Should I Stop Flossing if it Hurts My Gums?

Flossing is an important part of any oral hygiene routine. However, some people struggle to keep up the habit. Occasionally, this is because of the discomfort that they experience when they try to clean out the gaps between their teeth. Maybe their gums hurt when brought into contact with the floss. Maybe they even get inflamed or start to bleed.

Should this describe your experience, it may be tempting to discontinue your flossing habit. After all, you may suspect that there is something wrong with your gums that your floss is aggravating. As counterintuitive as it may be, though, it is important that you muscle through the pain.

Similar comparison is feeling sore after a weightlifting session, which means that your muscles are getting stronger. The pain, or discomfort, you experience on your gums is the only way you’re going to strengthen up your delicate gum tissues to handle a proper, once-a-day flossing routine.

Learn Proper Flossing Techniques

Of course, if the pain and bleeding is particularly bad, you may want to visit your dentist. Especially if you haven’t been good about your flossing, it is entirely possible that you have a gum disease problem to deal with all the same. There are also recommendations of when to floss. Some dentist will recommend to floss before brushing your teeth. Read about our proper flossing techniques.

Consult Overlake Dental in Bellevue for more information.

Toothbrush Maintenance

Many people come to our Bellevue dentist wondering how frequently they should be replacing their toothbrushes. This is a valid concern, as your brush can quickly become a hotbed of bacteria. Aside from this, the bristles of your brush are also getting worn out and bent out of place, gradually acting as a less and less effective cleaning tool. Not being mindful of a proper replacement schedule can eventually compromise the good that your brush is doing for your teeth.

How often should you be changing your toothbrush?

The common wisdom is to get a new toothbrush every three months. However, this number can vary from person to person. Some people brush harder than others, and will see their bristles splaying out far sooner than the three month mark. This is a clear sign that you need a new brush. Other people may be suffering from gum disease, and can benefit from getting a fresh brush every few weeks or so. This helps them avoid exposing themselves to rampant bacteria colonies.

How to Maintain your Toothbrush

In the meantime, you can keep your brush cleaner for longer by observing some simple sanitation practices. Remember that bacteria thrives in damp environments, and so storing your brush upright to let it dry out is a good habit to get into. If this isn’t enough, consider periodically dipping the bristles in either hot water or an antibacterial mouthwash. Do not microwave your brush or wash it in the dishwasher, as this can destroy the fragile material of the bristles.

If you have further questions about your toothbrush, consult Overlake Family Dental in Bellevue, WA.

The Causes of TMD

Temporomandibular Disorders

TMD’s, or temporomandibular disorders, represent any sort of problem that afflicts the joint of your jawbone. Many people suffer from some form of TMD, and the reasons behind their disorder are not always clear.

Common Causes of TMD

However, it is likely that any given TMD can be traced back to one of the following common causes:

  • Trauma suffered around your jaw, neck, or head.
  • Bruxism, or excessive grinding or clenching of the jaw, which puts a lot of strain on your jaw muscles.
  • Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis in your jaw area.
  • Certain serious disease, like gingivitis or oral cancer. These diseases can change the way your jaw fits into your skull, compromising the strength of your TMJ and inviting injury.
  • Though the reasons behind this are not understood, the group most likely to suffer from TMD is women between the age of twenty and forty.

If you experience a persistent pain in your jaw, there are measures your dentist can take to help you manage TMD you may have. Talk to our Bellevue dentist to learn more.

The Effects of Stress On Your Oral Health

Stress and Your Oral Health

Excessive stress can have a strong effect on your overall health. It invites heart disease, reduces your immune system, and can even take a disastrous toll on your teeth and gums. There are numerous ways that stress can be detrimental to your oral health, including all of the following:

  • Stress often serves as the root cause of tooth grinding and clenching of the jaw, which breaks down tooth enamel and pushes teeth out of alignment.
  • Some people have a nervous habit of chewing when they feel stress, which puts you at risk of breaking a tooth.
  • Canker sores, cold sores, and similar sores may sometimes be caused or aggravated by stress.
  • Excess stress can aggravate gum disease.
  • Many people overeat when they feel stressed, favoring sugary comfort foods that invite tooth decay.
  • Stress can lead to depression, which causes people to neglect their dental care routine.

Talk to our Bellevue Dentist

If you have too much stress in your life, our Bellevue dentistry clinic advises that you take measures to manage it. Further, be sure to always keep your regular dental appointments to best assure that you catch any dental problems before they become serious.

What is Bruxism?

Teeth Grinding

Many people grind their teeth at some point in their lives, but grinding too much can quickly turn into a problem that your Bellevue dentist may have to help with. The medical term for tooth-grinding is “bruxism”, and it can wear down your teeth, cause headaches, hurt your jaw or even give you TMJ disorders.

How do I know if I grind my teeth?

One of the problems with bruxism is that many people don’t know that they have it. This could be because they only grind while sleeping, but they can also grind throughout the day without being aware of the action. It therefore pays to be on the lookout for these warning signs: if your jaw is frequently sore for no apparent reason, or if a friend or family member notices you grinding periodically, you may need to bring this to your dentist’s attention.