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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Custom-Fitted Mouth Guards for Children

Imagine what it would be like if your child suddenly lost one or two front teeth due to injury. Mouth guards, also known as mouth protectors, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face, or jaw. Here at Fairwood Dental Center our doctors develop custom-fitted mouth guards to protect your child’s teeth from dental damage.


Mouth guards typically cover the upper teeth and are a great way to protect the soft tissues of the tongue, lips, and cheek lining. The best type of mouth guard is one that has been custom made for your child’s mouth by one of our dentists here at Fairwood Dental Center. Custom-fitted mouth guards are created with thin plastic that is hardened to protect the teeth. The thinness of the custom mouth guard allows for easy breathing and also allows for easy communication (especially important for your star athlete who’s shouting out all the signals).   


If you are considering a mouth guard for your child give us a call to discuss options. To learn more about the services we provide here at the office, visit www.fairwooddental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Fairwood Dental Center in Renton, WA, call 425-271-7725. 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Proper Flossing

Flossing your teeth every day is very important for plaque removal and for preventing cavities in between teeth. Here at Fairwood Dental Center of Renton, WA, we want to give our patients some guidelines to make sure they are flossing effectively.


The first thing to know is that flossing should be done every day. Food and other debris get stuck in our teeth and cause plaque to build up, which can cause decay and infection. Failing to floss could also lead to gum disease. Gum disease is irritating, painful, and can eventually lead to tooth loss. Flossing can be done before or after brushing.


To get a good grip on the floss, take eighteen inches of it and wrap most of it around both of your middle fingers, leaving about two inches to floss with. Adjust the floss to use a new section of it for every space. Take the floss and rub it back and forth between two teeth until you hit your gums. When you reach the gums, make sure not to snap the floss against them, as this could cut or bruise the gums. Make a swooping motion at the gums and continue to scrub all the way up the teeth and out. Make sure the get in between all of your teeth, do not leave any out.


Flossing daily, brushing twice a day, and regular cleanings by your dentist are all part of a good oral hygiene routine. To schedule with Fairwood Dental Center, call (425) 271-7725, or visit our website, www.fairwooddental.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Invest in a Tongue Scraper

At Fairwood Dental Center, we want you to have the freshest breath imaginable. While regular brushing and flossing addresses the teeth and gums, it’s all too easy to forget about the tongue. Tongue scrapers, which are available in most drugstores, (and fairly cheap) vary in shapes and sizes and have been declared as a way to reduce or eliminate bad breath (halitosis). Bad breath can result from poor dental health habits and may be a sign of other health problems.


Dental research has concluded that a tongue scraper is more effective at removing toxins and bacteria from the tongue than a toothbrush. These small plastic devices feature a curved edge so that when you drag them across the top of your tongue, they’ll scrape off the germs and bacteria that cause bad breath. Almost half of our oral bacteria live on and in the deep crevices of our tongue and the scraping action of a tongue scraper collects these toxic tongue coatings.


If you still suffer from bad breath after using a tongue scraper, give us a call so we can identify the cause. To learn more about the services we provide here at the office, visit www.fairwooddental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Fairwood Dental Center in Renton, WA, call 425-271-7725. 

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Dental Emergencies

Here at Fairwood Dental Center we offer this advice, if it’s causing you mouth pain, it’s an emergency.  Accidents happen, and knowing what to do when one occurs can mean the difference between saving and losing a tooth. Mouth injuries can cause teeth to become cracked, broken, or knocked out/dislodged, whether it be the result of an accident or biting on a piece of food that’s too hard. Any obvious damage to the tooth should be treated as soon as possible.


When you have a dental emergency, it’s important to visit the dentist or an emergency room as soon as possible. Any dental emergency like an injury to the teeth or gums can be potentially serious and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental problem can increase the risk of permanent damage as well as the need for more extensive and expensive treatment later on. Common dental emergencies may include but are not limited to: toothaches, chipped or broken teeth, a dislodged tooth, objects caught between the teeth, broken braces and wires, a lost filling or a lost crown.


At Fairwood Dental Center, emergencies are always our top priority. To learn more about the services we provide here at the office, visit www.fairwooddental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Fairwood Dental Center in Renton, WA, call 425-271-7725.