Our Spokane Dentistry Blog

TMJ can cause all sorts of problems, from sore jaws to migraines to muscle tenderness. To understand how a bad bite impacts your life, take a look at the following informative video. To put a stop to your TMJ pain, contact Drs. Ken and Marnie Collins to learn about treatment options that can improve your quality of life.

Youth sports offer adolescents a great way to build sportsmanship, master a skill, and have fun. Unfortunately, they can also have unexpected consequences. Studies have shown that certain types of activities can pose a threat to a child’s dental health, and tooth loss has become a common occurrence in youth sports today.

The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation estimates that over 3 million teeth will be lost in 2011, thanks to youth sporting events. According to the organization, the most dangerous sports tend to be baseball and basketball, which require less protective gear, such as mouthguards and helmets. To help remedy such problems, various companies now offer custom-fitted mouthguards to protect the lips, tongue, gums and teeth.

Dealing With Tooth Loss

When tooth-loss occurs, it’s critical that parents and coaches take appropriate action in a timely manner. A cracked, broken, or completely extracted tooth requires immediate attention from a dentist, preferably within 24 hours of the incident. If a tooth is completely separated from the mouth, you can either attempt to place it back into its socket or put it in milk to help preserve it.

When teeth are damaged during a youth sporting event, adults must take appropriate steps to prevent serious problems from occurring. Whether you are a coach or parent, don’t hesitate to get medical assistance for a broken, cracked, or missing tooth. Call or email Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins’ office to schedule a consultation.

For decades, having straight teeth meant using metal braces to reposition the teeth into a more aesthetic alignment. While traditional metal braces can and have fixed many smiles, the end result is only achieved after months or years of having a not-so-attractive smile. Metal braces don’t blend in, don’t look natural, and can be distracting – all reasons why clear braces were created. Though clear braces are suitable for many, they are ideal for working adults who want a straighter smile that isn’t unnatural looking and eye-catching for the wrong reasons.

Clear braces are an excellent solution for CEOs, businessmen, professional speakers, and any other person whose job involves daily direct communication with others. Some professionals find that having traditional braces draws the wrong kind of attention, usually because the metal appears obvious and unnatural; however, modern aesthetic dentistry has provided new options. With the growing use of clear braces, adult workers no longer have to worry about feeling embarrassed or suffering with a crooked smile.

Natural Blend for a Straighter Smile

Clear braces are just that, clear. They are meant to blend into your existing smile so that they are, for the most part, undetectable. Clear braces are much more natural looking and feeling when compared to alternative options. While clear braces are not entirely invisible, they rarely draw as much attention as metal braces do. Clear braces work while allowing you to keep a professional reputation.

In the professional world, especially in a career that involves direct communication on a consistent basis, looking professional and polished is a must. Having a crooked smile may not only make you feel insecure, it can distract others and bring on unwanted attention. Don’t let a crooked smile ruin your professional life! Contact Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins’ office today to learn more about clear braces. Schedule an appointment by phone or email to get started on a straighter smile.

If your dental pain is driving you to drink, don’t waste time researching “home remedies” on the Web. Contact your dentist today!

The Internet is free-range, truly. Nowadays there is nothing you can’t do or find online. From banking to communication to recipes and even self-diagnosis and at home remedy sites, there truly is no limit to the information that is available. However, sometimes Internet users need to filter the information they come across as some of it could potentially be harmful or outright wrong.

Take for instance a newly launched website named e-Toothache Remedies. The website gives visitors a variety of remedies for treating a toothache at home in the event that a patient cannot pay for or make time to visit a dentist. While the provided information seems to be quite harmless, the fact is that it is information provided by people who have no dental experience. When looking at the website, it’s obvious that it’s not own, run, or maintained by a dentist or a dental professional. Instead it is ran by a web developer that probably knows nothing at all about taking care of an aching tooth.

While websites such as e-Toothache Remedies seem to be considerate and helpful from the outside, the fact is that websites like these are often created to provide information that will draw a lot of traffic so that the website owner can more than likely make money off of click through fees as well as Google Adsense ads. In the end, these websites shouldn’t be used as a way to avoid the dentist altogether. While they may be cheaper than a visit to the dentist, patients are only putting their health at risk by using the provided information.

Whether you have the symptoms of a toothache, gum disease, or some other dental ailment, patients should know that self-diagnosis and at home remedies are not the best option. While a toothache may seem like a non-life threatening problem, if left untreated a toothache could be fatal. Whenever a dental problem arises, don’t hesitate to contact Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins’ office by phone or by email. Schedule routine appointments with us to ensure that your mouth remains as healthy as possible!

Families across the United States are slowly but surely emptying pillow cases and plastic buckets filled with candy after Halloween. The question is, are they flossing more in light of their increased sugar intake? Chances are, probably not.

More than likely when you first learned about dental hygiene, you were told to eat a healthy diet, to make routine trips to the dentist, and to brush and floss after every meal. Today’s quick-paced and jam-packed lifestyle rarely allows for time to brush and floss after every meal but at the same time it seems that a large majority of society only brushes. How often do you pick up a piece of floss and get rid of the food particles and bacteria between your teeth? Bets have it that you, along with plenty of others, rarely floss, if you even floss at all. So why has flossing taken the back seat, despite many of us being told that it’s a must do?

Some of the most common reasons that patients don’t floss is due to a lack of time to dedicate to floss between each tooth as well as the fact that gum pain may be experienced when a patient flosses improperly. But, to ward off any good (or bad) excuses,

While the answer isn’t the same for everyone, flossing often goes neglected because it can be very time consuming and for some the process is overly tedious and sometimes painful. When flossing inappropriately you can cause the gums to bleed, which may make a patient turn up their nose to using a piece of string between their teeth ever again. However, what many people fail to realize is that taking care of your mouth is a step-by-step process. Brushing alone will not get rid of all of the plaque and other bacteria within your mouth. Philips, the makers of Sonicare, have created the Sonicare AirFloss which eliminates the need for floss. Instead, the product uses air and water to clean the teeth and process is much quicker and is pain-free.

Why Is Flossing So Important?

While you may not think that a piece of string, or the newest Sonicare AirFloss makes a huge difference in your oral health, flossing definitely has it’s importance. Though proper brushing using a quality toothpaste will help remove a good portion of the bacteria and plaque that houses on your teeth, a toothbrush cannot reach between your teeth. However, both traditional floss and the Sonicare AirFloss are designed to reach the small crevices between the teeth that are often left untouched by a toothbrush.

If you do not floss often, now is a good time to start-up a new habit. Remember that part of maintaining a healthy smile and mouth is by planning routine visits to your dentist for check-ups and professional cleanings. Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins are experienced dentists that will always have your dental health as a top priority. Don’t let plaque and bacteria between your teeth cause a decline in your dental health. Contact our office today, by phone or by email. To schedule an appointment online, click here.

What do your dog’s teeth and your own pearly whites have in common? In dogs, humans, cats, hippos, and any other animal with teeth, proper dental care is a must in order to keep your teeth not only looking good but functioning as they should. Recently, Mayo Clinic, the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), and other associations reasserted something that we have all been taught for years: a healthy body includes having healthy teeth. Whether you think of it or not, the overall health of your teeth has a big determination on how healthy the rest of your body is. When your oral health is lacking, more than likely your overall health will suffer as well. So what does this mean? Simply put, be sure to brush and floss your teeth on a daily basis and don’t neglect Fido’s teeth either. Studies have shown that, just as in humans, good oral health can ensure that your best furry friend lives a longer and healthier life.

Is It Really That Easy?

Many may think that taking proper care of your teeth can’t be as simple as daily brushing and flossing. However, keeping up with your oral health doesn’t require strenuous work, effort, or time. Keeping your teeth, gums, and tongue clean along with flossing and routine visits to the dentist is really all one needs to have a healthy smile. Brushing after every meal is ideal but in some cases it isn’t a possibility. In the end the important part is that a majority of the bacteria housed within the mouth is gotten rid of through brushing and flossing. Patients should also ensure that the mouth remains properly hydrated as dehydration leaves the mouth susceptible to bacteria growth.

At the same time, dentists and veterinarians alike have determined that what we eat and drink too plays a role in the health of your teeth (or your dog’s teeth). Eating a few pieces of candy won’t rot your teeth in an instant, but a consistently unhealthy diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars can cause tooth decay which may lead to tooth loss. In short: eat a diet of mainly whole foods, keep your mouth hydrated by drinking water, and follow the daily practices of brushing and flossing.

Dentists obviously play an important role in the health of your teeth. If you ever run into a problem that requires more assistance than you can provide, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins. Routine visits to the dentist are a must to ensure that your smile remains healthy as sometimes there are problems beneath the surface that aren’t always detected by the untrained eye. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions.

In a straight and properly aligned smile, the upper teeth should naturally fit over the lower row of teeth and the points of each molar tooth should fall into the tops of the opposite molars. Generally this provides for a beautiful smile that is straight and structurally sound. When the teeth are properly aligned, the tongue, cheeks, and lips are all protected as they should be. But, for a lot of different reasons, not all of us have perfectly aligned teeth and many times the upper row of teeth overlap the bottom row of teeth to a higher degree than normal.

Tomy the hippo gets help from a North Carolina zoo dentist in Puerto Rico

Teeth that do not come together properly, a condition also known as malocclusion, is a very common dental problem today. Children, adults, 3,000lb hippos, and seniors alike can all suffer from having a bite that isn’t perfectly balanced. This can lead to worn and broken teeth as well as TMJ disorder. So what causes malocclusion? Factors such as genetics, overcrowding, abnormally shaped teeth, overuse of a pacifier, and thumb sucking can all cause the teeth to not sit within perfect alignment. Dental problems such as improperly placed filling, braces, and unnaturally-shaped crowns can also cause a bad bite.

The Fix For Malocclusion

The fix for a bad bite will differ between each patient, depending on the severity of the malocclusion. Some patients have very slight malocclusion that isn’t very noticeable and rarely requires dental intervention. Braces can be used to realign the teeth and fix a bad bite but some may require more extensive treatment including reconstructive dentistry to reshape the teeth.

Though we all want to be able to show off a perfect smile that is properly aligned, bright, and plenty white, rarely are we born with a flawless smile. However, treatment for malocclusion is quite easy and is sure to correct your bad bite. With an effective treatment, you will feel much more satisfied with your smile. Click here to contact our office to get started on a treatment plan.

Society is spending less as economic woes continue to grow. Recent studies have shown that not only are people not spending as much on retail goods, but they’re also cutting the amount of money put into routine dentist visits.

In some cases families are choosing to neglect visits to the dentist in order to ensure that there is enough money to buy food for dinner. While people are looking to save money in any way possible, not staying on top of your dental health could be much more costly in the future. Patients who fail to visit their dentist on a regular basis find that, instead of having to pay for filling a cavity or dental cleanings, now they are faced with a much more expensive cost of a root canal and a dental crown.

Cutting Money Spent On Dental Care Is Costly

In 2008 alone, more than 50% of Americans didn’t make a single visit to the dentist and in a year, a lot can go wrong with one’s dental health. Neglecting your oral health not only means that the health of your teeth, mouth, and gums are in trouble, but it also puts the rest of your body at risk as well. Combined with the fact that much of society doesn’t take oral health seriously, it’s safe to say that the nation’s oral health will decline. Think about it: if you’ve ever seen your gums bleed, it’s likely that you didn’t rush to the dentist or contact his office. Yet what many people don’t know is that bleeding gums is a sign of gum disease, a highly prevalent condition in Spokane, Spokane Valley, and the rest of the United States, affecting 4 to 12 percent of adults today. Gum disease also causes swollen and receding gums and when left untreated can cause cardiovascular health problems, tooth loss, and many other health problems.

If money is tight and spending on dental care seems like a financial stretch, you’re not alone, but it’s important to know that by skipping dental appointments, you are likely going to spend more on dental care and even medical care in the future. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment for a check-up and assessment of your oral health. We will work with you to ensure that your oral health is where it should be!

Most of society today is aware of a variety of dental terms, but what about direct composite bonding? Direct composite bonding, though not a widely known term, is a very common procedure that is often used in combination with another procedure. Dental bonding involves the use of tooth-colored resin that is applied to the teeth and hardened. Dental bonding can be used for all sorts of purposes such as:

• Repairing a chipped or cracked tooth
• Closing any gaps between the teeth
• Replacing old amalgam fillings
• Repairing and protecting a tooth with a cavity
• Elongation
• To improve the shade of discolored teeth

Even though your dentist may not mention direct composite bonding to you by this name, it is more than likely that at some point, your dentist has treated you using some sort of direct composite bonding. Dental bonding can be used for simple fixes such as cavities but is also needed when a dentist has to apply and secure dental veneers.

In order for veneers to be properly secured to the teeth, they have to be bonded. This type of bonding is called Adhesive Bonding. When veneers are bonded to the teeth using dental bonding, the patient will have a new smile that not only looks great but feels great and is completely durable. Even with dental bonding a patient’s new smile will look and feel entirely natural but simple things such as eating, chewing, and talking, often become much less of a chore.

If you have a cracked tooth, are interested in dental veneers, or are looking to replace your old metal fillings with tooth-colored resin, dental bonding can be of great help to you! Contact Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins’ office today to schedule a consultation time.

Naturally our teeth are pretty strong, just think about the years of wear and tear that all of our smiles are put through. Even though teeth are meant to be plenty durable, there are unforeseen events that happen that can easily cause one of your teeth to break. Nor matter how you broke your tooth the important part is knowing how to properly care for a tooth that is broken. A broken tooth can range from a small chip to a full on break that leaves your mouth completely susceptible to infection.

If you break a tooth, the sensation is something that you’ll know right away. Often times breaking a tooth can be painful and in some cases health threatening, especially if you do not take proper care of the broken tooth. From chips to cracks and major tooth fractures, it’s important that you the steps to take in the event of a tooth break.

Teeth are all made up of enamel, dentin, and the pulp. The hard coating on the teeth is known as the enamel. The main portion of the tooth is known as the dentin and the pulp is a part of the tooth that holds all of the blood vessels and nerves that keep the teeth alive. If you happen to break a tooth, you’ll want to be able to determine a rough idea of how far the tooth is broken to determine what actions are best to take.

In many cases breaking a tooth usually results in a chip that removes some of the enamel on the affected tooth. Even though a chip is a relatively easy break to fix, it can still be plenty painful though the after effects are usually more cosmetic than they are harmful. Minor tooth chipping doesn’t put you in a position where immediate dental care is required but checking in with your dentist to ensure that no part of the dentin is exposed because of the break is ideal.

In more serious breaks patients may find that enough enamel was lost that then causes the dentin to be exposed. This can lead to sensitivity but again does not leave a patient highly susceptible to tooth loss or extreme health problems. The one type of break to truly worry about is one that leaves your tooth bleeding.

A Bloody Tooth Requires Emergency Attention

In the event that you break your tooth enough that it begins to bleed, seeking medical attention is highly advised. A tooth that is bleeding is more than likely one that has some sort of damage to the pulp, which means that a call to your dentist should be made immediately. If left untreated a tooth with a damaged pulp can become infected and the infection can spread throughout your body. Use warm water to rinse your mouth and use a cold compress to help ease the pain and reduce any swelling. However, all patients with a bleeding broken tooth should seek help from their dentist.

Fixing a broken tooth will depend on the extent of the damage. Some patients may just require dental bonding in order to replace the lost enamel while others may need a root canal along with a dental crown in order to clean the tooth of any infection and properly protect it from any new infection. Patients with severe breakage may lose their tooth altogether and may require a dental implant to replace it.

Did you recently break a tooth? If so be sure to contact Drs. Ken & Marnie Collins in order to ensure that you receive the right treatment. Remember a severely broken tooth will require medical attention so that any infection does not spread and so that your tooth can be saved.