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Bottled Water Is Not as Good as You Think It Is | Issaquah Dentist

Bottled water is more popular than ever for a variety of reasons. Some people simply don’t have access to clean drinking water, but for others, claims of fresh spring water have them opting for bottled versions over the water in their own tap.

The big problem with the switch to bottled water is a lack of fluoride, and the consequences could be detrimental to your teeth.

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral that has been established as a way to prevent decay. Research is so supportive of this claim that most communities have added it to their public drinking water. Fluoride is especially important for children, as it is easily absorbed into the enamel. Once the teeth are fully developed, fluoride makes the structure resistant to decay.

Are People Getting Less Fluoride?

Researchers believe that as more consumers drink bottled water, fewer ingest the amount of fluoride needed to prevent cavities. The American Dental Association states that if bottled water is your primary source of drinking water, you are likely missing out on the important decay-prevention of fluoride. In fact, this concern was discussed at the World Dental Congress, which identified it as a possible reason tooth decay is on the rise among children.

Are There Other Ways to Get Fluoride?

If you tend to drink bottled water more often than tap water, it is important that you get fluoride in other ways. Some bottled waters include fluoride, and most commercial toothpastes contain fluoride. You might also want to ask your dentist or doctor about fluoride supplements.

In addition to getting enough fluoride, visiting your dentist regularly is an important step to maintain strong, healthy teeth. Regardless of whether you drink tap or bottled water, we can get a better idea about the health of your mouth. Give us a call today to set up your next dental cleaning and check-up.

For more information about bottled water, call Dr. Frank S. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Sciabica proudly serve patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

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Snacks that Help Clean Your Teeth | Issaquah Dentist

Well, here we are – on the brink of a whole new decade. And if you are like the rest of us, you have taken some stock on how you are living and the changes you’d like to make in this upcoming year. Yes folks, it’s resolution time. For some, it brings hope to a new lease on life, for others, it causes anxiety for the change. But before you close the book on making resolutions, why not keep it simple – snack better.

Yes, just snacks. We all do it, but we don’t always make the best choices. Here are few great options that will not only work on your resolution list, but will also improve your smile’s health:

A carrot a day. Carrots are full of fiber and help keep teeth clean by scrubbing the plaque off as you eat. Due to the fact that they’re not a juicy vegetable, they stimulate saliva production. Bonus? Vitamin B is in fighting gingivitis.

Eat your greens. Leafy greens are high in fiber and low in calories, so not only are they good for your body, they’re great for your teeth. Kale and spinach contain vitamin B and calcium, which helps strengthen your teeth. Also, like carrots, the fiber-packed kale and spinach help scrub away plaque and food debris as you eat them.

The apple of my eye. You’ve heard the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, well it also keeps the plaque at bay! They help with saliva production, scrub away plaque and debris and the acidity of an apple helps kill the bad bacteria that encourages bad breath.

For more information about teeth-friendly snacks, call Dr. Frank S. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Sciabica proudly serve patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

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Reasons Why Wisdom Teeth Often Hurt | Issaquah Dentist

If we are lucky, we only need to experience new teeth twice in our lives – when we are babies and as our permanent teeth come in. It isn’t a comfortable time in our lives at either point. Both happen during a formative time in our lives, when life is anything but normal. But for some of us, a third “teething” process takes place – wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth generally come in during our late adolescent years and turn up as molars in the back of your mouth. For some, it isn’t an issue. For most, it can be a very painful time. Here’s why:

Eruption. The top of your gums is full of nerves. When wisdom teeth erupt through the skin, they are breaking those nerves and the result is pain. Because teeth don’t grow in quickly, the pain can last for a lot longer than anyone wants until the tooth is fully grown.

Impaction. There are times when the tooth grows at the wrong angle, gets stuck in the gum and becomes impacted. The pain from an impacted wisdom tooth is felt in many places. It can affect the area of impaction, the teeth surrounding the impaction, the gums and the jaw.

Infection. Like any other infection of the teeth or gums, the infected wisdom tooth cause pain.

We can’t predict if your wisdom teeth will cause you pain. What we can be sure of is that pain from a wisdom tooth is normal. It is something that plenty of people deal with. The good news is that there are things to do about the pain. Medications can help manage the pain until the tooth grows in.

For more information about wisdom teeth, call Dr. Frank S. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit  www.issaquahdentists.com .

Dr. Sciabica proudly serve patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

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Reasons Your Teeth May Hurt Following a Root Canal | Issaquah Dentist

If there is one thing we are sure of, it’s that we do not want to hear the words root canal coming out during a dental visit. And while there lots of treatment options done to make sure it goes as quickly and painlessly as possible, there is residual pain. After all, it’s surgery – your body needs time to heal after something like that. But there is natural pain and pain that denotes something is wrong. Here is how to break it all down:

A root canal is a surgical procedure. Some pain or discomfort is normal after this type of procedure. There are some things that will subside with a little time and go away in a few days:

  • Inflammation and swelling. Surrounding tissue and nerves can become inflamed after a root canal.
  • Collateral damage. Instruments may cause a little damage to tissue around the area.
  • High temporary filling. Temporary filling may not be smoothed down enough, creating spot sensitive to touch.

There are also times when the pain is related to something else. Pain for these reasons will require a return to the dentist for more treatment.

  • Infection in the bone. It is possible for the infection to include some of the bone, along with the tooth, and the root canal may not have cleaned out this infection.
  • Excess cement or air on the root tip. This is a result of the way the root canal was done.
  • Missed canal. Your tooth has more than one root canal. It is possible to miss a canal during this procedure.

For more information about root canal pain, call Dr. Frank S. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit  www.issaquahdentists.com .

Dr. Sciabica proudly serve patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.