Tips on Effectively Whitening Teeth with Braces

When you wear braces, your teeth become more prone to stains and discolorations. That’s because teeth are that much harder to get to, thanks to metal braces that get in the way of brushing and flossing. For this same reason, many people with traditional braces feel restricted when it comes to their options in cosmetic dentistry.

Beautiful Teeth are Key to a Beautiful Appearance

If you’re looking to improve your appearance, your smile is a great place to start. Your smile is indicative of your personality; it says you are a great person and worth getting to know. Your smile is often the first thing someone notices about you. A beautiful smile can be a great start to success in business, relationships, and many other facets of life.

What You Need to Know About Overbites

Does your upper set of teeth overlap the lower, and shows more prominently in a smile? If so, you have a form of dental malocclusion called overbite. Here are three important things you should know about overbites:

# 1 It’s not all in the genes.

If overbites run in your family, chances are you’ve inherited the condition. However, overbites can also develop as a result of bad childhood oral habits, such as long-term pacifier or bottle use, nail biting, tongue thrusting, and thumb sucking. These all exert pressure on the roof of the mouth, altering healthy teeth formation.

# 2 Not only looks are affected.

Everyone has it to a certain degree but in severe cases that include crowded or crooked tooth, the condition becomes more than just a cosmetic issue; it can lead to problems affecting your overall oral health. You may experience discomfort in the jaw and gums, particularly during chewing. Enamel erosion is hastened when teeth overlap. Overbites also increase the risk of bacterial infection and eventually, tooth loss.

# 3 It can be corrected.

There are two types of overbites: skeletal and dental. In skeletal, the problem is the size of the bone itself and can only be corrected with surgery. Whereas, in a dental overbite, merely the upper set of teeth protrudes and can be treated with orthodontic braces, such as Invisalign. Unlike traditional versions, Invisalign is barely visible and is removable, allowing you to eat comfortably and practice oral hygiene.

Three Teeth Whitening Errors That Diminish Results

A white hot smile is one of the best accessories anyone can have. Unfortunately, teeth naturally acquire a yellowish hue as we age; however, this can be remedied. Seeing a cosmetic dentist for teeth whitening services can easily give you the “Hollywood smile” you’ve always wanted.

After going through professional teeth whitening, you’ll want to ensure your teeth stay pearly white for as long as possible. To do that, be sure to avoid committing these three blunders:

Overuse of Whitening Toothpaste

Initially, it makes sense to use whitening toothpaste to help keep your teeth white. The problem here is that whitening toothpastes are abrasive and can wear out enamel quickly, revealing the darker yellow tooth layer that lies underneath it.

Not Changing Your Diet

It is no secret that coffee and wine stain teeth, but did you know that other food and ingredients such as balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce will stain your teeth just as badly? Be sure to consult your cosmetic dentist on what types of food to avoid to help you maintain the results of professional tooth whitening.

Taking Matters into Your Own Hands

With so many whitening products available on the market, wouldn’t it be better to just pick one up from the pharmacy and whiten your teeth yourself? Not really. Different sets of teeth react to whitening products differently; what may be effective for some may be ineffective for you. The worst thing that can happen is that the product stains your teeth further.

Young Smile: Cosmetic Dentistry for Children

Cosmetic dentistry for children, though not unheard of, is quite rare since most of their teeth are not yet permanent, and some dental issues are self-correcting as time passes by. Nonetheless, there are instances where your child might need dental treatment for dental emergencies or other teeth problems.

To correct misaligned permanent teeth or improper bites, parents are advised to have their child visit the dentist as soon as possible. Straightening teeth using dental braces is more effective for young individuals as their teeth are still developing and could therefore adjust well with the aid of orthodontic devices.

Cover Up Teeth Imperfections with Dental Veneers

People aren’t always lucky when it comes to having perfect teeth. Accidents, improper care, and even improper growth can result in smile that’s embarrassing to show. One way to solve this problem is to have dental veneers placed over your faulty teeth.
Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells that are placed over front teeth to improve their appearance. These are usually made of porcelain or resin composite materials, which makes them indistinguishable from your natural teeth material. These veneers are usually used when your teeth have become so discolored that teeth whitening won’t be able to help. They can also help when your front teeth have been worn down, chipped, have gaps between them, or are uneven.

Have a Brighter Smile with Teeth Whitening

Teeth can get stained, whether by food, drink, habits, or age, and once they’ve become discolored, smiling can become difficult. Fortunately, there are several teeth whitening solutions available for you to smile brightly again. Though there are over-the-counter options available, nothing can beat the effectiveness of in-office whitening.

One of the most commonly recommended teeth whitening procedures by dentists is Deep Bleaching™. This involves using a peroxide bleaching gel of varying effectiveness combined with personalized trays for your mouth. It usually takes over an hour or so for one session to be complete.

Identifying Some Dentist-Recommended Food

While food play a major role in tooth decay, some of them actually contribute to the teeth’s overall health. Teeth-friendly food contain the right vitamins your chompers need to maintain firmness and strength. Your local dentist will most likely recommend that you include them regularly in your meals.

Cheese and Dairy

Calcium and phosphorous are the two main sources of the benefits that dairy products can offer your teeth. Not only is calcium the main component of your pearly whites (thus a deficiency of this mineral will most likely lead to decay), but it also helps protect your teeth from the acids fermented by microorganisms from most of the food that you consume. Aside from this, dairy is also an excellent source of vitamin D.

Post-Cosmetic: How to Take Care of Your Teeth

A cosmetic procedure can clean up your teeth and turn your smile into a perfect one. However, you’ll still have to take care of your teeth after. One of the things you have to be very careful about is the food you eat. Here are some food types a cosmetic dentist will advise you to avoid:

Staining Food and Dark Beverages

Teeth whitening procedures brighten a person’s smile. The quality of the whitening treatment may diminish, however, if you frequently take food and dark beverages that can stain teeth, like beets, blueberries, coffee, soft drinks, tea, and red wine. Similarly, the adhesive used to bond cosmetic dental appliances like veneers could get stained by these highly pigmented food and drinks.

Adhesive Bonding of Porcelain Veneers

For porcelain veneers to be permanently attached to teeth, a special bonding process is involved using a light-reactive agent.

According to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry, porcelain veneers are attached to teeth through a process known as “adhesive bonding”. It starts with the application of an etchant, usually phosphoric acid, which acts to “roughen” a tooth’s surface to allow better adhesion with the veneer. Acidic etchants have been in use for bonding purposes since 1955, with a normal phosphoric acid concentration of between 30 and 40 percent. Any higher or lower than this may result in a poor bond.