If you have noticed that you have worn down teeth, it might be time to consider using a nightgurad. Worn down teeth could be a sign of grinding or clenching of the teeth. It could also be due to the type of food you eat.

In the last 1000 years, agricultural develpments significantly changed food preparation and diet, resulting in a decrease in meat consumption and an increase in carbohydrate consumption. American Indians dined on grass seeds, raw corn and acorns. These foods are high in carbohydrates, and can cause worn down teeth due to their abrasive texture. They also prepared food in hot sands and ashes, which added to the abrasiveness of the food, causing worn down teeth. In India stones were used to grind grain, which added abrasive particles to the already course grain which also caused the teeth to be worn down.

Today food is more refined, but eating hard fruits and vegetables, apples, carrots and celery is necessary and beneficial to the teeth but more acidic like vinegar or citrus fruits are used often. Carbonated drinks are also acidic and cause extensive worn down teeth.

There are a number of reasons for someone to have teeth sensitivity. In our Bellevue Cosmetic Dental office our goal is to diagnose the reasons for teeth sensitivity. The first question is if the teeth sensitivity has just developed and if it is isolated to only one tooth. Dental cavities could cause teeth sensitivity and the only way to remedy it is to have a restoration placed on the tooth. A composite, tooth color restoration generally will take care of this issue and it also looks natural. If you are a clencher or grinder and have been under stress lately it is not unusual to have a tooth become sensitive. This is due to trauma causing the nerve of the tooth become inflamed and therefore sensitive to temperature. Avoiding using this tooth will help to remedy it.

Gingiva or gum recession and having exposed roots on the teeth cause teeth sensitivity as well. Root surface of the tooth does not have the protective layer or the enamel that the crown of the tooth has and therefore it is more sensitive to temperatures. A tooth seal or desensitizer helps in these cases. Also prescription Fluoride toothpastes and in some case tooth paste like Sensodyne is beneficial. Be aware that certain tooth pastes that have tartar control formulas could be the cause of teeth sensitivity themselves. It is the flavoring that manufacturer of these tooth pastes add to mask the bad taste of their tartar control formula.

The thorough examination and evaluation in our Bellevue Cosmetic dental office will help to determine the cause of the teeth sensitivity.

An estimated 50 million American smokers are more likely to get cavities and gum disease and are more likely to need dentures as they get older.  Periodontal (gum) disease is also a concern for smokers. Researches in Sweden found that approximately 62 percent of smokers had diseased gums. Only 40 percent of the non-smokers studied showed evidence of gum disease. The study found that nicotine and by-products get incorporated on the root surfaces of the teeth of smokers. Significanlty , some non-smokers had nicotine show up on the roots of impacted wisdom teeth used as controls indicationg a passive of secondary smoke connection. Periodontal therapy helps remove nicotine and related material that collects under the gumline and on the root surfaces. The effect of this treatment is diminished if the patient continues to smoke because nicotine inhibits your mouth ‘s immune system in fighting bacteria.  Smokers, therefore, tend to have more missing teeth than non-smokers. If you smoke, you’re even more likely to need dentures. The best way to avoid this is to quit smoking.

Velscope is used to detect oral cancer. Oral cancer in a common form of cancer with roughly 35,000 new cases reported annually in the United States. In our Bellevue Dental office Dr. Samsavar screens for oral cancer during routine checkups. During the screening he will feel for lumps or irregular tissue changes in your neck, head, cheeks and oral cavity and will thoroughly examine the soft tissue in your mouth for sores or discolored tissues. Velscope works by illuminating the underlying tissue and showing the extent of possible malignancy.

You can prevent oral cancer by avoiding all forms of tobacco and excessive use of alcohol. Also vaccines that have developed to treat HPV might decrease the risk of developing oral cancer. Successful treatment and rehabilitation are dependent on early detection.

Gum disease in an inflammation. Inflammation essentially is the body’s response against infection.  When gum disease gets out of control it contributes fo many chronic diseases like heart disease and stroke, arthritis and diabetes….and some others like psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, kidney disease, and cancer among others. We know that gum disease is caused by plaque, the soft invisable bacterial film that you can feel on your teeth, hardens into tartar also known as calculus. In gum disease this causes gum inflammation and creates pockets in your gums where toxic bacteria can thrive. When this happens it can only be removed by a professional dental cleaning. Bellevue Dentist Dr. Samsavar recommends first a low-tech solution of brushing at least twice a day and floss daily to remove plaque between your teeth specially below the gumline. Remember that brushing only cleans 60% of the teeth.  Bellevue dentist Dr. Samsavar would be happy to contribute to your plaque- and tartar- fighting program during your regular checkups!

We’re determined in our practice to provide our patients with the best and most up-to-date dental health care possible. And we’re particularly happy to be able to offer the Pola Advanced Tooth Whitening System .

 The Pola Office treatment is the fastest way to get your glamour smile front and center. It takes just thirty minutes, and we perform the procedure here in our office. First, we cover your gums with a protective resin barrier. We apply a hydrogen peroxide blue gel to each tooth, and shine a bleaching dental light onto the tooth for about eight minutes. The gel is then removed and the procedure is repeated about two more times. And that’s all there is to it! A four-minute fluoride treatment completes the procedure.

Please contact us for a consultation soon. Your beautiful white smile awaits!

Toothache occurs with a change in air pressure. It usually happens at altitudes of 2000 to 5000 feet and and is more likely with a rapid ascent. It also happens when diving to water depths of 33 to 86 feet. The pain generally disappears when one returns to the onset level or ground atmospheric level. But sometimes if the pain is due to an abscess the pain lingers. At the bellevue cosmetic dentistry we recommend regular dental check ups to look for defective fillings, abcesses around impacted wisdom teeth and abcesses around the roots of the teeth. It is a good idea not to fly for 24 to 72 hours after having any dental procedures done

Flexible Finances

In this time of economic challenges we want to remind you how important it is to comein for your dental checkups. Small problems can easily turn into larger problems that are not only more uncomfortable , but also cost you more out-of-pocket. We ‘d like to recomment ChaseHealthAdvance as an excellent alternative for patients who need some time getting their dental costs resolved. Depending on the amount charged you can get interest-free payment plans for as long as 18 months! We’re impressed also by the range of procedures that are covered because this gives you greater decision making control regarding your treatment plan

If you have any questions about any of this information feel free to give our Bellevue cosmetic dental office a call.

Robert Pattinson, the star of Twilight the movie is considered to be the new sexy actor of the year. You see his photos every where these days. Looking at his smile notice his too side teeth (laterals) are sticking out and his too front teeth have moved inwards. But he is considerd to have a very nice smile. This again proves that an attractive smile has to do with symmetry and harmony of the smile. check out some of the cosmetic smiles we have designed at our seattle cosmetic dental office.

Photo from thetwighlightfansite.net

There are a number of ways to straighten crowded teeth. Braces and now Invisalign are the usual ways of doing that. But for those who do not have the time or the patience of having braces for a few years or dealing with changing of aligners in Invisalign every two weeks there is non -orthodontic porcelain veneers. This is really the use of feldspathic porcelain veneers as a cover to make the teeth look straight. It takes about 2 weeks to have teeth that are straight and white. Here are pictures of a patient that is getting married soon and wanted a nice smile for the wedding. In order for orthodontics to be effective he was told he would need jaw surgery and extraction of some of his teeth. With veneers we were able to striaighten his teeth and make them whiter as well.