You water the garden three times a week, you change your car's oil every three months, and you replace the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year. Your teeth need to see your dentist on a regular schedule, too.

While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good oral health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure your teeth are treated to a deeper level of cleaning. We recommend for most of our patients to have a checkup at least every six months. In addition to a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help us detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. During your visit, we’ll check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. We’ll also check old fillings and restorations, as these can wear away over time from constant chewing, grinding, or clenching.

If you are predisposed to oral diseases, you may need to visit our office more often than every six months. Factors at play in these diseases include age, pregnancy, tobacco use, medical conditions (such as diabetes, dry mouth, or HIV infection), along with how well you take care of your teeth on a daily basis.

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve – If you’re overdue for your next cleaning, check with our office to schedule an appointment!

Thanks for the question! Your first visit typically includes an x-ray that allows us to view the structure of the jaw, the position of any teeth that have not yet erupted, malformed roots, and tooth decay.

The initial visit also involves getting your medical history. When you share your medical history with us, be sure to provide complete, up-to-date information on your health. Please let us know if you have experienced recent hospitalization or surgery, or if you have recently been ill. Also tell us the names, doses, and frequency of any medications you are taking — whether prescription or over-the-counter products — and the name of your physician. Please also let us know about any changes in your health or medications. This information will us select the most safe and effective method of treatment path for you.

Have any more questions about your first visit? Please give us a call!

At our office, we know image can be everything. At an age when image is so important, the thought of having braces may intensify the already-delicate confidence of today's teens. Well, May is National Teen Self-Esteem Month, and during this time, parents are encouraged to act as positive role models, help stop negative self-images, and improve confidence and security among teenagers.

One of the great ways to improve your confidence is to improve your smile. And that begins with a consultation at our office. After all, what better time to avoid having crooked teeth in your adulthood than coming in for a consultation?

We invite you to give us a call to schedule a consultation or ask us on Facebook!

Last weekend, Dr. Steve Carstensen, Marlene, and Rebecca were in Arizona for a great training. Somnomed Inc., the world’s leading dental sleep appliance manufacturer, invited us to be one of 12 offices to do this elite training.

Our office strives to provide the best dental care with the latest technology. We spent two days with the Somnomed Academy and the Pride Institute, training to be an Elite SomCenter. As a result, our office will have access to the best trainers and most recent technology.

There is nothing like a good night's sleep, and our practice has a special emphasis on dental sleep medicine including treatment for snoring and sleep apnea. If you are having sleep issues, give our office a call!

Today we wanted to let everyone know that we will be out of the office this Thursday and Friday, April 19-20. Dr. Carstensen and the team will be attending a conference in Phoenix, AZ to better serve our wonderful patients. We will respond to all messages as soon as we can when we return. Please give a couple of days for a response to any questions or concerns.

If you have a dental emergency or an urgent dental need, please call Dr. Coluccio at (425) 827-5345. He will be glad to assist you.

Have a great end of the week and weekend!

You may recognize Jen from working alongside Dr. Carstensen as his dental assistant. She is new to the office and started with us in February. Jen takes care of the dental side of the office. If you need anything fixed in your mouth, she's your girl!

Jen has been working in the dental field since 2006, and she loves working with people. Making sure that she finds out what you need is her number one priority. When asked why she loves working with our office, she said: "I love working here because Dr. Carstensen is so clear and makes sure he has time for every one of his patients. He keeps updated in the dental field, and his staff does as well."

In her free time, Jen enjoys playing all kinds of sports; hiking, mountain biking, boating, snowshoeing in the winter. She also loves playing with her kids and helping out in their activities.

Make sure to say hello to Jen the next time you're at the office!

Dental X-rays are an essential and invaluable tool to help assist us in evaluating your oral health. With X-rays, we can see what’s happening beneath the surface of your teeth and gums and identify oral health issues otherwise hidden during a visual exam, including:

• small areas of decay between the teeth or below existing restorations (fillings)
• infections in the bone
• periodontal (gum) disease
• abscesses or cysts
• developmental abnormalities
• types of tumors

If left untreated, these problems can lead to expensive, time-consuming, and painful conditions, so it’s important to find and treat them early.
Dental X-rays are extremely safe, and our team is certified in the proper use of our digital X-ray equipment. The amount of radiation that you are exposed to from dental X-rays is very small compared to your daily exposure from things like atmospheric radiation and naturally-occurring radioactive elements, as well as medical X-rays you may have gotten at your doctor’s office or hospital. In fact our digital system dramatically decreases the already minimal amount of exposure even further. We try to be as conservative as possible when prescribing x-rays but do need them to see what is going on where our eyes can't see.

We will be rolling out our new Facebook Timeline page soon and would love for you to check it out! You’ll find all the useful information that was there before, but now in a fun, new layout. When you Like us on Facebook, you’ll be able to check out photos of our office, find out about new events and contests, or you can even leave a note about how much you enjoyed your visit at our office. We love hearing your feedback to make our practice serve you and your family even better. To make life even easier, if you “Like” us on Facebook, you’ll automatically receive updates from our office right on your own news feed!

See you on Facebook!

March has arrived, and that can only mean one thing: it’s National Nutrition Month. Every March, Dr. Steve Carstensen and thousands of dentists and hygienists celebrate this occasion, and this year is no different. This March, we want you to think about diabetes, obesity and periodontal disease, and how healthful eating and physical activity may improve periodontal health.

Small changes really can make a big difference, and the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has some advice on ways to start improving your diet this March:

• Focus on fruits and vegetables: Add a serving each day to one meal and increase it every few weeks. Adding more of these foods into your diet is important whether you buy frozen, fresh or organic.

• Think fresh, think local: From farmer’s markets to community-supported agriculture, you have many options to find new, fresh foods in our city.

• Make each and every calorie count: When you are choosing between options, focus instead on the one with more of the vitamins and nutrients that you need. Sometimes, foods with fewer calories aren’t always the healthiest options.
• It’s tempting, but…: If you have a sweet tooth, have fruit and yogurt for dessert. If you crave a snack in the afternoon, enjoy some trail mix or nuts.

• Expand your horizons: Try a fish you’ve never eaten before or find a new vegetable recipe. By testing yourself, you might find new healthy favorites to add to your regular grocery list.

If you have additional questions about periodontal disease or keeping yourself and your mouth healthy, please give us a call!

Link: http://www.eatright.org/nnm/

Cavities occur as a result of the destruction of tooth structure, called tooth decay. Tooth decay can affect both the enamel (the outer coating of the tooth) and the dentin (the inner layer of the tooth). While it is very important to brush and floss every day to remove food particles and plaque, regular cleanings and checkups at Dr. Steve Carstensen's office is the best way to help avoid cavities.

Dr. Carstensen can discover cavities during your regular dental checkup. The tooth surface feels soft when probed with a dental instrument. X-rays can also show cavities before they become visible to the eye. In advanced stages of tooth decay, you might experience a toothache, especially after consuming sweet, hot, or cold foods or drinks. Other signs of tooth decay are visible pits or holes in the teeth.

Don’t wait for a toothache!

Remember, the longer you wait to treat a cavity, the more extensive your treatment will be. A small cavity can be treated with a filling, while a large cavity that weakens the structure of your tooth may require a crown. If the decay is so bad that it causes the nerve or pulp of the tooth to die, a root canal or tooth removal may be your only options. If you think you may have a cavity, contact Dr. Carstensen and schedule an appointment. We’ll make sure you leave with a healthy, pain-free smile!

Dr. Steve Carstensen and his team were proud to support the Toys for Tots drive this holiday season and especially proud of the participation and support from our patient community.

We recently received a wonderful comment and wanted to share it with you:

Steve, this is such a great report to your patients. Thank you for doing this, not only for the amazing food, toys and gifts, but for what this kind of effort does to boost awareness of the serious issues of hunger and poverty that surprisingly pervade the Eastside.

Thank you to everyone who supported this worthy cause and helped to provide a message of hope to those in need!

All of us at Dr. Steve Cartensen's office would like to thank you all for entering our iPad 2 Sweepstakes on Facebook! Congratulations to our lucky winner! Keep your eye right here on our blog and on our Facebook page for more updates about contests and events in the office!

Dr. Steve Carstensen knows one thing no patient likes hearing when visiting our office is “root canal.” But what, exactly, is a root canal, and when might you need one? A root canal is a treatment Dr. Steve Carstensen uses to repair and save a tooth that is infected or badly decayed to the point where the nerve is involved. In the past, if a patient had a tooth with a diseased nerve, dentists in most cases would recommend an extraction. Today, however, with a procedure called root canal therapy, available at our office, you may save that tooth—and your beautiful smile—after all!

Here are some symptoms that indicate a decayed or infected tooth, courtesy of WebMD:
• Severe toothache pain upon chewing, biting or application of pressure
• One tooth consistently more sensitive to hot or cold than other teeth
• Pain that hurts without any stimulus, keeps you awake or wakes you up at night
• A tooth that feels loose
• Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
• Pain that persists weeks following a filling or replacement of a filling
• Chronic pain and/or pressure that may extend to the ear, eye or neck

If any of these symptoms apply to you, we recommend you schedule an appointment with Dr. Steve Carstensen.

The best way to avoid a root canal is to practice good oral hygiene at home, and that includes brushing at least twice a day and flossing to reduce plaque and bacteria. For more tips on how to avoid root canal therapy or for general questions about your dental treatment, we invite you to ask Dr. Steve Carstensen during your next visit at our convenient Bellevue office! We also invite you to ask us on Facebook!

At Dr. Steve Carstensen's office, we know most folks enjoy a hot-brewed coffee or tea in the morning, followed by a cola (or more coffee) in the afternoon. But what many don’t know is that both coffee and tea are especially tough on your teeth, because tannic acid (the substance that makes the dark color) etches into the pits and grooves of tooth enamel, and can stain your pearly whites brown.

So, if you can't give up that morning cup o’joe, what can you do? Dr. Carstensen and team suggest rinsing with a glass of water after every cup. If you enjoy iced coffee or tea, drink your beverage with a straw so that tannins don’t make contact with your front upper and lower teeth. Even if you’re not a big coffee drinker, Dr. Carstensen encourages you to swish and swallow some water at the end of each meal. Water, after all, helps neutralize acids left in your mouth after eating and also reduces cavity-causing bacteria.

Our team at the office also invite you to visit our convenient Bellevue, WA location for whitening options. We can help bleach your teeth with proven and professional products. To learn more about whitening options at our office, please visit our website, ask us on Facebook or give us a call!

Everybody knows that smoking causes lung cancer, but did you also know that smokers and tobacco users are susceptible to a variety of oral health problems at a faster rate than non-smokers?

It’s true! Smoking is responsible for almost 75 percent of gum disease in adults; and, similar to smokers, adults who smoke pipes and cigars, as well as those using smokeless tobacco, are just as susceptible to gum disease and other tobacco related health problems.

As soon as you use tobacco products, you become more likely to experience any of these oral health problems:

• Oral cancer
• Gum disease
• Tooth loss
• Loss of bone in the jaw
• Gum recession
• Delayed/impaired healing process after oral surgery or any other treatment
• Decreased success rate of dental implant (tooth replacement) procedures
• Mouth sores
• Loss of your sense of taste and smell
• Bad breath
• Tooth and tongue stains

If you are interested in protecting your oral health, we strongly recommend you quit using tobacco products! The following steps are recommended by the Surgeon General to help you quit smoking and using tobacco:

• Get ready – set a quitting date and remove all materials from your home, car and office
• Get support
• Learn new skills and behaviors
• Get medication and use it correctly
• Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations

For support, start with Dr. Steve Carstensen's office! We can help by recommending different options to help you quit, and above all we will support you throughout the quitting process. We are dedicated to helping you protect your oral health – and quitting smoking is significant step in the right direction.

At Dr. Steve Carstensen's office, we know your dental health is closely connected to your overall health. We also know the mouth can oftentimes be the first place to indicate signs of health issues in the body. Recently, we found a helpful article that outlined seven warning signs that indicate it might be time to check in with Dr. Carstensen and team.

Flat, worn teeth plus headache (sign of stress)
Grind, grind, grind .... grind. If you live with a teeth grinder, you’re probably familiar with this unpleasant sound. Emotional or psychological stress can definitely contribute to teeth grinding. In addition, headaches, which are caused by spasms in the muscles, can radiate from the mouth and head down to the neck and upper back. Night guards, which we proudly provide at Dr. Carstensen's office, may relieve the symptoms, as well as protect your teeth.

Cracking, crumbling teeth (sign of Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
As we age we may notice that the enamel on our teeth starts to chip at the edges of our front teeth or form hollowed out “wells” on the surface of our molars. These symptoms may be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which is a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid—and occasionally, bile—flows back into your food pipe. Other signs and symptoms of GERD include acid reflux, dry mouth and heartburn.

Sores that won’t go away (sign of oral cancer)
More than 21,000 men and 9,000 women are diagnosed with oral cancer annually, according to the National Cancer Institute. Those most affected include the elderly (most are over the age of 60) and smokers. The survival rate for oral cancer is 35 percent. When an open sore in the mouth doesn't go away within a week or two, or when you experience unexplained bleeding or numbness, it’s always a good idea to visit Dr. Steve Carstensen's office so that we may rule out oral cancer. A lot of sores and ulcers may lurk underneath your tongue, where they are difficult to find.

Gums growing over teeth (sign of medication problems)
If you notice your gum growing over your tooth, and you're taking a prescribed or other medication, please give us a call as soon as possible. Certain medications may cause the gums to overgrow; the dosage will need to be adjusted, but it’s important we take a look.

Dry mouth (sign of Sjogren’s syndrome, diabetes)
Many things are known to cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva is also an early warning of Sjogren's syndrome, as well as diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, 17 million Americans suffer from type 1 or type 2 diabetes, which is a metabolic disease caused by high blood sugar. Other signs of diabetes include excessive thirst, tingling in the hands or feet, frequent urination, blurred vision and weight loss.

Sjogren's syndrome, which affects approximately anywhere between 1-to-4 million Americans, causes white blood cells of the body attack—for unknown reasons—their moisture-producing glands. Symptoms also include dry eyes, as well as the mouth, but the rest of the body is affected by the disorder.

White webbing inside cheeks (sign of Lichen planus)
Lichen planus, whose cause is unknown, is an inflammatory skin disease that usually affects the skin, mouth, or both, according to the Mayo Clinic. On the skin it manifests with small purplish bumps while in the mouth it takes the appearance of a whitish, lacy pattern on the insides of the cheeks. The disease can't be passed from one person to another. Lichen planus may require relatively simple at-home care or no treatment. When symptoms are severe, such as pain or significant itching, please give us a call.

Crusting dentures (sign of pneumonia)
Older folks are known to inhale debris around the teeth and dentures, and inadvertently breathe in other materials into the lungs and airway, causing dangerous (even fatal) inflammation. Be sure to remove and wash dentures on a regular basis.