Chicago Dentist

Assessing Your Teeth Whitening Alternatives
Does the discoloration of your teeth give a you look that is older than you actually are? Peoples teeth become discolored for an assortment of reason. There are some of us that have teeth that are naturally dull compared to other peoples teeth. Then there are some people who unintentionally stain their teeth over a period of time, either from smoking, or consuming drinks that stain their teeth such as tea, coffee, red wine, as well as cola type beverages. Then there are others that experience discoloration of their teeth due to a side effect of an illness or medication that they are taking.

LINK

All toothpastes help remove surface stains because they have mild abrasives. Some whitening toothpastes contain gentle polishing or chemical agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Whitening toothpastes can help remove surface stains only and do not contain bleach; over-the-counter and professional whitening products contain hydrogen peroxide (a bleaching substance) that helps remove stains on the tooth surface as well as stains deep in the tooth. Whitening toothpastes can lighten your tooth’s color by about one shade. In contrast, light-activated whitening conducted in your dentist’s office (see below) can make your teeth three to eight shades lighter.

LINK

The strip portion of the Crest Whitestrips ® product is made out of polyetheylene. This type of plastic allows the strip to be very thin and quite flexible. One side of the Crest Whitestrip ® is coated with hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent. The composition of this whitener is adhesive in nature and provides a means by which the strip adheres to the surface of the teeth being whitened. Since the whitener is only placed on one side of the Crest Whitestrip ®, contact between the bleaching agent and the tooth surface is maximized while exposure of the whitener to soft oral tissues and saliva is minimized somewhat.

LINK

Baby boomers have become a huge market for teeth-whiteners because teeth yellow naturally with age. The effect can be exacerbated by smoking, as well as by drinking coffee, tea and red wine. The most effective teeth-whitening agents use peroxide (hydrogen or carbamide) to bleach the deep layers of teeth where toothpaste can’t reach. The whitening process usually requires daily application for up to two weeks, but light therapy and peroxide can be used in the dentist’s office to speed things up and shorten the bleaching process to as little as one hour. Experts say bleaching works best for yellow stains and that gray teeth, which can result from certain antibiotics, are much harder to whiten.

LINK

Whitening strips seem to be taking over the market for “over the counter” whitening products. With so many available, the obvious questions are:

* Do they work?
* Which products work the best?
* What are the side effects?

Good Housekeeping magazine research team has gotten together with a dentist and evaluated some of the latest teeth whitening strips on the market such as Dramatic Whitening Aquafresh White Trays, Fast & Easy Crest Whitestrips Daily Multicare, No Privacy Required Listerine Whitening Quick Dissolving Strips and Hall of Fame Crest Whitestrips Premium.

LINK

A cosmetic treatment that has become increasingly popular in recent times and with the increase of various celebrities with sparkling perfect smiles most of us feel motivated or even compelled to get a similar sparkling pearly white smile. With the demand on the increase for teeth whitening procedures there has also been an additional amount of locations that make available these types of services. Teeth whitening by beauty salons has turned highly popular and teeth whitening by beauty salons has become highly sought after and are being highly publicized as a less costly as well as more effective than going to a visit to your local dentist.

LINK

Common side effects associated with the use of teeth whitening strips.
The side effects that one is likely to experience when bleaching teeth with white strips are essentially the same as to those side effects one is likely to encounter when using any other form of peroxide-based teeth whitening products, such as a tray-based system utilizing a 10% carbamide peroxide whitener. However, the two most common side effects that people notice with white strips are:

* Gum irritation.

* Teeth Sensitivity.

Especially in the case of those who have never used whitening strips before, it’s impossible to know specifically who will experience side effects or how problematic these side effects might become. In general, it could be expected that as many as half of the people who whiten their teeth using white strips might experience side effects to some degree.

LINK

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form.  “Root canal” is the term used to describe the natural cavity within the center of the tooth. The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the root canal. The tooth’s nerve lies within the root canal.  What Your Dental Health Says About You  It’s easy to ignore the effects of poor oral hygiene because they’re hidden in your mouth. But gum disease may point to problems with diabetes and heart disease and loose teeth could be a sign of osteoporosis. Could it be that a healthy mouth means more than just a sparkling smile? And what could your dentist learn about you the next time you open wide?

* Read more about what your mouth says about you

Additional Links:

* Bad Breath: a Sign of Something More Harmful?
* Diet and Healthy Teeth
* 13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

* Tooth Whitening: What Works and When to Say No

A tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory – to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth.

Thomas K. Barber co-wrote an influential article in the late 1950s that advocated early and proactive orthodontics work on children based on projections of how their adult teeth would come in. A longtime professor and later an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s dental school, Dr. Barber, 84, died Thursday, July 24, in California of complications following heart surgery, UIC spokesman William Bike said. He was a resident of Arroyo Grande, Calif. Dr. Barber received his dental degree and a master’s in pediatric dentistry from UIC in 1949. Two years later, he joined the school’s faculty and in 1965 was named head of its Department of Pediatric Dentistry. With UIC colleague Earl Renfroe, an orthodontic specialist, he wrote a 1957 article for the Journal of the American Dental Association that stressed the need for “interceptive orthodontics”—guiding the shape of a child’s bite and adult teeth formation at an early age.

LINK

Cosmetic dentistry refers to a host of dental treatments designed to enhance the smile and correct chipped, cracked, discolored, and unevenly spaced teeth. From porcelain veneers to tooth-colored fillings, patients can choose from a variety of cosmetic dentistry solutions to restore the health and vitality of their smile.

Read on to learn more about aesthetic dentistry treatment options:

LINK

Fluoride is a naturally occurring element that strengthens teeth. In doing this, it can help to prevent tooth decay. Experts say the best way to prevent tooth decay is to use several sources of fluoride. Fluoride is found naturally in water sources in small amounts. Some foods, such as meat, fish, eggs and tea, contain fluoride. It also is added to water in some areas. Many toothpastes, rinses and professional treatments contain fluoride. Prescription fluoride tablets are available for children who do not get fluoride in their water.

LINK

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Every day, minerals are added to and lost from a tooth’s enamel layer through two processes, demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are lost (demineralization) from a tooth’s enamel layer when acids - formed from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth - attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium and phosphate are redeposited (remineralization) to the enamel layer from the foods and waters consumed. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel layer leads to tooth decay.

LINK

Two North Side dentists had their licenses to practice suspended Thursday after a popular Logan Square elementary school principal died after a routine root canal surgery in December. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation suspended the dental and controlled substance license and the conscious sedation permits of Joseph Feldman, D.D.S. and Lawrence Feldman, D.D.S., late Thursday afternoon, according to an IDFPR release. The Feldmans maintained a joint practice in Chicago in the 3400 block of North Broadway in the Lake View neighborhood on the North Side. The Department has the authority to issue a summary suspension when it determines that the health and safety of the public may be in danger by the continued practice of a dentist, the release said. Forty-six-year-old Georgette Watson, Brentano Math and Science Academy’s principal, stopped breathing while in surgery Dec. 17 at the dental office in the 3400 block of Broadway, police said. She was pronounced dead at a hospital and died after having a root canal surgery while under some type of sedation. A police report stated Watson died after a heart attack.

LINK

Dental flossing technique. The information found on this page provides instructions for what we would consider a good tooth flossing technique. It’s one that is thorough and one that should be able to keep you in good dental health, if practiced daily. We’d suggest that you study our description of this technique and then demonstrate your interpretation of our instructions to your dentist or dental hygienist. This way they can refine your flossing technique as needed, and also give you tips and pointers that may help you use dental floss more effectively in specific locations in your mouth.

LINK

Thumb through a phone book and you’ll find plenty of ads in which dentists promise whiter, straighter teeth. Some even tout a “cosmetic dental practice.” Although they can advertise teeth bleaching, bonding and veneers, dentists can’t call themselves cosmetic specialists, says the Ohio State Dental Board, which oversees more than 6,100 practitioners. Cosmetic dentistry is not a specialty recognized by the state or the American Dental Association. Among specialties that are recognized: pediatric, general dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics and periodontology. State officials say advertising must be clear: They’re general dentists who provide cosmetic services. “To hold yourself out as a cosmetic dentist is to mislead the public,” said Lili C. Reitz, the board’s executive director. “There’s no standard program one would take to become a specialist in that area.”

LINK

When using dental floss, think in terms of using the floss to scrub as much of the surface of each tooth as is possible. When reading Dental-Picture-Show.com’s flossing instructions take note of their description about pulling the dental floss up against the side of each tooth being cleaned. The vast majority of people, including those who do use dental floss regularly, simply do not have a grasp of this concept. Dental floss is intended to clean teeth by way of scrubbing dental plaque off their surface. Effective flossing is not accomplished by just placing dental floss between teeth. Effective flossing involves placing dental floss between your teeth and then drawing it up against the side of each tooth individual tooth and scrubbing as much of its surface as is possible.

LINK