Archive for the 'Whitening' Category

Aug 05 2008

Frequently Asked Questions about Teeth Whitening

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening, Zoom

Why do teeth get stained?

Think white linen. Then think a cup of coffee spilling on it. What do you get? A stubborn stain! Now, think pearly white teeth – your teeth. Then think a cup of coffee or something similar. What do you get? A more stubborn stain. If that does no make it clear, let me tell you, the enamel of the teeth has pores that let stain make home on the surface. There are many things that may cause your teeth to discolor. Let’s look at some external factors:

  • Drinking caffeine-based beverages like tea or coffee

  • Eating chocolate
  • Smoking
  • Certain medication
  • Drinking red wine
  • Drinking cola

Apart from these superficial factors, there could be other internal factors causing your teeth to discolor. It may be difficult tracing such factors. Visit your dentist to understand the cause of the stain on your teeth.

What do stained teeth indicate?

Stained teeth may also mean that you have tooth decay; the decay causes parts of your teeth to become brown in color. Apart from this, teeth discoloration without an apparent reason may indicate that the teeth have been damaged because of some injury. Visit your dentist to know if the stain on your teeth is indicative of a deeper problem.

How effective are over-the-counter whitening treatments?

Over-the-counter whiteners and whitening treatments may work well for stains caused by external factors, though temporarily. They are effective in removing the stain only from the outermost layer of your teeth. Your best bet would be consult a dentist before trying any kind of whitening treatments; your teeth may be sensitive to the composition of such products.

How can the dentist help me?

Apart from the conventional scaling and bleaching, today dentists are equipped with advanced technology solutions. An example of such advancement is Zoom whitening. The Zoom whitening procedure can be performed in a matter of minutes, sparing you the agony of discomfort and pain.

If you are looking at getting a royal treatment while getting your teeth cleaned, check out the much-acclaimed smile spa.

Happy smiling!

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Jul 30 2008

What comprises cosmetic dentistry? (1)

If you thought cosmetic dentistry applied to fixing teeth when broken or badly damaged, you are in for a surprise. Cosmetic dentistry does not limit itself to correcting shapes and making false teeth. Simple dental treatments like whitening also fall into the category of cosmetic dentistry. In today’s post, we will glance through some cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Zoom Whitening

With technological advancements, the whitening process has become faster and less cumbersome. Zoom whitening is a process that whitens your teeth in less than an hour! This kind of whitening must be done by a professional. If you would like to make your teeth a shade lighter, fix an appointment with your dentist. If you are wondering if there are any harmful side effects, let me tell you there aren’t any major. Sensitive teeth may feel a temporary itchy or stinging sensation during the procedure. You may, however, avoid taking a chance by using anti-sensitive toothpaste before you undergo the whitening treatment. Ask your dentist to prescribe you the toothpaste.

Veneers

Veneers are part of a restorative treatment in which a thin layer of material is used to cover your tooth in order to prevent further damage to it. Veneers are also used for cosmetic purposes only; they help improve the look of your teeth. Veneers are of many kinds, the two most popular being porcelain veneers and prep-less veneers like Durathin and Lumineers. If you would like to change the appearance of your teeth, visit your dentist today.

Bonding

Bonding is usually done to hide spots and stains, cover any chip in the teeth or fill a gap. It involves applying an enamel-like material to the teeth and fixing it to make it a part of the teeth. Visit your dentist for advice on bonding.

We will continue with our discussion on cosmetic dentistry tomorrow.

Happy smiling!

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Jul 15 2008

Have you been to the smile spa yet?

While it is important to take care of your teeth regularly at home, you should pamper yourself by visiting the smile spa once in a while. If you are wondering what this spa is all about, this post will answer all your queries.

A smile spa is not a mere fancy concept but a glimpse of the future of pampering. All of us visit beauty salons or luxury spas regularly, even when we take care of our face, skin, and body at home. Yet, we need that special treatment, the feel of luxury, and the extra pampering at times. If you would like the same treatment for your mouth, visit the smile spa.

What is a smile spa?

A smile spa is a place at your dentist’s that works at improving your smile while you relax. A smile spa is a place that is designed to give you a better, whiter, more sparkling, and confident smile.

How does a smile spa help me?

A smile spa is not just about whitening your teeth, it is much more. This spa promises to give you a wholesome experience of relaxation and rejuvenation. Let us look at what the smile spa does for you:

  • It whitens your teeth for a more radiant smile.
  • It aims at giving you a painless experience with great results.
  • It pampers you by making you comfortable with advantages like massages.

Where can I find a smile spa?

A smile spa can be found at state-of-the-art dental clinics. If you are in Minnesota, check out the luxurious smile spa at the Wayzata Dental Clinic.

Happy smiling!

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Jul 02 2008

For that perfect smile

You must have come across prose and poetry at some point of time describing one of those perfect smiles. Who doesn’t want that perfect smile? Yet, we would take care of our Tuscan more than we would take care of our teeth. Wouldn’t you want your teeth to survive as long as the Tuscan, even longer?

Apart from regular home dental care, you can make use of all the technology to make your smile perfect. Let’s look at some of the factors making that perfect smile illusive:

  • Yellow teeth: Yes, this is the most common hindrance to a perfect smile. In fact, there are a lot of people who cover their mouths when smiling.
  • Chipped or broken teeth: Chipped, uneven, and worn out teeth are another reason that makes people shy away from smiling.
  • Wide gaps between teeth: A missing tooth or a natural wide gap between teeth sometime causes discomfort for people.

You have looked at all the factors that stand in the way of you and your perfect smile. If you have any of the problems listed above, do not lose heart. There are some excellent remedies to overcome these problems. You can improve your smile with the latest technology and expert help.

Let’s understand the solution:

  • Enamel reshaping: This is a great solution for uneven and chipped teeth.
  • Crowns and bridges: These help in narrowing the gap between teeth.
  • Orthodontics and implants: They help in doing away with any visible gaps between teeth.
  • Tooth whitening: As the term suggests, this method is used to whiten stained teeth.
  • Bonding: Bonding is another way to take care of uneven teeth. It also helps with reducing the gap between teeth. Bonding is also used to remove the stain from your teeth.
  • Veneers: Veneers are also a solution for all teeth problems. They take care of stained teeth, chipped or uneven teeth, and teeth with gaps.
  • Happy smiling!

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Jun 25 2008

Whiten Your Teeth In A Flash!!!

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening

Even if you take good care of your teeth by brushing and flossing them every day, they can still end up turning a yellow or grey color. This is caused by many different factors including smoking, drinking wine and any other number of things. There is good news though! Your dentist can professionally whiten your teeth quickly and easily! You won’t have to mess around with complicated bleaching kits or fiddle with those pesky strips that only stay on half the time that you need them to.

Instead, you can have a single visit to your dentist and get them to whiten your teeth 3-5 shades without an unpleasant tasting bleach or a time consuming proceedure. So if your teeth are getting a little bit on the dingy side, call your dentist today and book your appointment to get your teeth whitened in a flash! After all, whiter teeth will help you feel good about how you look which will give you more confidence and who doesn’t want that?!

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Jun 04 2008

Teeth Whitening Gels!

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening

If your looking into whitening your teeth, you may be wondering what kind of whitening agent to use. If you are looking into using a teeth whitening gel, you might want to learn a little bit more about them before deciding if they are right for you.

Teeth whitening gels are transparent peroxide gels that are used to bleach your teeth. They have a low peroxide concentration, compared to most other bleaching systems that professional dentists use. This means that they take longer to whiten but they are made for easy home use. You simply have to apply them onto the top of your teeth and over a matter of days or weeks, your teeth will be several shades whiter!

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May 07 2008

Teeth Whitening Options

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening

Our teeth can become various shades of yellow and grey as the buildup of surface stains caused by different food and beverages that we consume or from smoking. If your looking for a whiter smile, then you have a few different options to choose from, each with its own pros and cons. Its up to you to research the various ways and choose for yourself which one will work best for you.

There are three general approaches to teeth whitening. Whitening toothpaste, at-home bleaching kits and in-office bleaching.

Whitening toothpastes help to remove surace stains using a bunch of mild abrasives. They are easy to use and inexpensive, however, they only whiten your teeth by one shade.

At-home bleaching can be done by whitening stips, gells or tray based systems. Each of these can be more complicated to use and only whiten by two or three shades, but are much more cost effective than going to the dentist to get them whitened.

Having your dentist do the whitening for you can cost quite a bit more but it is simple to do and the results are great! One visit to the dentist can get your teeth from 5-8 shades whiter!

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Apr 27 2008

Whitening Your Teeth: What Your Dentist Can Tell You

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening

When it comes to whitening your teeth, there are a number of products out there on the market that can get you started, but, ultimately, in order to get the whitening results that you’re looking for, chances are good that you should talk with your dentist.

That’s because there are a number of things about whitening that your dentist can tell you that the back of an over the counter product isn’t going to tell you.

Your dentist can answer your questions and make sure that you’re getting the right information. He or she can tell you why Zoom might be the right procedure for you or why you may benefit more from looking into veneers. Likewise, your dentist can tell you what you should be on the lookout for - things like why, if you have composite rather than amalgam fillings, there may be inconsistencies in the color of your smile.

If you’re interested in whitening your teeth, that’s fine - your dentist can make sure that you’re getting the look that you want. Just be sure to consider all of your options and know that you’re making the choice for the one that’s right for you.

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Apr 15 2008

What Leads Dental Patients to Ask About Whitening?

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening

Having a whiter brighter smile is so important to many people than, not only do we have rows of whitening products in pharmacies and supermarkets but also there are dozens of commercials for various whitening kits, gums and methods on TV. Chances are good that, if you’ve been in a pharmacy or you’ve watched more than a couple of hours of TV each week, you’ve seen a whitening product.

What leads dental patients to ask about whitening?

In a lot of cases, when people start to talk with a dentist about whitening they are asking about whether or not all of the over the counter products that are on the market are safe to use.

In a variety of other cases, patients are simply motivated to ask their dentists about whitening because they’ve seen that their teeth are stained. Whether it’s because of foods that they’ve eaten of it’s the result of drinking too much coffee or wine, they’re looking for a way to minimize the stains - if not to get rid of them altogether.

Whatever reason you have for looking into whitening your teeth, talking with your dentist is probably the best plan of attack - especially if you are serious about getting great results.

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Apr 02 2008

Whitening Your Teeth: What Should You Know?

Published by Wayzata Dental Staff under Whitening

When it comes to whitening, there are plenty of people out there who want to believe that the only thing that they need to be thinking about is which over the counter product they should pick up when they stop by the pharmacy. The challenge is that they should be talking with their dentists.

(source)One of the best reasons to include dentists in any whitening process is they know more than the patient and can help explain the fine points and limitations of the procedure. “Some people are bleaching, but those teeth are impossible to bleach,” says Doundoulakis. Old fillings, old crowns, or decay in teeth will not take to whitening, he says.

“Partner with your dentist to discuss what you’re trying to achieve, pick his brains and get his best recommendations on what products would be best and get the right direction,” says Doundoulakis, who is director of implant prosthetics at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center.

While you just might find that when you talk with your dentist about the whitening options that are available to you that he or she does suggest trying over the counter products first, it is important to recognize that not everyone will benefit from taking matters into their own hands.

If you’re thinking about whitening your teeth, why not take the time to talk with your dentist? That way, you will be able to explore all of your option - and make sure that you’re in a position to get the results that you’re looking for.

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