Whitening

Everyone seems to want whiter teeth.  There are many different products to use either over the counter or from the dentists' office.  Whitening toothpaste and mouthwash can be found in stores.  These products work well if your a heavy smoker or coffee drinker because they help to attack stain, but if you do not eat foods that cause much staining, whitening mouthwash and toothpaste may not necessarily be the right product for you.  Good old fashioned baking soda will also help to brush off stain, thus making your teeth look whiter.  Just dab a bit of baking soda on your toothbrush and lightly scrub.  CREST white strips actually will show results, however you must use them as directed.

If you would like to have professional whitening, the dentist can make you specific whitening trays.  After having the trays made you will receive a gel that is quite similar to the crest white strips.  the only difference is the percentage of carbamide peroxide found in the bleach gel.  The blue lights you see on TV for whitening are really just for effect; they do not have anything to do with the whitening process.

<-- UNNECESSARY.

When you do start to whiten you may experience sensitivity.  If this occurs you can use some sensodyne and a fluoride rinse.

There is nothing wrong with whitening, but many patients may have cavities and gum disease.  It is more important to fix cavities and gum disease than it is to have white teeth.  Whitening comes last on the list of to-do's when it comes to oral health.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6861635/

Wisdom Teeth

Some people have four, some people have more, and some people have less.  Some people never see their wisdom teeth and some never knew they even came in.  Others have them surgically extracted, and some live with them impacted.

I don't want to say that your wisdom teeth are not necessary, but patients have enough teeth that they could do without.  Most patients' wisdom teeth usually cause problems if they are not properly taken care of.  If you do have them they are very hard to keep clean because they are far back in the mouth.  Wisdom teeth are most likely to decay and develop gum disease.  The gum disease developed in the wisdom teeth can effect your other teeth.  Also, wisdom teeth can effect your other teeth if they do not grow in properly.  Patients that do not have them surgically extracted, and have been told to, could experience something like this,

Now, this x-ray shows the wisdom tooth (the tooth to the left) growing into the patients last molar (the tooth in the middle).  All of the black in the molar is decay from where the wisdom tooth was pushing into the molar.  The decay is causing infection in the molar, this is painful.  Unfortunately, not only did this person have to lose the wisdom tooth, but they also lost their molar. 

Moral of the story, if your dentist tells you to get your wisdom teeth out, use my wisdom, and get them out before you lose more teeth than necessary. 

Gum Disease

Gum disease is the silent oral killer.  Gum disease is also referred to as Periodontal Disease.  Periodontal disease is, in my opinion, the worst thing to have in the mouth, besides cancer.  Cavities, broken, and crooked teeth can be fixed.  Periodontal disease is much harder to reverse. 

So, what exactly is this so called Periodontal, gum disease?  Let me explain.  Gum disease develops from gingivitis, everyone hears about gingivitis but I think there may be a lack of understanding of what actually makes gingivitis arouse.  If your dentist tells you that you have gingivitis that is good, because gingivitis is the ONLY reversible stage of gum disease.  At this stage blood cells and bacteria are causing an acute infection in the patient’s gums, but can be fixed by daily flossing and a Listerine mouth rinse.  Upon flossing, bleeding and soreness will most likely occur, but will subside after regular flossing in about a month.

However, if you visit the dentist and they tell you that you have periodontal disease you cannot fix that by flossing.  Periodontal disease occurs when a buildup of bacteria, hide inside the deepest darkest part of your gums, fester, multiply and eat away the bone that holds the roots of your teeth into your jaw.  This action will cause your teeth to start wiggling and eventually they will fall out.  This is extremely unfortunate because the cost to fix this disease is expensive and painful.  To fix this you may need bone grafts, dental implants, gum surgery, and/or dentures. 

Most patients would never know they have periodontal disease because it’s painless until your teeth start falling out.  Smoking, heredity, and irregular visits to the dentist will cause gum disease.  So, hopefully this gives you yet another reason to visit your local dentist.  Patients with gum disease have a very dirty mouth.

Cavities - Why?

Coming to the dentist would not have to be so bad if no one had to hear, 'Oh, I see a cavity.'  Most patients dread the needle, the taste, the sensitivity, the numb feeling.  There is definitely so much uncomfortable, to say the least, about getting a cavity filled.  

So, we all fear being told we have a cavity, but why don’t we do things to prevent them?

A cavity is this whole in you tooth that is created from the food you eat.  The foods you eat react with a natural forming substance found on your teeth, plaque.  Bacteria stick to the food and plaque reaction, and start to eat your tooth.  First bacteria eat into your enamel, then the dentin, and finally if you wait to get it fixed it will eat into the nerve.  If bacteria reach the nerve you will get an infection.

Infections are painful.  They can cause swelling.  Infections can also drain into a puss pimple on the outside of the gum, known as an abscess.

What foods are bad foods?  

Most obvious bad food, soda a.k.a.  battery acid to enamel.  Sugars, juices, fruit snacks, candy, and even natural fruit because of the high sugar content could be cavity causing. Some patients realize its "mints", or "coffee with honey."  You can definitely eat and drink whatever you want, but maybe try rinsing with water to flush the sugars and bacteria out.  Also, try using a straw with drinks to bypass your teeth.

Hopefully, now you are little bit frightened and will do your best to prevent cavities.  They can be fixed, but once they are fixed you must still take care for your teeth.

Okay, okay, okay.  You do watch your sticky food intake, and rinse with water, and brush, floss, and use a mouth rinse, but you're still getting cavities.  There can be many reasons.  Is it possible hereditary, acid reflux, age, pregnancy?  Yes.  Talk with you dentist and doctor if you have concerns. 

Listerine Total Care Ad

Prevention

"What do I mean by Prevention?" 

Participating in at home oral care and regular visits to a Dentist.  Yes, visiting your dentist may become repetitive while reading this blog, but that is the point. 

"What can you do as preventative home care?" 

First, consider if you brush daily. If the answer is yes, you are on your way to prevention.  If no, start.  It is important to brush two times a day.  Preferably, brush once when you wake up to get rid of the nasty morning breath, and again before bed to prevent the bacteria in your mouth from festering overnight. 

In addition to brushing, flossing daily is just as important.  I would be willing to put money on the fact that 93%, or more, of the population only floss when there is corn in their teeth (popcorn or corn on the cob).  Flossing once a day, will help keep cavities out from between your teeth, and the roots of teeth solid in bone. 

If you only brush, you are missing food that gets trapped in between your teeth, which comes out with flossing.

Finally, before bed, after you brush, and after you floss, rinse with some sort of a fluoride rinse.  The fluoride rinse will help strengthen enamel, and possibly help restore starting cavities.  Products such as ACT; great for tooth enamel, or Listerine Total Care; good for gums and enamel, will both be beneficial.  Either product you can buy at the grocery store, and generics are just as good.

            Prevention with the Dentist, would involve a check up with his/her dental hygienist every six months to a year.  At this time, your teeth will be professionally cleaned, x-rayed, and examined by the dentist.  While visiting, feel free to ask any questions.  Most likely at the end of the visit you will receive travel-size toothpaste and a toothbrush.

Why visit the Dentist?

There is great importance in going to the dentist.  Visiting the dentist is preventative against bad breath, cavities, gum disease, infections, and oral cancer, just to name a few.  No person wants any of these issues because they can be irreversible and sometimes deadly.


For many reasons society has negative feelings about doctors, especially the dentist.  Much fear comes from early dentistry.  Surely much of the older generations know much about that.  

As a matter of fact, today I had a patient in his late 50's,  he said, "You know, when I was young I got my braces off, and had thirteen cavities, at the time my dentist didn't believe in novocain.  That was the most pain I have ever experienced."  Pain is the biggest fear in dentistry.  There is no reason to fear, society.  Thankfully there are multiple types of anesthesia to offer the patient painless dentistry.  

Cost is probably the second societal fear.  Yes, the dentist costs money, but what doesn't?  Dentists can set up payment plans for the patients; some offer a payment alternative, CareCredit.  If your dental provider offers CareCredit, you can apply in person at their office, online at http://www.carecredit.com/, or by phone 800-365-8295. 

Bottom line, it is important to have regular checkups with your dentist.  Dentistry has come a long way from its beginning.  The longer you wait for a visit, the faster cavities, infections, and gum disease will progress.  There is nothing better than your own, natural teeth.  Trust, Danielle Fafard.