Dreading medical care, especially shots and injections
• High blood pressure, elevated heart rate, anxiety
• Extremely low blood pressure, fainting
• Avoiding the dentist to avoid possible injections, even routine checkups

Causes of Needle Phobia

The short answer: scientists aren’t sure. It does seem to be inherited; about 80% of sufferers have a close relative with the same phobia. It is possible, however, that it is a learned fear rather than a genetic one. Some evolutionary psychologists maintain that the fear may be rooted in survival before antibiotics, when puncture wounds could be deadly, concluding that fear of puncturing the skin was an evolutionary adaptation. 

Treatments for Needle Phobia

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven to be an effective treatment for phobias, as have exposure therapies like systematic desensitization or therapy involving hypnosis. Many dentists offer sedation, and if you’re having trouble relaxing, ask Dr. David Case about sedation dentistry options.

Your Portland dental team will do everything we can to help you overcome any dental anxiety or fears. Get in touch with us today and we’ll talk you through it!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Can Children Get Receding Gums?

Receding gums (also known as gingival recession in the field of dentistry) are not uncommon in adults aged 40 and older, but children can also experience this progressive loss of gum tissue as young as age 7. 

Left untreated, gum recession can expose tooth roots and lead to pain and sensitivity. While causes of gum recession in adults can be addressed and ruled out one by one (tobacco use, hormones, aggressive brushing, etc.), gum recession in kids is a little more complicated. The most common reason for pediatric gum recession is an irregularly located tooth! 

When evaluating a child for gum recession, Family Dental Health will consider the following:

• Age of the child
• Amount of gum tissue lost
• Amount of tooth root exposed
• Location of the aberrant tooth relative to the adjoining teeth
• Whether orthodontic treatment is planned for your child

If your child is still in the process of getting their permanent teeth and gum recession is not severe, your Portland dentist may decide to take a “watch and see what happens” approach. Whatever the treatment plan, ensure your child practices good oral hygiene and brushes their teeth and gums gently. Caring for gums is just as important as caring for teeth.

If you would like to learn more about gum health or have any other questions, feel free to get in touch with us at Family Dental Health today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Questions to Ask Before Special Needs Kids See the Dentist

All children are unique individuals with personal preferences, but sometimes special needs kids have a higher level of anxiety in new situations like visiting the dentist. Dentists like Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health realize that treating special needs kids requires patience and understanding, and while most dentists who treat children are capable of accommodating a variety of special needs, there are a few questions parents might want to ask in advance.

• Are the office and dental equipment accessible for kids with mobility issues?
• Does the staff have experience treating other special needs patients?
• Does the staff have any specialized clinical training?
• What distraction techniques are available to reduce kids’ anxiety?
• If necessary, what is the typical game plan for sedation?
• Are there any videos, brochures, books, or websites that can be reviewed before the visit?
• Is a pre-appointment available?

Even standard pediatric dentistry treatment can be very challenging for a special needs child (and their parents). The compassionate staff at Family Dental Health wants to provide your child with the most favorable dental experience possible. 

If you’d like to discuss treatment options for your special needs child with us or schedule a visit, get in touch with Family Dental Health in Portland. We’d love to meet you! 

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Why Kids Get Yellow Teeth

Most adults spend a lot of time, effort, and sometimes money to keep their teeth as white as possible. White teeth are considered one of the most important aspects of physical attractiveness in modern culture. If you notice your child’s teeth looking yellow, you may have some cause for concern, but there are plenty of possible reasons for yellow teeth in kids:

• Dental caries (cavities) and tooth decay
• Poor oral hygiene that allows plaque formation
• Excessive fluoride in formula or milk can leave white streaks or patches
• Hepatitis, jaundice, and other ailments can discolor teeth
• Tooth trauma or injury can break blood vessels, affecting the tooth enamel
• Tetracycline use in pregnant mothers can discolor a baby’s teeth
• Genetic causes, such as missing or thin tooth enamel

The permanent (adult) teeth contain more dentin, which appears yellow and is visible below translucent tooth enamel. When sitting beside a baby tooth, the permanent tooth automatically seems more yellow. Once all permanent teeth have erupted, the overall tooth color will blend and look more uniform.

Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health does not recommend any type of tooth bleaching or whitening before the age of 12 or 13 years old, when all the permanent teeth are present. If bleached before all the permanent teeth arrive, the ones that arrive later are unlikely to match.

If you are concerned about the color of your child’s teeth or have any other questions about pediatric dentistry, get in touch with Family Dental Health today!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Help Your Little Superhero Fight Bad Breath Bugs

Bad breath stinks, doesn’t it? Pardon the silly pun, but we think some icebreakers (get it, like the mint?) can make it easier to jump into what might be less than comfortable subjects. How do we know it isn’t a comfortable subject? Well, the fear of bad breath is so common that there’s even a name for the extreme fear of it: halitophobia.  

Most children don’t experience this fear, which can be viewed as both a little bit of a blessing and a little bit of a curse—you don’t want them to feel any anxiety, of course, but you do want them to take great care of their smile, which can help keep bad breath at bay.

Is Your Child’s Breath as Sweet as They Are?

If your little one leans in to give you a big smooch and you notice they’ve got what is sometimes referred to as dragon breath, you’ll probably tell them to go brush their teeth. If so, that’s a great place to start, because a lack of consistency and effective technique when it comes to oral hygiene tends to be the main cause of unpleasant oral odors.

There are other potential causes to be aware of, and we’d be happy to discuss them with you if their bad breath persists even after they’ve done a great job flossing and brushing. 

Contact Family Dental Health with any questions or concerns you have—your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case, is a skilled dragon breath tamer!

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Can Dentists Detect Eating Disorders in Children & Teens?

At Family Dental Health, we want our dental family to feel safe and comfortable in our practice, and for each experience in our care to be positive. We also want our patients and their families to be informed, which sometimes means discussing heavy topics—today’s heavy topic is eating disorders.

Wondering why a dentist would broach the subject? Diet is critical for excellent oral health, and your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case, can spot signs of malnutrition or acid erosion during an examination that, when combined with other signs, can be indications of either anorexia or bulimia. Both eating disorders are most common in young women between the ages of 15 to 25.

No Judgment Zone

As medical professionals, we want you to know that if we suspect disordered eating, there will be no judgment or admonishing, but we will be concerned and try to encourage treatment and prevention methods that can alleviate some of the risks to your child’s oral health.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like to schedule a visit, please don’t hesitate to contact Family Dental Health. We’re here to help you and your loved ones reach your best oral health, wherever you’re starting from.

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Does Your Chewing Gum Fight Tooth Decay?

Avid gum chewers rejoice! Your love for the sticky, stretchy stuff can be beneficial for your oral health, depending on its ingredients. If you’re chewing gum with artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, sucralose, aspartame, or mannitol, you’re indeed avoiding traditional sugar. Your teeth aren’t as likely to thank you as they might be if your stick of choice were 100% xylitol-sweetened.

What is Xylitol?

First, if you’re wondering how to pronounce xylitol, its prefix is just like xylophone’s, and the fact that it tastes as sweet as sugar but carries almost half the calories per gram (2.4 compared to 4) might make you want to grab a mallet and beat out a tune. But the best part is that xylitol is a powerful plaque fighter, and fighting plaque is essential for cavity and gum disease prevention.

Is Xylitol a Marvel Superhero?

It might not be featured in cool comic books, but xylitol is a game-changer for dental hygiene. Before we leave you to your research, we want to remind you that it works best in conjunction with a strong oral hygiene routine, not as a replacement for one!

If you have any questions about xylitol or anything else related to your smile’s health, feel free to contact your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, today! 

The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.