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Are you aware preventive dentistry is an excellent technique to avoid dental emergencies? If you aren’t, you help yourself by practicing preventive dentistry techniques as recommended by your dentist to safeguard your dental health from unnecessary dental complications needing treatments from the emergency dentist near me.

Are you even aware preventive dentistry means? If not, please understand preventive dentistry is the habit of merely caring for your teeth and gums to ensure they remain healthy. It doesn’t seem challenging, does it? However, preventive dentistry helps you avoid gum disease, cavities, enamel erosion, et cetera.

Preventive dentistry in 97214 exists in various forms, including daily brushing and dental cleanings. The American Dental Association recommends that if you wish to maintain optimal oral health, you must visit your dentist once every six months or at intervals recommended by your dentist. The habits are tailored to keep your teeth clean, robust, and pearly white. Children must also receive education about preventive dentistry at any age.

This article discusses how preventive dentistry can help you avoid dental emergencies. Please continue reading to educate yourself on how you can save money merely by keeping your teeth healthy.

Preventive Dentistry Tips

Brushing Every Day

Brushing every day is an essential part of preventive dentistry. You must use fluoride toothpaste approved by the ADA and make it a point to replace your toothbrush every 90 days. Please do not neglect your tongue when brushing your teeth because it helps remove bacteria from the mouth and freshen your breath.

Flossing

Flossing may seem like an unnecessary chore but is recommended by dental professionals worldwide. Flossing helps clean the tight spaces between your teeth. If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment with braces, you require floss threaders to get between the metal brackets. Merely using dental floss doesn’t confirm you are using the tool appropriately. If you want to benefit from this tool, request your dentist for a flossing demonstration which they happily provide during your routine appointments for cleanings.

Dental Visits

Seeing your dentist at least once in 12 months is essential to check for problems with your teeth and gums. If you are at high risk of dental issues, you benefit from more frequent visits to the professional. On the contrary, if you are at low risk of dental problems, you may derive similar benefits from merely one dental cleaning every year. Dental exams and cleanings enable dentists to identify issues in your mouth and treat them right away without letting them aggravate. A twice-yearly dental visit shouldn’t scare you if you possess dental insurance because most insurance plans cover these visits as a precautionary measure every year.

Eating a Balanced Diet

Your teeth receive the protection they need if you also include the habit of eating a healthy diet because you provide your teeth with the nutrients they need. However, you must include simple carbohydrates like white bread, limit sugar intake and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Your teeth and oral health also need vitamins, and a balanced diet helps you get all the vitamins required to maintain a healthy smile.

How Preventive Dentistry Helps You?

Preventive dentistry helps prevent you from developing dental problems later. Proper dental care ensures that you avoid or lessen the effects of cavities, gum disease, enamel loss, and periodontal disease. Preventive dentistry helps everyone in the family, including children. Children, in particular, benefit the most because preventive dentistry helps their newly emerging teeth to erupt robust and healthy. Aging grown-ups also benefit from preventive dentistry because it allows them to retain their natural teeth.

Benefits of Preventive Dentistry

You significantly reduce your risks of developing cavities, gum disease, and other dental problems when you maintain proper dental hygiene with preventive dentistry habits. In turn, the practices reduce your risks of secondary diseases emanating from poor oral health. Health problems associated with poor oral health include heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, respiratory disease, and cancer. Poor oral health is also associated with low birth weight and premature birth making it essential for pregnant women to accept excellent preventive oral health habits. It includes dental visits every six months for exams and cleanings.

Besides reducing your risk of various health problems, preventive dentistry also helps you save money. The practices ensure your dental issues, if any, don’t aggravate to need treatment from an emergency dentist when least expected. Best of all, preventive dentistry can help to reduce the need for expensive treatments like root canals and dental implants. Therefore if you haven’t adopted preventive dentistry practices, we suggest you do so right away to avoid potential dental emergencies.

If you need help with preventive dentistry practices, we recommend you contact Laurelhurst Dentistry and schedule an appointment to understand how these habits are beneficial for you.

Wouldn’t it surprise you to know many people are unaware of the difference between restorative dentistry and preventive dental care? However, the differences between the two are apparent. This article will explain the differences between restorative and preventive dental care to ensure you care for your teeth better to prevent needing expensive dental treatments by receiving preventive care early.

Preventive Dentistry Explained

In simple terms, preventive dental care is merely the practice of caring for your teeth and gums to ensure they remain healthy. The preventive care you obtain from the dentist 97214 helps avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, et cetera. In addition, preventive dentistry ensures your teeth remain clean, white, and strong. It is why children must also receive education on proper dental hygiene from an early age. Remember, preventive dentistry doesn’t eliminate your requirement for dental fillings, root canal treatments, or dental implants. However, it contributes significantly to reducing the need for these costly treatments if you follow the practices recommended by your dentist to care for your teeth and gums. Unfortunately, if you neglect preventive dentistry, you become a victim of restorative dentistry, which is genuinely the opposite of preventive dentistry.

What Does Preventive Dentistry Involve?

Preventive dentistry practices recommended by the dentist in Portland, OR, are not challenging and require you to brush your teeth twice every day using fluoride toothpaste and replace your toothbrush once every three months. Brushing your tongue is also recommended by the dentist to remove bacteria and help freshen your breath.

You must floss your teeth at least once a day regardless of when you do it. Flossing helps clean between the tight spaces of your teeth, helping you remove plaque accumulating even after brushing.

Visiting your dentist once every six months for exams and cleanings is essential because plaque buildup happens even after brushing and flossing diligently. Plaque hardens into tartar, making you susceptible to gum disease, a severe infection leading to tooth loss. Dental visits help the Portland dentist detect problems in your mouth early and take care of them right away.

In general preventive dentistry helps you prevent dental problems from developing later to need restorative treatments. If you follow recommended preventive dentistry practices, you avoid or lessen the effects of cavities, gingivitis, enamel loss, and periodontal disease.

Restorative Dentistry Explained

You require help from restorative dentistry in Portland when you are affected by cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.

While cavities are treated by dentists providing fillings in under an hour, you must visit the dentist frequently if you allow gingivitis to develop in your mouth by neglecting preventive dentistry practices. When you develop gingivitis, the condition can progress to periodontal disease if left untreated.

Gingivitis affects you when you let plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth for too long by avoiding dental visits. If you allow gingivitis to progress to periodontal disease, it becomes your lifelong companion, needing treatments every three months from the Portland dentist to preserve your natural teeth. Unfortunately, suppose you have already lost your teeth. In that case, you must seek replacement solutions from restorative dentistry at high prices requiring multiple appointments with various specialists to restore your mouth’s functionality and smile.

Given the Choices, Which One Would You Prefer: Restorative or Preventive Dentistry?

If you possess dental insurance, your provider covers two preventive dentistry visits every year to dentists helping you to stay away from restorative dentistry. Even if you don’t have dental insurance, preventive dentistry visits aren’t likely to break your budget compared to restorative services. A preventive dentistry visit costs fewer dollars and getting dental fillings. However, the visit ensures you and your family members don’t even have to seek restorative dentistry.

If you don’t have dental insurance and don’t pay attention to your dentist’s advice, you can become prone to the infections mentioned above or require treatments like root canals and dental crowns. When undergoing these treatments, you must endure severe pain and financial expenditure of over $ 2000. The costs of restorative dentistry are prohibitive to set you back considerably make you wonder why you hadn’t considered preventive dentistry earlier. Therefore the choice is yours. If preventive dentistry helps you save money, restorative dentistry ensures you spend money whether you have dental insurance or not. Therefore please consider this article and make an informed decision to select one of the two forms of dentistry and safeguard your dental, overall, and financial health.

If you need help from preventive dentistry, Laurelhurst Dentistry provides the treatment necessary. Please schedule an appointment with them to safeguard your dental and financial health. However, if you need restorative treatments, the practice also provides them as required.

Dental veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made tooth-colored shells or caps bonded to the front surfaces of teeth to improve their appearance. Chips, splits, discoloration, crookedness, and other dental flaws are possible. These disrupt the natural structure of the teeth, making it more difficult for them to execute their tasks appropriately and, most significantly, lowering their aesthetic value and causing harm to your smile. Veneers are useful in cosmetic dentistry for fixing many abnormalities in one visit to the dental clinic.

Dental veneers can restore the function of your teeth while also improving their appearance. Rather than undergoing many restorative dental operations such as orthodontics, tooth whitening, and so on, you can save time, money, and energy with dental veneers.

Are Veneers Right For Me?

Your Portland dentist can help you determine the best dental restorative procedure for you. Generally, a dental veneer will be helpful if you have any of the following:

Teeth Discolouration: Teeth discoloration is one of the most common reasons. Over time, our teeth’ brilliant and intense color fades. Our enamel and teeth’ color tend to wear off as we use them.

Our teeth’ color can also change due to several unhealthy oral practices and lifestyle choices. Smoking cigarettes or tobacco, for example, can alter the color of your teeth and make them appear darker. The good news is that you can get rid of these stains in several ways. Although teeth whitening treatments can whiten your teeth, they may not be effective on deeper stains. Because veneers can cover stained areas and look just like natural wood, they’re a great option.

Broken, cracked, or chipped teeth: Another common dental problem that people face. We can harm our teeth when participating in sports or other activities. Veneers can reinforce cracked or chipped teeth and prevent them from falling out or becoming damaged. Try to get a mouthguard if you engage in contact sports a lot.

Brittle Enamel: Your dentist may recommend having a dental veneer to improve your enamel and avoid additional damage if you have weak enamel due to oral infections or other issues. Because of their persistent teeth grinding, people who suffer from bruxism (constant teeth grinding) can acquire worn-out enamel.

Veneers can strengthen the worn-off enamel. On the other hand, your dentist would provide you with a mouth guard to prevent you from doing so.

Porcelain & Ceramic Veneers

Veneers from porcelain materials are a standard cosmetic dentistry option. Despite being thinner than conventional veneers, they have the best appearance and feel of natural teeth. Porcelain veneers are more robust, strong, and long-lasting than other veneer varieties. They may endure for up to fifteen years before needing to be replaced.

Ceramic veneers, like porcelain veneers, offer a natural appearance. While they are likewise long-lasting, they may take longer to prepare and hence, necessitate more visits to a dentist near you. Regardless of how long they last, ceramic veneers might make your teeth painful for a few days following the treatment.

Composite Veneers

Composite veneers, like porcelain veneers, blend in with the color of your surrounding teeth to give your dental structure a natural appearance. The main distinctions are that they are less expensive and may only require minor or no enamel removal.
They are also resistant to stains. That implies they’ll endure long and are less likely to discolor.

The type of veneer you will use depends on the cost and durability of the veneers and the number of defects you have. You must have healthy teeth and gums, be willing to endure enamel reshaping, and refrain from clenching or grinding your teeth to acquire veneers (bruxism).

Schedule an appointment with your cosmetic dentist

Have you made a decision concerning veneers? Why not book an appointment with our cosmetic dentist at Laurelhurst dentistry right away? You can expect dental care at its best standard.

Implants have many functional benefits in the mouth. For example, for people with diabetes, restorative dentistry helps them comfortably maintain a well-balanced diet and eliminates inflammation, itchiness, and infections that come with dentures and other dental infections.

Many people will tell you that people with diabetes need special pre-and post-dental implant care to raise the chances of success, and it’s true. However, recent studies give that the endodontist near you can issue the standard dental implant procedure if diabetes is controlled. Here are ways in which diabetes affect the dental implant procedure.

How Does Diabetes Affect My Ability to Get Dental Implants?

Your dental implant is at a higher risk of failure if you have diabetes, especially uncontrolled diabetes. Also, you may have a higher risk of contracting other infections. The most prevalent are gum infections, which raise the chances of implant failure.

Most patients seeking oral implants and inserts have type II diabetes. There are two possible things to happen during the procedure. First, the patient can have a slowed wound healing or higher risks of infection. Other damaging factors include tooth decay, dry mouth and periodontitis.

Still, for people with diabetes, the implant procedure depends on your dental health, dentist in Portland, OR, and their diagnosis of how well your body can handle it. Additional factors that can impact this treatment are smoking, your alcohol intake levels, and overall body fitness.

A 2016 study on the effect of diabetes on dental implants concluded that dental implant procedures have a high success rate and have a complication rate similar to healthy people. Thus, here are some considerations for people with diabetes who want to take dental implants as their option.

Is Your Diabetes Under Control?

Reviews from multiple studies confirmed that patients with controlled diabetes have a very minimal risk of developing complications and dental implant failure, just like non-diabetic people. However, reports also give that uncontrolled diabetes causes higher implant failure rates and frequent post-implant infections.

Dental implants are fixated into the jawbone, and they rely on the body’s natural healing process for osseointegration (bonding of the jawbone with the implant). In addition, the gums must also heal. This total bonding and gum healing make dental implants real, just like natural teeth and a much more preferred treatment method than bridgeworks and dentures.

Therefore, if your diabetes is under control, you will go through the process normally, and it heals smoothly, just like for non-diabetic people. However, people with uncontrolled diabetes have difficulty healing since diabetes causes slow wound healing.

Therefore, if you have diabetes and are considering going through the dental implant procedure, your oral healthcare provider may suggest that you consult your internist to monitor and control your diabetes prior to the implant treatment. Then, once it’s all in control, you can prepare for your implant procedure.

In addition to having your diabetes under control, it’s best if you consider other risk factors like if you have had an existing periodontal disease, if you have a low-density jaw bone, if you are a frequent smoker if you’ve been treated previously of oral cancer or taken biphosphate medication of presence of other conditions that could compromise your oral health.

Dental Implants Can Help You Maintain A Diabetes-Healthy Diet

You may have noticed that the healthiest people with diabetes incorporate a diet of whole and fresh fruits and foods that need firmer chewing. Dental implants are permanent and resemble natural teeth, which is much easier to eat the necessary foods if you have dentures.

Unlike implants, dentures are more disposed to move and rub the gums, making them tender and sore. Therefore, it can become impossible to eat foods for diabetes that need hard chewing, like high fibre fruits and vegetables.
People suffering from poor fit itchiness and discomfort from wearing dentures are more likely to eat less food or the wrong dietary prescriptions and instead opt for the softer, more processed and high-carbohydrate choices. Unfortunately, this increases blood sugar levels making it more difficult to manage diabetes.

Talk To Us

If you want to learn more about the safety of dental implants when you have diabetes, we offer comprehensive evaluations and refer you to the best Laurelhurst Dentistry dental surgeon for further examination. Proper dental care could be your next best step in maintaining your whole body health.

You may jump out of the dentist’s chair if recommended root canal treatment to eradicate a dental infection inside your tooth. You may also have many questions in your mind besides a few concerns. Most people who suggested root canals want to understand does it take long to recover from a Root canal? This article provides information to help you prepare beforehand for your upcoming endodontic therapy.

Your fear and questions about this treatment are justified because of the myths surrounding root canals. However, updated dentistry techniques and equipment currently make root canals merely as uncomfortable as having a routine filling. The myths surrounding this treatment are just that MYTHS. The pain associated with endodontic therapy is before the root canal procedure and not during or after because root canals help relieve the excruciating pain and sensitivity your teeth endure because of the infected or inflamed dental pulp.

What Precisely Is Root Canal Treatment?

Endodontic therapy to eradicate infections from inside your tooth is known as root canal treatment. The treatment aims to remove the infected or inflamed from inside your tooth, clean the canals, disinfect them, and fill and seal them.

The treatment becomes necessary if you leave tooth decay untreated for long or have chipped or cracked teeth allowing bacteria to penetrate the tooth to contaminate them. This treatment helps eradicate the infection from within your tooth to prevent extraction, the only alternative available if you don’t want to undergo root canals.

The Root Canal Process

The Root canal process is pretty straightforward because after you arrive at dentistry Portland, OR, you receive anesthesia near the affected tooth and gums. However, if you are incredibly anxious about the procedure, you can discuss it with the dentist treating you to receive more potent anesthesia from undergoing the treatment comfortably.

After your tooth is entirely numb, the dentist near me makes an access hole in the crown of your tooth to expose the dental pulp. After that, the dentist removes the infected or inflamed dental pulp and begins cleaning and disinfecting the canals. After carefully ensuring eradicating the infection, the dentist places a biocompatible sealing material called gutta-percha inside the canals with adhesives to seal them. The access hole in the crown of your tooth is also filled with a temporary filling that you must have restored with a permanent filling or dental crown after you recover from the procedure.

Recovering from Root Canals

You require a few days to recover comprehensively from the root canal procedure. The recovery process depends on which tooth required the treatment and whether it was completed in one visit or required multiple appointments. Endodontic treatment on the molars is complicated because they have numerous canals and improper cleaning and leave you with pain and sensitivity even after undergoing the treatment.

However, if you needed a root canal near me for an anterior tooth having merely one canal, you recover faster so long as you follow the after-care instructions your dentist provides.

Managing Your Treated Tooth after a Root Canal

As you leave the dentist’s office, receive after-care instructions from the dentist, you must follow diligently. The anesthesia administered by the dentist wears off in three to four hours when you begin to feel the discomfort of root canal treatment. The pain is manageable with over-the-counter or prescribed painkillers from the dentist and ice packs over your cheeks to reduce swelling. However, the discomfort will likely continue for a couple of days before it subsides. Meanwhile, there is no reason for you to exist on a diet of liquid foods because you must keep yourself nourished.

Biting or chewing with the treated tooth is a challenge you must overcome by eating from the other part of your mouth. It helps if you avoid complex and crunchy foods that require excessive chewing and consider having soft foods like mashed potatoes, applesauce, broths, soups, et cetera.

You must follow the oral hygiene practices recommended by the dentist, including brushing twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Flossing at least once a day to prevent gum inflammation or infection is also recommended. Do not consider having acidic and spicy foods during your recovery, and continue with the habit even after you recover. Please do not neglect to visit your dentist to get the tooth restored with a permanent filling or dental crown to ensure you strengthen the tooth and restore its appearance. Also, maintain contact with your dentist every six months for cleanings and exams to make sure you never require root canal treatments ever again.

An oral surgeon is a very important link in your referral network of primary care providers. General dentists, pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and medical physicians may, at times, due to various reasons, refer you to an oral surgeon. An orthodontist always works with an oral surgeon to make orthotics and prosthetic appliances that treat many dental issues. An oral surgeon can handle most dental concerns involving treating trauma-related damage, controlling severe oral disease, and overcoming congenital growth issues.

An oral surgeon will help you improve the aesthetic of your smile and boost your confidence in your place of work or with your relationship with your peers.

What is Oral Surgery

Oral surgery is a type of dentistry service that involves the diagnosis and surgical treatment of injuries, diseases, and defects that are related to the functions of your mouth, face, teeth, and jaws.

Oral surgeons can handle oral health problems such as impacted teeth, oral cancer, jaw issues, and tooth extraction.

Why Do You Need an Oral Surgeon Rather Than a General Dentist?

Patients often mistake the roles of an oral surgeon for that of a dentist, and they think that they are one and the same. The difference narrows down to the type of training specialty your general dentist or surgeon has undergone and the types of services they are able to offer you.

General dentists in Portland can perform minor oral surgeries; however, the scope of their work includes oral exams, fillings, crowns, sealants, gum care, and professional teeth cleanings. Your dentist will look at the state of your emergency dental problem to determine if they can treat it. This also applies to gum surgery or surgical dental extraction.

An oral surgeon is needed when your oral problem requires a tooth extraction or restructuring of your gum tissue and jaw bone. A general dentist will refer you to a surgeon who can help you with issues of impacted teeth, wisdom teeth removal to bone loss repair, and jaw misalignment. They are also able to treat chronic conditions or diseases that affect your oral cavity.

When to See an Oral Surgeon

There are a variety of reasons that can necessitate a trip to an oral surgeon near you. If you have any of the dental problems mentioned below, visit a dentist near you to seek immediate dental treatment before the symptoms worsen. Some of the reasons to see an oral surgeon include:

• Tooth extraction

Tooth extraction may be necessary if a tooth is causing crowding in your mouth, if it is deceased beyond repair, or has experienced trauma. If you have an abscessed tooth, that means the infection has reached a point where it has impacted the root of your tooth. This problem can be a painful reaction and should be treated as soon as possible, and removal may also be necessary if it is in advanced stages, and an oral surgeon can do this.

• Impacted teeth

Wisdom teeth are typically associated with impaction, and when this happens, the only treatment needed is an extraction procedure. As you grow from childhood to adulthood, teeth also grow, and sometimes the space in your oral cavity may not support all your teeth. Extraction of the impacted teeth is needed to create space for your teeth and improve the aesthetic of your smile.

• Dental implants

Dental implants can be of great preference if a patient undergoes a tooth extraction in inconvenient places like the front part of your mouth. This will help you restore your smile, and you can discuss with your oral care provider any preference or options for a lustrous and natural-looking smile.

• Jaw issues

An oral surgeon can take care of problems of the jaw, such as chronic jaw pain. Oral surgeons have specialized training and are able to assess if the patient needs to undergo any jaw surgery to help them alleviate their issues with mastication or tension in the jaw.

• Oral cancer

Oral surgeons have specialized treatment that helps handle tumors and treats oral cancers. They can extend to the neck and head depending on how the tumor is associated with your oral health. If you have experienced recurrent or advanced cancer, then tooth removal is coupled with cancer therapy.

To get dentistry services in Portland, OR, visit Laurelhurst Dentistry.

Periodontal disease, also called periodontitis or gum disease, is a gum infection that affects the gum soft tissues. If it is left untreated, periodontal disease can destroy the bone supporting a tooth, leading to tooth loss in the end.

Typically, gum disease is treatable, but it is often hard to identify during its early stages without a diagnosis from the doctor. In this blog, we will discuss periodontitis in detail to help you make an informed decision. We are here for you if you are looking for a dentist near you in Portland, OR.

5 Early Symptoms of Gum Disease

Gum disease is often characterized by the following symptoms:

Swollen Gums

Typically, gum disease is caused by plaque buildup. The buildup plus the bacteria can irritate the gums, making them tender. With time, the gums can become swollen, which can be a huge indicator you might be suffering from periodontal disease. Furthermore, bacteria can discolor your gums, making them look darker than they look normally.

Receding Gums

When the gum tissues are attacked by bacteria, they start pulling away from the teeth, causing a condition we refer to as receding gums. One way you can identify receding gums is if your teeth look larger than normal.

Bleeding

If your gums are attacked by bacteria, they become so tender that they easily get hurt. That’s why people suffering from gum disease often bleed when they brush or floss their teeth. Therefore, it might mean you have periodontitis if you bleed after flossing or brushing your teeth.

Bad Breath

When the harmful bacteria attack the gum tissues, it kills some cells, and they start smelling bad with time. If you continuously have bad breath even after brushing your teeth, it might be a major sign that you are suffering from periodontitis.

Talk to a dentist in 97214 for a diagnosis to be on the safe side. The earlier the gum disease is diagnosed, the higher the chances of successfully treating it.

Loose Teeth

Eventually, bacteria attack the bone supporting your teeth, making them feel loose. If you notice that your teeth are loose, that’s a sure sign you are suffering from gum disease. Visit the dentist as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment before the affected tooth falls out on its own.

Cause of Periodontal Disease

Plaque buildup is the primary cause of gum disease. That said; there are other factors that contribute to gum disease, which include:

Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes during menstrual periods, pregnancy, puberty, or menopause can make your gums more sensitive, increasing the risk of developing gingivitis.

Illness

Some infections such as HIV/AIDS and diabetes can affect your immune system. When your immune system is affected, the risk of developing other infections, including periodontitis, increases.

Some Medications

Some medications can affect the production and flow of saliva in your mouth. Your saliva plays a vital role in digestion and neutralizing acids that can cause decay and gum disease.

Smoking

Bad habits such as smoking and chewing tobacco products make it hard for gum tissues to repair themselves when attacked by bacteria. It also masks the signs of periodontal disease, and it can increase the risk of losing a natural tooth to the infection.

Family History of Gum Disease

If you have a history of gum disease or members of your family, have, you are at a higher risk of developing periodontal disease.

Poor Oral Hygiene

You should brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, avoid sugary foods, and visit the dentist every six months for cleaning and exams. Failure to that might increase the risk of plaque buildup, leading to gum disease.

Advice from Your Gum Specialist Near You

The good thing is that periodontal disease is preventable. Our dentist near you gives you these tips to help you prevent periodontitis:

• Practice proper oral hygiene
• Visit the dentist every six months for cleaning, exams, and personalized advice.
• Quit bad habits such as smoking tobacco and marijuana.
• Visit the dentist more often if you have risk factors for gum disease.

Laurelhurst Dentistry

Talk to us if you are looking for dentistry in Portland, OR, and let us help you. We can diagnose and treat gum disease. We can also help you prevent yourself from getting it in the first place. Book an appointment now.

Dental emergencies can creep up on you and occur at the least expected time. For instance, you can, unfortunately, experience a dental emergency late in the night and may need to wait until morning to get to our nearest dental clinic to have the issue treated.

One of the most common dental emergency issues that may arise at night is your good old fashioned emergency dental aches. Anyone who has ever experienced toothaches at night will tell you how almost impossible it is to catch any sleep whatsoever.

A persistent night toothache will cost you some much-needed sleep and even interfere with your productivity the next day. This is why it is prudent to know some home remedies and treatments that you can employ to relieve a toothache, get some rest and come to our dental clinic the next day for some urgent dental care.

Let’s take a detailed look at some of these home treatments:

• Applying a Cold Compress

Applying a cold compress can help alleviate toothache at night. It does not have to be anything complicated; you can simply wrap up some ice in a towel and place it on your face or jaw on the affected side of your face.

The cold compress acts by constricting the blood vessels, disrupting the flow of blood within the affected area, thus reducing the intensity of the pain. You should use the cold compress in intervals of between 15- 20 minutes to avoid causing nerve damage.

• A Saltwater Rinse

A saltwater rinse can also be used to alleviate a toothache. Salt has antibacterial properties and can be efficient in reducing inflammation and preventing the onset of an infection. Also, the warm salt water rinse can draw up the pus from an abscessed tooth and numb the persistent toothache accompanying this dental issue.

• Cloves

Cloves contain Eugenol, a compound that has analgesic and antiseptic properties. This means that cloves can be used to reduce inflammation effectively and to numb the pain.

You can opt to grind the cloves into a fine powder and mixing it with some water to form a paste that you can apply around the affected tooth or gently suck or chew on a clove to release the Eugenol.

• Peppermint

Peppermint has menthol, which has a cooling and numbing effect that can help reduce pain and inflammation. You can opt to place a warm and wet peppermint tea bag on the affected tooth and hold it in place till the toothache subsides. You can also opt to use peppermint oil instead if you have some handy with you in the house.

• Garlic

Garlic contains an antibacterial substance known as allicin, which is released when it is crushed. This means that it can numb the pain, reduce inflammation and even disinfect the affected area. You can choose to gently chew on a piece of garlic or apply some freshly crushed garlic to the affected region.

• Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is very effective in remedying toothaches that are linked to infections. A hydrogen peroxide rinse can help kill any bacteria at the site of infection and reduce pain and inflammation. Mix the hydrogen peroxide solution with an equal part of water and rinse out your mouth for 30 seconds with the solution before spitting it out.

What Are Some Underlying Causes of Toothaches?

Here are some of the leading causes of emergency dental aches:

• A dental abscess
• Periodontal disease
• Food particles lodged in-between teeth or on the gums
• Worn out teeth due to bruxism
• Cavities
• Dental trauma
• A loose or cracked filling or dental crown
• A broken, fractured or cracked tooth that exposes your nerves
• An emerging wisdom tooth

A toothache can feel almost unbearable at night because lying down increases blood supply to the head region, intensifying the pain.

When Should You See Our Dentist Concerning a Toothache?

Whatever the cause of your night toothache may be, it is important to seek dental care and treatment at our dental clinic near you. A toothache signifies an underlying dental issue, and if left unchecked, this issue could give way to more severe complications.

You should visit our dentist for treatment if your toothache:

• Persists for more than 24 hours
• Any facial inflammation accompanies it
• It is accompanied by a fever, foul breath, swollen gums or a discharge

Contact us today at Laurelhurst Dentistry for emergency dental care.

You may want to display a healthier smile than you already have and may wonder how you can succeed in your goal. While you may find many suggestions to enhance the appearance of your smile from your friends or colleagues, most would either direct you to a cosmetic dentist or recommend expensive treatments you find beyond your means.

Genuinely the fastest way to display a healthier smile is to visit a cosmetic dentist requesting superficial treatments that make your teeth look brighter and whiter. However, the cost involved for the dental visit and the treatments they provide is exorbitant, leaving you with a grimace on your face instead of a smile. We can counter this problem successfully by providing five tips you can use to display a healthier smile. Remember, please don’t expect overnight results because the methods suggested are not a quick fix for any problem. Please continue reading to learn more about our five suggestions to have the healthier smile you desire.

1. Sticking to a Routine Is Essential

If you want significant contributions to the health of your smile, you must create a specific dental care routine. The optimal way we feel you can succeed is to incorporate two particular tasks into your dental health routine. First, brush your teeth two times a day, once in the morning and once before getting into bed at night. Second, floss your teeth at least once to remove plaque deposits from your teeth.

The dental care tips we provide help prevent cavities from developing besides reducing plaque and tartar deposits on your teeth. When you allow plaque to remain on your teeth for 48 hours without brushing and flossing, you require professional help to get a deep cleaning, making you susceptible to cavities developing. Brushing is an excellent method of strengthening your teeth and keeping your gums healthy by preventing gum disease.

Besides the above, schedule regular visits to your dentist as part of your oral hygiene routine. Six monthly visits enable dentists to check for cavities, clean plaque, and tartar, perform x-rays and any other checks for potential oral health issues like cancer. During your dental exam, the dentist provides suggestions on improving your daily regimen and recommends any dental procedures you may need going ahead to ensure your oral health remains in prime condition.

2. Incorporate Tooth Healthy Foods into Your Diet

Incorporating tooth-healthy foods into your diet because you to veer off from foods primary contributors of plaque buildup. For example, you may have to give up the candy you love in favor of snacks like fruits and vegetables, cheese, and sugar-free gum. You are also required to give up all the sugary drinks you preferred, drinking water as a method to keep yourself hydrated. Your teeth will thank you for avoiding sugary beverages, which also benefits your overall health.

3. Invest in Preventive Dental Care

Regular visits to your dentist are essential even before you encounter any pain. Dentists can offer many tips during preventive care assessments regarding brushing and flossing your teeth and other oral care instructions. Preventive dental care visits ensure you have excellent oral health and are unlikely to confront problems unexpectedly needing expensive treatments from emergency dentists. When you neglect preventive care visits, you allow minor oral health issues to magnify and become significant, requiring expensive treatments to resolve.

4. Mouthwash Helps

Don’t consider mouthwash as merely a cosmetic requirement because your teeth, gums, and smile all benefit from using mouthwash. It is an excellent way of eliminating bacteria, strengthening enamel, preventing tooth decay and gum disease. Mouthwash also helps to get rid of bad breath, leaving you feeling fresh.

5. Consider Dental Sealants

Do you assume that dental sealants are merely for children and have no role to play among adults? If you don’t have any issues in your mouth like tooth decay, gum disease, or restorations, you too can inquire about dental sealants with your dentist. Dental sealants provide a barrier on your teeth, acting as a deterrent for food particles and bacteria trapped in your molars to create cavities. The application procedure of dental sealants is painless and completed in a few minutes, and the prices for the treatment of affordable too. Dental sealants protect your teeth and smile by preventing cavities from developing in your mouth, giving you the benefit of displaying a healthier smile.

We assume you will use the tips provided in this blog and benefit from them to smile before everyone.