Most tooth decay occurs when the oral bacteria eats sugars in your mouth and secretes a strong acid that can break down your dental enamel and create cavities into your dentin.

However, this is not the only acid that can harm your teeth. Even a reasonably healthy variety of acid, like the citric acid found in many fruits, has the potential to contribute to tooth rot.

According to a scientific study, lemons are a particularly problematic choice. Lemon juice has been found to do more damage than the juice of any other citrus fruit. Many people compound the problem even further by pairing lemons with high levels of sugar, like the sugar found in most lemonade.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you need to cut lemons out of your diet. Consider being mindful of the acidic foods you consume, treating them as you might treat sugary snacks. Meanwhile, be sure to get your regular cleanings with our Bellevue dentistry clinic, and you should be able to enjoy the nutritional benefits of lemons without rotting your teeth.

People are attracted to modern, tooth-colored fillings because they blend in with your remaining tooth structure, allowing their fillings to go unnoticed like never before. Unfortunately, this may not be a permanent solution. Tooth-colored fillings are not immune to the staining caused by smoking, coffee, colorful foods, and other such materials. Further, since they are not made from the same material that your tooth enamel is made from, they can stain differently. Over time, you might notice a brownish outline around your filling, causing them to stand out among the rest of your tooth.

These stains probably won’t bother you unless they’re found on a front-facing tooth surface. If you have such a stain, the bad news is that it can’t generally be bleached in the same way you can bleach stained teeth. However, your dentist can restore the white to your filling by polishing it.

Whether or not you are bothered by a stained filling, it’s worth having your dentist look at it in case it is indicative of tooth decay. Consult our Bellevue dentist for more.

A recent study conducted by the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences took a look at the oral care habits of a large cross section of men and women. Researchers asked a series of questions to eight hundred participants, after which they subjected each to a dental examination. Their findings included the following:

• The women proved to be about 26% more likely to floss every day.
• The women indicated that they were about twice as likely to go in for their regular dental visits.
• 44% of the women in the study said that they were aware of the effect that their dental health has on their general health. This is compared to 33% of the men.
• The women in the study were roughly twice as likely to notice if someone they were talking to was missing a tooth, and 74% of women indicated that they would be embarrassed if they themselves were missing a tooth. About 57% of men said the same.

It would seem that, generally speaking, most women pay more attention to their teeth than their male peers do. If you yourself are falling short in your recommended dental care, call our Bellevue dentist to schedule an appointment today.

Do you ever feel like, despite your best efforts, you’re just not getting the same results with your dental care that other people are? Indeed, some people do have it easier than others. Your genetics can play a big part in your oral health. What follows is a list of some of the bigger ways in which your genes can affect your dental care:

• Some people naturally have more sensitive gums than others, and are naturally more inclined towards gingivitis.
• Do you have a family history of bleeding disorders, like clotting problems? This can have adverse implications on your dental procedures, and you should inform our Bellevue dentist if you struggle with such problems.
• If many people in your family have worn braces, you may be genetically disposed towards having your teeth come in crooked.
• There are certain disorders that run in the family, and make it more difficult for you to take care of your teeth. Diabetes, for example, makes you prone to having your mouth dry out and leaves you vulnerable to decay.

Your oral hygiene is about more than just keeping your teeth healthy. After all, your mouth has a significant connection to the rest of your body, and problems with your teeth and gums can easily translate to health problems elsewhere. If you fail to stave off gum disease, you may even be putting yourself at an increased risk of serious cognitive disorders.

This is according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry. This study demonstrated that age-related brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may be directly linked to poor dental health. Researchers looked at samples of brain tissue taken from ten healthy brains and ten brains taken from people who had struggled with such diseases; in four of the brains that suffered from dementia, researchers discovered signs of a type of oral bacteria that is known to thrive in mouths afflicted with gum disease.

The specific link between gum disease and brain disorders is not well understood. It could be that poor dental health causes such disorders, or it may only be that it serves to aggravate an existing condition. One way or another, though, it is clear that your dental appointments have an important relationship with your mental health. Contact our Bellevue dentist to schedule an appointment today!