Category: Teeth Cleaning

Are Whitening Strips Bad for Your Teeth?

Posted on by westerndental

Many of us want a bright, beautiful smile, and teeth whitening has become a popular way to accomplish that aesthetic goal. Teeth whitening strips, which are adhesive strips covered with a whitening chemical, are one popular treatment. However, like with any dental surgery or product, the potential influence on oral health must be considered. In this blog post, we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of using tooth whitening strips to help you make an informed decision.

Understanding Teeth Whitening Strips: Teeth whitening strips are an easy and affordable alternative to expert dental procedures. These strips are typically made of a thin, flexible plastic sheet covered with a layer of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, the active chemical responsible for teeth whitening.

Advantages of Teeth Whitening Strips:

Convenience: One of the primary benefits of tooth whitening strips is their portability. They are simple to use and can be used at home, eliminating the need for dental visits.

Cost-effective: Teeth whitening strips are often less expensive than professional whitening procedures, making them more accessible to a larger spectrum of people.

Gradual whitening:  Teeth whitening strips are intended to gently whiten the teeth over a period of several days or weeks. This progressive method may produce a more natural-looking effect.

Potential Side Effects of Teeth Whitening Strips:

Tooth Sensitivity: Some people may notice increased tooth sensitivity when using whitening strips. The peroxide in the strips might temporarily irritate tooth nerves, causing sensitivity to hot or cold conditions.

Irritation of the Gums: If tooth whitening strips are not placed properly, they may come into contact with the gums, causing irritation or even chemical burns. It is critical to carefully follow the directions provided

Uneven Effects: Teeth whitening strips may not produce consistent effects, particularly if the strips are not adequately adhered to the teeth or if the teeth have uneven surfaces or dental restorations. As a result, there may be regions of whiter and less white areas.

Minimizing dangers and Maximizing advantages:

Consider the following guidelines to reduce potential dangers and maximize advantages when using tooth whitening strips:

Visit a Dentist: Before beginning any teeth whitening routine, it is best to visit a dentist who can assess your oral health and make personalized advice.

Follow Instructions: To ensure safe and effective use, carefully read and follow the directions included with the tooth whitening strips.

Use Moderately: Excessive and extended usage of whitening strips might result in enamel degradation and tooth sensitivity. Use them as prescribed and take rests between treatments.

Choose Professional Advice: If you have significant tooth discoloration, deep stains, or dental restorations, you should speak with a dentist about alternate whitening solutions.

Conclusion: Teeth whitening strips can be a quick and inexpensive way to brighten your smile. However, like with any dental product, there are hazards that must be considered. It is critical to understand the benefits and limitations of tooth whitening strips before using them. Always speak with a dentist to ensure that your oral health is not jeopardized, and always prioritize your dental health over aesthetic considerations.

How to Keep Your Teeth Clean In Between Dentist Visits

Posted on by westerndental

You just got your teeth cleaned professionally. Now, you might be feeling light and fresh. You might be smelling good and feeling a bit better.

It happens after professional teeth cleaning. The dental structure seems different and better. But, this isn’t something that would last forever and you can stay relaxed after the teeth cleaning. Even if you got your teeth cleaned professionally, you should take proper care thereafter. You should make sure that your teeth don’t get severely spoiled before the next teeth cleaning appointment. If this happens, you will suffer from serious dental issues, or the next teeth cleaning session will become complicated.

In this post, we will discuss a few simple tips to keep your teeth clean in between dental visits.

Avoid drinking soda regularly 

If your soda consumption is more than normal, you should stop it or drink occasionally. Consuming soda within a limit might not create any problem for you and your teeth.

Soda contains phosphoric acid and citric acid, which makes it fizzy and eats away the enamel. And once the enamel gets removed, the teeth become more susceptible to cavities. The best drink for your teeth is water mixed with some fruit or mint leaves for flavor.

Reduce the consumption of sugar 

We know cutting down on sugar is a bit challenging, especially if you are a sweet-lover. But, for your teeth and overall dental structure, you should reduce your sugar consumption. It will keep your teeth clean in between teeth cleaning appointments.

Sugar is one of the reasons for plaque formation because it promotes bacterial growth and acidity in the mouth. Plaque doesn’t come alone; it attacks the tooth enamel and gums, leading to tooth decay. You should try to reduce your consumption gradually.

Stop smoking now and forever

By quitting smoking, you will not only keep your teeth clean in between appointments but also help you prevent other dental problems. But, if you don’t quit it, it will create major issues and you will undo all that took place in the last appointment.

The presence of nicotine and tar in cigarettes and other smoking substances eat away at the gums. Not only this, smoking increases the bacterial production and plaque in the mouth, leading to gum disease and tooth decay.

Follow a proper teeth cleaning technique 

Brushing and flossing twice a day is very important to keep your teeth clean in between cleaning appointments. But, this doesn’t mean you will brush and floss any way you like. For better results, you should follow a proper technique for both.

For brushing, you should hold the brush at a 45-degree angle and use short, circular motions. Also, you should brush each tooth between 10 and 15 times. Talking about flossing, it takes care of the places where the brush doesn’t reach. For flossing, you should wrap about two inches of floss between fingers and unroll a fresh section for each tooth. You should hold the floss tight against the tooth to break up the plaque without hurting the gums. Don’t forget to floss behind the last molar.

Conclusion 

Following these tips doesn’t mean you will miss the next teeth cleaning appointment. No matter how clean your teeth look, you should visit the dentist. So, you should always stay in touch with a reputable dentist for teeth cleaning at Rutherford College.

Why is Regular Professional Teeth Cleaning Essential?

Posted on by westerndental

Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash are commonly believed to be sufficient for dental hygiene. The dental hygiene routine you follow at home will only do so much for your teeth and gums.

To maintain optimum oral health and aesthetic appeal, you need to visit an oral health specialist for teeth cleaning in Rutherford College. Schedule an appointment with the dentist if you haven’t had your teeth professionally cleaned in over a year. Here are a few reasons why:

  1. Thorough Cleaning

Although floss and toothbrush bristles do a decent job of clearing trapped food particles and bacteria, it falls short in comparison to a dental cleaning.

Floss and toothbrush bristles are unable to reach some small crevices between teeth and other regions within the mouth.

Although you should floss at least twice per day and brush after every meal, only a professional teeth cleaning can remove all plaque that regular brushing cannot.

  1. Offer a Lovely Smile

Everyone desires a beautiful, bright smile. However, you cannot achieve that with just flossing, brushing, and mouth rinsing.

Professional dental cleanings outperform even over-the-counter items aimed at improving smiles. Unlike over-the-counter solutions, professional teeth cleaning does not cause tooth sensitivity.

It also eliminates stains and polishes the teeth, making them appear whiter and brighter.

  1. Gum Disease Prevention

Gum disease, if left untreated, affects the tissues on the teeth, causing poor breath and possible bone loss. Gum disease causes the gums to deteriorate over time.

If the gums are not properly cared for, they will loosen to the point where one or more teeth will fall out. This is why it is critical to visit the dentist every six months.

A professional teeth cleaning allows you to detect gum disease early on, reverse its effects, and correct the symptoms before it becomes more serious.

  1. Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Your oral health will suffer if you do not visit the dentist every once a year. Dental checkups include more than just teeth cleaning. The dentist will provide you with tips to keep your teeth and gums healthy and attractive.

If you miss regular dental checkups, you run the risk of developing an undiagnosed oral health issue that develops over time. Early identification is critical for preventing dental disorders before they become major issues that jeopardize oral health.

  1. Essential for Cavity Prevention

Cavities are most commonly caused by plaque. Professional cleaning is required to remove plaque and clean all of the hard-to-reach places of your mouth that you can’t reach on your own.

Plaque builds up on the teeth over time, forming a film-like substance that eats away at the enamel. This enamel is irreplaceable. Enamel wears away over time, causing teeth to worsen. This degradation will eventually result in a startling number of cavities.

Only a professional cleaning can assure that all of the cavity-causing plaque has been removed.

To maintain your teeth clean, straight, and beautiful, make an appointment with the top dental clinic.

How Scaling and Root Planing Protects Your Teeth in Different Conditions

Posted on by westerndental

Getting professional care to treat and manage gum disease is vital to your oral health and the quality of your smile. In order to treat the periodontics stage of gum disease, you require a non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planing (SRP).

If your dentist recommended SRP, you must prepare to make multiple visits to their office. Depending on the severity of your condition, especially if you have a receding gum line, you may be administered a local anesthetic.

When Do You Need This Procedure?

Your dentist would recommend SRP only after noticing signs of chronic periodontal disease in your mouth. This procedure can prevent the several ill effects of the condition and keep your mouth healthy.

Chronic periodontal disease happens when you allow plaque to develop on your teeth by improper brushing and flossing habits. The bacteria in the plaque will start to cause your gums to pull away from your teeth. It causes large openings to form between your gums and teeth, providing a breeding space for more bacteria to multiply in the compartments, which will be inaccessible with the toothbrush.

That’s why dentists recommend flossing each day to reach spots toothbrushes cannot. When left untreated, this disease can cause:

  • Tooth loss
  • Tissue and bone loss
  • Loose teeth
  • Shifting teeth

Nearly half of the Americans over the age of 30 get affected by chronic periodontal disease. This condition may arise because of:

  • Poor dental hygiene
  • Poor nutrition
  • Smoking
  • Aging
  • Genetics
  • Changes in hormones
  • Other medical conditions

Symptoms that will be visible to you include:

  • Bleeding gums
  • Bad breath
  • A change in your bite
  • Inflamed, tender, or red gums
  • Shifting permanent teeth

What Happens During the Procedure?

The scaling and root planning in Rutherford College, Valdese, and Connelly Springs is conducted as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the severity of your condition, you may require to schedule one or more appointments. The dentist may or may not use the local anesthetic. But if you have concerns, you can discuss them with the dentist.

The scaling involves scraping the plaque from your teeth and in any large pockets developed between your teeth and gums. After that, the dentist conducts the root planing to smooth the roots by using a scaling tool. That will help your gums to reattach to your teeth.

Your dentist may recommend additional treatment, depending on the health of your teeth and gums. Most dentists use traditional tools such as a scaler and a curette to perform scaling and root planing. But some use other instruments available to conduct the procedure in the form of lasers and ultrasonic devices.

The Advantages of Scaling and Root Planing:

Scaling and root planing is the best treatment available for chronic periodontal disease. This procedure can improve the gap between the pockets of the teeth and gums by 0.5 millimeters. Moreover, it can reduce the risk of experiencing bone, tooth, and tissue loss related to this condition.

The Bottom Line

There are minimal risks involved in this procedure. However, you may be susceptible to an infection for which your dentists may prescribe antibiotics or special mouthwash to use for a few days or weeks. The side effects will wear off within a few weeks, but if they don’t, you can always consult your dentist.

The Three Questions You Must Ask With Your Dental Hygienist!!

Posted on by westerndental

Whether you believe it or not, the only person who knows more than you about your teeth and gums is a dental hygienist. In most cases, it is even possible that the hygienist understands your oral issues better than your dentist. No, we are not kidding. When you build a decent bond and communication with the hygienist, he/she can offer the best information regarding your oral well-being. On the off chance, if your ultimate aim is to take care of your oral health, the underneath mentioned questions will help you achieve your desired goal.  So, keep reading this blog.

  1. At home, during teeth cleaning, what are the areas I’m missing to clean?

Well, this is something only your dental hygienist can reply to. As she is the one who cleans your teeth so she can easily figure out areas that have got heavier tartar buildup. You might have seen various toothpaste and toothbrush brands promising to remove all of the plagues from the patient’s mouth, but there is no such flosser or brusher that can thoroughly eliminate it. The fun fact is- not even the dentist. Questioning this and imperative follow-up can provide you real insight prior to you can perform better teeth cleaning job at home. Here, the follow-up question is “Is it possible to get to those areas?” All you need to do is to know what to do and in what way to reach out to those areas. If you fail to do so, you can take the help of a dentist for teeth cleaning in Rutherford College, Valdese, Connelly Springs. In Rutherford, there are many potential dental clinics with highly skilled and experienced dentists that go in and out to help their patients.

  1. Besides toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash, is there any other tool that I can use for teeth cleaning?

Followed by the first question, this is another question that must be put forward.  Some individuals have arrangements that raise the difficulty level with traditional toothbrushes and floss for cleaning teeth. Well, in the market, there are loads of many adjuncts oral hygiene tools available over-the-counter to enhance your teeth cleaning techniques as well as ability. Individuals with braces, dental implants, bridges required different tools to eliminate as much as plague or tartar possible from their teeth. No matter how many and what types of barriers come in from your dental hygienist, he/she will have a tool and strategy to overcome it.

  1. Is there any notable change since my last teeth cleaning?

Yet another imperative question that you must ask your dental hygienist. Just in case, if you were dealing with cavity issues, your risks for cavities can change with time. These changes can be entirely related to techniques and other things you follow during the teeth cleaning process. For example, your gums have begun to recede, roots getting exposed due to weakening, and plenty of other changes which are more susceptible to decay.

By asking the above-listed questions, you can easily achieve the aim of taking good care of your teeth. For any further assistance, please get in touch with our experts.

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