Break Your Bad Dental Habits

You know you’re supposed to brush and floss daily, but did you know that you may have some bad dental habits? Read ahead to find out if you are committing any of the following dental sins:

• Drinking too much soda. Even if you are gulping down diet soda, all carbonated soda contains phosphoric acid, which can cause teeth erosion over time. If you have to have your daily Diet Coke (no judgment!), try sipping with a straw to limit contact with your teeth and try to brush afterward.

• Using the wrong type of toothpaste. Oftentimes, toothpastes labeled “tarter control” may be too abrasive. If your toothpaste feels gritty, it may be eroding enamel and causing receding gums. Do look out for fluoride on the list of ingredients.

• Eating things that stain—like coffee, tea, soda, soy sauce, red wine, marinara sauce, etc.—can undo teeth whitening procedures and leave you with yellowish, dull-looking teeth. And who wants that? If you spend money for a teeth whitening procedure from a qualified cosmetic dentist, make sure to avoid foods that stain.

• Using your teeth to open up packages can lead to breaks and cracks and damage to dental bonding. Also try to refrain from chewing hard candies and ice cubes.

• Ignoring problems like bleeding gums and chronic halitosis (aka bad breath). Brush and floss daily to prevent bleeding gums; drink water and remove excess bacteria with a tongue scraper to combat bad breath.

• Brushing too hard can wear down protective enamel and cause receding gums. Make gentle, circular scrubbing motions for two minutes using a soft brush. Consider using an electric brush, which may help remove more plaque than manual brushes.

Why You Should Never Skip the Dentist

Even though everyone knows you have to visit the dentist twice a year, some people still put it off. In addition to preventing periodontal disease (aka gum disease) and making sure your pearly whites are in tip-top shape, there are other health benefits from visiting the dentist. The following health conditions may not be directly related to your teeth, but they can be identified and prevented by a dentist:

• Oral cancer. Smokers and people who consume more than one alcoholic beverage daily are at a higher risk. When you have your teeth cleaned, the hygienist does a visual and manual inspection and can spot anything that looks suspicious.

• Heart disease. According to a new study conducted at Berkeley, women who get dental care may lower their risk of heart disease by one-third. Need we say more?

• Diabetes. Doctors say there is a cause and effect link between diabetes and oral health. If you are diabetic or gave a family history of diabetes, your dentist may recommend upping your cleanings to three or even four times per year.

• Nutritional deficiencies. Dentists may be able to see if you’re lacking certain vitamins and nutrients by looking at your tongue and gums. A pale tongue, for example, might suggest an iron deficiency.

When money is concerned, it is also less expensive to have regular cleanings than to shell out for major procedures like root canals in the long run.

Post-Teeth Whitening Care

Teeth whitening can make a huge difference in the brilliance of your smile. Once you have found a qualified cosmetic dentist in Pennsylvania to perform this procedure you may want to know what to do after to keep the new sparkling white color of your teeth. All dentists will give you rules to follow after the whitening treatment. If you don’t want to stain your teeth all over again you should try to strictly follow the regulations laid out for you by the dentist.

To guarantee the longevity of the whitening treatment there will be certain foods and drinks you need to avoid. Usually your dentist will give you a list of what not to drink, including: coffee, soda, tea, and any other colored drink. These liquids can stain your teeth post-procedure because for the next three days your teeth will able to absorb any color, until they harden. For the next three days you should stick to drinking clear liquids, which means you cannot have the juice of raspberries, cherries, tomatoes, grapes, peaches, cranberries, blackberries, or red wine.

Another good tip to follow is to not drink anything very hot or very cold. These extreme temperatures cause teeth to expand and contract, which will permit stains to easily penetrate after the teeth whitening procedure. Also, use a straw when drinking acceptable liquids, thus reducing the amount of liquid that passes the front of your teeth. This will prevent the enamel from breaking down.

Foods to avoid after the teeth whitening process are any dark-colored foods, and most sauces. These include balsamic vinegar, beets, soy sauce, some Spanish and Indian foods, and dark chocolate. Just remember that if it has a darker color or you know think there might be dye in the food try to avoid it to prevent recurring stains. Follow these guidelines and you will retain your beautifully whiter smile.

A Fab Smile is the Ultimate Accessory

Chances are the first thing people notice about you isn't your outfit, shoes or purse-- it's your smile. If we gave as much thought to our smile as we do to the rest of our appearance, the dentist office would quickly become the hottest place in town!

With options like teeth whitening, porcelain dental veneers, laser bleaching, braces and bridges, a knowledgeable cosmetic dentist is more invaluable than a personal shopper or personal trainer.

In today's competitive market, appearance could mean the difference in landing a job, receiving a promotion or meeting a mate. It seems everyone is striving for perfection, whether it's the perfect body, perfect job or perfect home. Cosmetic dentistry allows us today to have the “perfect smile”.

Teeth whitening is probably the easiest way. Peroxide based materials are used to achieve bright, attractive smiles. The in-office teeth whitening Harrison method requires making molds of the teeth, forwarding them to a laboratory and in a period of just one week, you get your made-to-order mouthpiece back. After that, you would wear the plastic teeth whitening molds cemented in peroxide over your teeth.

Another in-office process is Laser Bleaching (known as well as Power Bleaching or Argon Bleaching). This teeth whitening high-tech method consists of a one-time application of a concentrated peroxide gel which will be let to dry for an hour. Afterwards, the dried peroxide mixture would be heated with a laser beam (generally argon) to complete the cosmetic dentistry process.

Achieve Smile Perfection with Lumineers

If you’re looking to brighten your teeth, fix imperfections or both, LUMINEERS may be the perfect option for achieving your ideal smile.

Traditional veneers are thick and require your original teeth to be ground down, but LUMINEERS don’t require any tooth reduction. Ultra-thin (approximately 0.2mm) and translucent, they are a natural looking, removable, yet durable option. They are proven to last over 20 years.

If you are self-conscious about gaps, chips, crooked or misshapen teeth, you may be able to bypass braces and go straight to smile perfection. Consult a cosmetic dentist to determine if this will work for you. Unlike braces, LUMINEERS are often applied in only two dental office visits. LUMINEERS will reshape your smile, making it straight and white without the pain and waiting of orthodontia.

Denture Cleaning

Plaque will form on your dentures just like it does on natural teeth and gums. It’s important to thoroughly scrub your dentures with a toothbrush or denture brush, then place them in an antiseptic soak.

Bacteria like to congregate between a denture and gum tissue. After a meal, dentures should be removed, cleaned, adhesive replaced and gum tissue brushed to thwart the growth of odoriferous bacteria.

Dentures are made from plastic, which is porous on a microscopic level. An ultrasonic cleaning unit will penetrate and clean the porous surface much better than a manual toothbrush. After cleaning, dentures should be chemically disinfected. A chemical approach is the single most effective method for cleaning. By regularly following these procedures, you’ll be able to improve your breath by cutting down halitosis-causing bacteria.

Dental Bonding: A fast, inexpensive cosmetic fix

Dental bonding provides a fantastic solution to fixing cosmetic and structural imperfections in teeth. It can repair chipped or cracked teeth, discolored teeth, replace silver fillings, and can also mend misaligned teeth. If you want or need to repair imperfections in your smile this is the perfect solution.

Teeth bonding can usually be completed in one visit. Dentists start by selecting a composite resin that matches the shade of your teeth. A composite resin is the dental bonding material used. After the resin shade is chosen, the tooth will be coarsened so the resin can stay on correctly. The composite resin will then be placed onto the tooth where it will be shaped and smoothed to achieve the desired results. Using a high intensity light the dentist will harden the composite resin so that it is ready to be buffed and polished.

This procedure offers a long-lasting result that will match your surrounding teeth perfectly. Usually it can be done in one visit but should not take more than two to be performed. Cosmetic bonding is a quick treatment, extremely affordable, and relatively painless. You will notice a difference in your smile right away and be completely pleased with the results. Find a qualified cosmetic dentist in Banksville today to get the brilliant smile you want and deserve.