We had another great Veteran's Smile Day!  What a wonderful surprise from our Puyallup VFW Post 2224 for the Commander’s Appreciation plaque!! Thank you very much! We are very happy to serve our veterans!
Thank you to Dirk’s Truck Repair, Courtney Bell, Marilyn Norton, Glen Davis, Paul and Susan Blinn, Farrelli’s and Mountain Mist for helping make our Veteran’s Day event a success!! We are happy to see this community come together to help those who served!

With the holidays just around the corner, knowing what can cause halitosis (also known as bad breath) and what can be done to prevent or treat it can make those impromptu holiday gatherings more pleasant.  First off let me explain the majority of halitosis issues are caused by conditions in the mouth; the warm, moist environment is perfect to grow millions of bacteria that can lead to bad breath.  That being said one of the best defenses against bad breath is good oral hygiene, including brushing and flossing the teeth and brushing and scraping the tongue.
Cases of chronic bad breath should be investigated more thoroughly as they can be an indicator of a more serious condition.  About 25% of bad breath comes from systemic issues that can be chronic or acute but either way they should be addressed by a medical professional especially if they are accompanied by fever, swollen glands, sore throat, post nasal drip, productive cough and/or discolored discharge from the nose.  Bad breath can accompany systemic conditions such as a medical infection, allergies, diabetes, liver malfunction, kidney failure, lung diseases, sinus conditions, and/or gastrointestinal disorders.  
The majority of bad breath that comes from the oral cavity can be caused by a variety of factors, however if symptoms of painful or swollen gums that bleed easily or loose teeth are present you should see your dentist as soon as possible.  These additional symptoms may indicate an oral infection or disease that needs immediate attention.
Conditions in the mouth that can contribute to increased bacteria count and in turn increased halitosis range from external factors (food, drinks, smoking, etc.) to dry mouth.  Diets with inadequate hydration or high in sugars or high in foods with strong odors or high in alcoholic beverages are more likely to lead to enduring bad breath.  Additionally, poor oral hygiene (not brushing and flossing, cleaning the tongue and cleaning any dental appliances daily), or having crevice areas on the tonsils that trap food, can also lead to a battle with bad breath.  
So what is to be done to win the battle and keep the holidays merry?  Here are some tips.  

1. Brush and floss your teeth and clean your tongue to reduce bacteria and the food particles it uses to make bad odors. This includes cleaning any dental appliances like partials or dentures, orthodontic appliances, and occlusal/ night guards.  
2. Keep hydrated.  Drink water especially if you are having cocktails containing alcohol, drink water between cocktails. 
3. Place lemon wedges in your water and then bite into the lemon slice to help stimulate saliva. Saliva can help kill bacteria and clear the mouth of odor causing bacteria.
4. Chew sugarless gum or mints to cover the odor caused by foods and to stimulate saliva flow.
5. Snack on raw vegetables. They are usually high in water content and some contain vitamin C, which can help kill odor-causing bacteria.
6. Get regular dental check-ups and cleanings. Have cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease treated to reduce bad odors caused by oral infections and diseases. 

Hopefully this information helps you have halitosis free holidays.  Enjoy the time spent with friends and family, eat, drink, and be merry.  Just remember to brush, floss and scrape to keep your breath from being the topic of conversation.  

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​The popular football season is nearly here. That means it’s time to consider a mouth guard. There are several reasons to wear a mouth guard, like most importantly, keeping all of your teeth to keep your beautiful smile. Although football is a popular sport to use a mouth guard, a mouth guard should be considered when participating in any contact sport to protect the teeth and supporting structures.
The obvious purpose of a mouth guard is to protect the teeth but a proper fitting one also protects the jaw, joints and neck upon impact by providing a cushion effect that absorbs the impact. It also protects the soft tissue from injury and can reduce the chance of a sports related concussion.
It’s not just for football that athletes should be wearing a mouth guard, Basketball, Hockey, Volleyball, and Soccer athletes should also wear them. A mouth guard should be a part of your necessary sports equipment for children and adults in any sport where there is a chance of contact to the face or head.
There are several types of sports mouth guards available. You can buy over the counter ones at most sporting goods stores, they are big and bulky and can make it difficult to breathe. A custom sports mouth guard can be made specifically for your mouth.
Please give our office a call (253-531-1177) if you have any questions about the sports mouth guards as we want to be sure and protect those pearly whites. 

It’s a common condition that causes your mouth to feel uncomfortably dry. Some people call it “cotton mouth”. It can occur when your body doesn’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. Saliva is important for your oral health as it maintains oral ph balance and tooth integrity, having anti-microbial properties and protects the mouth’s soft tissue. It also aiding in proper digestion and taste.
                                
If you have dry mouth, you may experience any of these symptoms:

• Stickiness in the mouth
• Dryness in the mouth or throat
• Bad breath
• Cracked lips, or splits in the skin at the corners of the mouth
• Soreness in the mouth
• Raw, sore tongue, or inflammation of the tongue
• Dry nasal passages
• Increase in the need to drink when eating and attempting to swallow
• Changes in the sense of taste 
• Difficulty wearing dentures or partials

 Causes of Dry Mouth: 

• Chronic Mouth breathing 
• Medications used to treat conditions such as high blood pressure,       depression, anxiety, allergies, muscle relaxers, attention deficit disorder, pain, over active bladder and Parkinson’s disease just to name a few. 
• Medical treatments and procedures such as chemotherapy and radiation to the head and neck.
• Diseases and health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, Sjogrens syndrome, scleroderma, depression, and anxiety. 
• Lifestyle contributors, such as alcohol use, smoking, and consuming to much caffeine.   
• A decrease in the production of saliva due to the natural aging processes
• Blocked salivary ducts
• Stress and anxiety

If you suffer from dry mouth, be sure to discuss treatment methods with your dentists at Parkland Pacific Dental. 


Some recommendations for dry mouth, used in our office and available over the counter are:
 

• Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse, a rinse that can be used up to 5 times per day. 
• Biotene Oral Balance Gel can be used anytime during the day or night. Extrude a sufficient amount of gel from the tube on the finger or use a cotton swab to   take the gel from the tube and apply up under the lips or on the tongue. 
• Xylitol products such as Spry Gum and Ice Chips. 
• Cool air Humidifier at night in your bedroom

Since dry mouth can also cause extensive decay or cavities, we recommend to:

• Avoid foods with high sugar content, especially candy
• Create good oral hygiene 
• Brushing and flossing at least twice daily
• Drink water throughout the day-most people do not drink enough water and this is a contributor to dry mouth.
• Use an over-the-counter, fluoride mouth rinse such as Act Restore.

Products we may recommend by prescription for high decay rate due to dry mouth:

• Colgate PreviDent mouth rinse
• Clinpro 5000 toothpaste

Dry mouth may not be completely preventable, but steps can be taken to ensure good oral health.


We at Parkland Pacific Dental are always here to help maintain your healthy smiles.

By Kelly (Hygienist at Parkland Pacific Dental)

This month we celebrate children’s dental health so I would like to cover a few frequently asked questions we get from parents.

One of the most common question we are asked is "do you take kids and at what age should I bring my child in for their first dental check up?"  Yes! We love kids at Parkland Pacific Dental.  As a general rule we usually suggest children begin having their teeth cleaned and checked around the age of 3.  However each and every child has different tolerance levels.  Some children we see will jump right in to our chair and allow us to treat them when they are just 2 where others require more encouraging and are not ready to allow us to look in their mouths.  The key here is that we never want to make it a scary experience for the child so we will work with them on an individual basis. We will never force a child to do more than they are ready for.  We will encourage the parents to bring them in every six months and work on gaining their trust until they are comfortable with us and are ready to have their teeth cleaned and checked.

Another commonly asked question is "when will my child start getting teeth?" The vast majority of children will get their two lower front teeth between the ages of 4-7 months.  However, some may not get their first tooth until they are a year old.  Don't panic as there is a huge range of normal when it comes to getting and losing baby teeth.  Although most children lose their first tooth at age 5 or 6 some will start as young as 4 where others wont get to meet the tooth fairy until 7.  Your child will usually be the first to know when a tooth is loose because they will feel it moving.  A common misconception is that if a baby tooth gets decay that it is not necessary to fix it since the tooth will fall out eventually anyway.  The truth is that baby teeth have nerves just like adult teeth do and as with adult teeth if decay is allowed to spread it can eventually reach the nerve of the tooth can cause your child a considerable amount of pain and possible infection.  Keep in mind that most children will not lose their last baby tooth until they are 10-12 yrs old, therefore it is just as important to treat decay in a baby tooth as it is an adult tooth.  As always, our goal is to prevent decay from happening in the first place through proper care.

"When should I let my child brush and floss his/her own teeth?"  You should continue to help your child brush their teeth twice a day until they can show that they can do a good job on their own.  For most children, this occurs between ages 6 and 8. Brush after breakfast and before bed.  Keep your child’s teeth free of food.  Molars in the back of the mouth have lots of little grooves and crevices and bits of food can hide in and cause bacteria to grow.  Once children have the coordination and dexterity, they can brush on their own.  However, be sure to inspect after each brushing and go over spots your child may have missed. We always recommend using a soft nylon brush or electric toothbrush with a pea-sized dab of fluoride toothpaste.  Begin flossing your child's teeth daily as soon as any teeth are touching together.  After about the age of 9 children should be able to floss their own teeth. There are many products for kids on the market to make brushing and flossing a fun experience for your child.  Good brushing and flossing habits are an important part of your child’s overall health. The earlier you instill good habits the better off your child will be, and the rewards will last a lifetime.

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions but as always whenever you have any questions about your childs teeth please give Parkland Pacific Dental a call @ 253-531-1177 or find us on facebook.  We look forward to providing you and your family with many years of healthy and beautiful smiles.