Our Dental Blog Archives for Coquitlam Dentist: Page 1

We all know that brushing and flossing our teeth is an important part of taking care of our teeth, but are you sure you are doing it correctly? The Canadian Dental Association has illustrated how to properly floss and brush your teeth.

Are you brushing and flossing regularly? Give us a call and we’ll book you in for a checkup and cleaning. We can also help you show your children the techniques for brushing and flossing as they’re learning to take care of their teeth.

Everyone is aware that a healthy mouth means a healthy body and yet only a few people seem to take the challenge of keeping it healthy seriously. What you eat is what you are and yet a lot remain to eat whatever they feel like eating. Nutrition doesn’t usually come into the picture and become an issue until a person starts experiencing tooth pains.

Before you decide what to eat next, it is best that you look into its impact on not just your dental health but your overall health as well. No matter how much you deny it, the effects of what you eat on your nutrition and oral health is undeniably big. In fact, if you choose to eat the wrong things, your immune system can weaken and you can get sick. At the same time, such types of foods usually cause tooth decay and the growth of cavities which could all cause tooth pains and worse tooth problems.

If you start eating only the right kids of foods, you will notice how healthy you feel from the inside. Less carbohydrates, less sugary and starchy foods and high vegetables and fruits will help you become fitter and healthier with a more beautiful smile.  To help maintain a healthy smile, and proper oral health, don’t forget to visit your dentist for your regular checkups.

Oral cancer is unlike other types of cancer because it is not the most prominent one. In fact, statistics show that compared to the number of those who die of lung cancer or cervical cancer, those who are at risk of dying because of oral cancer are lower in number. And yet the fact about oral cancer remains the same. It can be painful and fatal all at once. The hard part about oral cancer is that a layman may not be able to detect that it is already there and that it can be difficult to cure too.

Although dentists usually say that early detection of oral cancer and extensive treatment of it would be very helpful in saving your life, proper oral health could have saved you from all the trouble. The best thing to do to prevent cancer is to make sure that you do your share of care for your oral health and let the dentist do his share too. With regular visits to the dentist, you can be assured that something can be done to improve your oral health and perhaps if cancer cells have already developed its early stages, it can be detected too.

Changes in the mouth especially the teeth, gums and tongue should be a cause for alarm. Make sure to see your dentist immediately before anything gets worse or you are in a lot of pain.

A severe toothache is compared by many, to one of the worst forms of torture imaginable.  You’ll never know when one is coming and it’s there not a true remedy for it. It’s hard to think that something that can be so devastating to your day derives from something so simple and treatable–tooth decay.

Tooth decay isn’t usually painful in the early stages. Small cavities normally get left unnoticed, but once decay eats through the outer enamel and makes it way to the nerve of a tooth, you will not be able to escape the pain.

The bacteria, now burrowed inside your tooth and sets up a home, and starts producing gas. In turn, this gas starts building in pressure, which cause swelling, pain and a trip to the dentists for even the most phobic of dentists.

If you’re getting regular toothaches your best option is usually a root canal. Antibiotics will be prescribed to get kick the bacteria out of its new home in your tooth. Your dentist will then replace the nerve with something your body won’t reject, and in some case a crown can be placed on the tooth to prevent any bacteria settling down again. In the worst cases, your tooth may have to be removed if the infection has spread too far.

Preventative care is extremely important. Brushing twice a day and flossing help keep those nasty visitors at bay, but this isn’t enough, you need to visit your dentist regularly so he or she can make sure that what you’re doing is working.

In our continuous series of the best ways to prevent cavities, Greenline Dental explains why vending machines are causing more and more cavities in children and adults.

“Instead of this cavity-causing, sugar-filled, junk food, consider the following alternatives that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but limit cavities from occurring…”

Vending machines are quick, easy and cheap. Put in some of your extra pocket cash and instantly enjoy a chocolate bar, chip bag, or even a can of pop. That’s not the only thing you’re getting for cheap, vending machines are not only giving out sugar-filled treats; they are also giving out cavities!

When you choose to satisfy your hunger with a chocolate bar or bag of candy, the bacteria in your mouth starts digesting sugar, quickly turning it into acid. This harmful chemical stays on your teeth and begins to eat away at the natural enamel (the material that protects your smile from tooth decay). When enamel gets eaten, you get a cavity!

So what are some helpful ways to prevent cavities from occurring? Always remember to brush your teeth after eating any sugar-filled treat. If you don’t have a chance to brush, don’t even think about treating yourself!

Instead of this cavity-causing, sugar-filled, junk food, consider the following alternatives that will not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but limit cavities from occurring:

• Bread
• Sliced meat
• Milk
• Raw veggies and fruit
• Nuts and seeds

Subscribe to our blog for more helpful ways to prevent cavities, or contact the friendly team at Greenline Dental to learn more about what causes cavities.

It is a commonly known fact that smoking leads to health problems such as lung cancer, but did you know that smoking and oral health problems often go hand in hand?

In fact, smoking is the leading cause for almost 75% of gum disease in adults. This percentage includes adults who smoke from pipes and cigars, as well as those enjoying smokeless tobacco.

“As soon as you begin using tobacco products, you are more likely to experience these common problems that are tied with smoking and oral health problems”

As soon as you begin using tobacco products, you are more likely to experience these common problems that are tied with smoking and oral health problems:

• Bad breath
• Stained teeth and tongue
• Gum disease
• Gum recession
• Tooth loss
• Bone loss in the jaw
• Delayed healing process after dental treatment
• Mouth sores
• Decreased sense of taste and smell

At Greenline Dental we are always dedicated to helping you maintain optimal oral health, that is why we strongly recommend patients to quit using any tobacco products.

For the sake of your teeth, gums and oral health, use these steps recommended by the Surgeon General to help make quitting smoking easier.

• Be prepared
• Ask for help from friends/family members/co-workers
• Invest your free time in an interesting activity
• Be prepared for a relapse
• Get medication, if necessary, and use it correctly

The team at Greenline Dental Centre understand how difficult and time-consuming quitting smoking can be. However, we are dedicated to helping you protect your most valuable asset – your beautiful smile.

Contact our Coquitlam dental clinic if you are in need of any support or advice on your journey to understanding smoking and oral health issues.

Do your gums often get red, swollen, and tender or do they bleed easily? Have your gums pulled away from your teeth at all? Are your teeth loose or separating? Do you suffer from chronic bad breath (halitosis) or a bad taste in your mouth? Have you experienced any changes in your bite?

If your answer was yes to any of these questions you may have gum disease, also known as periodontal disease.

Gum disease is essentially an infection of the teeth’s supporting tissues. Gum disease targets the area just below the gum line, where it can break down the attachment between the tooth and its supporting tissues. As the tissues are damaged, pockets are created where bacteria can thrive and impact your oral health.

Did you know it’s possible to have gum disease without any symptoms or warning signs? Gum disease has two main stages known as gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the less severe and reversible form of gum disease, which affects the gums only. If Gingivitis is neither identified nor reversed it will likely lead to periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease which in turn affects your overall health.

The dental experts at Greenline Dental Centre assess the health of your teeth and gums at every appointment, checking for the signs of gum disease and performing professional cleaning to ensure that pockets of bacteria and plaque don’t build up in your mouth. Your hygiene professional will provide personalized guidance on how often you should visit to prevent gum disease or what is required to get rid of active infection. They will also instruct you on how best to care for your teeth between visits.

Contact Aaagon Dental to book your preventative dentistry appointment today, and we will work with you to ensure that your smile is healthy and your energy levels high to support your active lifestyle.

Has anyone ever told you that you grind your teeth in your sleep? Perhaps a parent or partner may even try to wake you up while you’re grinding. Unfortunately, most people who grind their teeth in their sleep, don’t even know they’re doing it.

Teeth grinding is one of the most common sleep disorders referred to in the medical profession as Bruxism. The symptoms for which are broad and far reaching, including: jaw stiffness and soreness, anxiety,depression, headaches as well as insomnia. Your health partners at Greenline Dental want to empower you to combat Bruxism, so you wake up feeling rested, pain free and ready for the day!

Quality of sleep factors greatly into how you perform in your waking hours, whether at work or at home. If you are resting well, you are feeling well and needless to say the reverse is true as well. There are several ways dental professionals diagnose and treat bruxism.

As with any other health problem, early detection is the key to treating this particular sleep disorder. There are various ways to test the frequency and duration of your grinding throughout the night. Most importantly, there are treatment methods available such as dental guards and splints which are typically worn on a long-term basis during each and every night’s sleep.

Over the counter mouth guards sold at drug stores, while inexpensive, are considered by dental professionals to be ineffective in preventing tooth erosion and further decay. A good nights rest is imperative to maintaining a healthy quality of life for you and your family. If you or your children experience bruxism, consult your Greenline Dental expert for treatment options as your oral health depends upon it.

Expecting a new addition to your family soon? A little bundle of joy? If you are expecting a baby make sure you educate yourself about oral health practices for you and your newborn baby. If you remain healthy throughout your pregnancy your baby will remain healthy in the womb and when he or she arrives.

Oral health is imperative for all of us and if you are bringing a new baby into the world it is even more important to keep up with routine dental visits. Our team at Greenline Dental wants to make sure that you have healthy teeth and gums so that you can protect your child from any future complications that can result from dental problems.

Some dental procedures are dangerous for soon-to-be mothers such as x-rays, anesthetic methods and more. It is also important to take care of your oral health from the very beginning and book a dental appointment with Greenline Dental before you get pregnant.

It’s a beautiful life-altering experience to be pregnant and prenatal dental visits are extremely important with regards to the health and development of the baby. It has been known that by taking care of your teeth while pregnant you can reduce the risks of low birth weight in a newborn baby. You can avoid developing bacteria within the mouth and tooth decay by booking a consultation with Greenline Dental. In the past, studies have shown that women during the reproductive age are at a higher risk of gum or periodontal disease.

Prematurity has also been linked to periodontal and gum disease because oral bacteria can spread to the uterus which can cause inflammation. Inflammation can then cause the baby to be born at a low birth weight or earlier than the due date. You can reduce the risk by taking care of your teeth at home by flossing, brushing and rinsing with mouth wash, but regular dental visits are necessary. We at Greenline Dental want to encourage all soon-to-be moms to get in touch with us so we can develop a specialized dental care treatment plan for you and your new arrival.

Contact us today and let’s get you and your baby on the road to optimal oral health!

The American Diabetes Association recently announced that studies have identified and confirmed a direct correlation between diabetes and gum disease. Not only are diabetics more prone to gum disease, but oral health problems such as gingivitis can also affect blood glucose stability, leading to the advancement of diabetes.

Our experts at Greenline Dental share a passion for staying at the forefront of the healthcare field as the industry evolves in knowledge, treatments and technology. New research has confirmed that excellent oral health is integral to the maintenance of excellent whole body health. Evidently, this link is vital to our patients who are diabetic.

Diabetes and unstable blood glucose levels increase your risk of developing serious gum disease and losing teeth. Furthermore, recent and potentially groundbreaking studies have found that gum disease can contribute to a rise in blood sugar and thus make diabetes harder to control.

If you suffer from a diabetic condition, you can effectively increase your chances of related complications by neglecting to care for your teeth and gums. The most important ways for our diabetic patients to maintain optimal oral health include: 1) Controlling glucose levels, 2) Visiting Greenline Dental every six months for your professional cleaning, 3) Keeping us aware of how you are managing your diabetes, 4) Brushing your teeth at least twice daily after meals, flossing daily, and using mouthwash, 5) Quitting smoking, 6) Becoming more aware of warning signs such as receding, tender or bleeding gums, and loose teeth.

Greenline Dental is concerned with every aspect of our patients’ health, and would like to partner with you to restore and revitalize your overall heath. If you have diabetes, speak to one of our team members about how we can best protect your oral health.