Most asked questions about Teeth whitening

What is tooth whitening and why it is important?

In process of getting a beautiful smile, teeth whitening is one of the most needed and preferred procedure applied at the appropriate stage for beautiful smile depending upon the condition of the patient. If any person doesn’t have any other issues like misalignment, cracked tooth or crowded tooth, teeth whitening can be applied first and helps to get back the natural color and shine of the teeth as before.

Let’s quickly review some facts and most asked questions about teeth whitening.

What are the causes of stained or discolored teeth?

There are many reasons and factors which impact on tooth color, including the type of diet we take, alcoholic cold drinks, coffee, tea and habit of chewing tobacco and cigarette smoking. In certain cases, drinking water with high levels of fluoride or frequent use of mouthwash, toothpaste with high contain of fluoride also causes dark spots on the teeth.

In Kids, not following good oral hygiene habits like brushing regularly is the main reason behind stained or discolored teeth.

Should I opt for teeth cleaning before whitening?

It is advisable to go for teeth cleaning before opting out for teeth whitening as you can be assured of good oral hygiene as well. Depending on your oral hygiene, dentist may or may not suggest teeth cleaning.

What are the methods of Teeth Whitening?

There are various cosmetic dentistry solutions available in the market which you can try at your home. This includes products like bleaching trays, whitening gel or toothpaste and mouthwash.

Your cosmetic dentist may opt for laser teeth whitening which gives you an instant result with little extra cost. Having custom made plastic trays is also a good solution which you can apply at your home with dentist’s recommended paste or gel to use with tray.

Is it safe to use teeth whitening products without consulting Cosmetic Dentist ?

We recommend you to first go for consultation at the initial level and discuss about the product you wish to utilize for teeth whitening.

There are certain whitening products in the market which may give you fast result but may cause side effects like teeth sensitivity or result may not last for longer.

In certain worst conditions, it became necessary to have treatment by cosmetic dentists to diagnose the actual condition of your teeth and adopting a solution which lasts longer without any side effect to your teeth.

How long I should expect to retain the white teeth after treatment?

It solely depends on the products you have used for teeth whitening along with precautions and good habits you have followed for maintaining it.

Generally, dental bleaching done at dental clinic will last for 12-18 months if proper care is followed by you. Hence, it isn’t permanent solutions and result may disappear with frequent use of alcohol, tobacco cigarettes, coffee and other food. Regular visits to the dental clinic every six months and good preventive care can increase the longevity of teeth whitening treatment.

What You Should Know About Gum Graft Surgery?

Nowadays, there are increasing numbers of people suffering from gum diseases due to unhealthy diet habits and lack of essential dental care. Ignoring gum disease can cause loss of teeth. In this blog, we have described some helpful information about the Gum Graft Surgery, need for Gum Graft Surgery, benefits of Gum Graft Surgery and its precautions require after surgery.

Know About Gum Graft Surgery ( What Is it?)

Gum Graft Surgery is the practice that repairs receding gums. The procedure involves removal of healthy palatal tissues and placing them on the receded gums. It helps in preventing an additional bone loss and recession. It is used to develop gum issues or cover roots where excessive gum recession is found. This surgery can be carried out on a single tooth or many teeth to make gum line even and decrease sensitivity. It is a helpful surgery for those who want to improve their smile. Other than this, it helps to deal with several types of dental conditions like tooth abrasion and excessive tooth sensitivity.

 

Need for Gum Graft Surgery

People who suffer from hypersensitivity, the root exposure problem and teeth appearance problems can undergo for gum graft surgery. You need to consult expert Periodontist, if patient suffering from any of following problems.

• Many people have a problem with an appearance of their teeth. Due to the disorder in teeth appearance they can select this surgery to improve their smile.
• Patients with root exposure related problems and cannot brush properly to the exposes root surface as well as the extreme problem of calculus on the root is considered as the beginning of root decay. This surgery is essential to perform to cover and protect the surface of the root.
• When there is extreme exposure of the root surface and the patient suffering from severe tooth hypersensitivity, root surface covering using this surgery helps in lower down sensation and to get rid of such problems.
• Moreover, gum graft surgery also requires prior to fixed restorations like implants and crowns helpful for protecting supporting teeth.
• To protect bone support and function of the tooth and to cover root exposure. Root surface exposure means bone loss that supports the tooth. Even a tooth with only one mm or less than that gum issue is liable to lose extra support for bone in the future.

Benefits of Gum Graft Surgery

It is essential to consult with Licensed Periodontics in Melbourne for successful gum graft surgery. A successful surgery gives many benefits in recovering painful gum disease.

• It covers exposed root surfaces.
• It reduces more recession and further loss of the bone.
• It eliminates or decrease hypersensitivity, protects the development of the root exposure, and reduces root caries.
• Improve periodontal health.
• It makes things easy to speak, eat and smile in a better way with full of confidence.

After Gum Graft Surgery - Essential Precautions

In any kind of surgery, it is always essential to take some precautions to avoid any complications.

• Follow medication timing strictly as suggested by your Periodontist. It gives you relief from severe pain.
• Take medicines with some food such as milkshakes, starch based foods or protein drinks as directed by your surgeon. Never take any medicine with an empty stomach.
• After surgery, don’t use straw. It may disturb the blood clots and cause bleeding.
• Try to avoid alcohol and smoking, one or two days prior to surgery. Don’t take alcohol while on pain medication. It causes delay in healing.
• Apply ice to the swelling area for 2-3 days that will help to reduce pain and swelling. Use a locked bag of crushed ice or wrap in a thin towel. Apply for 10 minutes and take a 10 minute break to reapply.
• Do not drink or eat anything extra hot or cold for at least 1-2 days.
• One can eat fruit smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream, tapioca, yogurt, puddings, protein drinks, etc.
• Avoid spicy, acidic, citrus, or sweet foods. Do not eat nuts, seeds, popcorn, husks, etc.
• Do not suck, spit, rinse, swish or brush your teeth.
• Take soft foods for a few days such as noodles, eggs, mashed or baked potatoes, pasta, or any soup or soft cook foods.
• Avoid chews on the surgical side. Avoid hard foods for a few days.
• Do not ignore any pre or post-treatment instructions given by your Periodontist.

Gum Grafting Facts

• Gum grafting is essential when protection is required for the tooth bone support.
• For the long-lasting effect, root coverage treatment is a better option.
• Normally, gingival graft surgery takes sixty to ninety minutes to perform that includes preparation for pre-treatment, anesthetic, gum graft treatment and instructions for post-treatment.
• Usually, a patient needs pain medications only for 2-3 days.
• Avoid aggressive/horizontal tooth brushing, hard brushes, grinding or clenching teeth.
• Proper brushing reduces stress to the gums and teeth. Use night guard to protect your teeth & gums from grinding. Take expert advice for oral hygiene.

Dental prevention is the key step towards healthy living and wealthy smile. Your single step towards early dental precautions keeps your teeth healthy for a life long.

Dental Crown: Needs, procedures and After care

A dental crown is a hollow cap that encases the surface of the tooth entirely to restore its original size and shape and give strength and improve the appearance of the tooth. It’s a fixed prosthetic device fixed on existing teeth or implants and can remove by dentist only. It is also known as cap and gives teeth original natural appearance.

When it is needed?

A Dental Surgeon suggests for dental crown for several reasons as shown below.

• To protect a tooth from weakening due to severe tooth decay or other dental problems
• To restore a severely damaged tooth or fractured tooth
• To hold joint parts of a broken or a cracked tooth
• To hold a dental bridge in position
• To cover as well as support the tooth having a large filling
• To cover a dental implant
• To cover roughly discolored or misshaped tooth
• To cover a tooth having root canal
• For cosmetic enhancement

What types of material used for dental crown and bridges?

There are varieties of materials used for dental crown and bridges. For permanent crown, metal, resin, ceramic and porcelain-fused-to-metal materials are used normally.

Metal – One of the most reliable options for dental crown is metal dental crowns. A metal alloy is highly durable and normally used in less visible areas of mouth for back morals due to its appearance. It is not used for improving cosmetic appearance. In metal crown, gold alloy, base metal alloy such as nickel or chromium or other alloy is used. In this type of crown less tooth structure needs to be removed. It resists chewing and biting forces and become durable as it breaks or chip rarely.

Ceramic or Porcelain – It is mainly used to give teeth a natural look. People having allergy to metal or not prefer metal crowns, ceramic or porcelain crowns become the best option. The only drawback is that the material may erode over time and need replacement or repair. It is also not durable like other material such as metal and porcelain-fused metal crowns.

Porcelain Fused To Metal – It comprises benefits of durability and proffers natural look. In this type of dental crown the porcelain combines with the metal that gives strength due to the metal base and the exterior surface is of porcelain that blends with other teeth naturally. Although, it is also long lasting but somewhat less compare to metal crown. Strength and durability are the advantages of porcelain fused to metal crown. The only disadvantages of it is that sometimes it creates a great shadow or line near the gum but it will not affect the functionality of the crown.

Resin – When it comes to cost factor, the resin crown becomes very economical and also look good in the mouth. The disadvantages of it that it wear down quickly and need to replace quickly compared to other types of dental crowns.

How to care a crowned tooth?

It is advisable to take proper care of a crowned tooth in a similar manner as normal teeth. Actually a good oral hygiene practice that includes brushing twice, flossing once in a day carefully, rinses your mouth after eating or drinking and regular visit to dentist provides long life to dental crown. It is also necessary to avoid chewing or biting on hard surfaces if there are porcelain crowns. It is essential to prevent porcelain fracture.

Wisdom Tooth Removal – Need and Associated Possible Issues if Not Removed

Normally, wisdom tooth erupts between the age group of 18 to 24 years. In many people, it may come later or earlier. It is also known as third morals, the last teeth of the moral teeth in the back of the mouth. It is possible to have four wisdom teeth in each corner of the mouth. Normally, if teeth come in the right position, straight and healthy, it will not give pain or other problems. People need to visit a dental surgeon for regular check-up of wisdom tooth to prevent from any major complications in future.

Why Need to Remove Wisdom Tooth

Different people have to undergo to remove their wisdom tooth for different reasons such as major dental cavities, periodontal diseases, infections, cysts, tumors, as well as for prevention of a nearby tooth from damaging. Here we have described some dental problems if it becomes severe than it may need to remove wisdom tooth.

Impacted Teeth - The position of wisdom tooth is in the corner of the mouth and it erupts at last after eruption of all permanent teeth. Hence, most people have to face enough space problems of teeth to come in the right place. Hence, the teeth that cannot come outside or erupt in place are known as impacted wisdom teeth. Those teeth remain under the jaw line as they cannot develop normally. Hence, in such condition, it becomes essential for the dentist to remove such impacted wisdom tooth.

Gum Diseases - Periodontal disease or gingivitis can affect the nearby teeth of wisdom teeth. It mainly causes due to the bacteria infection and affects the tooth supporting structure, badly.

Tooth Decay – In an advanced stage of tooth decay, it creates holes in the tooth that may affect the second molars. When tooth restoration is not possible, it becomes essential to remove wisdom teeth.

Pericoronitis – An infection of the soft tissues (surrounding the partially erupted tooth crown) is caused by the plaque around the tooth.

Osteomyelitis – People having a major infection in the bone of jaw require removing the tooth.

Tooth Abscess or Cellulitis – In people when pus and swelling gathers around their wisdom teeth as well as its surrounding oral structures due to the infection of bacteria need to go for removing the wisdom tooth. It may occur due to the tooth decay or tooth trauma when a tooth is chipped or broken.

Cysts and Tumor – When any wisdom teeth are unable to burst through the gum; it develops a cyst or tumor. It also causes due to an overproduction of cells. In very rare case it happens. It develops near impacted teeth and known as dentigerous cyst or tumor. It damages surrounding teeth, nerves and other oral structures.

However, normally dental surgeons make all efforts to cure teeth of patient and if it becomes not curable or affect other teeth then only they advise patient to go for surgery.

Problems Associated with Wisdom Tooth

In many people, even they have impacted wisdom teeth; they don’t realize it for years or do not know that they have impacted wisdom teeth. Normally, wisdom teeth give problems only if they erupt in the wrong direction, crooked, and others. Oral Dental Surgery is required for removing wisdom teeth in cases for impacted teeth or other dental diseases. Below are some problems associated with wisdom teeth.

• Mostly impacted teeth have a tendency to cause pain as they press its nearby teeth that may cause damage to that tooth. It can also cause infection, swelling, tenderness and severe pain.
• In addition, it becomes not possible to clean wisdom teeth properly as it is hard to reach and make it clean properly. Thus, it creates a high risk of infection or irritation around it. Infection is caused by the bacteria which is the major source of gum disease. These bacteria pass from the mouth through the bloodstream and it may cause the possible systemic infections and creates health related problems affecting the kidneys, heart and other organs.
• According to some research, if wisdom teeth are affected by periodontal disease [in the areas of third molar]; it creates persistent and increasing problems.

Around 18 to 24 years, during the period of wisdom tooth erupt; it is advisable to visit your dentist regularly. This will protect you from the development of any major complications if the wisdom tooth becomes impacted tooth. It becomes easy to remove wisdom teeth in the younger age as the roots of the tooth are not grown-up completely and the bone is also less dense. Hence the tooth extraction process becomes less painful and allows fast recovery.

An orthodontist’s View on Metal And Ceramic Braces

Often, braces are the reasons people avoid going to the orthodontist. Especially when you became an adult, wearing those metal braces is quite difficult and makes you feel uncomfortable communicating with other people.

There is no doubt that metal braces have highest success ratio than all other options like Invisalign, Inman aligner and lingual braces which are less visible compared to metal braces. But, after a certain age, it might be difficult to adopt treatment with the metal braces. In such a scenario, ceramic braces seem to be a more suitable option as an alternative to metal braces.

What is it?

In ceramic braces, the brackets which hold the metal wire is built of composite material (polycrystalline alumina) or colored a way which synchronize with the color of the patient's teeth which makes it visibility less noticeable compared to traditional braces where metal brackets are used.

How it works?

Ceramic braces work on the same principle as traditional Braces, a metal wire is bound around the teeth wherever it is needed, to solve the issues like crowded and spaced teeth.

Which one to Choose?

Ceramic braces are more expensive than metal braces. If your insurance doesn’t cover dental costs, you should opt for metal braces. Hence, depending on the actual condition, the cost may vary for both.

Metal braces have a better success ratio compared to ceramic. For kids, who doesn’t need to face personality issues as adults, it is better to go with metal braces.

Gum irritation and teeth stains are less in ceramic compared to metal braces, a good advantage with extra cost.

Brackets in ceramic braces are not as strong as metal braces. Unexpected injury or hit on your teeth can break ceramic brackets or damage elastic bands on a bracket which is less possible with metal braces.

For certain critical conditions, treatment with ceramic braces lasts longer and may cost higher compared to metal braces.

The adoption of specific types of braces solely depends on the patient condition. In certain conditions, you may require to have a corrective jaw surgery or tooth extraction for perfect results. Instead of deciding on your own, you must consult with licensed orthodontist having good experience with all type of braces and other options for orthodontic treatment.

Top Possible Reasons for Tooth Extraction

Due to advance technology and dental treatments, it became possible to recover or repair the tooth at a certain degree of damage. When it became a necessity to remove a tooth, it is called tooth extraction. As per the condition of the patient, when available treatments become helpless, dentist adopts to remove that damaged tooth and adopt an alternative solution for that missing tooth.

There can be many reasons for this, excessive tooth decay, heavy infection in tooth pulp or gums, broken teeth are major reasons for this. Along with these issues, sometimes, to create the picture perfect smile, cosmetic dentist may extract the tooth to create proper structure.

Let’s have a detailed overview of all the diseases/situation when tooth extraction becomes necessary.

Tooth Decay:

Tooth decay starts from the surface of the teeth as tartar and reached to the pulp & the jaw root of the teeth. When it is not possible to remove the decayed part by cleaning or other treatment, to prevent infection and spread of decay to other teeth, it becomes necessary to remove the tooth from the jawbone.

Gum Diseases:

Even taking oral care of your teeth, sometimes, gum diseases caused by illness, chewing tobacco or smoking cigarettes, Hormonal changes during pregnancy and gingivitis, cause damage or infection to the bone supporting teeth. If the condition becomes critical and can’t be recovered with Periodontic consultant, your dentist may remove the infected tooth.

Cracked tooth or Root:

Generally, a half broken tooth or infection in the root can be recovered with dental crown or root canal treatment. But, if the damage is heavy and if Endodontic treatment can’t solve the issue, tooth needs to be removed completely.

Wisdom Teeth:

In many situations, wisdom teeth cause pain and discomfort; it is advisable to get it removed by your dentist. It happens when there isn’t enough space in your jaw for all the teeth, wisdom tooth is removed.

Orthodontic Treatment:

When one or more teeth are crowded, an original space is covered by other teeth, causing problems in alignment during orthodontic treatment. To shift the teeth to its original place, the orthodontist may extract the teeth, appearing as obstacles. Orthodontics is the most common issues behind tooth extraction in kids who seek braces at an earlier age.

For Complete Denture:

At the elder age or in conditions when you have lost many teeth in the sequence, dental implants may not be effective for recovery. The dentist may recommend removing it for complete denture as an alternative option.

Solutions to lost tooth:

In case of infection in root, your dentist may adopt dental implant for creating a base for an artificial tooth or crown.

In case of half broken teeth, the dentist may fill the space and impose a dental cap made of material visually similar to your natural teeth.

In case of alternative artificial teeth, you may go for tooth made of ceramic, gold or silver material to be placed in the place of missing/lost tooth.

A regular visit to Preventative dental care can prevent the issues like gum disease, tooth decay, pulp infection and plaque which can also cause tooth lost. In case of incidents that cause damage to your teeth or injury to your jaw and critical orthodontic condition, tooth removal is mandatory.

How to Deal With Bad Breath?

Having a bad breath is a loophole in your overall personality. Whenever you would require to talk with another person, presenting your products or doing sales appeal to customers, a bad breath can be an obstacle in leaving a good impression on their mind.

Sometimes, even brushing properly and taking proper care of your teeth at home don’t prove to be efficient against it. in such a situation, little extra care is required, either with the recommendation of your dentist or in your diet.

A Normal Reason for bad Breathing:

Saliva protects our teeth from bacteria and responsible for oral hygiene of our mouth. Whenever we sleep, the production of saliva in our mouth is reduced considerably. As a result, bacteria become more active during a sleep. This is the main reason behind bad breath in the morning and it is also the main reason why dentists recommend brushing before going to bed. Eating food like onions, garlics and spice food can also cause bad breath.

What Should I do?

Don’t Miss to brush and Floss Daily:

After taking a meal, it is our responsibility to ensure that our mouth is free of food particles in between teeth gaps and regular brushing and flossing can fulfill this. Don’t forget to use a tongue cleaner after brushing and flossing. 
 

Chew Parsley :

Parsley is the most common plant which you can use for getting good breath. It is good mouth freshener but it gives only temporary good breath.

Rinse The mouth :

Make a habit to clean the mouth with water after eating or drinking anything and drink the water through the day to keep your mouth free from dry tongue smell. Additionally, throughout the day if you feel anytime bad breath then drink water and rinse the mouth with clean water.

Don't use Tobacco Products:

Tobacco products are also causes of Bad breath. So, leave the habit of using tobacco products and smoking.

Visit your Dentist for Preventive Dental Care:

Visit Preventive Dentistry every six months. Regular visiting to the Dentistry can not only clean the teeth but help you to protect teeth from dental related disease which is also the reason for Bad Breath.

Other than above mentioned things, tooth decay, infection in pulp, gum diseases, tartar can also be a reason for bad breathing which requires consultant from the dentist and can’t be identified at home. So, it is recommended to get your teeth check up every six months by professional dentist.