Friday 27 December 2013

Maintaining good oral health during the holidays

It’s Christmas, a time to make sure you give yourself the most significant gift of all: a beautiful healthy smile! Maintaining proper oral hygiene is more important during the holidays, advise the experts. Holiday parties and get-togethers lead people to consume alcoholic beverages and sugary treats. Moreover, with their hectic schedules and soaring stress levels they forget the basic oral hygiene habits that can counter the effects of drinks and sugary snacks.
If all you want this Christmas is to keep your gums and teeth intact then these tips on how to save your smile should be helpful.

Wine

The high acid levels of red and white wine have a tendency towards eating away at the enamel of the tooth. Tooth enamel is important for protection against cavities and decay. To avoid such damage, it’s best to refrain from swishing the drink too much, and drinking water frequently to wash off the acid.

Sugary Treats

Bacteria thrive on sugars found in chocolate, candy canes, and cookies, increasing the odds of developing cavities. In case you can’t floss and brush after munching on sweets, try chewing a sugarless gum or drinking a glass of water. This will automatically boost the flow of saliva inside your mouth and will help in washing away bacteria.

Stress

Holiday stress can lead to grinding and clenching of teeth causing headaches, jaw pain, and chipping. Finding out ways to lessen your anxiety levels can help, but it is also important to visit your dentist regularly. A professional can offer solutions such as a customized night guard. Wearing a guard at night can prevent you from grinding your teeth while sleeping.

Smoking:

It’s best to keep away from smoking as much as you can. The tar and nicotine in a cigarette does not just turn the teeth an unattractive yellow shade, it also tends to eat away the gums. Smoking also creates a suitable environment for plaque and bacteria on the teeth and gum line. This harms tissue, degenerates bones and increases the chances for tooth loss.

Use a good toothbrush:

Always choose a brush with soft bristles. With the correct technique, your brush can last for more than three months. Also, during the holidays, you may have to brush a little more than usual so make sure you replace it when it gets blunted so that no injury is caused to the gums and teeth.

Finesse flossing:

Flossing promotes healthier gums and teeth. But like brushing, there's a correct way to floss because flaws in flossing can lead to damage and friction of the gum line. Take approximately a foot of floss and wrap it around your finger. Keep about an inch in between your fingers. Roll out a fresh floss section for every tooth, and keep the floss against the projection to break the plaque up while leaving the gums in shape.

Teeth whitening:

If you want to get a quick bright smile then there is nothing like teeth whitening. Either use a good at home kit or get the treatment done by a professional. There are several clinics in California that deal specifically with cosmetic dentistry.
You probably know that you should brush your teeth twice a day, but you most likely don't give much thought to it. It is important to make sure you are regular with certain tasks such as brushing, flossing and washing your mouth with Listerine. A healthy smile should always be on top of your wish list. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day and scheduling an appointment to see your dentist bi-annually is sure to keep your teeth and mouth in good shape.

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Is Your Smile Ready For The Holidays?

It’s that time of the year when friends and families come together to enjoy a drink or two. Businesses hold team lunches and dinners. Basically, social calendars are packed with party invites and dates. Because there is so much socializing to do, it’s only obvious that people want to look good doing it. One of the best ways to ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward is by taking extra care of your smile. Here are a few ways through which you can enhance the color and quality of your teeth.

Procedures:

Advances in orthodontics have enabled doctors to give their patients a perfect set of pearly whites. Dentists usually start by getting their patient’s teeth straightened followed by whitening, to transform yellow smiles to perfectly gleaming and straight projections. Straightening is usually done through braces. Dental braces have made several advances and can now be lingual or transparent brackets that are set at the back of the teeth so that they don't show.

Dental bleaching: dental bleaching and teeth whitening are two great aesthetic alternatives. Whitening helps to restore the natural color of the tooth while bleaching helps to whiten beyond the natural hue. Modern whitening techniques accelerate the process of bleaching with reduced sitting time.

Dental implants: dental implants are being used increasingly as substitutes to partials, bridges, or dentures to fill gaps. These are artificial roots created with titanium metal. They act as anchors to hold replacement teeth in place. As implants are located inside the jawbone they are comfortable and look a lot like real teeth.

Composite bonding: Composite bonding is another procedure that can help in repairing chipped, broken, discolored or decayed teeth. Bonding involves attaching dental materials such as, enamel and dentin, permanently to the teeth, molding them into shape and then polishing them.

Dental veneers: dental veneers can also be utilized to disguise discolored teeth or close gaps. These are ultra-thin laminates that are fixed directly to the projections. Porcelain is also being utilized extensively for onlays and inlays as a favored alternative to metal fillings.

Using any of the above cosmetic dentistry procedures, in combination with the latest advances in cosmetic and general dentistry, an experienced cosmetic dentist can transform the ill-shaped teeth and help patients achieve a brighter, whiter smile. People with damaged structures do not have to rely on unattractive metals to substitute decayed teeth. Dental experts now make use of high quality, advanced porcelain and resins for filling up deep cavities. Such modern materials mimic the appearance, function and feel of natural teeth.

Benefits:

Cosmetic dentistry techniques do not just enhance our facial appearance, they also give an important boost to our confidence and self esteem.

Cosmetic dentistry can help us:

Ø  Enjoy well aligned teeth.

Ø  Have dazzling, beautiful, more confident smile

Ø  Restore damaged or decayed teeth

Ø  Enjoy effective and safe cosmetic treatments

Ø  Regain the lost beauty of our smile with the help of dental implants

Ø  Boost our self-esteem with healthier, newer, pearly whites

     Ø  Have almost pain-free dental work with the help of latest dental equipment and technology

Cost:

The total cost of cosmetic dentistry treatment differs from procedure to procedure, state to state and also from quality to quality. However, there are several reputed clinics in California that offer cost-effective cosmetic dentistry procedures using best quality material and techniques. The best way to narrow down to a good clinic is by researching well over the internet. It also helps to get in touch with a family doctor for suggestions.

California’s affiliation to Hollywood and glamour has left all its citizens conscious of the way they look. If you too are looking to brighten your dull smile during the holidays then
get in touch with a reputed dental clinic.