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If You Can’t Stand Dental Floss, You Might Need This

We know a lot of our friends and neighbors aren’t fans of being asked how often they brush and floss, but at Family Dental Health, we hope you know it’s because we care and want to help you keep your smile healthy and beautiful for life! Getting to know your habits also helps us personalize your care and offer suggestions, such as using a water flosser if the string-type floss isn’t your favorite.

Our team happens to appreciate the WaterPik® and its comparable effectiveness at removing food debris and getting in those hard-to-reach areas, especially if you’re wearing braces.

Floss is Boss

Regardless of which flossing tool you prefer, it’s important to remain diligent in the habit. Flossing helps remove plaque, which causes cavities and dangerous gum disease if left to harden and become tartar. 

If you have any questions about flossing, WaterPiks, or any other dental topic, Dr. David Case would love to hear from you. Contact Family Dental Health today to schedule a visit!

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.

Tongue Talk – To Scrape or Not to Scrape?

For such a seemingly small part of your body, the tongue plays a major role in many everyday functions, such as talking, helping you digest and taste food, and swallowing. The appearance of your tongue may speak volumes (pun slightly intended) about the state of your oral and overall health. 

Today, Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, would like to talk about an excellent way to include this muscle (well, eight muscles, to be exact) in your oral hygiene routine: tongue scraping.

More Pleasant than it Sounds!

Tongue scraping has been practiced for centuries, but surprisingly, it isn’t as common in the United States as it has been in Europe, Africa, India, and South America. We think it’s worth jumping on the bandwagon because your tongue can harbor bacteria that cause tooth decay and bad breath; the buildup can even prevent you from fully enjoying the flavors of your food! 

If you’ve got any questions about tongue scraping or how to improve your oral health, we’d love to help. Contact Family Dental Health today to schedule a visit!

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 Snore or Have Sleep Apnea? Get MAD!

We don’t mean the emotion, though you just might be feeling it if you or your loved ones have been losing sleep because of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. MAD is the abbreviation for Mandibular Advancement Device, and it’s a type of oral appliance that could help you and your family experience restful sleep again.

MADs work by keeping your mandible (jawbone) and tongue in a forward position to prevent airway restriction, which can cause snoring and the cessation of your breathing while you sleep. There are different types of MADs, but to ensure the most comfortable fit made of durable materials, we recommend scheduling a visit to Family Dental Health! 

Find What Works for You

Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) has been found to help many sleep apnea sufferers who would like an alternative to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines. Your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, can evaluate your case and help you determine whether it’s an option you should consider. 

Either way, you mustn’t ignore chronic snoring; if it’s due to sleep apnea, you’re three times more likely to develop diabetes or have a stroke, and 23 times more likely to have a heart attack. You deserve solutions that help you sleep better, so 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.

Animal-Assisted Therapy & Dentistry

Assistance animals prescribed for many conditions and situations have become a frequent topic of discussion in recent years.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, many businesses must allow service animals to accompany disabled individuals into any public area of a facility. For example, a hospital would allow the presence of a service animal in exam rooms, patient rooms, clinics, and cafeterias, but not necessarily in an operating room or burn unit where a sterile environment could be compromised.

Studies have shown that AATs effectively lower blood pressure and improve mood. Hospitals, mental health therapy, and eldercare facilities currently employ AATs, but assistance animals are much less common in dentistry. Early research shows a correlation between AAT and stress reduction in populations ranging from the elderly to children with different cognitive abilities. 

Incorporating AAT encourages patients to focus on the therapy animal rather than their symptoms or pain. However, AAT in dentistry carries risks such as allergies, fear of animals, and infection concerns. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology (SHEA) has outlined guidelines for using AAT, while Pet Partners has set training standards. The American Veterinary Association also recommends additional guidelines.

If you want to discuss AAT with Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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 Have an Abscessed Tooth?

No one wants to think about the words “abscessed tooth” applying to their mouth but to paraphrase Sun Tzu, it’s a good idea to know your enemy. Causes of an abscessed tooth include:

• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• A cracked tooth

When a tooth is compromised by one or more of these conditions, bacteria may enter the tooth’s pulp and form a buildup of pus called an abscess. Left untreated, a serious infection may result. Some symptoms of an abscessed tooth may include:

• Pain and swelling
• Redness in the gums
• A bad taste in the mouth
• Fever

There are different methods for the treatment of an abscessed tooth. Family Dental Health will assess the severity of the infection and may recommend one of the following:

• Antibiotics to kill the infection
• Draining the infection
• Cleaning between tooth and gum
• Root canal treatment

Practicing good oral hygiene and keeping up with routine dental checkups will reduce the likelihood of developing an abscessed tooth. If you want to discuss a troublesome toothache or any other oral health issue with Family Dental Health, don’t hesitate to 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.

This Film Can Wreak Havoc on Your Child’s Smile

We’re not talking about a movie, but a hardened substance on your child’s teeth called tartar or calculus—another slightly confusing term, right? No math equations here, except maybe Plaque + Time = Tartar.  

That’s right, tartar begins as plaque, which is the accumulation of tiny food particles and bacteria. Our mouths are home to upwards of 700 different types of bacteria, but the majority of them are neutral or beneficial. 

However, the bad types are capable of outweighing the good and leading to gum disease and cavities—thus our quest to vanquish these bad bugs before they can create a cozy home!

Armor Up

To prevent tartar formation, which can only be removed by a dentist or hygienist, your little one will need help removing plaque.

If it’s time for your child to have a dental checkup and professional cleaning, we’d love to help ensure the smile they share is their healthiest and brightest. Contact Portland dentist, Dr. David Case at Family Dental Health today to schedule a visit!

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 My Child’s Loose Tooth Causing Them Pain?

If you’re a parent or you’re lucky enough to work with infants and toddlers, you know that teething is not the most fun phase they’ll go through. Teeth having to push their way through gum tissue sounds rough, so it’s no surprise that as it happens, your little one will likely be sensitive and in need of more soothing than usual.

Because welcoming those small pearls can feel like an arduous ordeal, you might wonder if losing them is difficult or painful, so let’s talk about it! 

Most children experience the loosening and wiggling of a baby tooth around the age of 6 or 7, beginning with which tooth was first to arrive (usually one of the lower front teeth). Unless there’s a sign of infection, like redness or swelling of the gums around the tooth, the process of it becoming more wiggly shouldn’t hurt.

More About this Milestone

If you’d like more assurance, we can explain how loose teeth should be treated and how you can help your child through what might feel like a scary process at first. 

If you’ve got any questions or would like to schedule a visit for your little one, 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.

How Do I Answer My Child’s Dental Questions?

Kids aren’t afraid to ask questions about everything under the sun; teeth are just one of the many mysteries they will ponder. At Family Dental Health, our pediatric patients come up with some of the most interesting questions we hear—and we hear questions all day! 

Most of the time, kids’ questions about teeth are fairly basic:

• Why do I have to floss?
• Do we have to brush our teeth every day?
• Why do we use toothpaste?
• Why do baby teeth fall out?

Sometimes questions are a little more interesting:

• Do wisdom teeth make you smart?
• Are teeth good for anything besides eating?

Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health, can help you out when it comes to dental questions. We want to give kids the right information so they understand the reasons for consistent oral hygiene, which we hope sets a foundation for their future good health.

If your little one’s dental question has you stumped, don’t hesitate to get in touch 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.

Does Your Child Suffer from Bruxism?

Bruxism is the dental term for teeth grinding and jaw clenching, a habit that children and adults can develop and maintain, often without being conscious of it—until symptoms hit. Those symptoms can include:

• Worn, sensitive teeth
• Headaches
• Earaches
• Facial and jaw pain
• Tinnitus

If your child is experiencing any of these symptoms, or you have yourself, you know they can interfere with their ability to learn and play. 

The cause of your child’s bruxism can be as complex as the resultant symptoms, but for a few common culprits, we can recommend tips for how to spot the habit and help your child find relief. 

Your Partners in Smile Protection

Bruxism is another reason for bringing your child to see your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health for regular checkups are important. With our thorough and gentle examinations, we can see whether their enamel is worn, evaluate how their jaw is functioning, and whether their bite could make it harder to break the habit.

Family Dental Health is here to help your little one’s smile grow healthily, so contact us today to schedule a visit!

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.

Sports Drinks & Energy Drinks: Proceed with Caution

Dr. David Case of Family Dental Health wants to make sure our patients know all about healthy hydration. Most people already know that soda and juice aren’t great for teeth, but now the American Academy of Pediatrics is cautioning parents and caregivers that sports and energy drinks have similar negative effects.

Sports drinks are intended to replace water and electrolytes lost while sweating from exercise. If a child participates in vigorous, prolonged physical activity, their ingredients may be helpful—but plain water is best during routine physical activity. Sports drinks can contribute to tooth decay and are high in calories. They are not intended for consumption at any time other than strenuous workouts.

Energy drinks are a different—and more harmful—type of beverage because they contain stimulants such as caffeine and taurine. Energy drinks are inappropriate for children or teens, as they can affect developing brains and cardiovascular systems. Water should be the primary source of hydration for kids.

If you want to know more about sports drinks or energy drinks, don’t hesitate to give Portland a call!

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.