Archive for February, 2009
February 8th, 2009 -- Posted in Dental Care |
Teeth whitening does not have to be expensive. There are a lot of teeth whitening products out there that cost lesser than regular toothpaste by using common household items like oranges and baking soda. And with the constant rising of the prices commodities, it is no wonder that many people choose home-made remedies to achieve teeth whitening than opt for professional help.
Here are some of the most effective teeth whitening tips you can do in the comforts of your own home. Some are regular kitchen items while others are over-the-counter teeth whitening products you can buy at your local pharmacy or online.
1. Baking soda is the most common and the most inexpensive of all home teeth whiteners. Just take a drop of baking soda, add water to make it pasty, then brush it all over your teeth using your toothbrush or your finger. Let is stay for a couple of minutes after brushing, then gargle thoroughly to rinse out. If you accidentally swallow this home-made teeth whitening paste, it is okay as it is just baking soda. The only downside of this teeth whitener is that not a lot of people can tolerate the taste of pure baking soda.
2. If you are not a fan of pure baking soda, then try using lemon and salt as a teeth whitening product. Mix one part of lemon with an equal part of salt, making a paste-like solution. Then rub this all over your “used to be” pearly whites once a day before bedtime.
3. Orange peel is also a home teeth whitener. Use the pulpy, white side of an orange peel to rub over your stained yellow teeth to achieve a polished shine after two weeks. You can do this two to three times a day as an effective teeth whitener, but be careful as it may cause sensitivity to some.
4. A very old method of teeth whitening is by using bay leaves that can be bought in the local market. Crush dried bay leaves then mix it with an equal part of crushed and dried orange peel. You can add water to make a paste or leave it in its dry, powdery form. Just rub this powder or paste on your teeth and use it as a teeth whitener.
5. Gobble on strawberries. You can actually rub strawberries on your teeth to achieve a teeth whitening effect. This was popularized by one talk show, but just as a follow-up, you may want to brush your teeth afterward because of strawberries’ sugar content.
6. Use apple cider vinegar as mouthwash as teeth whitener. Just swish it around your mouth for a couple of minutes, or you can mix it with a teaspoon of baking soda and a dash of salt to make a teeth whitening paste you can apply on your teeth. This is an effective teeth whitener that combines three teeth whitening agents (vinegar, baking soda and salt) all together to create one potent mix.
7. If home-made teeth whitening remedies do not seem to work for you lackluster and yellowish teeth, your may want to buy-over-the counter teeth whitening products like take-home teeth whitening sprays, teeth whitening gels, or toothpaste whiteners. One example of this take-home teeth whitening product is the 36% Plasma Laser Bluelight Teeth Whitening Kit that some claim to achieve results after the first use. It is relatively cheaper than one visit to the dentist; and you can use this teeth whitener over and over once you have bought the product, so the teeth whitening effects can compound over the weeks you use it.
February 7th, 2009 -- Posted in Dental Care |
Sedation dentistry in New Hartford has transformed the traditional field of dentistry. No longer do people have to fear dentists and dental treatments. Sedation dentistry has made the whole field more patients – friendly than before.
Here you will find what you need to know about sedation dentistry so that you can make an informed choice if you have to.
What you need to know about sedation dentistry to begin with is that it makes use of sedatives and tranquilisers to put the patient in a sleep-like state. This however is different from a general anaesthesia because here the patient continues breathing on his/her own.
Another thing you need to know about sedation dentistry is that while the patient is sedated, he remains unaware of the procedures being carried out or of the pain and discomfort. This allows the dentist to perform long and complicated procedures in one sitting without any trouble to the patient.
Sedation dentistry has another advantage. You need to know that once the patient resumes consciousness there will be almost no memory of the dental treatment or the pain. This allows the patient to remain calm and relaxed.
What you need to know about sedation dentistry is that it is ideal for needle-phobic individuals, for those with gag reflexes, anxiety disorders, and for those who have difficulty with muscle control (in the case of Parkinson’s or Cerebral Palsy).
Finally, what you need to know about sedation dentistry is that it’s a safe, effective and highly successful treatment method.
February 6th, 2009 -- Posted in Dental Care |
The Scoop on Teeth Whitening
Peroxide solutions have been known to whiten teeth and it is a proven fact. But the whiteness of the teeth is likely to depend on three factors – the first and the second factors are related to the concentration of peroxide solution and till the time which it settles on our teeth. These are the two controlled variables. The third factor is the natural color of your teeth or the inherent factor which is beyond one’s control.
The process of teeth whitening is all about concentration and time. The concentrating of the gel used for teeth whitening is very crucial and it tends to vary with the used technique. You must be aware that the peroxide concentration contained in toothpastes, mouth rinse and gum is not really enough to give you dazzling white teeth. The concentration is not very strong to give your teeth the kind of whitening effect that you desire.
There are other methods of teeth whitening as well, such as the painting techniques. But these are unlikely to last long. You might also come across many teeth whitening products claiming to give you results within a few minutes time; well, such things aren’t really seen everyday.
You might as well get to know about some teeth whitening kits that has a special kind of tray and uses a light ray which is allegedly used for whitening the teeth even faster. Such treatments are very expensive and claim to give long lasting results in a very short span of time. These are all gimmicks and nothing more than that. The light used in such treatments is just a mere LED light that has no treating capabilities whatsoever. So it is evident that a bleaching gel is applied on the teeth and is left for sometime only to expose the teeth to some light ray for creating hype. People who have actually spent fortunes on these teeth whitening treatments are nothing more than fools having no sense of reality.
Apart from the in office teeth whitening treatments, over-the-counter teeth whitening products have also been doing good business. Of all the over-the-counter teeth whitening products, whitening strips are the winners. Whitening strips are simple strips containing teeth whitening gel on the inner surface. You might as well notice some difference in your teeth color after using 2 to 3 boxes of these strips; consumers claim to have seen and verified moderate results as well. At least you found something that can give us results after spending huge bucks.
Teeth whitening are everyone’s need and it has almost become a national need now. This is the probable reason why people have been rushing from one clinic to the other to get the best results possible. However, none of these results seem to be good enough to actually make an impression. So then does it mean that we can never ever get rid of those stains in our teeth? Of course you can.
It is always recommended to seek proper medical help for any health related issue; be it your hair, nails or your teeth. None of these parts should be treated as trifle. So when you know you are actually having a problem with your teeth and you need to get it whitened, you must see a dentist.
I am afraid there’s nothing that can give you miraculous results in seconds; every treatment needs time and teeth whitening as well. The stains in your teeth have been caused for years and the treatment will take sometime; though not years, it would take a few sessions at least. Also a dentist would assist you in learning the professional ways of keeping your teeth healthy while erasing the stains. There are a number of things that needs to be learnt and it’s only a professional who can help you in this regard.
The choice is definitely yours!!
February 2nd, 2009 -- Posted in Dental Care |
With a number of teeth whitening products available today it has become comparatively easier to get a set of dazzling white teeth in no time. When the idea of teeth whitening was not so common we would be wondering how the celebrities always seemed to have a set of perfect white teeth. Today, thanks to a large number teeth whitening products available over the counter and whitening options in cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening has become easily accessible. What we need to know now is which teeth whitening products is to be used?
When we are dealing with the question of which teeth whitening products to use there should be some guidelines before we finally select the teeth whitening product. Effectiveness of a teeth whitening products is the first thing we should consider. Just having the strongest carbamide peroxide gel does not necessarily mean that it is the best.
Comfort level of using a product is what we should have in mind in deciding which teeth whitening products to use. Some of the products are comfortable to use but not effective while some need a lot of preparation but are more effective. Whitening toothpaste, strips, or brush on gels are easy but are not too effective if your teeth have stains of more permanent nature. Tray-based teeth whitening products are difficult to handle since it is mostly used for home teeth whitening procedure, but they are more durable. Dental office whitening are by far the most effective and comfortable way of handling the whitening procedure.
While deciding which teeth whitening products to go for we should be careful with how much the percentage of bleaching gel the product consists. It is believed that a product with 6% hydrogen peroxide or 10% carbamide in a gel is safe to use. So, before buying a product you should find out the percentage of bleaching agent the gel has. The ones with more whitening power will consist more bleach but it may not always be safe for you.
Knowing the health of our gums and teeth play a vital role in deciding which teeth whitening products we should use. If we have gum infection or sensitive teeth it is not advisable to use teeth whitening products without consulting a dentist as the bleach in them will cause more irritation and can lead to severe infection. It is necessary to get our gums and teeth in perfect order to start with teeth whitening procedure. To be on the safe side it is better to use products with lesser percentage of chemical as they will be milder and safer.
When we decide to whiten our teeth we have to decide whether we are taking up home teeth whitening or professional teeth whitening. Home-based teeth whitening is comfortable and reasonably safe if we decide to go for gels with lesser concentration of chemical. Professional teeth whitening in dental office seem to be the best option to decide when we are dealing with the question of which teeth whitening products to use. It is safe as dentist will look into your oral health in the very beginning. Dentist can also decide how much whitening will be required depending on the discoloration. It is fast, safe, and gives excellent result.
February 2nd, 2009 -- Posted in Dental Care |
Have you noticed all the teeth whitening products that are available today? A casual stroll down the aisles of your favorite pharmacy or superstore reveals shells filled with products promising a whiter, sexier smile. Almost everyone would love to have whiter teeth. If you struggle with stains and discoloration, you may find it difficult to smile. A bright, Hollywood smile is considered by many to be more youthful and attractive. Because whiter teeth are in such high demand, there seems to be a new teeth whitening product released every day. But are they really effective? Can you achieve good results on your own at home, or do you need to go for professional teeth whitening?
At first glance, over-the-counter and professional teeth whiteners may seem very similar. They both come with a tray that fits over your teeth. The tray is filled with tooth whitening gel and placed on your teeth for a short period of time every day for a couple of weeks. With each treatment, stains are removed and your teeth get whiter. Teeth whitening gel usually contain some form of peroxide, which penetrates your tooth enamel and removes stains through the process of oxidation.
Even though they look very much the same, there are actually several differences between tooth whitening products you can buy locally and professional teeth whitening treatments performed by your dentist. First of all, the teeth whitening gel used in most over-the-counter kits has a much lower strength than professional tooth whitener. Since over-the-counter preparations are used without supervision, there was concern that the higher concentrations used in professional tooth whitener might not be safe. The higher concentration of peroxide means that professional teeth whitening treatments will achieve more dramatic results.
When you purchase an over-the-counter tooth whitening kit, the trays that are included usually come in a one-size-fits-all design. As you know, one-size-fits-all usually means that one-size-fits-none-perfectly. Since there won’t be an exact fit to your teeth, there may not be optimal contact between your teeth and teeth whitening gel. There’s also a chance that the tray may irritate your gums or other parts of your mouth where the fit isn’t perfect. When you get professional teeth whitening, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and create a tray specifically for you. This custom fit ensures better contact between the gel and your teeth and reduces the chance of gum irritation.
A professional teeth whitening process will probably also include some kind of extra protective measures to protect your gums from the oxidizing action of the peroxide gel. With over-the-counter products, there is no extra protection for your gums provided.
When you go to your dentist for professional teeth whitening, the entire process is supervised. Your dentist will start by determining the reason behind your stains and discoloration and to make sure that you’re a good candidate for teeth whitening. Certain kinds of stains may not respond well, even to professional tooth whitener. It would be better to know this before you spend money for teeth whitening products. If you’re dentist believes that whitening will work well for you, he can match the specific type of technique that you need for your specific situation. He will provide spot checks throughout the process, and will follow-up when the whitening is done to help keep your teeth as white as possible. With over-the-counter teeth whitening products, you’re pretty much on your own. If they don’t work, there’s really not much you can do about it.
By the way, you should realize that some people should not try tooth whitening of any kind. Tooth whitening is not recommended for anyone under the age of 16. Children are especially susceptible to nerve irritation and tooth sensitivity caused by teeth whitening products. Women who are pregnant and mothers who are nursing should avoid teeth whitening treatments. Obviously if you have allergies to peroxide you should avoid using any kind of peroxide gel.
Regardless of whether you use over-the-counter kits or visit your dentist for professional teeth whitening, try not to have unrealistic expectations. Experts recommend that your teeth should actually only be slightly whiter than the whites of your eyes. So don’t let Hollywood dictate how you think you should look. Find a look and a smile that’s right for you.
« Prev