Silent Nite

Snoring can be a real problem, not only for the person who snores, but for the partner and other family members who live with the snorer. However, there is a solution for a more restful night's sleep: Silent Nite® sl. This affordable device is flexible, thin and comfortable, and it exhibits documented success in preventing the disruptive, unhealthy effects of snoring and sleep apnea.

Silent Nite sl positions the lower jaw forward using special S-shaped connectors that are attached to upper and lower trays. These trays are comprised of a soft inner layer with a hard outer layer that is durable and BPA-free.

Call our office for more information. 425-709-7171

Picking a Family Dentist

When you're looking for a dentist, you have several choices, including which type of dentist you want. Here are some of the benefits of picking a family dentist to meet your oral care needs:


•Oral Care for all Ages

A family dentist knows how to provide care for multiple generations. From your toddler to Grandma, everyone in your family can get regular cleanings and exams from the same office. This will help you teach your kids about the importance of good oral practices, because they'll see how you handle your visits to the dentist and know that proper dental health is important.
•Convenient Visits

You'll be able to save time and money by having the same dentist treat the whole family. Instead of taking time off from work and driving to your dentist, then repeating the process a different day for your kids, you only have to leave work once and take everyone to the same place. Think about the gas you'll save by only having one office to drive to!
•Lifelong Dentistry

When you choose a family dentist, your children won't have to find a new practitioner when they become adults. If you choose a pediatric dentist for your kids, as soon as they reach the cut-off age, they'll have to become comfortable with a new dentist. Yet with a family dentist, all of your child's dental records will stay in one place, and the quality and continuity of care won't be compromised.
•Personal Relationships

By spending time in the dentist's office as a family, you'll develop a personal relationship with the doctors and office staff. This will give you the confidence to ask about any oral health care concerns you have, and will help you get the best care possible. You'll also find it easier to understand what your dentist is telling you, because you'll know more about his or her personality from prior appointments and cleanings.

Contact Bellevue Dental Care for all of your family dentistry needs. We also offer cosmetic dentistry services to make your smile sparkle! Call (425) 709-7171 for an appointment.

Oral Cancer - The Importance of Early Detection

According to the American Dental Association, there is recent good news about progress against cancer. It is now easier than ever to detect oral cancer early, when the opportunity for a cure is great. Currently only half of all patients diagnosed with oral cancer survive more than five years.
Our practice has the skills and tools to ensure that early signs of cancer and pre-cancerous conditions are identified. We can help you fight and win the battle against oral cancer. Know the early signs and see your dentist regularly.

You Should Know:

■Oral cancer often starts as a tiny, unnoticed white or red spot or sore anywhere in the mouth.

■It can affect any area of the oral cavity including the lips, gum tissue, check lining, tongue and the hard or soft palate.

Other Signs Include:
■A sore that bleeds easily or does not heal

■A color change of the oral tissues

■A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area

■Pain, tenderness, or numbness in the mouth or on the lips

■Difficulty chewing, swallowing or moving the jaw or tongue

■A change in the way the teeth fit together


Regular Dental Check-ups Important

Regular dental check-ups, including an examination of the entire mouth, are essential in the early detection of cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions. You may have a very small, but dangerous, oral spot or sore and not be aware of it.

Request an appointment or call our office to schedule a personal consultation during your next visit.


Sincerely,

Bellevue Dental Care
425-709-7171
info@bellevuedentalcare.com
www.BellevueDentalCare.com

Keep your teeth safe this summer: Avoid dental injuries when playing sports

Summer is the time for enjoying the great outdoors. However, some popular summer sports – such as swimming and softball – can expose your teeth to danger. Here are several seasonal activities that could lead to dental injuries and ways to keep your smile safe:

 

 

Swimming

 

Frequent swimmers may be at risk for developing yellowish-brown or dark brown stains on their teeth.

 

Those who swim more than six hours a week continually expose their teeth to chemically treated water. Pool water contains chemical additives, which give the water a higher pH than saliva. As a result, salivary proteins break down quickly and form organic deposits on teeth. These hard, brown deposits, known as "swimmers' calculus," appear most frequently on the front teeth.

Swimmers' calculus can normally be removed by a professional dental cleaning.

  

Diving

 

Scuba diving, a sport enjoyed by more than 4 million people in the U.S., can lead to jaw joint pain, gum tissue problems or "tooth squeeze" – pain in the center of the tooth.

All of these symptoms add up to what's called "diver's mouth syndrome" (also called barodontalgia), a condition caused by the air pressure change involved in scuba diving and by divers biting too hard on their scuba air regulators. Tooth squeeze is caused by the change in air pressure, particularly if a diver has a big cavity, a temporary filling, gum disease, periodontal abscess or incomplete root canal therapy.

 

The best way to avoid these problems is to visit your dentist before scuba diving and make sure your dental health is tip-top. Ask your dentist's advice about fitting the mouthpiece of an air regulator. Sometimes dentures can be inadvertently swallowed during a dive, so denture-wearers should consult with dentists before diving to discuss any potential problems.

  

Contact sports (soccer, softball, basketball, etc.)

 

According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), soccer players are more likely than football players to sustain a dental-related injury – and these statistics do not include people playing pick-up games with friends.

 

Soccer is a sport where mouthguards and face masks are not mandatory, upping the odds for mouth and face injuries. Softball, basketball and pick-up games of touch football involve similar risks. In addition to causing injuries during contact, these sports also may be costly for people who have had extensive dental work, especially people who wear braces.

 

When participating in such sports, a mouthguard is your best ally. The AGD estimates that mouthguards prevent more than 200,000 injuries each year. Using a mouthguard can prevent damage to braces or other orthodontic work, as well as prevent mouth cuts, jaw injuries and tooth damage.

 

There are several types of mouthguards. Ask your dentist for advice about which mouthguard solution is best for you.

 

• Stock mouthguard: The lowest cost option is an item that can be bought "off the shelf" from a drug or sporting goods store. This type of mouthguard offers the least protection because the fit adjustment is limited. While better than nothing, a stock mouthguard is not considered acceptable as a facial protective device. 
• Mouth-formed protectors: These mouthguards come as a shell-liner and "boil-and-bite" product from sporting goods stores. The shell is lined with acrylic or rubber. When placed in an athlete's mouth, the protector's lining material molds to the teeth and is allowed to set. 
• Custom-made mouth protectors: The best choice is a customized mouthguard made by your dentist. This is the most expensive option (and may not be covered by your dental plan – check your Evidence of Coverage booklet), but a custom mouthguard offers the best protection, fit and comfort level because it is made from a cast to fit your teeth.

 

Some information courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Some information courtesy of the American Dental Association.

One-visit crown? YES- It's true!!

What is CEREC?




Here at Bellevue Dental Care, Dr. Minnoch can create and place a brand new porcelain crown during a single visit. This is what CEREC technology has made possible. 


CEREC is a revolutionary system that enables your dentist to design, fabricate and fit a new crown, veneer, onlay or inlay in a single visit, a procedure that would normally take at least two weeks, if not more!


To understand CEREC crowns and their pros and cons, you need a little background in the construction of a crown:

HOW CROWNS ARE MADE - Usually a crown takes two visits: on the first visit, the tooth is prepared by being shaved down somewhat. An impression is taken of your teeth, and this impression is sent to a laboratory where your crown will be made. Meanwhile, you wear a temporary crown made with some type of plastic material. On your second appointment, the temporary is removed and the durable crown is placed on your tooth.

This diagram shows the concept of a dental crown.
The tooth is reduced in size to allow for complete coverage by the ceramic crown material. The cut-away ceramic covers the entire tooth, all the way around, usually down to the gumline.

CEREC ONE-VISIT CROWNS - A recent innovation available in the offices of some cosmetic dentists is the "Computer-assisted design-Computer-assisted manufacture" crown, or "CAD-CAM." The company that is foremost in this technology is CEREC. This crown is milled by a computer to fit your tooth precisely, thus eliminating the laboratory step in manufacturing the crown.

With CEREC'S CAD-CAM technology, the crown is made by a computer while you wait, thus eliminating the second appointment and the temporary crown. These CEREC crowns are milled out of pure ceramic.


CEREC technology can also be used to manufacture porcelain fillings. There are some very skilled cosmetic dentists who are also able to create CEREC porcelain veneers. Doing these well requires an exceptional amount of skill. Remember that CEREC crowns are milled out of a single block of porcelain. This creates an esthetic problem because natural teeth have a gradation of color from the gumline to the biting edge. However, there are some cosmetic dentists who have developed the technology to create beautiful life-like porcelain restorations for front teeth with the CEREC system, with color gradations in the teeth and a beautiful polish.
Advantages:

• CEREC crowns are made in one visit, saving considerable time for the patient.


• With CEREC, there is no need for a temporary crown, which eliminates a significant potential discomfort for the patient.


• CEREC crowns have no metal in them, and thus are reasonably esthetic.


• CEREC material and technology can also be used for fillings. Since they are made out of porcelain, they are more durable than white composite fillings.


Before and after photographs of CEREC crowns and veneers:

Before



After





After



Before



What Is Sleep Apnea and How Can an Oral Appliance Help?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which insufficient air reaches the lungs during sleep. In most cases, sleep apnea results because a person’s tongue is blocking the flow of air. This can cause blood oxygen levels to drop, causing sufferers to snort or choke awake. Sleep apnea can interrupt daily life by causing excessive daytime sleepiness, and it can also cause cardiovascular problems, so ask your dentist to prescribe an oral appliance if you believe you are suffering from sleep apnea.


•Keeps Your Airway Open

Most sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their backs. In this position, the tongue rests on the back of the throat, restricting air flow. An oral appliance, which is similar to a night guard, keeps the tongue from relaxing and blocking the flow of oxygen.

•Provides a Cost-Effective Solution

There are a variety of oral surgeries available that can help resolve sleep apnea. However, you can easily avoid undergoing costly oral surgery while still getting relief by using an oral appliance. This affordable device can halt snoring, poor sleep quality, and other sleep apnea symptoms.

•Prevents Sleep Interruptions

Sleep apnea can lead to major health side effects, such as heart problems, depression, and memory loss. Sleep apnea sufferers easily tire, have a hard time focusing on work or school, and often feel irritable. Using an oral appliance while you sleep can ensure that you get a full night’s rest so that you can have easier, happier days. You’ll stop tossing and turning, waking up your partner, and constantly feeling exhausted.

If you’re tired of living with sleep apnea, contact Dr. Minnoch's office today. We can provide the oral appliances needed to help you get a better night’s sleep. We also offer dental treatments and services for the whole family, including preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dental care.
To learn more, call us at (425)709-7171

There's an app for that!

You know that your dentist wants you to brush your teeth twice a day—but did you know that it’s also important to brush your teeth for the proper amount of time as well? If you need help brushing your teeth for the recommended two minutes, check out the Toothbrush Timer iPhone app.



With this application, your whole family can be sure that they are brushing for the right amount of time. The easy-to-use timer will also help you to remember to switch quadrants of your mouth so you don't neglect any particular area. It even has handy reminder to change your toothbrush quarterly!


Come to Bellevue Dental Care in Bellevue for all of your general dentistry needs. Call 425-709-7171 for an appointment with Dr. Minnoch.