The Connection between Oral Health and Heart Health
February 25, 2014
What if we told you there was a very important connection between oral and overall health? Most people would be surprised to hear that, but it’s true.
What’s the connection? According to recent data, it can be traced to gum disease, a very common oral health condition that affects a majority of U.S. adults.
Gum disease is caused by a buildup of bacteria and plaque around the gums. Over time, these irritants will cause tissue loss, culminating in the formation of pockets between the teeth and gums. These pockets give the bacteria and plaque of gum disease an entryway into your bloodstream, and from there, to other parts of the body.
What kinds of health problems can be exacerbated by gum disease? Heart disease is one of the most common but it’s not the only one. Other health conditions that can be impacted by gum disease include:
- Hypertension
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s
- Pneumonia
- Pre-term birth or low birth weight
You can protect your smile and your overall health by following a couple of easy but important steps.
First, make sure that you’re brushing and flossing every day. At The Dentists at Orenco Station, we recommend brushing twice a day, flossing at least once, and gargling with an antibacterial mouthwash. Following a routine like this will help you control the amount of bacteria in your mouth.
But a good homecare routine isn’t all it takes to enjoy good oral health. We also recommend seeing Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey twice a year for checkups and cleanings. Why so often? Because some patients may be struggling with gum disease without even knowing it. During your appointment with us, we’ll look for signs of the condition and offer care if we find anything.
Call The Dentists at Orenco Station if you’re ready to schedule your next checkup with Drs. Brandon and Malinda Kearbey. They’re happy to care for patients from Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, Rock Creek, and beyond.
Improve Your Entire Family’s Smile In 2014 with Family Dental Care
January 29, 2014
A common question for any dentist is: How often should I come in for checkups and cleanings? The answer might surprise you. While you only need to see your primary care doctor once a year, it’s a good idea to see your dentist twice a year. Why so often? Because common oral health issues like tooth decay and gum disease can develop quickly and easily. And it doesn’t matter how old the patient is—children are just as susceptible to these conditions as adults.
That’s why Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey are proud to put family dental care at the center of what they do. With a checkup and cleaning twice a year, our friendly, experienced Hillsboro team will help you and your little ones watch for signs of decay, gum disease, TMJ dysfunction, and even oral cancer. We can also remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar above and below the gum line with a professional cleaning.
What’s more, our helpful Hillsboro dental team can also talk to you about taking care of your smile at home. Regular brushing and flossing are important; they can do a lot to protect your teeth from gum disease and tooth decay in between visits, though even the best homecare routine isn’t a substitute for a professional cleaning.
And what if we find something during your visit with us? Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey are happy to put together a customized plan to help you. We offer a great range of today’s best general, cosmetic, and restorative services.
Do you need to schedule your first appointment for yourself or your child? Call The Dentists at Orenco Station today for an appointment. Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey serve families from Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, and Rock Creek.
What Are Your Smile Goals for 2014?
December 30, 2013
Even though 2014 isn’t here just yet, it’s never too soon to start thinking of goals for your smile. After all, people routinely set other kinds of goals at the start of a brand new year. Why not include your oral health?
Maybe your goal is a simply to see Dr. Brandon Kearbey or Dr. Malinda Kearbey on a more regular basis. Regular dental exams and professional cleanings are the foundation for good oral health. It will be easier for our Hillsboro dental team to keep your smile healthy when we can see you twice a year for regular checkups.
Another common goal patients have, besides coming in on a more regular basis, is transforming the way their teeth actually look. Drs. Brandon and Malinda Kearbey can create dazzling results using teeth whitening and porcelain veneers, two very effective cosmetic dentistry services. What’s more, when combined with treatment for cavities, misalignment, or missing teeth, patients can look forward to an even more dazzling transformation.
Your final treatment plan will depend entirely on your needs. During a consultation appointment, Drs. Brandon and Malinda Kearbey will assess your health and talk to you about the changes you’d like to make. How you feel about the health and appearance of your teeth truly matters to us. We want to not only help you achieve optimal oral health but also a smile that fills you with a sense of confidence and good wellbeing.
Call The Dentists at Orenco Station today to reserve your first appointment of 2014. We offer personalized general, cosmetic, and restorative care to patients from Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, Rock Creek, and beyond.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 27, 2013
From all of us at The Dentists at Orenco Station, we want to wish you and your family a happy Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy this special time with those who are closest to you. And we hope you enjoy all the great food the holiday has to offer. Your oral health is important, but just as important is knowing when to splurge a little.
Thanksgiving is the perfect day for that. Surrounded by loved ones and good food, the last thing you should be worrying about is whether or not to have that second slice of pumpkin pie. We do hope you’ll remember to brush and floss later that day, but for the moment, just focus on having a good time and being thankful.
If you want to schedule an appointment after the Thanksgiving holiday, we would love to hear from you. Simply call our office to reserve an appointment or ask our helpful dental team a question. We serve patients from Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, and Rock Creek.
Trade Sugar for Xylitol This Holiday Season
October 28, 2013
On Thursday, Halloween will come and go, signaling the start of the holiday season. From now until the stroke of midnight on December 31, 2013, homes and offices will be awash in holiday treats.
At The Dentists at Orenco Station, we want you to enjoy everything the holidays have to offer, but we also want you to enjoy good oral and overall health. To help with that, we recommend that our Hillsboro patients trade conventional sugar for xylitol.
What Is Xylitol?
Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from the fibers of plants and can be substituted with sugar for baking at a ratio of 1:1. But the key thing to note here is how differently it responds to the bacteria in the mouth. Sugar responds to bacteria by creating acid, which damages teeth and creates cavities. That’s not the case with xylitol, which creates a neutral environment safe for teeth instead.
Because of how different the response is, why not consider making a switch? You can use xylitol for baking, but you can also find candies that have been sweetened with it. To find candies sweetened with xylitol, explore sites like Dr. John’s Candies and Ice Chips. You can also find xylitol products at your nearest health food store.
Do you have questions for Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey? Call us today to ask, or to schedule your next appointment. Our office is located in Hillsboro and serves patients from Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, and Rock Creek.
Acid Reflux and Your Oral Health
October 3, 2013
A touch of heartburn from time to time is inconvenient and uncomfortable but nothing to worry about. Experiencing heartburn several times a week, on the other hand, is. Not only can it make life uncomfortable, it’s a symptom of a condition known as acid reflex disease. Other symptoms of acid reflux disease include:
- Nausea
- Bloating or burping
- Hiccups
- Regurgitation
- Black/bloody stools or bloody vomiting
- Weight loss
- Wheezing, hoarseness, sore throat, or dry cough
Of all the problems acid reflux disease can cause, though, you might be surprised to learn that it can also have an impact on your oral health. That’s because of how acid reflux works.
When a patient has acid reflux, a small amount of stomach acid ends up in the esophagus. If this acid comes into contact with your teeth, it can damage the protective layer of enamel on the outside. Signs that acid may have damaged your teeth include:
- Pain or irritation
- Teeth that have shortened or thinned
- Teeth with short edges
- Sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods
You can make sure your teeth are protected with regular care at The Dentists at Orenco Station in Hillsboro. During every visit with Dr. Brandon Kearbey or Dr. Malinda Kearbey, we’ll look for changes in your oral health that might indicate the presence of decay or gum disease. If we find anything during your appointment, we can put together a treatment plan immediately.
Is it time for your next checkup with our Hillsboro dental team? Call us today for an appointment. The Dentists at Orenco Station serves patients from Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, and Rock Creek.
Enhance Your Smile with Custom-Made Porcelain Veneers
August 19, 2013
Every patient wants to have a smile they feel confident about. Unfortunately, not everyone is born with a smile that’s naturally straight or white. That’s why Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey of The Dentists at Orenco Station offer porcelain veneers.
This cosmetic dentistry service is among the most popular offered today. With a few thin pieces of porcelain, the team at The Dentists of Orenco Station can help you transform a stained, misaligned, chipped, or cracked smile into one that looks naturally dazzling. What’s more, the entire procedure can be completed in just two visits to our Hillsboro dental office.
What to Expect from a Porcelain Veneers Procedure
During the first of your two porcelain veneers visits, your doctor will take molds of your smile. We’ll also talk to you about how you want your smile to look when we’re all done. Then, our lab technicians will take the information we gather during that first appointment and use it to make customized veneers that will match the shade and shape of your natural smile.
On your second appointment, we’ll reveal your finished veneers and affix them to the front of your smile. Then, with your transformed smile in place, you can go back to your normal schedule feeling more confident than maybe you ever have.
Call The Dentists at Orenco Station to ask us a question about porcelain veneers or schedule a consultation appointment. We’re happy to create beautiful smiles for patients of Forest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, Rock Creek, and beyond.
More Discreet Orthodontic Care with ClearCorrect
July 26, 2013
Traditional braces are just one treatment option for patients with misaligned teeth. At The Dentists at Orenco Station, Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey offer ClearCorrect, a special cosmetic braces option that gives adults patients the chance to improve the appearance of their smile without drawing attention to their treatment.
Instead of using metal brackets and wires, ClearCorrect helps you achieve your goal with a set of clear, custom-made aligners. As you go through your treatment, you’ll wear each aligner for about two weeks. With each one, your teeth will be brought closer and closer to their ideal position.
But outside of being clear and not using brackets or wires, there’s another benefit of straightening your smile with ClearCorrect—your aligners are removable. What that means is that you can take them out for meals, but also for brushing and flossing. Because of this, you can enjoy your favorite foods and still brush and floss as thoroughly as you normally would. Brackets and wires can get in the way of caring for your smile, leading to an increased risk of gum disease and tooth decay, which would mean spending more time in the dental chair later on. ClearCorrect lets you eat what you enjoy, care for your smile normally, and instead of coming in to have your braces tightened, we’ll only need to see you every six to eight weeks to check your progress.
Do you have questions about ClearCorrect? Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey would be happy to answer them. Call The Dentists at Orenco Station today to reserve your consultation. We provide general, cosmetic, and restorative to patients from Hillsboro, Forrest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, and Rock Creek.
The Effectiveness of Kör Whitening
July 5, 2013
If you’re unhappy with how your smile looks, that’s going to affect how much you smile and how others think about you. Studies have shown that patients with a dazzling smile are perceived as friendlier, more intelligent, and more successful. But not too many people have teeth that are naturally white.
That’s why dentists like Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey offer to brighten smiles with Kör Whitening. There are many different whitening systems out there, but Kör Whitening is one of the most effective. With its specially-formulated whitening gel, patients can brighten their teeth by as much 10 shades.
Here’s how it works.
First, our doctors at The Dentists at Orenco Station will create a pair of custom-made bleaching trays. Then, when those are ready, you’ll line them with Kör Whitening’s gel and wear them for about two weeks every night while you sleep. Over that period, the Kör gel will increase your teeth’s ability to absorb oxygen. As your teeth absorb more and more oxygen, your stains will fade from view. What’s more, Kör Whitening provides long-lasting results that can be achieved with little to no sensitivity.
Do you want to learn more about how Kör Whitening works? Call The Dentists at Orenco Station today to reserve a consultation appointment. Dr. Brandon Kearbey and Dr. Malinda Kearbey are proud to offer excellent cosmetic care to patients from Hillsboro, Forrest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, Rock Creek, and all surrounding areas.
Periodontal Therapy for Hillsboro and Beyond
June 4, 2013
Gum disease is one of the most common oral health conditions facing patients. According to some estimates, as much as 80% of American adults have some form of the disease. But gum disease isn’t just an oral health concern. Recent medical studies have also connected it to health conditions in other parts of the body, including heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, preterm birth, and more.
What does this mean for you and your family?
It means that regular checkups with The Dentists at Orenco Station should be a priority. During a checkup, Dr. Brandon Kearbey or Dr. Malinda Kearbey will look closely at the soft tissues of your gums and at your teeth to see if there have been any changes in your oral health. Symptoms of gum disease include bleeding or swollen gums and discoloration.
If our Hillsboro dental team finds any sign of gum disease, we’ll help you treat it with a personalized periodontal therapy treatment plan. There are many effective periodontal therapies to treat symptoms of gum disease, including deep cleaning, which combines scaling and root planning. During your appointment with Dr. Brandon Kearbey or Dr. Malinda Kearbey, we’ll talk to you about your treatment options and explain how each aspect of periodontal therapy works. We can also answer any questions you might have about your care.
Have you noticed any changes in your gums recently? Call The Dentists at Orenco Station today to reserve your consultation on periodontal therapy. We serve patients from Hillsboro, Forrest Grove, Beaverton, Cornelius, Rock Creek, and beyond.