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Can you believe it's already September? At Northwest Smile Design, we know that gingivitis, the early stage of periodontal disease, can be difficult to recognize. Many people don’t recognize the warning signs, bleeding and swollen gums, as a precursor to gum disease. This month, a national campaign is under way to raise awareness about gum health and periodontal disease, and we wanted to help do our part to spread the word!

Dr. Kelly Peterson will tell you early recognition and action are the most important steps to health gums, and ultimately a health body, too! Studies are published every year linking oral health, including the gums, to the health of other areas of the body, such as your heart. One of the most important steps to improving the care of your gums is recognizing the warning signs for gum disease. These can include:

• Gums that appear red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender
• Gums that bleed easily (during brushing or flossing)
• Gums that recede or pull away from the teeth
• Persistent halitosis, or bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position

If you happen to notice any of these signs with you or your child, please schedule an appointment at our convenient Marysville, WA office as soon as possible. Dr. Kelly Peterson and our team can take proactive steps to prevent gingivitis and gum disease, while showing you how to improve gum care in your or your child’s daily oral hygiene habits.

You can improve your oral health with CEREC, the most technically advanced tooth restoration method available today. Broken, worn, decayed, misshapen, or otherwise damaged teeth do not function well and are difficult to clean. This means imperfect teeth do more than ruin your smile; even one bad tooth can negatively affect your oral health.

If you are like millions of people with broken, slightly crooked, or misshapen teeth, you have a hard time cleaning in all the nooks and crannies around these teeth. This leaves these areas vulnerable to buildup of bacteria and plaque that can lead to painful gum infections and tooth decay.

Dentists often perform dental restorations, using synthetic materials to create crowns and fillings that restore the tooth’s shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance. Dental restoration reduces those hard-to-clean nooks and crannies, making it easier for you to maintain good oral hygiene. Dental crowns can even protect a tooth from further decay, halting oral disease in its tracks.

CEREC® to Improve Your Oral Health

CEREC is one of the most revolutionary ideas in dental restorations that improve oral health. CEREC is an acronym, short for CEramic REConstruction. The system uses a special camera, computer, and an in-office milling machine to create restorative pieces in just one office visit.

To use the CEREC system, Dr. Kelly Peterson and our team use the camera to take a 3D picture of your teeth and mouth. The camera then sends the images to the computer, where we use the information to create your new dental crown or other restoration. The milling machine then creates the actual restoration used to restore your imperfect tooth or teeth.

Because CEREC restorations are computer generated, they fit better than traditional crowns and restorations. This superior fit leaves fewer gaps for bacteria to hide, reducing your risk for gum disease and tooth decay. Dr. Kelly Peterson can perform CEREC in just one office visit, so you never leave your teeth vulnerable to bacteria while you wait for days or weeks for your conventional crown to come back from the lab.

Make an appointment at our Marysville, WA office today to learn how you can improve your oral health with CEREC.

Come say hello twice a year. The American Dental Association says two times is the charm. Multiple visits a year lets us keep an eye out for any developing issues. It’s important to remember that this goes for the whole family. Children over one year old should be seeing Dr. Kelly Peterson!

Stay fresh. At Northwest Smile Design, we have a virtually unlimited stock of toothbrushes and floss, which means you have no excuse to be using a sad, ineffective toothbrush. As soon as bristles begin to fray, pick up a new one or stop by our Marysville, WA office and we’ll replace yours. On average, you should be opening a new one every two to three months.

For goodness sake, floss! Flossing is an efficient way to keep your whole mouth healthy. It not only protects your teeth by removing aggregated plaque, it keeps your gums happy, too.

And brush. Practicing regular healthy habits is essential to keeping your mouth—and us—happy! When it comes to brushing that means two minutes, two times a day. If your kids need some encouragement, try making a calendar or playing a song like this.

Tell a friend. One way you can help us is by spreading the love. Tell your friends about what a good thing we’ve got going here. The more the merrier. And the healthier.

Dental fillings usually protect our teeth, but sometimes they need to be protected, too. If you lose a filling, contact our Marysville, WA office immediately and let us advise you on the next steps to take.

Fillings serve an important function in oral health by preserving the structural integrity of your tooth. With the materials we use today, dental fillings usually last for many years, but they are subjected to the same stresses as your natural teeth are.

You can wear down, chip, crack, or break your fillings by eating, clenching, and grinding, and sometimes they can fall out completely. While you may not notice normal wear and tear, you should not ignore any fillings that loosen or fall out. Contact us as soon as possible so we can advise you about whether you need to be seen immediately.

If your fillings get damaged or fall out, a timely response can be important. There may be gaps or holes in your tooth which provide an easy access point for bacteria. Once bacteria begin working into your tooth structure, your tooth could become damaged even worse. Since cavities usually form in hard-to-reach places, it will be difficult for you to remove these bacteria through brushing alone.

When is a lost filling an emergency?

A lost or cracked filling is usually not an emergency unless you are in great pain or are bleeding excessively. In that case, contact our office immediately so we can schedule an emergency appointment. Otherwise we will schedule a regular appointment to evaluate and repair your filling. Before coming in for your appointment, try to avoid chewing on that side of your mouth, rinse with warm salt water, and be sure to brush and floss thoroughly after every meal.

Once you come to our office, Dr. Kelly Peterson will examine your tooth, assess the situation, and advise you of your options. We may be able to replace the filling and can discuss whether an amalgam or composite material would be the best for your teeth. If the filling was large, a root canal or a dental implant and crown may be necessary.

A lost or cracked filling may not always pose a dental emergency, but it’s always important to contact us so our team can help you take the proper action to preserve your oral health.