Dental Health

You’ve been doing it since you were five. You switch to auto pilot morning and night and get it done. But are you doing it right?

Actually, many people make tooth-brushing mistakes. You may need to tweak your routine to better sustain your oral health and protect your smile from cavities and gum disease.

Here are critical tooth brushing tips:

1. Take your time.
It’s understandable. You want to get it over with and go to bed. Proper teeth cleaning takes time and careful attention. Time yourself the next time you brush – you might be surprised at how quickly you finish. The process should take at least take two to three minutes. It can also be useful to take a different route around your mouth every few days. By changing your process, you approach areas from a different, and possibly, better angle.

2. Don’t forget to floss.
No matter how agile you can be with your brush, it’s problematic to remove the plaque from all those narrow gaps between your teeth. That is where bacteria can easily propagate and start the decay process.

3. Use the right toothbrush.
It is ironic that some people impair their enamel or gums because they brush too hard with a hard brush. Dr. West advises patients to only use a soft brush. If you’ve had gum grafts, you may want to use an extra soft brush.

4. Don’t keep your tooth brush near the toilet.
This is repulsive to think about, but each time the toilet is flushed, bacteria is sent far into the air – even if you close the lid. Keep your toothbrush in a clean place and let it to air dry.

5. Use fluoride toothpaste.
This may seem like a no-brainer but you may be surprised that some oral care products don’t contain fluoride. And you may think it’s only for youth. Not true. Your enamel is continuously under assault from acidic foods and drinks and fluoride helps it remineralize.

Contact Gordon West DDS – Aesthetic & General Dentistry: 720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

Today, we’re talking about the water flosser, also known as interdental cleaner, interdental irrigator, or water jet. The first water-shooting device for cleaning between teeth was invented in the early 1960’s by Colorado dentist Dr. Gerald Moyer and John Mattingly, a hydraulics engineer. The instrument is now known by the brand name Waterpik, though many people use the term generically. Since its conception, many other companies have entered the market with similar products. (Note: Gordon West DDS – Aesthetic & General Dentistry does not necessarily endorse any specific brand.)

A water irrigation tool oscillates a stream of water through a small, targeted tube to shoot out bits of food and plaque from around and between teeth. To use it, you put the tube into your mouth, turn it on, and then lean over the sink with your mouth slightly open to let the water dribble out as you direct the stream of shooting water around the gumline, hesitating momentarily at each gap between adjacent teeth.

There have been over 65 studies that have validated the safety and efficacy of water flossing for calculus reduction, plaque biofilm removal, bleeding reduction, inflammation reduction, and gingivitis care.

Should I Use a Water Flosser?
If you don’t floss at all, absolutely. If you have gingivitis, possibly. It may also help you keep your teeth and gums healthy if you have dental bridgework.

First, meet with our team to obtain an oral care treatment plan that factors in your tooth and gum health, physical dexterity, and lifestyle. The following conditions may affect whether or not Dr. West counsels you to use an interdental irrigation device.

Braces or other orthodontic appliances
A physical disability that reduces ability to brush and/or floss
Gum disease
Gums that bleed when flossing
Bleeding around dental implants when flossing
Aversion to flossing
Sensitive teeth

The state-of-the-art dental care in a comfortable environment team at Gordon West DDS – Aesthetic & General Dentistry would love to help you learn the best suited processes for keeping your gums pink and healthy and firmly attached to cavity-free teeth. To schedule an appointment, call 720-862-3630.

Sources:
Jacquelyn L. Fried, RDH, MS, “Interdental Cleansing,” The American Dental Hygienist Association, https://www.adha.org/resources-docs/7123_Waterpik_Irrigation.pdf, accessed March 10, 2017
Carol A. Jahn, RDH, MS, “The Water Flosser: Your Tool For Optimal Oral Health,” https://www.waterpik.com/oral-health/pro/education/pdf/Waterpik_WaterFlosser_ContinuingEducation.pdf, accessed March 10, 2017
“Water Flossing,” MouthHealthy (ADA), http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/w/water-flossers, accessed March 10, 2017

Contact Gordon West DDS – Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

Hi. I’m Dr. Gordon West, an experienced dentist here in Lafayette. It is my goal to help my patients have optimum oral health, and today I would like to talk about something else associated with our mouths that doesn’t get as much attention as cavities or cosmetic dentistry: it’s our sense of taste.

A happy mouth is not only a healthy mouth, but also a mouth that can enjoy the flavors of all types of foods. And it turns out that many of the habits that will keep your taste buds sensitive are those that will also be good for your teeth and gums. So here are a few tips to help you better enjoy the flavor of your food.

1) Treat dry mouth. Dry mouth can create a loss of taste sensitivity, so it should be treated quickly by your Boulder County, Louisville, or Broomfield dentist. Plus, optimal levels of saliva are important to avoid cavities and keep gums healthy.

2) Avoid processed foods with fake flavors and too much sugar and salt. They will quickly desensitize you to more subtle, healthy flavors.

3) Don’t smoke! Cigarettes are responsible for so many horrible health issues, but many people don’t realize that their sense of taste is dulled while they smoke and the olfactory nerves can even be damaged permanently.

Thank you so much for visiting the Lafayette dentist blog. Along with dental health and a keen sense of taste, I want my patients to have the beautiful smile they have always desired. So, if you have any questions regarding cosmetic dentistry such as smile makeovers, dental implants or teeth whitening, please contact us. We are located at 1140 W South Boulder Rd, Ste 201 and you can reach us for an appointment at 720-862-3630.

Call a member of our state-of-the-art dental care in a comfortable environment staff today!

Dr. Gordon West
Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry
1140 W South Boulder Rd, Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
720-862-3630
https://www.bouldercountysmiles.com/

There is nothing that influences your smile as much as your eating habits in Lafayette, Colorado. Develop good eating habits and your Boulder dentist will smile down on you too. Patients in Broomfield, Boulder County, and Louisville would do well to follow the example of a dentist in what and how they eat.

1. Rinse after eating
Rinse your mouth with a drink of water or brush your teeth after a meal. Lafayette folks who snack all day long prolong tooth exposure to sugars and food debris. Planned meals with brushing in between keeps your oral health on top.

2. Avoid sugary gum
Sugar-free gum doesn’t leave sugar to break down on your teeth and spoil your hard earned healthy gums. If you are one of the many Boulder gum chewers, do your teeth a favor and go sugarless.

3. Avoid sticky foods
Sticky foods have a habit of clinging to your teeth with stronger chances for decay. Toffee, gummy candy, fruit snacks, even dried fruit can be problematic for Lafayette smiles. Brushing doesn’t always remove the obstinate particles.

4. Consume nutritious foods
A balanced diet with a variety of vitamins and minerals can keep the immune system and able to fight infection.

5. Consume cheese
Cheese contains calcium and protects from acid that breaks down tooth enamel. (It’s critical not to go overboard as cheese is high in fat.)

6. Avoid acidic foods
Acid will eat away enamel over time: lemons, red wine, soda pop. Minimize direct, constant, consistent exposure. All things in moderation.

https://www.bouldercountysmiles.com/services/

If you have concerns about enamel damage that’s already taken place on your teeth, need help with crooked, chipped or missing teeth, or just need to get in for a check up, call Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry in Lafayette today. 720-862-3630

We’ll answer your questions about sedation dentistry, prepless veneers, and dental crowns. We know braces, veneers, dental implants, oral sedation, and the cost of cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette can bring up questions and concerns. Dr. Gordon West helps curb those worries and brings you to a place of knowledge and power. Make an appointment to discuss your dental goals.

Gordon West
Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry
1140 W South Boulder Rd, Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado 80026
720-862-3630

If you are the parent of a daughter or son, you may already have some concerns about your child’s well-being. As young men and women progress toward complete independence, some make questionable choices when it comes to health.

You may know Lafayette teens that skip meals and others that eat ramen noodles for lunch and dinner. Some teenagers spend more hours on Instagram than sleeping. Braces can hinder proper brushing. Eating disorders such as bulimia can quickly erode enamel and damage a smile.

Dental problems manifesting in the adolescent years can impact teeth for life. Let’s explore some vital dental issues for adolescents.

Wisdom Teeth
The third molars usually appear between late adolescence and the mid-twenties. Common wisdom teeth problems include bite misalignment, cavities, gum disease, and damage to the nearby teeth. It is important to monitor wisdom teeth and follow the guidance of your dentist.

Eating Disorders
Parents who notice their daughter or son abnormally preoccupied with body image and weight loss should be on the lookout for bulimia and anorexia. These serious disorders should not be ignored. Parents are advised to seek treatment immediately if they discover that their teen is binging and purging or intentionally restricting food.

Oral Health and Orthodontia
Braces can make proper brushing difficult. Toothbrushes and flossing devices that squirt water can help adolescents with braces clean their teeth and gums.

Sugar-Heavy Diet
If you visit any Colorado high school during lunch hour, you will see that sugar-laden soda, juice, and energy drinks are becoming a beverage staple. (Perhaps we adults are setting a bad example.) While juice is definitely the healthiest choice of the three, heavy juice consumption can impair enamel just as effectively as a can of Coke. Water is the best drink for teeth as well as calcium-rich milk, which leads us to our next section.

Inadequate Calcium Intake
Some youth who drank milk daily as kids curtail their consumption when they start eating meals away from home. This is unfortunate because calcium is just as vital for adolescents as it is for younger children. For strong teeth and bones, encourage your teen to enjoy low-fat dairy products daily.

Sports Injuries
Athletics benefit adolescents in a number of ways but, unfortunately, also pose a threat to teeth. Make sure your teen wears a protective custom mouthguard when participating in any activity where a mouth injury can occur.

We encourage Lafayette parents to be vigilant about twice-yearly dental exams and cleanings for their teens. Many oral issues arise unnoticed. To schedule a comprehensive examination and cleaning, call Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry at 720-862-3630.

Contact Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry:

720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd, Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

Today’s post focuses on professional dental cleanings. You might wonder if you need a professional dental cleaning if you already practice dental hygiene daily at home.

The answer is that both processes are critical because they work in tandem to maintain oral health.

Dr. Gordon West encourages patients to practice preventative dentistry by:

Brushing
Flossing
Healthy diet – fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts
Regular dental cleanings
Regular checkups

Dental cleanings increase the effectiveness of your daily oral care by removing the plaque and tarter that can accumulate regardless of daily brushing and flossing. In fact, when plaque hardens, it can only be removed with the special tools used by a hygienist.

A hygienist will first use a vibrating ultrasonic tool to dislodge the largest pieces of tartar. This process may tickle a bit. The hygienist will then use tools with finer attachments to remove the smaller pieces of calculus. When all plaque and tartar is gone, polishing is the final step in the cleaning process.

The goal is to make your tooth surfaces as smooth as possible, to inhibit food particles from lodging in small spaces that are difficult to clean. If you are having an exam during the same visit, your technician may take dental x-rays. X-rays can reveal cavities while they are small and can be easily filled.

Let your hygienist know if your teeth are sensitive so he/she can make your cleaning as comfortable as possible. After the cleaning, a fluoride treatment may be given to help strengthen your teeth.

Before your hygienist leaves, you may want to ask if there are areas you can improve. Your hygienist can tell you which tooth surfaces had the most build-up. If the back teeth are presenting a problem, you can communicate with Dr. West about sealants.

If you have braces, you may want more frequent dental cleanings because food can easily lodge between the wires.

Call Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry at 720-862-3630 to schedule a professional cleaning today! Your smile will thank you.

Contact Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry:

720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

One common excuse often given by people who don’t floss is that the practice is difficult to fit into their daily schedule. If you’ve found this to be true, and feel like you are too busy to floss, here are some suggestions for when to fit this vital dental health habit into your day.

• The most common time is right before bed, but make sure you aren’t too tired to do a good job.
• Right when you wake up is also an option, but if food is left between teeth all night, it can cause plaque.
• Try just after lunch, before you go back to work.
• Floss while you are in the car sitting in traffic. It’s easier one-handed with the pre-strung floss pics. (You might get some peculiar looks from other drivers, but it’s worth it.)
• Keep some floss in your gym bag so you can floss after you exercise.
  
• While you’re watching the nightly news.

I hope this gives you some beneficial ideas to help you make flossing part of your daily routine. Flossing is critical for anyone in Lafayette who wants to have a healthy smile.

If you want to improve your smile, look into cosmetic dentistry procedures such as porcelain veneers, invisible braces, teeth whitening, or dental implants.

My name is Dr. Gordon West. Helping my dental patients establish good habits is important to me, as well as helping them attain the smile they want with cosmetic dentistry procedures such as veneers, teeth whitening, and complete smile makeovers.

We are currently accepting new patients, so give us a call at 720-862-3630 to make an appointment!

Center for Advanced Dental Care

Contact Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry:

720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

Life gets busy. Sometimes it seems impossible to keep up with everything you “gotta do”. At Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry, we understand that. But we encourage you to think twice before you cancel or postpone a dental checkup because you think it’s less important than the other twenty things on your to-do list.

Twice-yearly dental exams are indispensable for keeping your smile in prime shape!

“But my teeth feel fine.”
We’ve heard this excuse. The fact is that no news isn’t necessarily good news. Dental problems can be progressing without you being aware of it.

1. Your Gums May Be Receding
Gum recession doesn’t happen all at once. Gum tissue can move back almost imperceptibly until teeth and bone are threatened.

2. Decay May Be Lurking
When the acids in plaque start drilling into a tooth, we usually don’t feel it until it has passed through the enamel and dentin and hits the nerve. Ouch! By that time, there is a crater in the tooth. Regular cleanings remove plaque before it can do any degeneration.

3. Prevent Oral Cancer
About 50,000 men and women will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year.¹ Dr. West will screen for oral cancer during your exam. As with all types of cancer, early diagnosis is indispensable.

After your entire mouth has been examined, Dr. West will detail what is required moving forward. Whether that’s flossing more often or discussing major fixes such as braces, we will make certain that you get all the information you need to ensure your smile is bright and beautiful! Scheduling twice-yearly exams with Gordon West at Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry will ensure you avoid extreme dental issues.

¹http://oralcancerfoundation.org/

We also offer the following cosmetic dentistry services:

• Teeth Whitening
• Porcelain Veneers
• Prepless Dental Veneers
• Dental Crowns
• Dental Implants
• Tooth-colored Fillings

Contact Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry:

720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

“It’s just a small sore, it will go away.”
“I’m too busy right now, I’ll go to a dentist later.”
“A little sensitivity is no big deal.”

It happens to most Lafayette residents at least once in their life. Your teeth become sensitive to cold drinks. A tooth develops a dull ache. A sore on the gums doesn’t heal up. An injured tooth darkens. A pain develops in your lower sinus area.

This is definitely not a situation where the “ignore it and it will go away” mentality is wise. If the pain is the result of a harmful infection, there are grave consequences of postponing treatment. Oral bacterial infections can destroy teeth, gums and jawbone and even lead to life-threatening sepsis. In fact, prior to the 19th century, tooth decay-related infection was a leading cause of death.

An oral infection doesn’t always cause pain. Bad breath, fever, swelling in the gums, glands or jaw, or a strange taste in the mouth can indicate the presence of an infection.

If an infection is caught and treated early, there may be no additional problems. However, usually the infection is the result of a dental trouble that needs to be treated. If the infection is caused by tooth decay, the decay will have to be removed and the tooth filled. If the decay has penetrated to the pulp of the tooth, a root canal may be necessary.

The infection may be the result of a pocket of undrained pus called an abscess. Pus is a by-product of the immune system’s efforts to fight infection and consists of dead white blood cells.

Mouth sores have various causes including an infection or virus. White patches in the mouth can indicate thrush (an oral yeast infection). All of these conditions can be treated – but you need to see your dentist.

I am Dr. Gordon West of Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry. If you have any signs of oral infection, or haven’t had a dental exam in the past year, I encourage you to meet with me. To schedule an appointment, call my office today at 720-862-3630.

Contact Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry:

720-862-3630

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1140 W South Boulder Rd, Ste 201
Lafayette, Colorado
80026

Millions of Americans don’t have dental insurance, and many Colorado employer plans have limited benefits. Some Lafayette people who fail to get adequate dental care say “It’s too pricey.”

If you are really living below poverty level, this excuse may be valid – but if you have an average income, you can probably shift your priorities to find money in your budget to invest in a healthy smile.

You have probably heard of the “Latte Factor” which refers to the surprising amount of income that adds up if you buy a significant caffeinated beverage every morning. Even if you don’t drink coffee, you probably have a personal habit that costs a few dollars daily but adds up to hundreds of dollars a year. Soda pop, beer, an eight-dollar deli sandwich, a game of golf. How about personal grooming – manis, pedis, facials, and professional hair coloring. What about the income you spend for convenience – pizza delivery, ATM fees, heat-and-eat meals. How much do you spend on premium cable, video game rentals, full-price movies, and season tickets to Boulder sporting events?

If you have foregone dental exams, cleanings and treatments because you think it’s too expensive, I hope this Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry dental blog post has opened your eyes to purchases that may be far less essential than a healthy smile. Remember, if you ignore dental problems, eventually they will require more extensive treatments. Filling a cavity is relatively inexpensive, a root canal costs more, and a dental implant is a major investment. What is a tooth worth? Every single one is priceless. And don’t forget that dental problems impact the strength of your entire body.

Gordon West DDS, Cosmetic & General Dentistry in Lafayette provides competitively priced quality dental care including veneers, crowns, and teeth whitening. Ask us about dental financing options.