Intraoral Cameras Improve Your Smile | Issaquah Dentist

Technology has advanced to the point that our own eyes are not always the best for probing your mouth. And thus, for those deep, precise examinations of every nook and cranny inside of your mouth, we break out the intraoral camera.

With Great Power Comes Great Resolution

One of the major reasons why we use these cameras is because they are adroit at maneuvering inside of your mouth and revealing what they see, far better than our own fingers, tiny mirror, and eyeballs. With an intraoral camera, we can check for a suspected fracture and see exactly how deep it runs down the tooth, and immediately begin preparing our treatment plan.

Rather than press around uncomfortably on diseased or injured gums, we can just point the camera in the direction and see exactly where the disease is, what stage it is at, and anything that may not have been apparent during the routine exam. This saves you time, comfort and allows us to focus our attention on providing care, when before we would still have to spend more time diagnosing the root of the issue.

Lastly, it helps provide comprehensive care, by allowing us to see places we might normally not check on first pass, detect issues too small to be easily seen with the naked eye, and provide an easier way to document and keep records of discoveries during your care, for this and future visits…

All in all, intraoral cameras are a marvelous piece of technology that has revolutionized and streamlined oral care, allowing us to see patients and treat them more efficiently during every visit.

For more information about intraoral cameras, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Which Nutrients Do Healthy Teeth Need? | Issaquah Dentist

There are many things that you have to do to keep your teeth healthy. You must brush your teeth and it helps if you brushed them when you wake and when you go to sleep. Flossing after brushing helps to ferret out food particles stuck between your teeth.

Your teeth also require a lot of nutrients to stay their healthiest. Do you eat the right kinds of foods to give your teeth the kinds of nutrients that they need? Your teeth need nutrients just as much as they need a strict oral hygiene schedule. Here are some nutrients that your teeth need to be their healthiest:

Vitamin D. Your body requires Vitamin D to allow calcium to be properly absorbed into your bones and teeth. Vitamin D makes bones and teeth strong. If you have a Vitamin D deficiency, then your body will actually strip the calcium from your bones and teeth. You can get Vitamin D from direct sunlight, orange juice, eggs, dairy products, fatty fish, mushrooms, and Vitamin D fortified cereal.

Calcium. Calcium and Vitamin D work together to make your bones healthy. However, your teeth really need Calcium to remain strong. You can acquire your calcium needs from dairy products, fatty fish, and leafy green vegetables.

Potassium. Potassium contributes to make the enamel of your teeth both dense and strong. There are a variety of potassium-rich foods like bananas, fish, beef, pork, soybeans and lentils, and dairy products.

Take a supplement. Taking a daily supplement can also help you get the nutrients that you need to keep your teeth healthy. Always stick to your oral hygiene regimens. Also remember that your teeth need nutrients to keep them strong. For more information, make sure to call our office.

For more information about tooth-friendly nutrients, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Depression Affects Your Smile’s Health | Issaquah Dentist

In recent years, scientific research has discovered a close link between your oral health and your overall health. There are many conditions we can identify during a visual examination of your oral cavity, even if you don’t know you suffer from them.

This includes mental health problems such as depression. Recent studies suggest that depression conclude depression is closely related to poor oral health.

When someone is depressed, they lose interest in everyday activities, and in many cases, the person stops taking care of themselves, including neglecting his or her oral health in general. Not brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing at least once per day can be extremely detrimental to your mouth and set the stage for serious dental conditions in the future.

When you struggle with depression or other emotional condition your teeth will also suffer. Some signs of depression that will show in your teeth are:

General dental neglect. If you stop brushing and flossing your teeth regularly, you may have more cavities than usual, and your gums may be tender or swollen without the stimulation from brushing.

Periodontal disease. There is a close connection between depression and periodontal disease. Depression can affect your oral health through the salivary glands. When the production of saliva is restricted, you can have dry mouth which results in a higher risk for tooth decay.

Oral pain. Many people who have recurrent pain from conditions such as temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) also suffer from depression. There is a clear connection between pain and depression, according to scientific studies.

Keeping your regular checkups will let us identify any potential problems that may develop in the future. If you struggle with depression, your teeth may show it at different levels.

For more information about the effects of depression on your smile, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Why Drinking Water Is Important to Your Oral Health | Issaquah Dentist

Water is vital to many of your body’s natural functions. Without water, you’ll become dehydrated and begin to suffer from a number of different illnesses.

Water is also very important for your oral health. Without clean water, you’ll begin to experience a number of different issues with your teeth and gums.

In the U.S. and many other countries, the city drinking water includes fluoride. This helps to keep your teeth strong and healthy. Without clean drinking water, your teeth will be exposed to a number of bacteria. These bacteria will attach themselves to your teeth and begin to eat away at the enamel there, especially if you don’t brush your teeth regularly. They can also lead to gum disease.

In areas without clean drinking water, it’s also common to find manganese and other elements in the water. Continued exposure to high levels of some of these elements, especially those that are highly acidic, can cause damage to your teeth and gums.

Water also helps keep your mouth clean by washing away some of the bacteria and food particles that have become stuck in your teeth. While it’s no substitution for brushing or flossing, drinking plenty of water will help your mouth clean, especially if the water is clean.

For most people, access to clean, fresh water isn’t a problem. However, those who live in rural areas may get their water from wells rather than from a city water system. This water likely doesn’t include fluoride, so it doesn’t help keep your teeth strong. It’s possible that the water may also have some extra trace minerals or elements that cause some tooth issues.

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

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Scrubbing Your Teeth with Snacks | Issaquah Dentist

Keeping our teeth clean and healthy is important, not only to our dental health, but also our overall health. But this doesn’t mean you need to constantly brush your teeth. While brushing after each meal would be advantageous, not all of us have a toothbrush available at all times. Fortunately, there are loads of snacks you can nosh on that will do a good job in between brushings.

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. This naturally cleans your teeth by rinsing your mouth as you eat. Additionally, carrots are full of B vitamins, which are essential in fighting gingivitis.

Leafy greens are high in fiber and low in calories, so not only are they good for your body, but they’re also great for your teeth. Kale and spinach contain calcium, which helps strengthen your teeth and B vitamins, which like we mentioned with carrots, help fight gingivitis! The fiber in both kale and spinach help scrub away plaque and food debris as you eat them.

You’ve heard the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away‘, well it also keeps the plaque at bay! Not only does the fiber in an apple help clean your teeth, but they also fight bad breath. They scrub away plaque and debris and the acidity of an apple helps kill the bad bacteria that encourages bad breath.

Keep choosing healthy snacks and you’ll keep the plaque away, making your overall oral health even better. Give our office a call today to schedule your next exam, we look forward to hearing from you soon!

For more information about snacks that brighten our smiles, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Your Teeth May Hurt Following a Root Canal | Issaquah Dentist

You’re at the dentist and you find out that you need a root canal. But what happens after the root canal? What if it still hurts? Understanding the reasons can help you figure out what to do.

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 aftercare.

  • Inflammation and swelling. It is possible that the surrounding tissue and nerves can become inflamed after a root canal. This can cause some discomfort for a few days.
  • Collateral damage. During the procedure, the instruments may cause a little damage to tissue around the site of the root canal.
  • High temporary filling. It is possible the temporary filling is not smoothed down enough creating a high or rough spot that is 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 troth has more than one root canal. It is possible to miss a canal during this procedure.

Pain is a sign that something is wrong. If you have pain after a root canal, you should not ignore it. You need to figure out what the cause is, so you know what to do about it.

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

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Why Does My Wisdom Tooth Hurt So Much? | Issaquah Dentist

When a baby is teething, parents work hard to soothe their pain. As an adult, we experience teeth growing again. Sometime during our teen and young adult years, your wisdom teeth will come in. For some people there is no pain, while others experience pain like they’ve never imagined. Here are the reasons why wisdom teeth hurt:

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. The tooth does not grow at a very fast speed. That means 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. It gets stuck in the gum and is then an impacted wisdom tooth. This is another type of pain people feel. 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. It is possible for the wisdom tooth to have an infection. Like any other infection of the teeth or gums, the infected wisdom tooth cause pain.

Pain from a wisdom tooth is normal and something that plenty of people deal with. The good news is that there are things to do about the pain. Over-the-counter medications can help manage the pain until the tooth grows in.

Extraction is also an effective treatment for impacted teeth. The key is to get the help of our dental professionals when you have painful wisdom teeth. They’ll be able to advise on the next steps.

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

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Most Common Mistakes People Tend to Make When Flossing | Issaquah Dentist

Flossing is an important part of your daily routine of getting a healthy smile and keeping cavities and gum disease away. Yet, most people don’t know it is possible to floss the wrong way and damage their teeth while doing it.

Flossing is considered important because when brushing and flossing the floss is responsible for the removal of 40% of bacteria and plaque. Below, we cover why flossing is important and a few common flossing mistakes. 

Bad Habits While Flossing

When you move from tooth to tooth quickly you risk not removing the tartar buildup on your teeth. Which is the whole purpose of flossing. We floss to clean old food and bacteria from between your teeth, but also helps remove a thin, damaging layer of plaque that can cause cavities to form.

Many people only floss one side of each of their teeth, think about it. Do you slide it between teeth and only put pressure against one side or do you take the time to slide up and down a few times against one tooth and then reverse the process against the other tooth?

Bleeding When You Floss

A full flossing routine should always involve cleaning teeth down below the gum line. This is where dental plaque can deposit in the pockets unreached by toothbrushes. If left untreated, plaque buildup near the root of teeth can lead to gingivitis and tooth decay. Bleeding gums when flossing is often an early sign of gum disease.

If you or your child has sensitive, swollen gums that bleed when they are brushed or flossed, then it most definitely is time to schedule a visit to our office. Gum disease is very treatable and can be reversed. Allow us to help get your oral care back on track. Call our office today to schedule an appointment.

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

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

How Is Aspirin So Dangerous to Your Gums? | Issaquah Dentists

Whenever you’re experiencing any kind of pain in your teeth, gums, or mouth in general, you should never put an aspirin anywhere near your gums.

If you ever experience unbearable pain anywhere in your mouth, we recommend you consult us; we’ll give you recommendations on the right kind of pain-relieving medication to take. That said, let’s learn a little more about aspirin and why it isn’t safe to put on your gums.

The main reason why aspirin isn’t good for you is that it can chemically burn your gums. Not only does it not relieve your pain, but it also introduces another pain on top of it that you will have to deal with.

Common Dental Myths

Some people wrongly believe that if they mix aspirin into a paste, it will work better, while others believe that the best way to make it work is to press it directly onto the gum. Neither of those methods works.

Why You Should Avoid Aspirin

Aspirin has a scientific name: Acetylsalicylic Acid, which means that it is an acid. You may know from your high school chemistry that acid burns your tissue, including your gums, your mouth, and even your teeth.

If you want an OTC drug that really works, we recommend you get Ibuprofen. It isn’t an acid, it relieves pain and inflammation, and it is actually safe for your teeth, gums, and mouth in general. In fact, if you’re taking aspirin, you shouldn’t take any Ibuprofen at all as the two can be a dangerous mix. Our advice is that you avoid aspirin completely.

Ultimately, if you’re experiencing a toothache, we recommend that you visit our offices so we can have a look at it. A painkiller will provide only temporary relief. If you want a more permanent cure, you should come and let our professionals have a look at it.

For more information about the effects of aspirin on your gums, call Dr. Sciabica in Issaquah, WA at 425-392-3900 or visit www.issaquahdentists.com.

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.

Do All Wisdom Teeth Require Removal? | Issaquah Dentist

Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are a set of four teeth that appear after the initial growth of the permanent teeth. This is why they are called “wisdom” teeth colloquially; they appear in our wiser years. They are routinely removed by dentists, as they can often be the cause of oral health issues.

Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

Our prehistoric ancestors had larger jaws than we do, and room to accommodate the extra set of teeth that we dub “wisdom teeth”, today. A mutation in the gene MYH16 may be responsible for having caused changes in the size of some of our ancestors’ jaws.

Why Are Wisdom Teeth Removed?

As a result of these evolutionary changes, many modern humans have smaller jaws, and the growth of the extra teeth can cause dental crowding (the other teeth are slowly pushed forward, and with nowhere to go, become crooked near the front of the mouth). They can also be hard to reach when brushing and flossing, resulting in decay and cavities.

Wisdom teeth may also cause issues with the bite, leading to jaw discomfort. In some cases, wisdom teeth do not fully grow in, but remain impacted within the gums. This causes extreme discomfort, swelling, and even bleeding.

When Can Wisdom Teeth NOT Be Removed?

Some people have space in their mouths for wisdom teeth. If there is space in the mouth, and the extra teeth grow in fully, without impaction, do not compromise the health of a patient’s bite, and can be easily reached during daily cleaning, there is no need for removal.

The decision whether or not to remove wisdom teeth is one that must be made with the help of our dentists. There are many factors to take into account, all of which our dentists are aware of, and able to discuss with our patients. We will be able to assess whether it is in your best interest to have your wisdom teeth removed.

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

Dr. Frank S. Sciabica proudly serves patients from Issaquah and all surrounding areas.