Deep bleaching is a type of teeth whitening technique that has proven to be very effective - even against hard-to-whiten surfaces. Many people experience frustration that no whitening efforts will solve their dark teeth problems. But deep bleaching is actually effective against the hardest whitening efforts.

As a dental technique, deep bleaching is just a few years old. But it’s been proven to work by the dentist who coined the phrase, Dr. Rod Kurthy, as well as other dentist’s practicing today - include here at Wayzata Dental Clinic.

The procedure involves two trips to your dentist. On the first visit you’ll receive a hydrogen peroxide solution along with a carbamide peroxide solution. When you return for your second visit, the dentist will examine your teeth and make a decision as to whether you require the same hydrogen peroxide solution as before or whether you’ll need a solution called DeepBleachingMax. You’ll also receive an application of D-Senz-2 to help desensitize your teeth and seal them.

You can expect some teeth sensitivity with this procedure. All teeth whitening procedures end like this, but only lasts for a few days. It will, however, make your teeth look white - pure white - and if you’ve never had pure white teeth, you’ll feel like a new person.

Brushing may not be an art, but it definitely has right strokes. Regardless of what people tell you, there is only one correct way of brushing. You may discover the right way years after you picked up the toothbrush for the first time. Don’t be alarmed or ashamed about it. Just get in the habit of brushing right. Make sure that your children are not subject to the same enlightenment later in life; share your knowledge with them now!

How to brush right

• Hold the brush at 45 degrees angle from your teeth surface.
• Brush the front teeth with upward and downward motions.
• Apply short strokes to brush your teeth. At one time, brush only one tooth; keep the stroke aligned to one tooth at a time.
• Brush both sides of your front and side teeth.
• The molars, or the last teeth in the two sides on both the upper and lower teeth sets, have three exposed sides. Brush the front, back, and top of the molars.
• Be gentle when brushing; do not be too harsh on the teeth.
• Gently brush along the gum line to prevent any plaque formation.
• Floss the places that the toothbrush cannot reach like the gaps between your teeth.

Apart from brushing the right way every time, keep in mind the following guidelines on brushing:

• Brush for at least two minutes every time.
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush that has a small head.
• Change your toothbrush every three months, even if it does not appear tattered. If it looks worn out earlier, change it immediately.

Brushing is the best way to prevent dental problems. Ask your dentist for tips of everyday dental care.

Happy smiling!

Today’s post brings to you some simple tips on daily dental care.

• Make sure you do not skip brushing even a single tooth. Bacteria can flourish in places you do not clean regularly.

• Make sure you brush your teeth properly before going to bed. Do not eat anything after you have brushed your teeth. The bacteria in the residual food inside your mouth play up while you are sleeping. Make sure you do not have any food residue in your mouth when you go to sleep.
• Floss everyday. Flossing ensures that no food debris are left in between the teeth.
• Rinse your mouth well every time you eat or drink anything. This helps keep your mouth clean and moist.
• Keep your mouth hydrated at all times. Saliva keeps your mouth moist. Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to make sure your mouth is never dry.
• Try not to rub your tongue vigorously. Always apply gentle moves to clean your tongue.
• Avoid eating too many sweets. Sugar is bacteria’s favourite too!
• Avoid eating anything sweet at night. Bacteria love sugar; keep your mouth clean before going to bed.
• When you see your toothbrush wearing out, buy a new one. Change your toothbrush every three months even if the bristles do not look tattered.
• Never ignore any pain in your teeth and gums. Do not wait for a problem to aggravate to visit your dentist.

Teeth care goes beyond daily brushing, flossing, and tongue cleaning. If you want a sparkling smile, you have to start paying attention to your oral health.

Happy smiling!

Snacking is often considered a sin when it comes to taking care of the teeth. Dental experts recommend brushing after meals but no one actually talks about dental care after snacks. The most important guideline related to snacking is to cut down on sweet snacks between meals. Can you protect yourself from the harmful effects of snacking? Should you stop snacking completely? We, at the Wayzata Dental Clinic tell you how to enjoy snacking without suffering from the guilt of ruining your smile.

Snack on teeth-friendly food. Here are a few of teeth-friendly foods for you to snack on:

• Almonds

• Sesame
• Whole wheat bread
• Tofu
• Sunflower seeds
• Plain popcorn
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese – any low-fat variety
• Buttermilk
• Cottage Cheese
• Pineapple
• Orange
• Pears
• Watermelon
• Muskmelon
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Green beans
• Cucumbers
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Chicken
• Boiled eggs

Make yourself a salad using some of the ingredients mentioned above, and carry it in small boxes to work. Open a box every time you feel like snacking.

Rinse your mouth well after you have had your snack. We know brushing is not possible every time you pop something into the mouth. However, make it a habit to rinse after every snack.

Brush your teeth an hour after you had a non-vegetarian snack. Meat and fish do not only get stuck between teeth but they also give your mouth a smell. Even if you had non-vegetarian food just as a snack, make sure you follow it with thorough brushing.

You don’t really have to compromise with eating if you pay a little attention to oral hygiene and dental care.

Happy smiling!

Our teeth are one of those necessities in life and today’s dental health philosophy is based on prevention rather than finding cures. If you think about it, our teeth arrive in our mouths totally free of charge. If we neglect them, the cost in dollar terms can be huge whilst the cost of preventing dental problems is tiny in comparison.

We all know, or should know, what goes into a good dental health routine. Brushing, rinsing, flossing and regular checkups are all a part of that routine. However, there is one more philosophy that is important to discuss and that is ‘habit’.

The old saying goes something like ‘it takes a week to form a habit and a month to break it’ and that is one of the difficulties that dental health professionals come across - changing poor habits and introducing good ones. On the other hand, good habits can be introduced to young children as soon as their teeth appear. Develop good dental health habits at an early age, and good strong white teeth will follow. That doesn’t mean it is too late for you. You can develop good habits now and work to preserve and improve the teeth you now have.

More importantly, rather than having invasive forms of dental treatment later in life, the dental treatment is more along the lines of building on and complementing those good dental health habits. Invasive dental treatments such as fillings or extractions can be costly. A regular check up with a clean and polish on the other hand is quite affordable.

What would you prefer, to walk out of the dental rooms with your own glowing smile, or to walk out with teeth missing and a large bill for a bridge or partial denture? The expert staff at Wayzata Dental Clinic would much rather be working to help you keep your own teeth.

Form good dental health habits now and you will always have that happy smiling face - the one we all want to see.

If you think skin care is simple, dental care is simpler. And if you think skin care is cumbersome, dental care is much simpler. Dental care is a sure-shot way to keep your personality shining; just flash your smile and win hearts! In today’s post, we bring to you seven tips to keep your smile dazzling.

• Get a straw the next time you buy a juice, a carbonated drink, or any other sweet beverage. This will keep the sugar in the beverages from eroding the enamel of your teeth.

• Pick up a whole fruit instead of its juice. The fruit will give you the necessary fiber. The juice tends to erode the teeth.
• Do not brush immediately after a meal. The teeth are extremely soft and vulnerable after a meal. Leave a gap of at least an hour after a meal before you reach for the toothbrush.
• Rinse your mouth well after eating or drinking anything. This is extremely important since you cannot brush every time you consume something.
• Change your toothbrush the moment it appears tattered. If it does not look tattered but you have been using it for four months, change it immediately.
• Do not limit brushing to only the visible teeth. The bacteria in the rear teeth can ruin your smile. Make sure you clean each and every tooth every time you brush.
• Do not open bottles with your teeth. A healthy smile is the best way to flaunt the strength of your teeth.

These tips are simple, aren’t they? What are you waiting for? Follow these tips religiously and make your smile glow. If you notice the slightest hint of a dental problem, rush to your dentist.

Happy smiling!

Do you know that the milk teeth lay the foundation for one’s permanent teeth? Milk teeth determine the way a child’s face will appear when she grows up. In spite of the importance attached to milk teeth, parents are found to be ignorant about the dental care needs of their children. In today’s post, we will look at a few pointers for dental care in infants and children.

• Remember to wipe you infant’s mouth after you have fed her.

• Use a baby tongue-brush or a soft cloth to clean your infant’s tongue.
• Do not think fever and vomiting are normal when your child is teething. Take her to the pediatrician immediately.
• Take your child to the dentist when she develops her first tooth.
• Do not give your baby a bottle of milk or some other sweet liquid when she sleeps. This may cause tooth decay also known as baby bottle decay.
• Provide your child food rich in calcium. Feed dairy products and other calcium-rich foods like tofu, spinach, broccoli, almonds, sesame, salmon, and sardines.
• Discourage your child from sucking her thumb. Try to make her stop doing it completely after the age of six.
• Never ignore a problem in your child’s teeth. Take your child immediately to the dentist.

You may find this unbelievable but even a child who has only one tooth can develop cavities. Dental care in children is not much different from that in adults. However, you may need to pay a little more attention to your child’s dental care needs and problems.

Happy smiling!

The skin is not the only thing whose deterioration can make you look old and ugly. Your mouth, with all its intricate elements, can make or break your look. Take, for example, the gum diseases that affect more than the gums. They make the mouth appear swollen, give us bad breath, and loosen our teeth. Do you want to find out if you suffer from the diseases? Read on.

Though the initial signs of gum diseases are hard to notice, you should not ignore the slightest hint of a problem. The two gum diseases are gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the milder version of atrocious periodontitis. Let’s look at the symptoms of the diseases.

Gingivitis

• The gums appear swollen and red.

• The gums feel softer than normal.
• The gums bleed without much pressure.
• The gums frequently bleed during brushing.
• The breath smells bad.
• The gums change their color from pink to red.
• The gums sag and appear loose, giving more space to the teeth.

Periodontitis

• The gums appear swollen.

• The gums become noticeably red.
• The gums become soft.
• The teeth loosen.
• The gums sag, giving more space to the teeth.
• There is pus between the teeth and the gums.
• The gap between teeth starts widening.
• The breath smells bad.
• There is a sour taste in the mouth.

Wondering how you can prevent these diseases? Experts at the Wayzata Dental Clinic recommend the following:

• Follow a proper dental care routine everyday.

• Visit your dentist at least every six months. Visit him/her sooner if you notice a cause for concern.
• Cut down on smoking and drinking.

And as they say, prevention is better than cure. Start taking care of your oral health from this moment.

Happy smiling!

Can a headache be possibly related to a dental problem? Experts believe that there is a connection between a recurring headache and a dental problem. A headache can indicate a problem in your mouth. But how do you know if it has a dental connection? Look for one of more of the following symptoms accompanying your headache.

• You have pain behind the eyes.

• You feel some pain in the ears.
• Your head has become sensitive to touch.
• You can hear a clicking sound in the jaw bones.
• Your jaw appears stiff.
• You feel dizzy at times.
• You feel buzzing in your ears.
• You have developed the habit of grinding your teeth.
• You have started clenching your teeth.

If you have a headache that has bothered you for more than two days, see your doctor. If you have experienced one of the above-listed symptoms, get an appointment with your dentist.

You must be wondering what dental problem could trigger a headache. A misalignment of your teeth with the jaw bones is the most likely cause of a headache that is accompanied by the problems listed earlier. Your dentist will be able to fix the alignment problem, rescuing you of the current headache and dental problems that could have happened in the future. Your headache, therefore, becomes a significant indicator of a dental problem.

Do not ignore a headache if it has troubled you for some time. Let your doctor and dentist find the underlying cause and treat you accordingly.

Happy smiling!

Health organizations the world over highlight the ill-effects of smoking by putting a statutory warning on cigarette boxes. Does their campaign actually dissuade smokers from smoking? No, because the warnings are about health problems in the future. Long-term problems do not threaten smokers. Will immediate problems of smoking deter smokers from smoking or at least make them cut down on the number of cigarettes? We don’t know, but there is no harm in trying.

The smile is the one that shows the most immediate affects of smoking. Let us look at how smoking ruins our smile.

• It stains your teeth. Your stained smile may be disgusting others, but as long as you are not looking in the mirror, it’s OK.

• It gives you bad breath. If you want to chase away people when you talk, continue smoking.
• It causes sore throat. If you call the hoarseness of your voice “huskiness”, keep smoking.
• It causes you to lose your sense of taste. If you just eat to live, don’t bother about the taste and continue smoking.
• It builds up plaque on your teeth. When you are not bothered about the look of your smile or the loss of taste, fear of plaque may not be able to deter you much.
• It causes bacteria to flourish in the plaque. Who cares, right?
• It causes cavities in the teeth. If you can smoke even with the cavities, you should not be bothered much. Keep on smoking.
• It causes an inflammation in your gums. Well, that can be painful but should you give up on the pleasure of smoking for a little pain?
• It causes gingivitis and periodontitis. Again, do you really want to give up smoking because your gums are in bad shape?
• It may cause the loss of teeth. This can be a problem, but then there are dentures!
• It may cause oral cancer in the long run. Everybody dies sometime or the other. So, why should you be scared of oral cancer?

Dental health is not a concern for most people when it comes to the ill-effects of smoking. However, if you think you have already spoiled your smile, visit the dentists next door.