Chicago Dentist

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Bad Breath is an embarrassing problem. Many of us would have suffered from bad breath at some point in our lives. Bad Breath is usually caused by the breakdown of proteins by bacteria somewhere in the mouth. Bad breath is not contagious, meaning you cannot catch it from someone else. Chronic bad breath, known as Halitosis, does not come from the stomach. The only odor that comes from the stomach is when you burp. Food eaten such as garlic and spicy foods once absorbed into the body can release odor through the lungs when you breathe. Food odors are transitory and should not be confused with bad breath. Human’s sense of smell has the ability to adjust to odor. Therefore, most people with halitosis are not aware of their bad breath.

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Bad breath is breath that has an unpleasant odor. It’s also known as halitosis. This odor can strike from time to time, or it can be long-lasting, depending on the cause. Millions of bacteria live in the mouth, particularly on the back of the tongue. In many people, they are the primary causes of bad breath. The mouth’s warm, moist conditions are ideal for the growth of these bacteria. Most bad breath is caused by something in the mouth. Some types of bad breath are considered to be fairly normal. They usually are not health concerns. One example is “morning mouth.” This occurs because of changes in your mouth while you sleep. During the day, saliva washes away decaying food and odors. The body makes less saliva at night. Your mouth becomes dry, and dead cells stick to your tongue and to the inside of your cheeks. When bacteria use these cells for food, they produce a foul odor.

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How Does What You Eat Affect Breath?

Basically, all the food you eat begins to be broken down in your mouth. As foods are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, they are eventually carried to your lungs and given off in your breath. If you eat foods with strong odors (such as, garlic or onions), brushing and flossing - even mouthwash - merely covers up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely until the foods have passed through your body.

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Choosing a new toothbrush is nothing like it used to be. At one time you simply had the choice of differently shaped heads. Now you can choose everything from inexpensive standard toothbrushes to expensive models that are rechargeable. Which choice is best? Are electric toothbrushes really any better than standard models? Standard toothbrushes are very affordable. In fact, your dentist probably gives you a new one at every checkup. Are these toothbrushes as effective as electric models? The effectiveness of standard toothbrushes depends on several factors. First of all, the bristles need to be stiff, but not too stiff. Toothbrushes with soft bristles aren’t as effective. On the other hand, toothbrushes with bristles that are too stiff may cause damage to your gums. Of course, toothbrushes are only as effective as their user. You must learn to properly brush your teeth. This means not bearing done too hard, brushing in the correct motion, and brushing for the proper amount of time.
Dental Care Tips: Shelf Life of a Toothbrush

This spring, the makers of ARM & HAMMER® oral care products will launch two new offerings that address two of today’s hottest topics in dental care: one, the ongoing trend of teeth whitening and two, the strengthening of tooth enamel. ARM & HAMMER® Whitening Booster is a great new affordable and safe way to brighten your smile quickly and easily. The product – which uses hydrogen peroxide, the common active ingredient in many whitening kits – is designed to boost the whitening power of your favorite toothpaste. Just add the Whitening Booster to any toothpaste you use and brush your teeth as normal. Used as directed, it provides twice the whitening agent of the leading whitening strip and doesn’t leave a sticky mess. Baby boomers and people who care about keeping their teeth in tip top shape will want to try new ARM & HAMMER® Age Defying Toothpaste for stronger, healthier and whiter teeth. It’s the only fluoride toothpaste with patented Liquid Calcium® (a.k.a ACP – amorphous calcium phosphate) that strengthens tooth enamel while cleaning. It protects and rebuilds (or “re-mineralizes”) enamel and dentin.

HealthNewsDigest.com

The ADHA, American Dental Hygenists’ Association, recommends that you seek the advice of an oral health care professional before making any decisions concerning a tooth whitening procedure. Which tooth whitening options work the best for what conditions? Your dentist can help you determine this for your own circumstances. Here are some things to consider. What caused your teeth to have discolorations and stains? In some cases, too much fluoride or the antibiotic tetracycline can cause staining to occur. But more often than not, the stains on your teeth are caused by pigmented substances like black tea, coffee, tobacco, red wine, cola drinks; or by age.

Press Release - Tooth Whitening Options: Do They All Work?

The last time Barbara Stepp of Homewood visited her dentist, she told him about her ongoing kidney infection. “He immediately plopped me down in the chair and started doing acupuncture,” said Stepp, 70. Stepp’s dentist, John Rothchild in Hoffman Estates, is a longtime member of the American Dental Association. He uses the latest high-tech equipment to take X-rays, remove teeth and whiten smiles. But Rothchild’s practice is based on a holistic philosophy that says the health of your mouth can affect your entire body.
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In addition to acupuncture, his integrative treatment portfolio incorporates the use of mercury-free fillings, cranial therapy and homeopathic remedies. The ADA maintains that “silver” amalgam fillings, which contain mercury that can leach into the environment, are not a human health threat. And it considers muscle testing (or applied kinesiology) techniques, dental homeopathy and craniosacral therapy to be “unconventional” and not yet supported by science. Dental acupuncture, meanwhile, needs to be supported by a major research effort, the ADA says. But mounting research supports what holistic dentists have long believed: Although the mouth may not be the window to your soul, it can reveal potential medical problems in other parts of the body, including the heart, lungs and brain. And as the connection grows stronger, dentists who focus on treating the whole body as well as the teeth and gums—with prevention, education and nutrition playing a central role—may one day assume the role of a “primary care doctor.” “The ADA teaches brushing and flossing to control ever-present disease,” Holistic Dental Association President Tim Gallagher recently wrote in the group’s journal. “Instead, we teach brushing and flossing to check effectiveness of cellular immunity.” More than 75 percent of Americans over age 35 have gum or periodontal disease, an infection that can trigger an inflammatory response not just in the gums but throughout the body.

Your mouth speaks volumes about overall well-being — chicagotribune.com

Although there have been advances in health care access and public insurance, for some children, health care is still a privilege - and dental visits are more of a luxury. A study released this month by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality said 31 percent of low income children have cavities that go untreated, compared to six percent of other children. Medill Reports talked with leading dentist Indru Punwani, head of pediatrics at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Dental College, about the dangers and prevention of tooth decay in young children.
You’re never too young to see the dentist

Sports or “high energy” drinks can wreak havoc on your teeth because they’re high in sugar and have the highest “mean buffering capacity,” which means they can severely erode your enamel. Here are nine more things that keep dentists in business, according to the Chicago Dental Society. It’s missing just one thing: tobacco.

1. Potato chips. When you eat starches, including pretzels and pasta, enzymes in your saliva break the food into simple sugars, feeding the bacteria that cause tooth decay.
2. Peppermints. Sucking on sugary hard candies all day puts your teeth under constant attack by tooth-decay-causing bacteria.
3. Cough drops. Gram for gram, some cough drops have as much — if not more — sugar as chocolate. The same is true for other “medicinal” products, such as antacids and breath mints.
4. Soda. If you want to feed the bacteria in your mouth, drink soda. It’s just loaded with sugar and flavor additives, and the acids — found in diet sodas too — can destroy tooth enamel.
5. Bottled water. Not all dentists sing the praises of fluoride, but the ADA stresses the decay-preventing benefits. Most bottled waters don’t have it and most home water-filtration systems remove all fluoride.
6. Coffee drinks. Whipped cream, chocolate sauce and flavor syrups are loaded with sugar. A small caramel macchiato, for example, has more sugar than a Snickers candy bar.
7. Juice. Even unsweetened juices contain naturally occurring sugar; an 8-ounce glass of orange juice contains about 30 grams of sugar. The same size serving of Mountain Dew contains 31 grams of sugar.
8. Fruit leathers and roll-ups. Made from sweetened fruit purees, these sticky snacks are essentially candy. Bits stick to teeth, leaving your teeth susceptible to decay.
9. Gum. Sugary chewing gum puts your teeth under prolonged attack, but don’t rule out gum altogether. Xylitol, a sugar substitute in some gums, has been shown to help prevent tooth decay.

Julie’s Health Club - Where alternative and mainstream health meet | Chicago Tribune | Blog | Blogroll

Contrary to popular belief, flossing isn’t just a way to dislodge food wedged between your teeth. Regular flossing reduces cavities, gum disease and bad breath by helping to remove the bacterial film called plaque that forms along the gum line.

How To Floss Your Teeth | eHow.com

Bad breath doesn’t have to keep you from getting close. If you’ve got bad breath that just won’t go away, there’s help available. Bad breath may be embarrassing, but the good news is that there are several treatment options that can eliminate bad breath for good.  Treatment for bad breath may be available at your local cosmetic dentistry practice.

The Origins of Bad Breath
Bad breath is caused by bacteria that hide under the tongue and in the grooves and rough edges of teeth. As bacteria come in contact with food particles they can turn these food particles into volatile sulfur compounds, or VSCs. Sometimes, lack of regular brushing and flossing can encourage the reaction that leads to bad breath. And, of course, eating foods like garlic and onions can contribute to foul-smelling breath. For many people, however, bad breath may occur regardless of how healthy your teeth and gums are. When the bad breath sticks around, it is most likely a problem that requires attention. The important thing is to never assume that a condition like bad breath is just a fact of life. It may actually be a medical problem that can be fixed with proper diagnosis and treatment. It’s up to you to seek help.

Press Release - Bad Breath

For more than 10 years, energy drinks in the United States have been on the rise, promising consumers more “oomph” in their day. In fact, it is estimated that the energy drink market will hit $10 billion by 2010. While that may be great news for energy drink companies, it could mean a different story for the oral health of consumers who sometimes rely daily on these drinks for that extra boost.
Popular Energy Drinks Cause Tooth Erosion