Does fear of the dentist prevent you from getting the dental care you need? About one-third of American adults have dental anxiety, with an estimated 12% having extreme fear that prevents them from going to the dentist. Fortunately, there are many ways to relieve dental anxiety. First and foremost, you should always communicate your fears with your dentist – here at Emergency Dentist of Portland, we are always happy to discuss any concerns you may have, and adapt our approach as necessary. Other tips for reducing dental anxiety include bringing headphones and music, and practicing relaxation ..read more

Habitual teeth grinding, aka bruxism, wears down teeth over time and greatly increases your risk of damaged teeth and gums. Sleep bruxism is more common than awake bruxism, but often goes unnoticed unless alerted by a partner. If you think you may have bruxism, the first step is to visit the dentist for a proper diagnosis, as well as prevention and treatment options. How is Bruxism Diagnosed? During a dental exam, one of the many things your dentist checks for is signs of abnormal wear on your teeth. Flattened teeth are one of the most common signs of bruxism, caused by excessive grinding of ..read more

Do you ever find yourself grinding or clenching your teeth? It’s a pretty common reaction to stress and anxiety, and whether consciously or not, most people have done it at some point in their lives. But when a person habitually and unconsciously grinds or clenches their teeth, it is a condition called bruxism. What is Bruxism? Bruxism is the habitual teeth grinding or clenching of teeth, and can occur when you are awake (aka awake bruxism, or AB) or while sleeping (aka sleep bruxism, SB). An estimated ,20% of adults have AB, and frequent SB occurs in about ,13% of adults. Women are more likel ..read more

Do you ever think about how much your teeth help you speak? Read this sentence out loud and pay attention to how much your teeth come into play in forming these words and sounds. You’ll be hard pressed to find more than a few words that don’t need teeth at all to form the correct sounds! How Teeth Help Us Speak Speech is extremely complex, and our mouths (lips, tongue and teeth), our vocal cords, and our breath all work together in concert to form the correct sounds and pronunciations. Our teeth play a crucial role in speech, and help us speak in a couple different ways: 1) By helping to con ..read more

How much sugar did the average person consume in the 1700s vs. today? And what does our increased sugar consumption do to our oral, mental and physical health? The answers aren’t pretty – but the reality is that added sugars are found in the majority of our foods and drinks today, and our sugar habits are causing serious and sometimes life-threatening health issues. Understanding the reasons and impacts of our consumption choices can help us make better decisions to benefit our health and quality of life. Sugar Consumption And Our Health Excessive sugar consumption is linked to serious and w ..read more

Should you use a toothbrush cap? How often do you change your toothbrush? Proper toothbrush care isn’t something that people tend to think about much, but it’s an important part of your oral hygiene. Your toothbrush is the tool you use for cleaning your mouth, and it can’t do a good job if it’s dirty. Below: our do’s and don'ts of proper toothbrush care, plus a couple bonus options! Toothbrush Care: Do’s Do wash your hands well before brushing and flossing to avoid transferring bacteria on your hands to your toothbrush. Do rinse your toothbrush thoroughly before and after you brush. After bru ..read more

Would you consider your teeth as living things? It might come as a surprise given how hard they are, but our teeth are indeed living things! Human teeth have a unique structure and four distinct types of dental tissue, all of which work together to keep teeth healthy and strong. The three parts that make up a tooth’s structure are: crown, neck and root. The four types of dental tissue are: enamel, dentin, cementum and pulp. Let’s take a closer look into the anatomy of a tooth to see how each separate component fits and works together to keep teeth alive and healthy. Crown A tooth’s crown is t ..read more

Do you know how many types of teeth you have? A full set of human adult teeth has 32 teeth total, and is made up of 4 different types of teeth. Each tooth type has their own unique function and purpose, and together they work to allow us to eat and digest food efficiently. The 4 Different Types of Teeth: Incisors : These are the four front and center teeth on both our upper and lower jaws, for a total of 8 incisors. We have two central incisors (the very middle two teeth) and two lateral incisors (the teeth on either side of the central incisors) on each jaw. Canines : Also called cuspids (m ..read more

Do you know how much bacteria is in the human mouth? Estimates vary between 500 to 700 different species of bacteria, and between 6 million and 20 million microbes of bacteria in the mouth at any given time! Those billions of bacteria adhere to each other and to surfaces within the mouth – teeth, gums, inner cheeks, tongue, and form a complex, slimy, sticky substance called biofilm. Dental biofilm can actually ,aid oral health. Besides containing hundreds of varieties of both “good” and “bad” bacteria, dental biofilm can also contain saliva – which provides necessary hydration and electrolyte ..read more

Cold and flu season is upon us, and unfortunately, mouth sores sometimes accompany these illnesses. Canker sores and cold sores can be quite unpleasant to live with, but the good news is that both typically heal well within a couple weeks. We’ll explain how to tell the difference between canker sores and cold sores, and how to treat them so that they heal quickly and with minimal discomfort and pain. Symptoms and Characteristics Cold sores and canker sores may seem similar, but they are unrelated issues with distinct and identifiable symptoms. Let’s take a look at the differences between the t ..read more