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The Anatomy of the Human Tooth – With Your General & Restorative Dentist in Seattle, WA

Would you consider your teeth as living things? It might come as a surprise given how hard they are, but our teeth are indeed living things! Human teeth have a unique structure and four distinct types of dental tissue, all of which work together to keep teeth healthy and strong. The three parts that make up a tooth’s structure are: crown, neck and root. The four types of dental tissue are: enamel, dentin, cementum and pulp. Let’s take a closer look into the anatomy of a tooth

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The Different Tooth Types & Their Functions – Learn With Family & General Dentist in Seattle, WA

Do you know how many types of teeth you have? A full set of human adult teeth has 32 teeth total, and is made up of 4 different types of teeth. Each tooth type has their own unique function and purpose, and together they work to allow us to eat and digest food efficiently. The 4 Different Types of Teeth: Incisors : These are the four front and center teeth on both our upper and lower jaws, for a total of 8 incisors. We have two central incisors (the very middle two teeth) and

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Dental Biofilm and Your Mouth, With Seattle, WA General & Restorative Dentist

Do you know how much bacteria is in the human mouth? Estimates vary between 500 to 700 different species of bacteria, and between 6 million and 20 million microbes of bacteria in the mouth at any given time! Those billions of bacteria adhere to each other and to surfaces within the mouth – teeth, gums, inner cheeks, tongue, and form a complex, slimy, sticky substance called biofilm. Dental biofilm can actually aid oral health. Besides containing hundreds of varieties of both

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Canker Sores vs. Cold Sores: What’s the Difference? Seattle, WA General & Family Dentist Explains

Cold and flu season is upon us, and unfortunately, mouth sores sometimes accompany these illnesses. Canker sores and cold sores can be quite unpleasant to live with, but the good news is that both typically heal well within a couple weeks. We’ll explain how to tell the difference between canker sores and cold sores, and how to treat them so that they heal quickly and with minimal discomfort and pain. Symptoms and Characteristics Cold sores and canker sores may seem similar, b

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Why Smiling is Good For Your Health, With Your Seattle, WA General, Family & Restorative Dentist

Have you smiled recently? Smiling isn’t always the easiest thing to do, especially after a long and exhausting day. But here’s a fun fact: numerous studies have shown that smiling is actually good for your health! Whether genuine or forced, the physical act of smiling can “trick” your mind and body into being less stressed, happier, and more relaxed. When you smile, it triggers your brain to release the “happy chemicals” – endorphins, serotonin and dopamine – that actively an

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What are the Best & Worst Thanksgiving Foods For Our Teeth? - Seattle, WA Family & General Dentist

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and we’re so excited for all the delicious turkey day foods and treats! Some of the classic Thanksgiving Day foods are surprisingly great for our teeth – others, not so much. Here is a rundown of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to popular Thanksgiving foods! The Good: Turkey: The star of the Thanksgiving table is also fortunately quite good for our teeth! Turkey doesn’t contain starch or sugar, and it’s also a good source of vit

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How to Fight Sugar Cravings, With Your Seattle, Washington Family & General Dentist

People today consume an astounding amount of sugar – nearly 300% of the recommended amount! Over the past few decades, added sugars in our food and drinks have been linked to drastic spikes in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the U.S. Other serious health issues linked with increased sugar consumption include: heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer, mood disorders like depression, and tooth decay. It is all too easy to default to grabbing a sugar-laden drink or snac

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Happy Dental Hygiene Month, With Your Seattle, WA Family And General Dentist!

Happy October, and Happy National Dental Hygiene Month! We celebrate #DentalHygieneMonth for two great reasons: 1) to recognize the fantastic work of our dental hygienists, and 2) to raise awareness of the importance of good oral hygiene and health! Good oral health is essential to our general health and well being, but it often gets overlooked. The most important determining factor for good oral health is not necessarily genetics, and it is not even regular dentist visits –

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Is Coffee Good or Bad for Your Mouth? Your Seattle, WA General & Restorative Dentist Explains

Are you a daily coffee drinker? 64% of American adults are! In fact, Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee every single day. All of that daily coffee consumption begs the question: What does drinking coffee do to our mouths? And, is coffee good or bad for oral health? The answer depends largely on how you drink your coffee. Are you a fan of americanos, frappuccinos, lattes, cappuccinos, or do you take your coffee black? Do you drink one or two cups of coffee in the

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What is a Frenectomy and When is it Needed? Your Family & General Dentist in Seattle, WA Explains

You’ve probably heard the term “tongue-tied” before, meaning to have difficulty expressing oneself verbally. But here’s a fun fact: a tongue tie is actually a congenital condition, called ankyloglossia, in which the muscular tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth is unusually thick and/or short. People can be born with a tongue tie (lingual frenulum) that can cause difficulty speaking, eating, or even swallowing in severe cases. People can also be born with

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What is a Sinus Lift, and Why Might I Need One? Seattle, WA Implant & Restorative Dentist Explains

If you plan to get a dental implant, you might be told that you need sinus lift surgery first. But what exactly is a sinus lift, and why is it needed? We want to provide you with all the details you need to feel informed and confident as you prepare for your sinus lift procedure. Ahead, we’ll answer frequently asked questions about sinus lift surgery. What is a Sinus Lift? A sinus lift (aka sinus augmentation) is a procedure that lifts the floor of the existing sinus membrane

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What is Dry Socket, and How Can I Prevent It? Seattle, WA General & Restorative Dentist Explains

After your dentist extracts a tooth, a blood clot forms to fill the empty area left behind by the removed tooth. This blood clot provides a protective barrier between the mouth and the exposed nerves and bone underneath, until the gum tissue heals and closes over the extraction site. But in some cases, the blood clot becomes dislodged before the gum tissue heals – a painful condition called alveolar osteitis, or dry socket. In the absence of a blood clot, the extraction site

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What are the 4 Main Tooth Filling Materials? Seattle, WA Family & General Dentist Explains

If you’ve ever been told you have a cavity, you know what comes next: getting a filling. There are four main types of filling materials, and every type has their own specific advantages and disadvantages. Ahead, we'll break down the differences between the filling materials, as well as the pros and cons of each! Amalgam Fillings Amalgam fillings have been used for nearly 150 years, and have been the tried and true dental filling material for nearly as long. Amalgam fillings a

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How Much Fluoride is Safe for Children? With Family & General Dentist in Seattle, WA Explains

Fluoride is found in many foods and drinks, our communities’ public drinking water, and in most of the oral care products we use. It is a mineral that is found naturally in all water sources, in soil, and even in the air. Decades of research shows that fluoride safely and effectively helps prevent tooth decay by making tooth enamel stronger and more resistant to cavity-causing acids. Some still question whether or not fluoride is safe for young children – we’re here to help a

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How Does Fluoride Protect Our Teeth? Your Family & General Dentist in Seattle, WA Explains

What is Fluoride? Fluoride (pronounced “floor-eyed”) is a naturally occurring mineral found nearly everywhere on earth – in air, soil, water, and in many foods and drinks. Nicknamed “nature’s cavity protector,” fluoride significantly decreases the risk of dental cavities by strengthening tooth enamel. The Fluoride Discovery In the 1930s, scientists discovered that people who drank water with naturally occurring fluoride levels of or greater than 1 part fluoride per 1 million

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What is the Difference Between Plaque and Tartar? Learn With Seattle, WA General & Family Dentist

You’ve probably heard about dental plaque and tartar – but do you know the difference between the two? Both plaque and tartar increase the risk of cavities and gum disease, and we need to keep our teeth clean of them for good dental health. However, tartar is a much more concerning oral health issue than plaque, and can only be removed and treated by dental professionals – whereas plaque can be removed simply at home. We’ll break down the difference between plaque and tartar

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Yogurt Parfait: A Delicious, Dentist-Approved Treat! From Seattle, WA Family & General Dentist

Trying to eat healthy this summer? It can be tough! Sweet summer treats like lemonade, popsicles and ice cream are great for cooling off – but they are also loaded with sugar, which wreaks havoc on our oral and overall health over time. And even in so-called “healthy” treats like frozen yogurt, added sugar renders them surprisingly unhealthy. In fact, most flavored froyos contain as much sugar as ice cream! But that shouldn’t deter you from regular, plain yogurt. Plain yogurt

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Healing Gum Disease with Scaling and Root Planing, With General & Family Dentist in Seattle, WA

Have you been told you have gum disease? Gum disease is all too common, with nearly 50% of all American adults suffering from some stage of the disease. If left untreated, it can worsen and have serious consequences, such as chronic bad breath, deterioration of the jaw bone, tooth loss, and even heart or lung disease via the spread of oral bacteria in the bloodstream. Fortunately, gum disease is also very preventable and treatable! The first step to preventing gum disease is

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What Can Custom Mouth Guards Do For You? Seattle, WA General & Restorative Dentist Explains

Imagine losing a front tooth due to a sports injury, or painfully cracking a tooth due to habitual teeth grinding. The trauma of the injury would be distressing enough on its own, but simple enjoyments and daily routines like eating, speaking and smiling would also be affected. In many cases, dental injury is preventable with mouth guards! Mouthguard Uses Sports & Recreation: Teeth are extremely vulnerable to damage when they are not properly protected while playing contact s

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When Should My Baby Have Their First Dentist Visit? With Seattle, WA Family & General Dentist

Here at Zen Dental Center, we welcome patients of all ages and accommodate the unique needs of every patient! We know that infants and toddlers require a special approach to dental care, and that the very first visit can seem intimidating to both parent and child. Not to worry – ahead, we’ll walk you through all the whens, whys, hows and whats about your baby’s first dental appointment! When and Why Should Babies Go to the Dentist? The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

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