Healthy Smiles for Life
At Dayton Dental, our primary goal is to keep your smile clean, healthy, and functional for life. We accomplish this through general dentistry and regular preventive care that eliminates the need for more complex restorative work or gum disease treatment down the road. Your oral health and overall health are much more connected than you may realize, and by keeping your mouth healthy, we are really keeping your defense strong in your pursuit of a long, healthy life.
Oral Hygiene
Here’s some advice straight from the professionals on keeping your pearly whites pearly and white between visits:
- Invest in an electric toothbrush, they really do clean better than a manual.
- Brush at least twice per day, right when you wake up and right before bed.
- Focus energy on each individual tooth, brushing around and under the gum line.
- Floss once per day, curving the floss in a C-shape around each tooth and under the gums.
- If you don’t like traditional string floss, Soft-Picks are an easy-to-use alternative.
- Use a tongue scraper (or your toothbrush) to eliminate bacteria on the tongue and prevent bad breath.
- Rinse with mouthwash to kill bacteria in the rest of the mouth for optimum hygiene.
- Rinse with water after eating or drinking to minimize plaque and acid buildup between brushing.
Tooth Colored Fillings
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If you’re one of millions suffering from tooth decay, don’t worry, you’re in good company! Tooth decay (dental caries) is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, second only to the common cold. The good news is, it’s entirely preventable! And there’s no better time than the present when it comes to modern prevention methods and durable, aesthetic solutions.
In the past, the only way we could fill cavities and treat tooth decay was with metal fillings. Metal fillings were not only unsightly but often contained toxic mercury. Today, tooth colored fillings are made from composite resin ( a mixture of plastic and glass) for a safer, more durable, more natural-looking solution that blends in seamlessly with your natural teeth.
Oral Cancer Screenings
With oral cancer on the rise in America, your Edmonds dentist is in a unique position to not only keep your smile clean and healthy but to potentially save your life. When you only see your regular doctor when a problem arises, your dentist plays an important role in detecting and diagnosing diseases like oral cancer before they progress.
Signs of oral cancer include (can be found on the lips, cheeks, tongue, gums, throat, or any surface of the mouth):
- Swelling, thickening, lumps, rough spots, crusting, or erosion
- Velvety white, red, or speckled patches
- Unexplained bleeding
- Numbness or loss of feeling
- Pain or tenderness
- Persistent sores
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue
- Hoarseness, chronic sore throat, change in voice
- Ear pain
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Mouthguards
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If you or a loved one are involved in any type of contact sports, we highly recommend a custom mouthguard from Dayton Dental. Some sports require them (football, lacrosse) while others don’t (basketball, baseball), but we recommend wearing a mouthguard any time there is the potential for an oral injury. Yes, there are stock mouthguards you can buy at your local sporting goods store, but only a custom mouth guard offers the best, most comfortable fit (so they’ll actually wear it) and the highest level of protection against tooth loss and even concussions.
If you or your partner clench and grind your teeth (bruxism) or suffer from TMJ or TMD, a custom mouthguard can minimize damage to your teeth and allow your jaw to rest and heal overnight. A simple night guard could be all that stands between you and living your best life, free of chronic orofacial pain. At Dayton Dental, your premier dentist in Edmonds, Dr. Matthew Flugstad, and our entire team want to help you protect your greatest asset – your smile.
