There are some people who like to use baking soda instead of toothpaste, mixture of toothpaste and baking soda, or even toothpaste that has baking soda. But is this a viable substitute? Granted, since certain toothpastes will make a big deal out of advertising that they contain baking soda, it can be easy to assume that it would be perfectly acceptable for use on your teeth.

However, the truth is not so simple.

It is true that baking soda can give you many of the benefits you need from a toothpaste. It neutralizes the acids that break down your enamel, it kills bacteria, and it is abrasive enough to scrub away harmful plaque. The problem is that pure baking soda can be too abrasive, and inflict damage upon your sensitive gum tissues. Meanwhile, without a proper fluoride toothpaste, you are unable to rebuild your enamel as well.

A baking soda toothpaste is able to dilute the abrasive nature of baking soda to manageable levels. People appreciate such products for the fresh minty feeling they leave you with. For more information on choosing a good toothpaste, talk to our dentist at our Bellevue dentistry clinic.

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.