Healthy Smiles Family Dental

  Sugar negatively impacts your teeth in a big way. We at Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, OR, take pride in educating our patients about the importance of restricting sugary foods and drinks. It would be ideal to cut these out of your diet completely, but we understand that sometimes there’s nothing better than a crisp soda on a hot day. More attention should be paid to, say, how many sugary beverages you drink in a day or week. Is it really adding up? If so, consider restricting your intake for the sake of your teeth.   Sugar easily coats the surface of your teeth and attracts the “bad bacteria,” such as Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus . These destructive bacteria feed on the sugar and disturb the natural pH of your mouth, to the point where the acidity is too much for your teeth. Over time, the enamel on your teeth is broken down little by little. This isn’t ideal since tooth enamel cannot be replaced. Once that natural barrier is gone, it’s gone for good. Ha...

Tooth decay is a common problem, especially among children and older people. Regular brushing and flossing is essential to preventing it, but their are supplementary measures people can take, too. At Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, we offer our patients dental sealants for added protection. Our back teeth, the premolars and molars, are especially vulnerable to decay. Food debris can accumulate in the indentations between their pointy bits, which are called cusps. There, oral bacteria will feed and produce acid, causing demineralization of the enamel. This could lead to the formation of cavities, and if the decay gets bad enough, an infection could spread to the dental pulp. Sealants are invisible plastic shields on the teeth. After a dental cleaning, the patient is given a local anesthetic and the premolars and molars are etched with a mild acid to increase their surface area. The sealant is then painted on in liquid form and hardened with a blue light. By the next day, the pat...

If you have a fear of going to the dentist, you might suffer from dental phobia. Dental phobia is a fear of going to the dentist and having people work on your teeth. An estimated 9% to 15% of people avoid going to the dentist due to dental phobia. It is important to get your teeth cleaned twice a year to maintain good dental hygiene. Our doctors at healthy Smiles Family Dental encourages our patients who suffer from dental phobia have a greater chance of developing gum disease and tooth decay. To ease your mind, we will talk with you about any concerns or fears you have. Some signs that you might have dental phobia include tense or nervousness, sleepless nights before the dentist, and the thought of the dentist makes you feel sick. Don’t forget to call us before your appointment to discuss your fears and concerns at the dentist. Our staff will do everything we can to accommodate you so you feel comfortable and safe at the dentist. Healthy Smiles Family Dental is located in Salem, OR. ...

At Healthy Smiles Family Dental, we advise our patients who are experiencing a toothache to visit us for a consultation straightaway. Some causes of toothaches include tooth decay, infected gums, teeth grinding, and a tooth fracture. More often than not you can prevent toothaches by practicing good oral hygiene. Our patients that grind their teeth at night are encouraged to get a mouth guard to prevent damage to their teeth and jaws. If you are experiencing sharp or throbbing pain when you eat for more than two days, you should see one of our doctors for further examination. Any swelling around a tooth could be a sign of a more serious issue that needs to be fixed. Treatment for toothaches is usually a filling for a decay-related cavity. In more serious cases where you have an infected tooth, extraction may be necessary, but many teeth can be saved by root canal therapy. For any questions about toothaches, give us a call. To learn about our services provided at our practice, visit  www...

Teeth erupt in stages and wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars we receive around the ages of 17-21. Not everyone accrues wisdom teeth, which means not everyone needs them extracted. Wisdom teeth that only partially emerge or come in crooked can lead to painful crowding and oral infection. If you are experiencing facial discomfort and still have your wisdom teeth intact, it may be time to discuss extraction with our doctors at Healthy Smiles Family Dentistry. When wisdom teeth are misaligned, they may position themselves horizontally, or at an inward/outward angle. Poor alignment of wisdom teeth can crowd the mouth or damage adjacent teeth. Wisdom teeth are often unnecessary because we don’t require them to chew our food. Also, people who keep them are more prone to tooth decay and periodontal disease because they are hard to reach, therefore, difficult to clean. If wisdom teeth are causing you oral discomfort, we can discuss treatment options. If you have questions or con...

Root canals have a bad reputation, but they are necessary to save a tooth from becoming badly decayed or infected. A root canal procedure is performed when the nerve of the tooth becomes infected or the pulp becomes damaged. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Here at the Healthy Smiles Family Dental, each of our dental professionals take great pride in their profession and will make your root canal treatment as painless as possible.  During the first visit, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area. A rubber sheet may be placed around the tooth to isolate it. Next, access is drilled from the crown into the pulp chamber, which, along with any infected root canal, is cleaned of all diseased pulp and reshaped. Medication may be inserted into the area to kill bacteria and prevent additional infection. Depending on your tooth’s condition, the crown may be inserted into the area to kill bacteria and pr...

If you had an early-stage dental infection, would you be able to recognize it? We’re committed to preventive care at Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem. As part of our effort, we want each of our patients to understand what a white spot lesion signifies and what they need to do if they develop one. As the first sign of tooth decay, white spot lesions are also known as “incipient lesions.” They are spots on the surfaces of teeth that appear unnaturally white and chalky and are usually found near the gum line or the sides of teeth. White spots are caused by enamel having lost minerals, but not enough to form a cavity. The teeth naturally produce a film which sugar and the bacteria that feed on it get trapped in. As bacteria eat, they excrete acid, which erodes the enamel. The more food is available, the more bacteria multiply, and the more acid is produced. It only takes about a month for white spots to develop. Patients should take them as a sign they need to improve their brushing, ...

Composite resins, also known as tooth-colored fillings or white fillings, provide solid durability and resistance to fracture. These types of filling could be used to enhance the aesthetics of your smile or to fill a cavity that’s been caused by decay. White fillings are typically more appealing than the alternative fillings to most patients, especially when the filling is in the front of the mouth. This is because they provide the most natural-looking tooth appearance. Depending on the size of the space that needs to be filled, one of our doctors at Healthy Smiles Family Dental can discuss if white fillings are the best option for you.  The main advantage most patients enjoy the most is that the fillings match the original color of their tooth. Additionally, white fillings are non-invasive, as only a small portion of your healthy tooth is removed prior to the composite filling, which means there is a lower chance of chipping or fracturing the teeth. This also ensures that the tooth wi...

Dr. Na Xu is experienced in providing her patients with high-quality fillings for decayed and cracked teeth. But in order for patients to get the most out of these treatments, they need to understand how they work so they can recognize when it is time for a return visit. That’s why this week we’re discussing the lifespan of fillings. Ordinarily, fillings will last for about ten years. At that point, their bonding will begin to break down and bacteria will be able to enter the cracks. From there, the process of decay starts over again. By maintaining regular check-ups, patients help to ensure old fillings can be replaced before they lose any more tooth enamel. We are confident in the services we provide, but patients should be aware that there are times when a filling needs to be reworked sooner. This is true if the filling is “high,” meaning it is preventing the patient from comfortably closing their teeth together. A filling that is “leaking” is also one that has been compromised and ...

Every February, the American Dental Association declares a National Children’s Dental Health Month. At Healthy Smiles Family Dental in Salem, we’re proud to participate by educating our patients about this year’s theme: the proper use of fluoridated toothpaste. While it is true that baby teeth fall out, taking care of them is still vital to a child’s development and for beginning a lifetime of good health habits. Children with tooth decay commonly have difficulty sleeping, resulting in their being irritable and easily distracted. They also may avoid eating and their speech development may be delayed. Fluoride treatments can help to prevent their teeth from being damaged by the acid produced by oral bacteria, but only regular brushing can prevent bacterial build-up. Fluoridated toothpaste has the advantage of providing additional protection. However, children using it must still thoroughly brush every tooth surface for at least two minutes per session. This will often be the first way i...