How to Whiten Your Teeth Naturally

Posted on 17. Feb, 2012 by in Resources

When it comes to your smile, you want your teeth to shine bright. Over time, our teeth can stain and discolor from foods, diet and environmental influences, but getting white teeth is easier than ever now. People are no longer spending a fortune on over the counter or prescription products to whiten their teeth. While nothing can substitute for a visit to Dr. Conklin for a brighter smile, here are a few simple dentist-recommended teeth whitening tips!

Limit Soda and Coffee

As much as you may need a friendly cup of “Joe” in the morning, your teeth are not friends with coffee. The dark liquid often stays on the top layer of the teeth long after the coffee is gone. Soda has a high fructose acidic base that can damage tooth enamel. For a bright white smile, it is best to limit or fully eliminate these beverages from your diet.

If saying no to coffee is out of the question at least brush your teeth after each cup. If this is not possible, then drink water. Drinking water can remove food and beverage particles that stick on your teeth. After you drink dark colored beverages drink water and swoosh it around your mouth. This will help your teeth stay whiter longer.

Drink Water

Most people don’t recognize the correlation between drinking water and white teeth, but as we mentioned above, drinking water after meals and drinking dark colored liquids can help wash away unwanted food particles that stick around and stain the teeth. Drinking fresh water flushes unwanted toxins from the body and keeps the brain sharp. When you feel good on the inside you look good on the outside. You are more likely to smile and feel good when you treat your body well. The more water you drink the better you feel. You will shine from the inside out.

Eat Your Oranges

Just like an apple a day can keep the doctor a way, an orange can do the same for your dentist. Oranges are widely recommended for teeth whitening. Orange flavored fluoride is a popular choice for patients, which is great since it contains calcium and phosphorus to promote strong teeth. Oranges can improve your oral health by simply taking the peel and rubbing it on your teeth can provide a sparkle. The citrus helps circulate the saliva in the mouth, which also promotes whiter teeth.

Try any one of these simple tips for a brighter, whiter smile. Make sure to brush and floss every day and visit Mountainside Family Dentistry every 6 months – call (503) 762-2525 for your personal appointment!

 

 

The Causes of Bad Breath, From Onions to Xerostomia

Posted on 31. Jan, 2012 by in Resources

Have you noticed that people tend to backup when you start talking?  Do your kids politely turn their heads to the side when you kiss them goodnight? On Christmas morning, do you wakeup to find your stocking stuffed with mouthwash? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, than you might suffer from bad breath.

Clinically referred to as halitosis, bad breath can often affect individuals without their knowledge and can be caused by a variety of factors. Obviously eating a plate of pickled onions and garlic can cause your breath to smell like the bottom of a garbage can, but that affect lasts only temporarily. When eaten, such odious foods get absorbed into the bloodstream, and eventually get transferred to the lungs.  While you can cover up the smell with toothpaste, mouthwash, or by wearing a really thick surgical mask, the odor will remain until your body processes out the food.

Individuals who suffer from halitosis even though the only dine on lilac tea and cinnamon buns, have bad breath for a entirely different reason. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, food particles remain trapped in-between teeth, near the gums, and on the tongue. Given enough time the food begins to rot, causing a not so pleasant aroma to erupt from your mouth like a stinky Mount St. Helens. Individuals who don’t correctly clean their dentures can also suffer from this same affliction.

Brushing regularly, while paying close attention to the areas along the gum line and on the tongue, and actually buying and using dental floss, can help alleviate bad breath caused by excess food particles. Having your teeth regularly cleaned by Dr. Conklin and his staff will also help keep your breath smelling its freshest.

Bad breath can also be a warning sign of periodontal disease. Not brushing regularly allows the sticky bacteria in your mouth, known as plaque, to turn your mouth into a singles mixer with the food particles that remain after eating. When plaque comes into contact with sugar, the bacteria creates an acid that starts eating away at your teeth’s enamel and begins to irritate the gums. Given enough time, the plaque will begin to damage your gums, bone, and other structures that hold your teeth into place.

Scheduling regular checkups with Dr. Conklin will allow him to detect and treat gum disease in its early stages to prevent any serious damage or long term affects from occurring.

Dry mouth, or xerostomia if you want to impress your friends at Scrabble, occurs when the mouth does not produce enough saliva. A steady supply of saliva helps to wash particles of food that can cause bad breath out of the mouth. When the saliva dries up, the food remains in your mouth and begins to quickly rot. Certain medications, a tendency to breath through your mouth, and problems with the saliva glands can all cause dry mouth. Discuss your condition with Dr. Conklin if you suffer from dry mouth, and he can suggest an appropriate treatment method.

Bad breath can cause a great deal of embarrassment if not properly treated. So do yourself, and everyone around you, a favor, and brush regularly and leave leave the garlic and anchovy sandwiches at home.

Selecting the Right Toothpaste for Your Family

Posted on 02. Jan, 2012 by in Resources

As Dr. Conklin and his staff will tell you, brushing your teeth at least twice a day, along with flossing, helps prevents gum disease and tooth decay. Just as working out doesn’t really help unless you break a sweat, brushing doesn’t help fight the buildup of plaque unless you use a quality toothpaste. Selecting the right toothpaste for you and your family depends on several factors including: preference, taste, flavor, and effects.

What is Toothpaste?

The exact ingredients in a brand of toothpaste will depend on the manufacturer, and what benefits (soothing sensitive teeth, whitening, reducing gum inflammation) the brand touts. All toothpastes, however, will include the following ingredients:

• Soft abrasives used to clean your teeth and remove bacteria and food particles. These can include magnesium and calcium carbonate, hydrated aluminum oxides, and silica gels.

• To keep the toothpaste from drying out, manufacturers add glycerol or sorbitol.

• Seaweeds, synthetic cellulose, and gum give your toothpaste a uniform appearance and texture.

• Fluoride strengthens enamel and builds resistant to tooth decay.

• Artificial flavoring

• Detergents that makes the toothpaste frothy

Selecting the Right Toothpaste

With so many brands on the market, deciding which toothpaste is right for you can seem like a dizzying decision. First, make sure whichever brand of toothpaste you select contains fluoride. Besides being critical in helping you fight tooth decay, toothpastes that contain fluoride are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and must display their ingredients on the packaging. The FDA considers toothpaste without fluoride a cosmetic product, and does not require these brands to list their ingredients.

Secondly, look for the American Dental Association’s seal of approval. Products featuring the ADA seal have voluntarily undergone the organization’s product safety and effectiveness tests. You can feel comfortable about the safety of any toothpaste that features the ADA seal of approval.

Next you must decide what kinds of additional affects you’d like out of a toothpaste. If you would like your smile to shine a little brighter, you can try a brand containing a whitening agent. If you suffer from sensitive teeth, several brands on the market offer temporary relief. Individuals who wear dentures or who have fillings that require special care may need to consult Dr. Conklin to find the brand right for them.  Remember, the number one requirement of any toothpaste you purchase is that it cleans your mouth.

Flavor

Once you find a toothpaste that meets your oral hygiene needs, you should look for a flavor that you enjoy the taste of. Fresh mint, spearmint, and peppermint are the most common flavors of toothpaste on the market. Children’s toothpaste, however, comes in such unique flavors as ice cream, bubble gum, and chocolate. Purchasing a kid friendly flavor might even help convince your child to brush more often. While the flavor of a toothpaste has no affect on its ability to clean your teeth, buying a flavor you can’t stand the taste of may discourage you from brushing as often as necessary.

How Often Should I Brush and Floss?

Posted on 15. Mar, 2010 by in Resources

Brushing and flossing help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease. Plaque is a film of food debris, bacteria, and saliva that sticks to the teeth and gums. The bacteria in plaque convert certain food particles into acids that cause tooth decay. Also, if plaque is not removed, it turns into calculus (tartar). If plaque and calculus are not removed, they begin to destroy the gums and bone, causing periodontal (gum) disease. (more…)

How Often Should I have a Dental Exam and Cleaning?

Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by in Resources

You should have your teeth checked and cleaned at least twice a year, though your dentist or dental hygienist may recommend more frequent visits.

Regular dental exams and cleaning visits are essential in preventing dental problems and maintaining the health of your teeth and gums. At these visits, your teeth are cleaned and checked for cavities. Additionally, there are many other things that are checked and monitored to help detect, prevent, and maintain your dental health. These include:

  • Medical history review: Knowing the status of any current medical conditions, new medications, and illnesses, gives us insight to your overall health and also your dental health.
  • Examination of diagnostic x-rays (radiographs): Essential for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
  • Oral cancer screening: Check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer.
  • Gum disease evaluation: Check the gums and bone around the teeth for any signs of periodontal disease.
  • Examination of tooth decay: All tooth surfaces will be checked for decay with special dental instruments.
  • Examination of existing restorations: Check current fillings, crowns, etc.
  • Removal of calculus (tartar): Calculus is hardened plaque that has been left on the tooth for sometime and is now firmly attached to the tooth surface. Calculus forms above and below the gum line, and can only be removed with special dental instruments.
  • Removal of plaque: Plaque is a sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the teeth. It is a growing colony of living bacteria, food debris, and saliva. The bacteria produce toxins (poisons) that inflame the gums. This inflammation is the start of periodontal disease!
  • Teeth polishing: Removes stain and plaque that is not otherwise removed during toothbrushing and scaling.
  • Oral hygiene recommendations: Review and recommend oral hygiene aids as needed (electric dental toothbrushes, special cleaning aids, fluorides, rinses, etc.).
  • Review dietary habits: Your eating habits play a very important role in your dental health.

As you can see, a good dental exam and cleaning involves quite a lot more than just checking for cavities and polishing your teeth. We are committed to providing you with the best possible care, and to do so will require regular check-ups and cleanings.