Boones Ferry Dental

Signs and Symptoms of Bruxism You Can’t Afford to Miss

You might not be familiar with the term, but bruxism is a common problem and you are probably familiar with the behavior. It is the persistent grinding, clenching, or gnashing of teeth. It often occurs in patients with anxiety issues or sleep disorders, like apnea. It has a wide range in severity, and can wax and wane over the course of a lifetime. But if you have it, you should talk to Dr. Morrissey for a proper diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Why is Bruxism a Concern?

The masseter (cheek muscle used to chew) is one of the strongest in the human body. It can exert up to 600 pounds of force per square inch. Imagine what that kind of constant pressure could do. It could easily wear down the structure of teeth causing fractures of flattening, reducing teeth to nubs. It could also cause joint and muscle problems, or more severe temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ disorders).

Causes of Bruxism in Adults

One of the leading triggers for teeth grinding is anxiety. And if you already grind your teeth day and night, stress can make the condition worse. Also, there are those who grind their teeth regardless of anxiety. Some do it because of dental problems or poor alignment of teeth. Another contributor could also be sleep apnea. New research shows that those with partial breathing obstruction during sleep often have bruxism. The action of clenching the jaw and grinding teeth works to open the collapsed airway. So before you can seek treatment, the dentist needs to figure out the underlying cause of your grinding.

How do I Know If I Have It?

Most people do not even realize they are grinding their teeth, even when it is an ongoing habit. This is because the majority who suffer from bruxism often grind their teeth at night while they sleep. So, for proper diagnosis, Dr. Morrissey will ask some detailed questions and look for several signs and symptoms of the condition.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Bruxism

These might include:

• Exhaustion from lack of restful sleep
• Recurring headaches
• Consistent neck or jaw pain
• Ear pain, not from an ear infection
• Receding gums
• Teeth sensitivity
• Teeth that are flat or fractured
• Loosening teeth
• Beginnings of jaw joint disorders
• Locked jaw that doesn’t fully close or open

People who occasionally grind their teeth don’t have anything to worry about. However, those who suffer from constant teeth grinding should seek professional help from Boones Ferry Dental. Call our office today at (503) 683-7484 or visit us at 5775 Willow Ln., Lake Oswego, OR, 97035 to speak about your case.

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4 Fruits That Are Great For Your Dental Health

Fruits are a nutritional treasure for human beings and every one of us should eat as much fruit as possible. Fruits will provide you with necessary minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that will also protect your gums and teeth. Studies have shown that increased fruit intake has been associated with lower levels of tooth decay. The high level of water in fruits also helps your saliva flow and helps your teeth and gums resist the damaging effects of accumulation of plaque, bacteria and harmful acids.

Here are 7 fruits that are great for your oral health:  

Strawberry

Strawberries contain ingredients like malic acid and vitamin C, both of which help keep your teeth white. The former acts like an astringent which eliminates the stains from teeth while the latter aids in the removal of plaque from teeth. You can also make a strawberry and baking soda paste and use it as a teeth whitening toothpaste.

Apples

Malic acid – which is a necessary ingredient of teeth whiteners – is also present in apples. Eating an apple can increase the saliva flow, which helps clean the mouth and reduce the chances of developing cavities. Apples are also helpful in reducing yellow spots on your teeth because of high amount of fiber in them.

Bananas

Bananas are full of minerals and vitamins that strengthen your teeth and body. They are one of the most affordable fruits and are an amazing source of energy. The inside of a banana peel can be used to whiten your teeth as it is full of minerals like potassium, magnesium and manganese. Just take a banana peel and rub the inside of it on your teeth for a couple of minutes. Your teeth will absorb the minerals which will help whiten teeth.

Oranges

Your teeth need calcium to stay healthy and oranges are an abundant source of calcium. Oranges also contain vitamin C which helps keep gums strong. Oranges also contain citric acid which increases the production of saliva giving your teeth a better chance to fight off bacteria. Rubbing the inside of orange peel on your teeth also helps whiten your teeth.

If you need more information about what kinds of foods are beneficial for your dental and oral health, don’t hesitate to contact us. Give Bronitsky Family Dentistry a call now at (503) 649-5665 or visit our office at 17952 SW Blanton St, Aloha, OR 97007.

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How Vital are Healthy Baby Teeth For Children?

The importance of having healthy primary teeth or baby teeth cannot be understated. The teeth that erupt during infancy need to be taken care of as much as the adult teeth because their condition establishes a child’s dental health for the future. Damaged or underdeveloped primary teeth can result in various health issues.

Your child starts out with baby teeth because a child’s mouth is too small for permanent teeth. While these teeth may appear to be only temporary, it is crucial that they be taken care of. Just like a healthy, complete smile has a positive emotional effect on adults, children are also well aware of how they look. Having an unhealthy mouth or compromised teeth can really affect how a child feels. By the age of 13, a child’s mouth is big enough to accommodate permanent teeth and that’s usually when the last of the adult teeth come in, aside from the wisdom teeth.

What Is The Purpose of Baby Teeth?

The growth and health of your child is dependent on the primary teeth. Here is why healthy baby teeth are essential for a baby:

1. They allow children to chew and consume solid and nutritious foods so that they receive sufficient nourishment for their developing bodies.
2. The construction of a children’s mouth and teeth is critical for them to properly learn and to speak. The sounds of the letters can’t be learned adequately without a healthy set of teeth.
3. Permanent teeth erupt in place of their respective baby teeth. If for some reason baby teeth have fallen off prematurely, are crooked or have some other defect, it can hurt the permanent teeth as well.

How to Care For Baby Teeth?

There are a few things you can do to take care of your baby’s primary teeth.

1. Teething: Giving your child a cold and suitable teether to bite on is one of the many things you can do to help through their teeth eruption phase. Usually teeth grow in intervals so giving your child a teether, pediatrician recommended pain relievers (such as Tylenol) and a little massage on the gums can be very soothing and comforting for them.

2. Brushing: As soon as the first tooth appears, you should start brushing it every night with water and a soft-bristled baby toothbrush. By the age of one, children usually have several teeth and more keep erupting until they are three. All this time you should be brushing your child’s teeth with a fluoride-free toothpaste.

3. Dental visits: The ADA recommends that you take your child for their first dental visit as soon as the first birthday comes. After that, an annual dental visit for tooth cleaning, plaque removal, and fluoride application is important.

If you want to know more about how to care for your baby’s teeth, give Boones Ferry Dental a call at (503) 683-7484 and book an appointment.

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The What, Why and How of Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is one of the most feared dental procedures. People are usually nervous about their first root canal treatment because of the procedure having a reputation for being long and complicated. Patients who understand why the treatment is necessary and what’s going to happen during the procedure are usually much calmer and less fearful about root canal treatment.
Why is root canal treatment necessary?
The human tooth has a pulp chamber or root canals beneath the outer enamel ...

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Should Athletic Mouthguards Be Used While Playing Sports?

Should Athletic Mouthguards Be Used While Playing Sports? Athletic mouthguards have always been a subject of intense debate among professional and amateur sportspersons. Their use has proven to be effective at not only protecting the teeth and jaw, but also in reducing the severity of concussion. Whether you are a professional athlete or an amateur or recreational player, it is always to your best advantage to wear a mouthguard. Every year, 5 million teeth are lost in the U.S. because of sports related injuries and more than $500 million is spent on teeth replacement. And with the use of such […]

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What are Dental Sealants and How Do They Protect the Teeth?

What are Dental Sealants and How Do They Protect the Teeth? Even if you brush and floss properly, you cannot always reach and effectively clean the pits and fissures of the molars in the back of your mouth. In those instances, dental sealants can be applied to […]

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How Careless Use of Earbuds Can Cause Permanent Hearing Loss

Portable media devices have become increasingly popular over the last few decades and, with them, earbuds or in-ear headphones have become a necessity for many music lovers. When it comes to headphones and earbuds, be careful about the amount of exposure to noise pollution.

Many people have a tendency to crank up the volume to max whenever they have earbuds on. This is partly due to human nature and partly because of the poor quality of some of those devices. A substandard earbud will not cancel out outside noise and you end up needing to increase the volume so you can clearly listen to whatever is playing. This increased volume hurts the eardrums and, over time, can cause permanent hearing loss.

Sound Levels and Their Effects

These days everyone has their own personal sound system, thanks to smartphones and other handy devices. Most portable stereo sound systems on the market produce sound in the range of 90 to 115 dB, which is much more than the regular sounds a human ear is exposed to.

According to doctors, anything more than 80 dB is not ideal for a human ear drum. As a reference we will mention the volume levels of some common sounds:

• Human whisper – 30 dB
• Average speaking voice – 60 dB
• Traffic – 80 dB
• Gunshot – 100 dB
• Firecracker – 140 dB
• Shotgun – 160 dB
• Rocket launching pad – 180 dB

As you can see, we are usually accustomed to sounds less than 80 dB as most of us find the traffic noise irritating. The fact of the matter is that sustained exposure to loud volumes gradually harms your eardrums, especially if you don’t give them a chance to recover.

If you are listening to 95 dB of sounds for more than four hours a day, you will experience damage.

At 100 dB, the damage will be done after just a couple of hours of exposure. At 105 dB, only an hour. If you are listening to sounds at 120 dB or more, which can happen quite easily when earbuds are on full volume, you eardrums are damaged almost immediately.

If you can hear what someone’s listening on their earphones, it means the volume is dangerously high and prolonged exposure to that can lead to permanent hearing loss (for them).

The best way to use earphones/headphones and also avoid hearing loss is to get noise cancelling headphones. They cancel out the noise around you so you don’t need to crank up the volume to the maximum. Keep the volume at a 60% level at all times and whenever possible use speakers. Your ears will thank you later in your life.

For more information on ear problems or to book an appointment, call Ear, Sinus and Allergy at (828) 438-1930 or visit 1190 Drexel Road Valdese, NC 28690.

 

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