Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Baby - Part I


Pregnancy and awaiting the arrival of your baby can be an exciting time, but it can wreak havoc on your oral health. Your body goes through many hormonal changes, as well as physical changes that could affect the health of your mouth more than you may realize.

Gum Disease


keep baby healthy by visiting the dentist
Worried about gum disease? Visit our office today!
The largest risk to your mouth during your pregnancy is the risk of gingivitis and gum (periodontal) disease. The hormones that are created to keep your baby safe can put you at higher risk for pregnancy- induced gingivitis. If you don’t already have gum disease, this condition is usually temporary, and usually appears between the second to eighth month of pregnancy. Keep up with your home care by brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily, as well as getting your professional cleanings. There has been some studies linking gum disease to premature births, so speak to your dentist about what you can do to if you have gum disease and reducing your risk of complications.  

Need a pre-natal dental checkup?

We recommend visiting the dentist several times during your pregnancy so that Dr. Snodgrass can monitor your dental health as your body changes and hormonal levels shift. We find that many dental insurance plans offer extra visits for expectant mothers, so these additional visits are affordable as well. Call us today at (360) 524-4377 to schedule your pre-natal checkup.


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Preventive Care for Dental Health Month!

Family dentist in vancouver wa
Visit your dentist regularly to prevent future pain!
Contrary to popular belief, your dentist is there for more than knocked out teeth and toothaches. The right dentist can help with proper preventive care to help keep your mouth healthy and to help prevent more serious issues from occurring.

Every 6 Months
You should be visiting your dentist a minimum of every 6 months. This allows Dr. Snodgrass to fully inspect your teeth and gums to ensure that there are no issues that you are not aware of yet. When you let conditions with your teeth get out of hand, resolving the . By keeping your twice yearly appointments, you can keep your mouth healthy and your pain to a minimum.

Why Is A Comprehensive Visit So Long?
When we schedule our New Patient visits, we allow for plenty of time with Dr. Snodgrass. Not only does it allow us to learn about you and your individual needs, it allows us to create a baseline with which to compare your mouth to each time you visit. At your initial New Patient appointment, your Vancouver dentist will perform x-rays and other routine procedures to assess what is normal for your individual mouth. On subsequent visits, Dr. Alan Snodgrass will be able to determine if anything has drastically changed.

Immediate Assistance

Of course, if you have any issues that require immediate dental assistance, you should not delay in calling our office. Anytime you experience pain, bleeding, a lost permanent tooth, a lost filling, or anything out of the ordinary, you should call us right away.