Blog

Questions to Ask at a Back-to-School Dental Visit

Some schools require a back-to-school dental visit, but even if yours doesn’t, right before school starts is a good time to schedule one of your child’s regular checkups. Family Dental Health can take care of any problems so your child won’t have to miss class after school starts, and if oral hygiene routines got a little lax over the summer, Family Dental Health can help get kids back on track.

Here are a few questions to ask at your child’s appointment:

• How is my child’s overall dental health?
• Will my child get a cleaning today? 
• Does my child need an x-ray?
• Do you recommend sealants?
• Can you check my child’s mouthguard?

These questions cover all the bases for general dental health and safety. A mouthguard will be checked for wear, tear, and fit in case a replacement will be needed, while sealants can help prevent cavities in permanent molars. A professional cleaning picks up where brushing and flossing leave off to give your child a nice bright smile to begin their school year.

If you need to schedule a dental checkup for your child at any time of year, give Family Dental Health a call 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.

A Deeper Dental Cleaning: Scaling & Root Planing

Teeth are typically the first thing that comes to mind for people when they hear the words dentist or dentistry, which makes sense—the root word dent actually means tooth! However, your teeth require healthy gums to hold them in place. 

Did you know gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss? That’s why we need to examine your gums just as thoroughly as your teeth, and for you to remain diligent about your oral hygiene routines and cleaning visits with your Portland dental team at Family Dental Health.

If You Have Gum Disease

First, know that you’re not alone. Nearly half of adults in the U.S. over the age of 30 experience chronic periodontitis (the advanced stage of gum disease, which starts as gingivitis). Gum disease can be treated, and one of our first steps might be scaling and root planing.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a visit with Dr. David Case to ensure your teeth and gums are in good shape, contact 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.

Mouthwash: More Harm Than Good?

At Family Dental Health, we know a lot of people feel they’re adding a layer of tooth decay and gum disease prevention to their oral hygiene routines when they swish with mouthwash—which may be true, but it depends on the mouthwash. If you floss and brush properly, mouthwash isn’t always necessary, and certain types could even be harmful to your oral health.

Think about it this way: do you take antibiotics when you don’t have an infection that requires them? Like antibiotics, certain mouthwashes can kill beneficial bacteria and either create or aggravate problems.

It’s All About the Ingredients

One of the conditions that can be exacerbated by mouthwash is dry mouth, and it’s usually due to the alcohol content many of them carry. Do you know that burning feeling that makes it feel like it’s working? That’s the alcohol, and it’s doing more harm than good. 

If you have any questions or concerns about this topic or any other oral health subject, contact Family Dental Health today. We love staying in touch with our dental family!

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.

CariFree®: Oral pH in Balance

CariFree® is a revolutionary dental product line that balances the bacteria in your mouth for a healthier pH level. Once the chemical makeup inside your mouth is healthy and stable, CariFree products have been scientifically proven to prevent cavities. 

They also offer solutions for sensitive teeth and dry mouth, and xylitol gum in addition to gels, rinses and sprays that keep teeth and gums clean and healthy. Family Dental Health carries the CariFree product line because Dr. Case has seen so much improvement in the oral health of our patients.

Cavities are caused by bacterial and acidic imbalances in the mouth, but when dentists fill cavities, only the result of the imbalance is being treated—the actual imbalance is not addressed at all. 

Until quite recently, it was believed that favorable oral hygiene removed bacteria and eliminated decay from the mouth—but it’s more complicated than that. The elevated pH of CariFree products neutralizes decay-causing acids, solving the problem at its source.

If you would like to find out more about CariFree products or ask any questions about the oral-systemic link to wellness, contact 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.

Is it Time to Toss that Toothbrush?

When you find a toothbrush that’s just right for you, it can be easy to get attached. After all, you use your toothbrush morning and night (ideally) to prevent plaque and bacteria from hardening and becoming tartar—that’s what we like to call quality time! 

When your toothbrush does so much good, you want to return the favor, so throwing it out every three months can seem like a betrayal. What if it were your toothbrush that betrayed you, though? 

Learning to Let Go

Bad jokes aside, it’s important to replace your toothbrush seasonally (at least). Want to know why? First of all, your toothbrush bristles will inevitably become worn down over, and frayed, worn bristles just won’t get the job done. Second, old toothbrushes can be breeding grounds for bacteria and pathogens, and you should always replace toothbrushes after an illness to prevent reinfection.

If you’d like advice on toothbrushes or anything else dental health-related, your Portland, OR dentist, Dr. Case at Family Dental Health, would be happy to hear from you! Contact Family Dental Health today, and schedule a visit to find out if your toothbrush is serving you well.

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.

What Did My Dentist Just Say?

At Family Dental Health, education is paramount in our mission to help our Portland, OR friends and neighbors improve and maintain their oral health. For this reason, we try to avoid using dental jargon when we’re speaking with our valued patient family. 

However, there are terms that can’t be broken down as easily; in those cases, we’ll explain things in as much detail as you need to feel comfortable and confident in your care. Usually what we’re describing isn’t as complex as it sounds! 

That’s a Mouthful

As an example: alveoloplasty. That’s just the technical term for the surgical reshaping of your jawbone, often performed after extraction to prepare your mouth for a tooth or teeth replacement. Words (or abbreviations) you’ll hear more commonly include prophylaxis, scaling and root planing, TMJ, and bruxism. For a crash course on these words and more, check out this glossary.

If you have questions about the terms you see (or terms that didn’t make the list) and you’d like to talk about it over an appointment, please contact Family Dental Health today. Dr. Case loves talking all things oral health and sharing smiles with 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.

Zirconia Crowns for Kids

Zirconia has been used in major medical procedures like hip replacement for many years due to its strength and biocompatibility. It took the dental industry until the early 2000s to catch up, beginning with adult dental procedures such as dental implants, root canals and dental crowns. In 2010, zirconia became available for use in pediatric dentistry. Family Dental Health outlines some benefits of zirconia dental crowns for kids below.

The use of white zirconia results in a durable and visually pleasing crown. As the strongest non-metal material available on the market for use in restorative pediatric dentistry, it has allowed kids to enjoy natural-looking dental solutions they can rely on for:

• Damaged, chipped, or broken teeth
• Abnormal tooth development
• Significant dental decay
• Damage from cavities in early childhood

Family Dental Health may choose a crown restoration to protect a compromised tooth from breakage that the process of filling a tooth may cause. Zirconia crowns don’t stain, chip, or break and are resistant to plaque and decay. 

If you have any questions about zirconia crowns for kids or would like to schedule an 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.

Should I Let My Teen Whiten Their Teeth?

Do you remember feeling like standards of beauty were unattainable when you were a teenager? Heck, many of feel this way as adults! It makes sense that teenagers might be concerned with the appearance of their smile and pine for bright white smiles the same way adults do, because they’re often exposed to the same media that displays stunning smiles nonstop. 

There’s a lot to be said for defying those expectations, but if there were a simple, safe, and widely available treatment that could make a world of difference for your teen’s self-confidence, would you be ok with it? 

Your Dentist Can Help

If your teen has expressed that they’d like to have their teeth whitened, you might be inclined to gasp and reply, “Your smile is perfect as it is!” We understand, and at Family Dental Health, we do love how unique smiles are from person to person, and we want everyone to feel comfortable with their natural smile just as it is. 

However, maybe it can lead to a productive discussion and informed decision. First, there’s the question of whether teeth whitening is a suitable treatment for adolescents, and if it is, what type of treatment will be the most effective and economical. 

If you have any additional questions or would like to schedule a consultation with your Portland, OR dentist, Dr. Case, please contact Family Dental Health! We want all of our friends and neighbors to have healthy smiles they feel proud to share.

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.

Life Hacks: One Simple Way to Protect Your Child’s Smile

Did you know that sports-related injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits for children and teenagers between the ages of 12-17? For children between the ages of 5-14, recreational activities (e.g., riding a bike) account for an estimated 3.2 million emergency room visits. 

With statistics like these, it’s no wonder parents want to find ways to keep their children safe while they play, and when you learn that the most commonly injured areas are to the face, head, eyes, and mouth, preventive wear like helmets and mouthguards become even more important!

Don’t Leave Home Without It

The American Dental Association recommends mouthguards for many sports and recreational activities that you might not think would require a mouthguard, so it’s important to do your research and give your child the best protection available!

If you’re wondering whether your child should be wearing one, don’t hesitate to contact Family Dental Health today. Dr. Case loves fitting Portland kids for mouthguards so they can play hard—safely!

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.

Strategies for Teasing: Helping Kids Feel Better About Their Smile

Every kid feels uncomfortable in social situations sometimes, especially when they feel they “look different”—and studies show the #1 reason kids are bullied for their appearance is the way their teeth look. Bullies sense this discomfort and annoy, anger, and confuse kids who already feel vulnerable—and if the child being teased is openly reactive, the bullies may choose to step up their efforts. 

Dr. Case of Family Dental Health would like to share some guidelines for positive self-esteem that our pediatric patients have found helpful. Parents can share these skills, which may help with more than just feelings about their teeth!

• Effort: Suggest kids take extra care with their appearance to help them approach situations with more confidence—and remind them they are worth the effort!
• Assertion: Encourage kids to be polite but direct. Consider ways they’ve answered past questions, and prepare to respond to things that might come up again—and to look mean kids straight in the eyes and smile at them, which will surprise the bullies (they feed off negative reactions). 
• Positive Self-Talk: Tell kids to repeat “I can do this” and similar messages to themselves, even if they don’t quite believe it yet.
• Humor: If your child is comfortable cracking a joke or two, others laughing with them can have positive results—and make sure they are jokes everyone can laugh at without hurting anyone else’s feelings or putting themselves down.
• Awareness: Avoid any location their bully or bullies seem to hang out. Let them know that staying away from a situation like this is smart—not cowardly.

Encourage kids to practice skills like these with you, friends they trust, or even in front of a mirror to help them get used to and feel more comfortable with these confident responses. 

If you need to schedule a checkup or your child has any dental questions, contact us 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.