How Do I Stop my Teeth from Staining?

What Stains Your Teeth?

When you need to get rid of the stains on your teeth, you can come into our Bellevue dental clinic for a whitening. But how can you keep your teeth from staining more in the future?

Unfortunately, tooth-staining substances abound in your daily diet, so much so that you can’t reasonably expect to avoid them all. Common food and drinks that stain your teeth include the following:

  • Tea. This is particularly true of dark colored teas, but even herbal white tea has the potential to erode your enamel and leave a stain upon your teeth.
  • Colorful sauces. These include tomato sauces, soy sauce, and curry.
  • Sodas and sports drinks.
  • Coffee.
  • Berries. The strong pigmentation present in the more colorful berries are also present in jellies, jams, juices, and the dark wines that are made from them.
  • Tobacco and other smokables.
  • Many colorful candies and sweets.

Try Changing Daily Habits

Obviously, this list represents not only a lot of common indulgences for many people, but also a lot of the healthiest substances you can put into your body. Therefore, instead of simply cutting them all out of your diet, consider some easy stain-fighting habits that can allow you to enjoy your favorites without dulling your smile.

Drink your more colorful drinks through a straw, and don’t let them linger among your teeth. Keep water handy as you partake of staining foods to help you rinse away pigments before they settle. And when all else fails, make a whitening appointment with Overlake Family Dental!

How Can I Stop Grinding My Teeth?

Is teeth-grinding causing pain or discomfort?

Try following these simple tips to reduce your grinding and spare yourself the grief of cracked or broken teeth and TMJ disorders:

  • A lot of grinding is caused by stress. Figure out the cause of your stress, and find a way to help yourself relax.
  • Pain in the teeth or jaw area can cause you to grind. Don’t wait to go to the dentist if you’re feeling pain.
  • Limit your intake of caffeine.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol.
  • If you’re in the habit of chewing items that are not food, like pens, bottle caps, or even gum, you’re training your jaw muscles to clench. This can contribute to grinding.
  • If you grind during the day, you can force your jaw muscles to relax by placing the tip of your tongue between your teeth.
  • If you grind while you sleep, try relaxing your jaw muscles before going to bed. You can do this by pressing a warm washcloth against your cheek for a few minutes.

Contact Bellevue Overlake Dental

If these tips don’t help or you’re more concerns with grinding your teeth, please contact Overlake Dental.

Why Do I Have Bad Breath?

Some people come to Overlake Dental with complaints of bad breath. Why do they have it? What can they do to stop it? Why does it persist, even though they brush and floss twice a day? It’s not an easy problem to get to the bottom of, as the source of your halitosis might not even be related to your teeth.

Poor Oral Hygiene

It’s true that poor oral hygiene is a big cause of bad breath, but if your teeth are clean and your breath refuses to follow suit, the problem likely goes deeper. Consider foods like garlic and onions, for example. You’re probably aware that these can stink up your mouth, but did you know that it takes more than brushing to get rid of the smell? This is because the odorous agents in garlic and onions travel through your bloodstream and end up in your lungs, where they’re able to foul up your breath at the source. If this is your problem, your only recourse may be to cut back on certain favorite foods.

Alternatively, bad breath may be indicative of an infection somewhere else in your body. If you’ve eliminated bad oral hygiene, garlic, and onions as the culprit, it may be time to see a doctor.

What is Making My Teeth Sensitive?

Many patients come to our Overlake Dental with concerns about sensitive teeth. For somebody concerned about his or her oral health, it can be easy to assume that a bit of sensitivity is indicative of a looming dental problem. We have good and bad news for these people, and they’re both the same thing: tooth sensitivity can just as easily be caused by good dental care as by poor dental care.

Possible Causes of Teeth Sensitivity

Indeed, tooth decay and receding gums are both negative factors that can cause your teeth to be sensitive. On the other hand, you can also get sensitivity from tooth whiteners, whitening toothpastes, antiseptic mouthwashes, and other agents of dental care. You can even expect a bit of short-term sensitivity after a routine visit to your dentist. It’s not necessarily a sign of anything wrong.

Additionally, the effect should go away shortly after you stop using the product causing your sensitivity, though the benefits it give you may outweigh the drawbacks.

If you want to beat your tooth sensitivity without sacrificing good oral hygiene, talk to your dentist. There may be some less harsh options available to keep your teeth clean.

The Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Our Bellevue dentist is pleased to be able to offer sleep apnea treatment. This unfortunate condition affects the lives of many Americans, sometimes even fatally so. One of the worst parts about it is that it’s very difficult to diagnose, and many people are not even aware that they are suffering from it.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea describes a disorder by which you routinely stop breathing while you sleep, forcing your brain to kick in and start the process again. This means a night of interrupted sleep, robbing you of a lot of much-needed rest that you might not even realize you lost.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

If you think you might have sleep apnea, look for the following symptoms:

  • You snore loudly.
  • Your partner reports that you occasionally stop breathing while you sleep.
  • You sometimes wake suddenly, choking or gasping for air.
  • You frequently wake up with a dry, sore throat in the morning.
  • You sleep restlessly, or suffer from insomnia.
  • You are unusually sleepy during the day, even if you got a full night’s sleep.
  • You suffer from frequent headaches in the morning.
  • You experience forgetfulness and changes in mood.

To find out more about sleep apnea and to explore your options for getting treatment, contact us at Overlake Dental in Bellevue.