Washington Dental Associates Blog

Your jawbone is a crucial feature that performs many essential tasks, providing support for your teeth and ensuring you eat and speak properly. It even maintains your facial shape and defines your unique facial features. Unfortunately, periodontitis – or advanced gum disease –  can diminish the bone that supports your teeth. In doing so, it can alter your facial bone structure and make you look older than you are! Studies have even shown that bone loss adds as much as 10 years to a person’s face!

Here are a few elements of your face shape that tooth loss can affect:

Oral cancer can affect the tissues of the mouth, lips, tongue, and throat. While some risk factors can’t be changed, others are connected to everyday habits and lifestyle choices. Knowing what can increase your risk is an important part of taking care of your oral health.

The good news? There are steps you can take to lower your risk and help identify concerning changes early.

There’s an unsung hero in the sports world: athletic mouthguards. Sure, helmets help prevent concussions and knee-guards shield your joints, but mouthguards also have very important “bodyguarding” duties. They protect your pearly whites from teeth-breaking impacts so you can go all-out and still show up to work the next day flashing a brilliant smile.

Like all sports equipment, mouthguards need to be taken care of properly in order to 1) stay functional, and 2) avoid becoming a biohazard. Here’s how you should show this invaluable dental team player some appreciation!  

Did you know that tooth decay is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions? In fact, it is second only to the common cold! While poor oral hygiene and high-sugar diets are two leading contributors, some prescription drugs are also a culprit. In today’s day and age, we have access to all sorts of medicines that save lives and keep people healthy. Nearly 75% of Americans take at least one prescription drug while 20% use at least five.  So, the three quarters of Americans who take at least one medication need to be especially vigilant about their oral health. Read on for five common medicines that lead to dental decay and how your dentist can help protect your smile!

Finishing Invisalign treatment is an exciting milestone—you’ve straightened your teeth and achieved the smile you’ve been working toward. But the journey doesn’t quite end when your last aligner comes off. Retainers play a crucial role in keeping your teeth in their new positions long-term.

So how long do you actually need to wear them? The short answer: retention is lifelong in some form, but the intensity of wear changes over time.

When you’re pregnant, it can affect nearly every aspect of your life from your diet to your overall and oral health. That’s why during this special time, you’ll need to pay particular attention to your teeth and gums, both for your sake and your growing baby’s. The good news is that being pregnant does not automatically damage your teeth. In fact, the old wives’ tale that warns a woman to expect a lost tooth for every baby is false. If the mother’s intake of calcium is inadequate during gestation, her bones – not her teeth – will provide the calcium her growing baby needs. This calcium loss is quickly made up after breastfeeding is stopped. However, the demands of pregnancy can lead to dental problems in some women. Thankfully, with proper hygiene at home and professional help from your dentist, your teeth should remain healthy throughout these amazing 40 weeks!

Each day, you walk into the bathroom, grab your toothbrush, and clean your teeth. When finished, you rinse off the bristles and place it back in the cup to air dry. You may take a quick look at your smile in the mirror, but you never give your brush a second look. The reality is that after months of use, the bristles are frayed. Oh, and remember the flu you overcame a few weeks ago? Its germs are still hiding in your brush. Swapping out your toothbrush may be a new concept, but it’s recommended by dentists and professionals alike. Before reaching for yours again, find out when it’s time to throw out the old and replace it with something new.

There’s nothing worse than starting a conversation only to have the other person furrow their brow and subtly step away. And though you might look around to find the source of the smell, it might just be your bad breath! Instead of sinking into sadness, what if there was something you could add to your daily routine to help keep bad breath at bay? Believe it or not, yogurt can help freshen your breath. Keep reading to learn what causes halitosis and the science behind yogurt’s odor-fighting properties.

Did you know that the American Dental Association (ADA) reports that about 42% of Americans don’t see their dentist as often as they should? For many people, this is a result of fear of cost, dental anxiety, or just being forgetful. The good news is that it is never too late to begin working toward a healthier smile, and that means going to the dental office every six months for regular cleanings and checkups. If it has been a while for you, you may not remember exactly what the process is like. Here is what you can expect during your first dental checkup after a hiatus.