Learn About Teeth Whitening Products Before Buying Them

Here is an interesting fact about teeth whitening. Did you know that out of the millions of Americans who use an over the counter teeth whitening solution this year, one in every twenty-five (1:25) will have to be seen by a dentist for a level of pain or discomfort? This pain varies from the mild and bearable to the “I'm in so much pain, a root canal sounds good”. It is important to note that this isn't because teeth whitening is bad, in fact, when we perform the procedure it is pain-free. The discomfort is typically caused by ill-fitting trays or overuse.

Solutions for teeth whitening have been around forever. The earliest tooth brushing was invented to try and keep teeth white and healthy while ancient cultures are known to have rubbed charcoal on their teeth to make them whiter. Needless to say men, and women, have been obsessed with having white teeth for a very long time. Enter the modern world where consumerism drives everything, and there are now a million solutions available easily, and over the counter, at your local pharmaceutical store. While convenience is wonderful, it also carries its own set of risks as many people whiten without the help of a professional.

The massive influx of products has created the only known problem with teeth whitening. Overuse is a common and sometimes painful problem for people who whiten their teeth. But why do people overuse the products? We believe that the answer is simple and starts with the quest for the perfect white teeth and brilliant smile. Over-the-counter products do a great job of getting the smile back the first time. However, what most will not tell you is that after a while, a smile starts to fade, and the brilliance of the teeth's whiteness starts to diminish. Naturally the teeth will once again start to stain and return to a less than optimal color that is more natural. This is upsetting to some people, and the tendency is to then use the product again, and again, and keep using it every time the smile fades even slightly.

As dentists, we recommend not using a whitening product more than once every 4 to 6 months. This avoids overuse and protects your gums from getting irritated from over exposure to the bleach and other chemicals that are found in the whitening agents. Teeth whitening is designed to help whiten your teeth, but not on a monthly basis. Frequent users, sometimes whitening their teeth more than once a month, are at greater risk for irritation or applying the product to a cavity or infected gum. Any of these scenarios can lead to discomfort.

Our advice is simple. Don't overuse over the counter teeth whitening products. If you want your teeth to get whiter, have the procedure done at our office instead.  Our solutions are more effective than anything you can buy at the store and we will ensure your comfort during the process.

Dental Veneers  >  Cosmetic Dentist

The Truth About Acid Reflux and Your Teeth From our Dental Office

In our dental office, we help patients that suffer from acid reflux disease and are dealing with tooth erosion as a result.  Reflux-induced erosion is a common problem that can impact both children and adults.  As acid travels up through the esophagus, it enters the mouth and can start to attack the teeth.  The acid will start to wear away the teeth one layer at a time until they become thin and brittle.

According to a report by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project between twenty and thirty percent of U.S. adults, experience the symptoms of acid reflux or GERD on a weekly basis.  A full sixty percent of the population has these symptoms at least yearly.  This manifests as a burning sensation in the chest and throat as acid works its way backwards and up the esophagus. This proves problematic for many people, making it difficult to eat and sleep along with interfering with their concentration at work. Acid reflux also creates health problems in the stomach, esophagus and throat in addition to impacting the teeth.

In our dental office, we want to know if our patients have acid reflux so that we can help to prevent erosion in addition to treating it.  By keeping teeth healthy and clean, they will remain stronger.  For example, people that have cavities or gum disease will naturally be more susceptible to getting cavities and suffering other dental health issues. While cleaning teeth, we can remove bacteria from the teeth and gum lines so that they can remain healthy and cavity free.  We can also provide a fluoride treatment for teeth that need strengthening and are at risk for erosion. These preventative steps aid in keeping the mouth healthy.

If the erosion does occur, it will first attack the enamel and cause it to wear away.  As it does, the dentin underneath will become exposed which leads to sensitive teeth.  When food touches the dentin it is simultaneously touching the nerve endings inside of it.  This can lead to the pain signal being transferred to the brain, leading to an increase in sensitivity that many patients complain of.  In this early stage, we can help by completing a bonding procedure to seal the dentin.  This works well in the beginning stages but as erosion becomes more advanced; the teeth will become weak, thin and brittle.  At this point, the best way to protect the teeth is to place a crown around them.  A crown is a cap that surrounds the tooth and prevents anything from touching it.  This procedure allows us to save a tooth that may have otherwise been pulled due to erosion.

In our dental office, we also recommend that patients take medication to control their acid reflux.  By seeing your doctor, you can get a prescription that will help you to feel better and to protect your teeth.  If an attack does occur, you should avoid brushing your teeth for an hour, but be sure to rinse your mouth in order to neutralize some of the acid.

Teeth Whitening Services  >  Cosmetic Dentist

Learn About Professional Teeth Whitening Brands

If you want information on professional teeth whitening brands, we encourage you to call and schedule an appointment. Things are changing all the time with companies releasing new and improved products. Visiting our office allows us to provide you with the latest updates. Still, there are a few things you should know about whitening your teeth before you do so.

The Process
When you whiten your teeth, you can do so using an at-home whitening kit or with laser whitening. We recommend using the at-home kit. Regardless of how you whiten your teeth, the solution will typically contain some level of peroxide. The type of peroxide in the solution and its chemical makeup, in general, will influence how effective it is for whitening teeth. Most products you buy in the store will only remove the surface stains on your teeth. While they will make your teeth look better, they will not turn yellow teeth bright white. On the other hand, a professional-grade whitening solution penetrates the enamel and begins the process of oxidization. This is where the molecules inside your teeth begin to reflect less light and appear colorless. Your smile will look bright white as a result, and your teeth will no longer be yellow. This is the type of solution we use in our office.

The Application
When comparing professional teeth whitening brands, you should also consider how the solution is applied to the teeth. Some whitening kits have you brush on the solution using a pen, but the results from this are not significant because the solution will not remain on your teeth long enough. Whitening strips are a better option, but they can still slip out of place, and many people find them to be inconvenient. We recommend you use a kit that uses whitening trays. This way, a solution is placed in the trays for you to then secure around your teeth and wear for thirty minutes or so. The only challenge with this option is that if you buy a kit from the store, the trays will not be designed for your teeth, but for anyone who buys the products. This creates a risk of leakage or the trays slipping out of place. For this reason, we suggest you use professional teeth whitening brands sold by our office. We will begin by having you come in for an appointment, where we make an impression of your teeth. Using that impression, we will then create customized trays designed to fit you perfectly. As a result, the whitening solution will remain in place, not leak out, and the process will be entirely comfortable. Simultaneously, since the solution is professional-grade, you will see the best possible results.

Dental Implant  >  Invisalign Dentist