"That's Mighty White Of You"

Everybody wants teeth that are bright white yet despite brushing, flossing and even visiting our dentist regularly, most people's teeth tend to lose their whiteness over time.

Our teeth usually turn yellow with time. This color change can make us look older and less attractive. What causes the change in the color of our dentition? The passing of time wears away the colorless protective outer layer of our teeth called the enamel. The thinning of the enamel causes the yellow dentin to show through. The dentin is the yellowish innermost layer of the teeth following the enamel. Acidic saliva accentuates the thinning of the enamel making it more porous. Taking in more sugary foods can turn the saliva more acidic. The more sugar found in the oral cavity, the more acid is formed by the resident bacteria.

Some beverages particularly coffee, cola, tea and red wine can stain the enamel. Residues from these beverages can seep through the enamel and can cause dental staining. Even residues from berries can result into dental staining as well. Smoking is also found to cause teeth discoloration and so are tartar deposits.

Here are some of the options you have if you want to have pearly white teeth.

1. The most popular whitening procedure is power bleaching or chairside bleaching. This procedure is done by your dentist at the dental office. The procedure is done by applying a whitening gel to your teeth. The whitening gel contains 20 to 35 percent hydrogen peroxide. Your dentist then activates the bleaching agent by using a powerful light source. Yellowish and brown stains often respond more favorably with this type of whitening procedure although gray stains do not have high positive response with this type of treatment. Unlikely candidates for power bleaching are people with hyper-sensitive teeth and mouth tissues. With power bleaching, you can enjoy between 1 to 3 years of white pearly teeth.
   
   
2. You can have whiter teeth by using home bleaching or nightguard bleaching. This type of procedure can by done at home with the help of your dentist. Your dentist will take a dental impression of both your upper and lower teeth. From this dental impression, he will fabricate molds or trays that resemble an athlete's mouth guard. You will then apply whitening solutions to the trays. Your dentist will usually ask you to wear the mouth guard one to two hours a day or overnight or depending on how sensitive you are to the procedure. Your dentist will provide you a supply of the whitening solution. This type of whitening solution is usually a less concentrated form of the in-office bleaching solution. It will take about two weeks or more for the treatment to be completed. The duration of the treatment takes longer especially when the patient's teeth have turned yellow because of tobacco stain. Home bleached teeth usually last up to 3 years similar with power bleaching and the molds can be re-used later for touch-ups.
   
   
3. The simplest and easiest way to have whiter teeth is by using whitening toothpastes. These types of toothpastes contain chemical or polishing agents that remove surface stains from the teeth. Although this is the easiest way to have whiter teeth, this type of treatment doesn't provide the same good results that power bleaching and home bleaching offer.
   

You may be tempted to buy over the counter bleaching kits that claim good results. You should be aware that many of these products have not been approved by the American Dental Association and most do not meet the criteria for safety and effectiveness. Some one-size-fits-all mouth trays can allow the bleaching agents to escape to the gums and may cause irritation. It is better to ask for your dentist's help and opinion than encounter unwanted results later on.

Need A Lot Of Dental Work Done?

Learn How Planning For Expensive Dental Work Will Save You Money
Long-term dentistry always works best with a plan. So as each New Year begins, some dentists sit down with their patients and organize dental health care "in phases" for the coming year.

In the spirit of prevention, one patient might be scheduled for cleanings and periodic examinations to watch closely for developing problems, and catch them before they grow. Another patient may call for complex restoration and will visit more often; in this case, the dentist will propose treatment step by step, over time.

Prearranged care makes sense. You know what to expect from the practice, and can plan your time and dental costs accordingly. By phasing treatment, your dental fees are minimized and, in the end, you still arrive at the same finished product; a healthier you. Moreover, you'll rest assured, knowing you're getting the care you need. Because postponed dentistry inevitably means more dentistry.

If you have traditionally dental insurance, you know that your policy has tight guidelines are in place for pre-determination of coverage, submitting claims, and timely reimbursement. As treatment is planned for the year, you must monitor your benefits "bank" through the months, to be sure you're making the most out of your coverage. When year-end approaches, treatment may accelerate to take advantage of any remaining benefits before the next New Year, and a new deductible.

If you don't have dental insurance, I highly recommend that you look into getting a private "discount dental plan" as these types of programs offer dental patients savings of between 15% and 50% on out-of-pocket expenses. Remember that most of these "Discount Dental Plans" have a limited number of general providers you can go to so you might ask your dentist Mitch discount plans do they accept before you start shopping around for one.

Everyone is different: different needs, comfort level, and financial situation. So most dentists are flexible. Insured or not, patients deserve choices. Your dentist is willing to work with you and arrive at a schedule that suits you, a schedule you'll both respect.

Please Cut The Cheese

Eating a lot of sugary foods did not boost the risk for cavities in a group of Swedish 4-year-olds, a recent study finds. But kids who ate the most cheese products were somewhat protected from tooth decay. The study appears in the January issue of Caries Research.

Researchers from Umea University in Sweden collected information on 124 4-year-olds who had been part of a dental study as infants. They lived in areas of Sweden where there was not much tooth decay.

The study found that kids who ate a lot of cheese had about one-third less decay than kids who ate little or no cheese. Other studies have shown that dairy products can protect against tooth decay.

Also, children who had high levels of decay-causing bacteria – called mutans streptococci – had a 60% increased risk of decay.

The researchers did not find an increased risk of decay linked with eating carbohydrate-containing foods. They also did not find decay linked with total calories eaten per day, or with eating more or less of any specific vitamin or mineral.

However, should you or your child develop a toothache I suggest you check out my web site's page on "Toothache Relief".

Can You Trust Your Dentist?

Have you ever gone to the dentist for what you thought would be a relatively simple procedure and it turned out costing you 10 times what you thought it would?

Many of us has experienced this which is why I always caution people who purchase a dental plan through my DiscountDental4U.net web site to…

"Be Cautious About Dentists Who Recommend Elaborate Treatment Plans"

In 1996, a reporter on assignment for The Reader's Digest visited 50 dentists in 28 states and found that their fees, examinations, and recommendations varied widely. The visits cost from $20 to $141. The reporter brought along his own x-ray films and told the dentists he had ample insurance coverage. Before embarking on the study, the reporter was checked by four dentists who agreed that he had only one immediate problem (one molar needed filling or a crown), and that work on another tooth might be advisable. Only 12 of the dentists agreed with this appraisal, and 15 failed to note a problem with the molar. One dentist recommended crowning all of the reporter's teeth, at a cost of $13,440. Other estimates ranged from $500 to $29,850.

The reporter also visited a dental school clinic where the student and a department chairman independently recommended capping both teeth, which would cost $460 .

Sometime later ABC-TV's "Prime Time Live" conducted a similar investigation in which, after evaluation by an expert panel, two patients with completely healthy mouths were examined by six dentists. One patient was given estimates for $645, $1175, $1195, $2220, $2323, and $2563, The other received proposals for $2135, $2410, $2829, $3140, $3190, $3700, $4061, and $7960. No program was broadcast, but the figures were made public by one of the review panel members.

These investigations indicate that when extensive dental work is advised, a second opinion is often a good idea, preferably a dentist who is affiliated with a dental school. No practitioner should fear or resist having you get a second opinion. If a treatment plan is sound, particularly a major and/or expensive one, it should hold up to scrutiny by others.

Consider yourself warned.