Spokane Dental Blog

Gum disease is a term commonly used in reference to a condition called periodontitis. This is an inflammation of the area around your tooth, and it can cause significant problems if allowed to go untreated. Specifically, you may end up losing a tooth or multiple teeth if you have significant gum disease.

In the dental and medical fields, oral health used to be completely separate from whole body health. Now we know different, and acknowledge just how important it is to have healthy teeth and gums for the whole body. Just as bad oral health affects the body and quality of life negatively, good oral health makes a positive impact on whole body health. Here are some gum health basics:

A root canal is not only a procedure in a dental office, but an actual part of the anatomy of a tooth. The root canal is the cavity inside the tooth that houses the nerve. A root canal procedure as most know it is the cleaning out of that space in an infected tooth. When a cavity or infection reaches the nerve of a tooth, it can be very painful for a patient. Dr. Smith performs root canals in the office, and with certain cases requiring more extensive treatment he refers to an endodontist that specializes in root canal therapy. Wondering if that sore tooth or gum area may need a root canal? Here are the four signs you may need one:

Let’s be honest – root canal treatments don’t have the best reputation in terms of patient comfort. In fact, some people will even use a root canal as a comparison to something else uncomfortable or undesirable, saying sarcastically that something is about as fun as a root canal. But here’s the thing – it’s not that bad! Early root canal treatments may have been rather unpleasant, but in the world of modern dentistry, this is a procedure that will provide minimal discomfort to the patient and can lead to significant pain relief in the end.

This time of the year is so delicious: pumpkin spice donuts from Greenbluff, caramel apples, fall pies, and ALL the candy. Your Spokane Dental team is right alongside you joining in the fall celebrations, and have some simple tips to keep teeth healthy as we head into Halloween.

Are you one of the many people who would love to look in the mirror and see whiter teeth? If you’ve dreamed of having a brighter smile, there is good news – these days, you have plenty of options to make it happen. Basically, the options available to you can be divided into two categories – professional teeth whitening and over the counter teeth whitening. There are pros and cons with each, and we’d like to use this article to help you decide which is best for your needs.

We all know brushing our teeth is a must, but how often do we really need to? Should we use the dreaded floss? What about mouth rinse? An oral homecare routine can seem daunting, but is vital for a healthy smile. Your Spokane Dental team is here to take the guess work out of taking care of your teeth at home.

When we think about advances in technology, we usually think first about electronics. Whether it is the flat-screen TV on your wall or the smartphone in your hand, these are the technologies that tend to get the most attention. However, if you look a little deeper, you can see how technological advances actually impact your world in a range of different ways, including with regard to your oral health.

If you are missing a tooth, you already know of the many downsides that come with such a reality. For one thing, you may be self-conscious about your smile, knowing that opening is noticeable each time you open your mouth. Also, there may be speech issues related to the missing tooth, depending on where it is located. Finally, something as simple as chewing and enjoying your favorite foods may be impacted.

Inflammation has been a hot button topic lately, and for good reason. Systemic inflammation has been linked to a variety of diseases and cancers. But did you know that oral inflammation has a direct affect on systemic, or whole body inflammation? At Spokane Dental we are passionate about seeing our patients restored to health or maintain good health, because we know just how much a patient’s oral condition impacts overall well-being.