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Relief from Dry, Chapped, & Cracked Lips

We’re no strangers to extreme temperatures and dry weather in Portland, and our lips are proof. Most of us experience chapped lips at some point during the year and it’s not uncommon to see lips that suffer from annoying, painful cracks. Here at Family Dental Health we are very much attuned the oral health needs of Portland, so here are a few tips from Dr. David Case about how to keep your lips healthy, kissable, and free to eat and drink whatever you crave!

Do You Have Chapped or Cracked Lips?

If you have dry lips that are chapped, peeling, and/or cracked, you probably already know about it. However, here are some telltale signs:

1. Sensitive or painful lips
2. Smiling hurts
3. You lick your lips often
4. Your lips show clear signs of peeling or cracking
5. You bleed from the corners of your mouth
6. You have open sores or marks on your lips

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Dentists Are Doctors, Too!

There are many kinds of doctors – Doctors of English, Doctors of Philosophy, Doctors of Medicine, Dr. Pepper… (wink).

Of course, when we use the term doctor, we most often mean a physician or doctor of medicine. But did you know that dentists are doctors, too? Every doctor has a specialty, and a dentist’s specialty is oral health.

Dr. David Case, your Portland dentist explains how dentistry is a specific branch of medicine, and what it all means for the link between oral health and overall wellness.

Dentists Are Doctors

Dentists are every bit as trained and educated as physicians. They have the same general education in science as physicians before they get clinical training in dentistry. This background education helps dentists look at you, the whole package, when taking care of your teeth.

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If You’re Avoiding the Dentist

We’ve all got our reasons. Money. Time. The fear of pain. Juggling insurance. Facing one more reminder that we really should be flossing more. Any of these might cause us to avoid and put off regular visits to the dentist.

Has it been so long since your last dental appointment that you’re not even sure how to find a dentist you can trust? Or perhaps you know and love your dentist but you dread the idea of trying to catch up on life with the hygienist while your mouth is being propped open by a tiny plastic jack. (Yes, we think about that too!)

Portland dentist, Dr. David Case, and our staff are happy to help you prioritize your dental health, which is why we go to great lengths to remove any barrier that might keep you from stepping through our doors.

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How to Clean Teeth Like a Dentist

Oral hygiene is the foundation of good dental health. Brushing and flossing regularly is the best way to keep your Portland smile healthy and clean. Consider this your personal tutorial on the art of dental hygiene, instructed by Dr. David Case and the expert hygienists at Family Dental Health. If you have any questions or would like to test your skills in person, feel free to give us a call!

Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss, and Mouthwash

Before we get to talking technique, we need to make sure you have the right tools for the job. You’re going to need a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste, and floss. Pick whatever floss is most comfortable for you and any toothpaste that you like, provided it has fluoride. Mouthwash is not required, but some Portland folks really like the extra oral health boost you get from a good swish and gargle.

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Wondering How To Get White Teeth? 5 Common Brushing Mistakes

We all learned how to brush our teeth when we were about 3 or 4, so you’d think we have it mastered by now. Right? Unfortunately, probably not.

We all make mistakes sometimes. And that’s okay! All that matters is that you’re dedicated to having the healthiest mouth possible. These five tips for how to get white teeth are just to help you take the best care of your mouth between your visits to our Portland office.

The biggest thing to remember is that any brushing is better than no brushing, so don’t be discouraged if you are making some mistakes. If you still have questions, try checking out our Oral Hygiene page, or always feel free to contact Dr. David Case today!

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Ice Cravings – A Sign of Something Worse?

We all know someone who asks for extra ice just so they can chew on it. And we’ve probably all heard that chewing ice is not healthy for your teeth. So what’s the truth? Is it best to put a stop to ice chewing? Absolutely, and for more reasons than most people are aware of. Dr. David Case wants all Portland residents to know why chewing ice is a bad habit, so please read on for the facts!

Why should I stop chewing ice?

Ice is hard. So hard, in fact, that pitting it against your teeth regularly will most certainly result in damage to your enamel. If you have pagophagia (the fancy name for ice cravings), it’s likely that Dr. David Case will need to perform enamel restoration treatments, which are pricey and can be quite uncomfortable.

However, that is not the most pressing reason to be aware of an ice chewing habit. Recent research indicates that pagophagia may actually be a sign of anemia (a lack of iron in the blood), which can lead to serious health complications, if left untreated. Scientists aren’t sure exactly why the link exists, but they suspect it may be due to the oral inflammation caused by anemia. Such inflammation could conceivably spark an urge to seek relief in the form of ice.

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5 Reasons to Treat Your Gum Disease

You might not even know it, but you probably have gum disease. 3 out of 4 people do! But, the good news is that it is easily treatable, especially when caught in its early stages. Family Dental Health can help you get a happy, healthy mouth with simple treatments such as frequent cleanings and antibiotics.

You might ask: if you don’t even know you have gum disease then why should you treat it? Dr. David Case hopes this post helps clear up how serious periodontal (gum) disease can be, and gives you at least five good reasons to come in for a gum disease consultation. Call our Portland office today to make your appointment! 

1. Get more energy – Periodontal disease is an infection of your gums by the bacteria in your mouth. And like any infection, your immune system will try to fight it. You know how when you get a cold you just want to sleep all day? Your body feels the same way when it’s fighting gum disease. Who knows, treat your gum disease and you might find yourself wanting to run a marathon!

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Sleep Apnea in Children

You may think being exhausted simply comes with the territory of being a parent (and it does), but there may also be a serious medical condition causing your child to wake up often throughout the night – sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is most commonly found in adults, but can also, in rare cases affect children. Dr. David Case, dentist at Family Dental Health in Portland cares about treating your little ones. Read below to learn more about how dentists can diagnose and treat sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea & Its Effects

Sleep apnea occurs when breathing becomes shallow or pauses completely while you’re asleep. It can be caused by your tongue or tonsils being too large and blocking your airway, the collapse of soft tissues in the back of the throat, or by your brain not sending the proper signals to keep breathing while you sleep.

Sleep apnea causes a lot of problems for children, the most obvious being restless sleep. Other problems can include failure to thrive, slower developmental milestones, excessive sleepiness in daytime, and attention or behavioral problems – all due to a lack of quality sleep. Sleep apnea is most common in children between two and eight years old.

About 2-4% of children have sleep apnea, but it is harder to diagnose in children than in adults. One major difference between sleep apnea in children and adults is that children with sleep apnea, unlike adults, often are not overweight. Since children spend half of their time asleep (a parent can dream), healthy sleep is hugely important for their health and development.

Physical Signs of Sleep Apnea:

• Loud, frequent snoring
• Frequent night waking
• Mouth breathing
• Enlarged tonsils
• Excessive sweating at night
• Headache in the morning

Dentistry for Sleep Apnea

Among all primary care doctors, dentists are the most likely to see clues your child might have sleep apnea. A dentist is a trained professional who spends a lot of time looking at your mouth. And by looking in your mouth, they can tell a lot about your overall health and how your body is functioning. Routine dental visits play an important role in preventing many health problems.

By the looks of your child’s mouth, gums, teeth, and throat, a dentist can easily tell if your child might have sleep apnea. Children with teeth, even as young as one-year-old, should regularly visit the dentist.

Dentists are experts in helping your entire mouth, face, and neck work together to be as healthy as possible. This goes for everything from good nutrition to good sleep. If your dentist believes your child may have sleep apnea, they will work with other doctors to confirm and treat the diagnosis.

In many cases, your dentist will be able to offer an oral appliance, or mouthpiece, as a non-surgical solution. While weight is rarely an issue for children with sleep apnea, in some cases, weight-loss will be recommended. Treating allergies may also improve your child’s breathing while he/she sleeps. In some serious cases, surgery will be recommended.

If you think your child may have sleep apnea, or if you’d like to learn more about caring for your child’s dental and oral health, call your Portland dentist, Dr. David Case today to make an appointment at Family Dental Health.

Sources

• http://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/print/volume-103/issue-6/features/childhood-sleep-apnea.html
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3304178/
• http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea
• http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/sleep/a/sleep_apnea.htm
• https://www.fpwr.org/is-a-sleep-study-on-your-to-do-list/

Protect Yourself from Oral Cancer

Dr. David Case and all of us at Family Dental Health would like to take this opportunity to talk about oral cancer, the lives that are lost to it, and what it could mean for you and your family. Oral cancer is one of the only cancers that is actually becoming more common, and we want our Portland patients to know what it is, and how to protect themselves.

Oral cancer refers to mouth cancer, tongue cancer, throat cancer, tonsil cancer, and a number of others. This year alone, more than 5,000 people will lose the battle to some form of oral cancer. Dr. Case is teaming up with the entire healthcare community to beat this disease by teaching people everywhere about how to spot it and maintain low risk.

**This post is not intended to diagnose or treat oral cancer. Its purpose is simply to inform Portland residents. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have oral cancer, come see Dr. David Case as soon as possible.**

Oral cancer is a group of diseases that can affect your body in a number of different ways. In order to list all the symptoms and warning signs we would need an entire website, so we’ve simplified the list conveniently.

The most common ways oral cancer can affect you:

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The Importance of Dental X-Rays

The technology of dental medicine is advancing by the minute. There are now sophisticated techniques for diagnosing and tracking oral cancer, correcting crooked teeth in less than a year, treating periodontitis (advanced gum disease) without surgery, and many more. Yet, when it comes down to diagnosing issues and creating an effective treatment plan, nothing beats a fresh set of X-rays. Dr. David Case uses dental X-rays to see the whole picture, in order to keep your teeth healthy, bright, and beautiful. If you are a Portland resident with questions about how X-rays work, read on, and don’t hesitate to call Family Dental Health with any concerns.

What are X-rays?

X-rays have been around since 1895, when Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen first discovered that his cathode ray tube could penetrate black paper and cast shadows of solid objects. X-rays are on a shorter wavelength than visible light and pass through soft tissue in the human body, providing a detailed picture of what’s going on inside. Without X-Rays, the treatment of everything from cavities, to broken bones, to cancer, would be much more difficult. Beyond medicine and science, X-Rays have useful applications across many industries.

Why do I need X-Rays?

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