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Category Archives: Cosmetic Dentistry

Our smile is one of the biggest assets we have. Unfortunately, there are so many people who avoid breaking into one – they cover their mouths because they are afraid their imperfect teeth will create a bad impression.

Know about Tooth Erosion

Tooth erosion is the loss of the surface of your teeth due to the acids you drink or eat or acids coming from the stomach. These acids dissolve the crystals which help in making your teeth, leading to loss of tooth surface. These acids can even soften the tooth surface making it easy to be worn away by teeth grinding.

How stomach acids can cause teeth erosion:

Our stomach contains very strong acids that are used to digest food. Reflux and vomiting can cause strong acids to enter your mouth.

Stomach acids used for digestion are strong and can cause damage to your teeth. For example, people with morning sickness and reflux can experience this problem.

Dietary sources of acids that can cause tooth erosion:

Common food and drinks that contain a high level of acid:

 Energy drinks

Cold drinks (sugar-free and containing sugar)

Fruit juices

Lemon flavored teas and drinks

Citrus fruits (limes, lemons, oranges)

Wine

Vinegar

Vitamin c tablets

Vitamin water

Pre-mixed alcoholic drinks

Food acids are commonly used in processed food and drinks, if check the ingredient list given on the packet you can see if food acids are added or not. The ingredients are listed in order of their amount present in food with the most is listed first.

Symptoms of tooth erosions:

One sign of tooth erosion is the loss of the surface of the tooth, which can lead to a shiny, smooth appearance. Tooth erosion can expose tooth roots making them more sensitive to cold, hot, or sweet food and drinks.

  When tooth erosion increases, the enamel may wear away to expose underlying dentine, this area looks like yellow depressions on the surface. Fillings in teeth become more prominent when the surrounding tooth surface is dissolving away due to erosion.

Tooth erosion complications:

Tooth erosion, if untreated can lead to loss of the tooth surface. The loss of tooth structure requires dental treatment like dental fillings, crowns, veneers, and root canal treatment.

How to prevent tooth erosion:

Tooth erosion can only be prevented by limiting the contact of acids with teeth.

Eat a well-balanced and healthy diet.

Avoid drinking soft drinks or juice.

Consume fruits rather than drinking fruit juices.

Consult a doctor to manage reflux or vomiting.

Eat fruits during mealtime not between the meals.

Avoid chewing vitamin c tablets. If necessary, take vitamin c supplements that are swallowed whole.

Use sugar-free chewing gum after a meal to promote saliva flow.

Treatment for tooth erosion:

If your tooth has eroded, visit your dentist as the lost surface of the tooth needs to be replaced with dental fillings or crowns. It is very important to make regular visits to the dentist to identify tooth erosion at an early stage, determine the cause, and then develop a strategy to prevent further erosion.

Tips When Looking For The Perfect Dentist

It’s a very important decision to make while selecting a dentist as you need to be sure you find the right dentist. However, making a selection is not simple as it sounds. It could take a good amount of time and effort, here are some tips to find the perfect dentist.

Get referrals: you can start by listing down potential dentists. To do this you can ask your friends, family, and other healthcare providers you know for recommendations. Take time and research on the internet, social media about the reviews patients have mentioned about dentists in your list. After the list narrows down, you call each dentist to book an appointment to make face-to-face interaction.

Aim for convenience: this does not mean that you should select a dentist based on proximity to your home. You should also consider working hours so that it should be easy to schedule an appointment without affecting your job. You might consider that dentist who provides late hours on working days or even a few odd hours on weekends.

Be sure if a dentist can handle emergency visits: the dentist whom you are selecting can handle any emergency dental situation reason being some refer emergencies elsewhere. You should ask them how they will manage dental emergencies that occur after office hours and how to reach the dentist in that case.

Go through dentist credentials: to verify dentist education and credential’s the most important factor can be board certified. It tells you about the necessary training, skills and experience dentist has pursued in general dentistry. Also, to confirm that dentist has no history of malpractice or disciplinary actions.

Ask about telehealth capabilities: dentists can diagnose and can even treat some patients using technology like two-way video calls, email it’s called telehealth. Telehealth can never replace hand-on in-person office visits but for some patients, it can lower down their trips to the dentist’s clinic. Some dental conditions can also be managed by sending symptoms and vital signs collected at home and can have a virtual clinic visit. Telehealth can be used for minor complaints as well as for routine follow-ups making it a convenient option.

Communication style: try to choose a dentist with whom you are comfortable talking and who answers the information you need. When you first make an appearance with a dentist ask a question and notice how he or she reacts to your question. Does he or she welcomes your question and provides an answer which you can understand. Find a dentist who shows interest in your question and understands your treatment preference.

Know about insurance benefits:  if you want to take benefits of your insurance, then you want to find a dentist who is part of your provider’s network. This will save you a lot of expense and make dental care convenient, especially if the office submits the insurance claims for you.

Check if the office is clean and organized:  check for safety if staff is wearing gloves, how rooms are like, and technology they use during treatment. Try to go through the entire clinic for a look before making an appointment with the dentist.

Tips For Keeping Teeth And Gums Healthy

Nowadays oral health is also important to live a happy life. Good oral hygiene is needed to keep gums and teeth healthy. For doing this you need to follow few tips like brushing twice a day and having regular dental checkups. Without proper oral hygiene, you can face gum diseases and tooth decay. Tooth decay or gum problem can even lead to tooth loss or problems with self-confidence.

Following are some tips which you should try to follow to keep gums and teeth healthy:

Brushing twice a day but not aggressively: most people are aware that to keep teeth and gums healthy brushing twice a day in the morning and at night is very important. Brushing them properly removes bacteria, plaque, and food items that are stuck between the teeth.

However, brushing daily is important if it is done with proper technique. Try to brush in a small circular motion, taking care to brush the front, back, and top of every tooth. This process will take almost 2 to 3minutes. People should try to avoid back-and-forth motions.

Brushing using hard bristles toothbrushes and even brushing aggressively can damage your tooth enamel and gums. This can lead to gum erosion, tooth sensitivity, and permanent damage to the enamel of teeth. People should change their brush every 3months or even when brush ends start to frayed, whichever comes first.

Floss once a day: the main aim of doing flossing is small pieces of food particles get stuck between the teeth where sometimes teeth do not reach. Flossing can remove such food particles, bacteria, plaque between the teeth and prevent bad breath which is caused by them.

The dental professional recommends gently push the floss all the down in between the gum line before hugging the side of the tooth in an up and down motion.

Use fluoride: fluoride is a common ingredient that is found in toothpaste and mouthwash to prevent tooth cavities. However, it is found that some of the dental products do not contain fluoride. Lack of fluoride can lead to teeth decay, even if the person is taking care of their teeth on daily basis.

It is found from a study that even brushing and flossing regularly cannot avoid cavities in teeth due to lack of fluoride.

Visit the dentist regularly: dental professionals recommend that people should visit the dentist every 6month for a regular check-up. During your regular checkup, he will clean teeth, remove cavities and hardened tartar.

The dentist will check visual signs of mouth cancer, gum disease, cavities, or any other oral issue. It is recommended that children and adolescents should visit the dentist every 6months while adults who practice proper oral hygiene can go to the dentist less frequently.

Eat the right food: brushing and flossing help to maintain your teeth healthy for a long time but many foods can damage your teeth. Consuming a lot of sugar in your diet can lead to teeth cavities. Common culprits for teeth decay in kids are chocolates, candy, and desserts but many of the processed foods contain sugar.  Try to eat plenty of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits as well as dairy products without adding sugar to them.