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If you cannot resist your morning cuppa or the lure of your evening glass of Shiraz, you probably have discoloured teeth. And if you happen to be a smoker too, there is just no way your teeth can be stain-free. Having discoloured teeth can cause psychological problems leading to avoidance of social interaction and refusal to smile or talk without covering the mouth.

Teeth can also darken with age as the enamel becomes less porous leading to a marked change in mineral structure. Even the food we eat can cause bacterial pigments to form on the teeth. Antibiotics, especially tetracycline, is also said to cause staining of teeth.

With several new and successful teeth whitening or bleaching methods, there is help at hand. You don’t have to be stuck with those dark stained or yellowy teeth any more. In some cases, a simple professional teeth cleaning by a dentist followed by regular and correct brushing at home can remove the stains.

The only person who can tell you if you need teeth whitening is your dentist. So make an appointment and get your teeth assessed professionally. The dentist will make an assessment based on several factors: dental and general health background, clinical observation of soft and hard tissues, existing dentures and other restorations, and call for x-rays if any grave irregularity is noted on examination.

There are quite a few ways in which you can get your teeth whitened:

• in-office whitening by a dentist
• at-home whitening under the guidance and supervision of a dentist
• by patient at home with over-the-counter whitening agents
• at unregistered kiosks, salons, and spas

‘Power bleaching’ done by the dentist uses light energy to speed up the whitening process. Another process used by dentists is ‘bonding’ where a thin layer of composite material is applied over the discoloured tooth and cured with a blue light. Over the counter whitening agents include bleaching gel, pen, or strips.

The safest is to get a well-qualified and trained dentist to perform the teeth whitening for you as it is an irreversible procedure. If the whitening agents are applied carelessly, it can cause harm. In spite of it being applied professionally, you still run the risk of:

• bleeding and irritation in the stomach and oesophagus (if the whitening agent is ingested.)
• severe sensitivity of teeth
• blistering and damaging of gums
• weakening of the enamel

Also, if you already have fillings, veneers, or crowns, this may not be a good idea as these cannot be whitened and you will end up with teeth of different shades!

The moment you feel the need to whiten your teeth, fix a dental appointment and get your teeth checked thoroughly. Discuss all available options with your dentist and decide on what is best for you. You will soon have the radiant smile of your dreams!

Mercury fillings, also called “silver fillings” in an attempt to subvert your attention away from the “mercury” component of the filling, became popular in usage back in the days of the Civil War because mercury was cheap and inexpensive to obtain, and mercury was not yet known to be poisonous. The use of mercury to fill cavities represented the most modern technology at the time, and they did save many people from having to loose their teeth. It served its purpose during a time when the only option was extraction if your tooth contained serious decay.

Have there been any advances in the dental field in the last 150 years since the Civil War? Of course. Not only have today’s dental materials, procedures and tools advanced to a far superior degree, but also we have advanced in awareness and knowledge of the human body and the effect of these materials on our health.

Mercury is now known to be one of the most poisonous substances on the planet. Mercury fillings are typically called “amalgam” fillings or even “silver” fillings, although they contain little silver. The fillings are composed of 50% mercury. So why are they not called “mercury” fillings? The main reason why is because no one would want the filling if they were aware that they were pouring hot molten mercury into their mouth to sit there for many years.

We were all taught as children not to play with thermometers or break thermometers because of the danger from the mercury. Even just the vapor from the release of the mercury can be dangerous. We would no sooner want arsenic or lead poured into our mouth than we would want mercury. Therefore, by calling it a “silver” filling, the public often is unaware of the nature of the substance that is being used in their filling, although public awareness is growing.

For this fact alone, the best Dentists avoid the use of mercury fillings, aka silver fillings or amalgam fillings, and seek instead the use of more superior and healthy modern materials. Here are some important facts that you should know regarding the use of mercury fillings:

• Amalgam or silver dental fillings are composed of fifty percent mercury.
• Mercury has been deemed as one of the most toxic substances on earth. In fact, there is a field of science that has developed called “mercury toxicology”. These toxicologists have learned that no amount of mercury vapor exposure is harmless.
• OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They are a federal agency that enforces the legislation of safety and health. This organization has classified dental amalgam as a toxic and hazardous waste.
• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also has deemed dental amalgam as a hazardous material. Both the OSHA and the EPA require that all amalgam removed from your teeth has to be stored in a special container to prevent human and environmental exposure to mercury vapor.
• Scientific research is available that demonstrates the damage of mercury, even in relatively small amounts, on the brain, lungs, kidneys, nervous system, glands, heart, hormones, enzymes and blood cells. It also has been proven to suppress the immune system up to 100%!

Mercury has been proven to pass readily through the placenta in pregnant women and cause permanent damage to the delicate developing brain of the baby. After placing an amalgam filling in a pregnant woman, mercury has been shown to appear in the amniotic fluid just 2 days later, and the breast milk is also laced with concentrated amounts of mercury after the mother receives a “silver” filling.

Mercury vapor is released continuously from amalgam fillings, and is increased up to fifteen fold during chewing, brushing, drinking hot fluids, and eating foods that are acidic. The vapor released by mercury fillings is absorbed rapidly by the body and accumulates in your tissue.

Studies by the National Institute of Health have confirmed a direct link between the levels of mercury in a person’s blood, stool and urine, and the number of mercury fillings they have in their teeth.

In studies of human autopsies, a direct correlation has been discovered between the amount of mercury found in the brain, and the number of amalgam fillings in the teeth. The brains of individuals who died with Alzheimer’s disease were found to have high levels of mercury in the brain.

Amalgam fillings (mercury fillings) do not bond directly to the teeth. This creates 2 problems.

1. First, it means that a larger amount of healthy tooth structure must be drilled away in order to lodge the filling in place. This weakens the tooth unnecessarily.
2. Secondly, it means that, because a tight bond is not created between the filling and the tooth, bacteria can more easily enter between the filling and the wall of the tooth, causing unseen decay to grow underneath the filling or alongside it.

Armed with today’s knowledge and advancements, there is no reason why modern day dentists should be stuck using 150 year old materials that are now proven dangerous. The best dentist today would offer and use the outstanding alternatives to mercury fillings that exist. They are far superior and actually look like real teeth. For smaller cavities, composite resin fillings that are tooth colored work excellently. For larger cavities, reinforced porcelain or even resin inlays or on lays are available. These are custom made in a dental laboratory. They are not only beautiful, providing a true restoration of your natural tooth, but they also are bonded directly to the structure of the tooth so that the final result is strong and more resistant to bacteria invading cracks.

It takes some effort to care for your mouth. Apart from dental and oral hygiene, you are required to visit the dentist occasionally. This may be for a simple check-up, or for cleaning, filling cavities, root canals, extractions and many other things. All this can end up costing quite a fortune. But it is also essential for your well-being. So the wise thing to do in a situation as such is to get insurance. This helps take care of the dental costs. However, finding the right kind of insurance, with a reasonable rate can be a task in itself.

The first step on the road to the best insurance plan for you is to assess your needs. What procedures do you think you would need to avail of on a more regular basis? Would you just need some basic check ups from time to time? Or are you in the need of some advanced dental care? This will help you choose which bracket of dental insurance is right for you. In the sea of a thousand choices, this will help it down.

If you need some advanced or middle level procedures, then it is advised to take a wholesome dental insurance plan which covers all dental procedures that may be done on you. This takes away any worry you may have about sudden emergencies that may need complicated solutions. Of course, there is also a higher premium that needs to be paid for this sort of insurance, as compared to more basic insurance.

Another sort of insurance is the indemnity dental insurance. It covers the basic dental care practices such as check ups and cleaning fully, and most of the restorative procedures such as root canals and fillings. The premium is not too high, and you are set for all your routine dental activities.

Yet another type of insurance is the direct reimbursement plan. This plan is usually set up by an employer, and it is a popular one in the masses. This means that if you, as an employee are subject to any dental procedures, then your employer will pay you back a portion or all of those expenses, when the right medical receipts are shown. The terms of the insurance varies from place to place.

While choosing the right insurance for you, it is essential that you do a good bit of research. Once you have a clear idea of the benefits you want, you can go further and look at all the plans that are available, and the premium rates associated with each. Also, you must be sure that it is reliable.

A perfect smile was once merely a dream for most people. There were some individuals who never achieved a breath-taking smile and just had to face the world with their yellow or dark-colored, chipped or uneven teeth. Cheer up! With modern cosmetic dentistry the impossible is now possible.

Dental veneer is a type of cosmetic alteration that employs thin, semi-transparent coverings made from porcelain and are permanently bonded to your teeth. Veneering is an amazing procedure that improves your teeth’s appearance. What are the 8 benefits of having veneers?

1. Effortless and trouble-free application. The procedure involves only bonding the custom-designed material to your teeth with little or no need for an anesthesia – it is definitely painless. You can have more than one tooth covered at a time, so it’s fast with almost instant results that are amazing and worthwhile.

2. Stress-free. This procedure is non-invasive and so the stress of having to anticipate the experience of pain is removed.

3. Lasting color. While some dental cosmetic application fades over time, dental veneers will not discolor with the passing of time because of their resistance to stains.

4. Very resistant to fractures. Even if porcelain is intrinsically brittle, it becomes resilient once glued to the tooth.

5. Less expensive. Crowns, traditional braces and resin fillings used to dominate the cosmetic dentistry market. Now that veneers are available, you can have more choices for the same purpose. Veneers are much cheaper and less time-consuming than crowns.

6. Rough edges of the tooth are removed before finally sticking the dental veneer to your tooth. Veneers are also smooth and the most naturally appearing concealment for a wide variety of dental flaws.

7. Veneers are a sound and reliable substitute to other orthodontic procedures. Traditional braces may not be so appealing anymore. Dental treatment that would normally necessitate braces can now be substituted by veneers.

8. Veneers offer self-esteem and self-image enrichment. Smiling becomes easy and natural and you feel good all the time you are in a crowd.

Anyone who wants to change the way their teeth look should consider the benefits of having veneers. Veneers can serve the purpose you’ve had them, and that is to own that perfectly natural and beautiful smile. Veneers can last for years especially when given regular proper care and dental hygiene. Your dentist will always be glad to discuss the procedures involved in the application of dental veneers and all the cosmetic dental options suited to you.

If you have been suffering from chronic halitosis for a significant amount of time, be it months or years, you already know how frustrating and humiliating it can be. Feeling totally powerless and hopeless most of the time, not having the slightest clue how to find a halitosis cure that will last. Perhaps one of the hardest consequences is the impact that bad breath can have on your social and love life; this on its own can make your life pretty miserable.

I spent many years trying to figure out how to cure halitosis, and it was not until after twelve years of suffering from the condition that I managed to get rid of it – this time permanently. When I look back now, it seems so obvious that I was doing all the wrong things, that I was looking at the bad breath problem from the wrong angle… But in fact, when I think about it, the way I was dealing with it can be completely justified by what I had subconsciously learned from tv commercials and popular wisdom.

Halitosis is usually seen as a condition or disease which needs to be cured or dealt with, something that we need to fight or combat. In short, halitosis is seen as something that needs to be eliminated. In my opinion, wanting to find a direct halitosis cure is a completely natural reaction. Unfortunately, this approach is quite likely going to lead you nowhere and you will just keep going round in circles once and again!

Looking at the problem this way will inevitably prompt you to look for products that will enable you to do just that; eliminate bad breath, make it vanish! Usually these products will be mouthwashes, mouth sprays or gels. You will keep looking for that special something that – once applied, sprayed or gargled – will make all those nasty odours disappear.

However, it turns out that halitosis is in fact a consequence, a side effect if you like, or a symptom of other underlying conditions or diseases. Chronic halitosis should not be seen as a stand-alone disease that needs direct treatment. In fact, if halitosis is indeed just a symptom, treating halitosis directly – trying to find that elusive wonder halitosis cure – inevitably implies we are just attempting to eliminate a symptom. And this is the is key!! Treating a symptom is not exactly the same as treating the root of the problem, is it?!

Therefore, a completely different approach is needed. One that will lead us to identifying the underlying causes: the contributing factors that have got halitosis as a side effect or symptom. Remember, halitosis is a consequence, a sign that something else is not quite right! This may sound so silly or obvious, but if you think about it for a minute, you will see how important it is to really understand this fact.

Finding a durable halitosis cure does indeed involve a bit more work than just gargling a bit of mouthwash a few times a day. So it is up to you whether you want to really get to the bottom of the problem or you want to continue just covering up your bad breath forever.

Oral hygiene and regular maintenance has been a pride of mine. It’s one thing I feel that if I keep on top of it I’ll always have healthy teeth. Well despite my best efforts I still drew the short straw and was diagnosed with Periodontal Disease at the age of 28. Unfortunately it had progressed so much in such a short time that I was left with very little jaw bone to hold my teeth in place. Drastic measures had to be taken immediately lest I loose my teeth:(

My dentist and oral hygienist were quick to recommend an Oral B Electric Toothbrush. It was much more expensive than the cheaper alternatives yet well worth it. Turns out that a quality electronic toothbrush is much more rigorous in the cleaning of your teeth than a you could ever be by hand. Not to mention it is gentler on your teeth so you don’t risk harming the enamel and or gum tissue.

After a year of brushing with an electronic toothbrush the results have been profound. My gums are healthier and never bleed when getting brushed. My teeth are whiter as the brush penetrates deeper and knocks loose more debris than manual brushing. And it’s not only my word that backs up using an electric toothbrush. Countless studies have shown that consistent brushing with an electric toothbrush such as the Oral B Toothbrush has a positive impact on your oral health.

I have a hard time going back to manual brushing when I’m on business travel. I can immediately feel a difference in my mouth. Simply put using an electric brush feels like getting one of those routine teeth cleanings at your dentist every single night!

The brush was expensive up front. About $80 but honestly it saved me from thousands of dollars in expensive dental bills to fix my teeth should my periodontal disease have progressed. Not to mention all the pain of invasive oral procedures.

A couple extra notes my dentist gave me. He mentioned you should break your mouth into four equally sized sections. Then brush each section for 30 seconds a piece. Next he said only use a small pea sized dollop of toothpaste at each brushing. This is due to the abrasive nature of toothpaste which can actually harm your enamel if you use too much. Lastly, he said you should always replace your brush heads at least once every 3 months. This is because they go limp and can no longer maintain the force required to push loose the plaque and debris attached to your teeth.

Hope this was interesting to you. It’s rather a conglomeration of my most recent experiences with oral health. I think that you’ll really get some good value out of it and highly recommend trying a new tooth brush!

A dental bridge is a restorative dental product which is primarily used to replace missing teeth. This restorative procedure is often times compared to other cosmetic restorative products such as dentures and implant products. When an individual has missing teeth, it can severely impact not only the aesthetic features of one’s facial properties, but also cause other damaging effects such as misalignment of the teeth, TMJ, and even gum disease which is referred to as periodontal disease. Dental bridges are often used when there are a consecutive number of teeth that are missing from an individuals mouth. Once the individual is examined by a general or cosmetic dentist, they are then provided options based on which teeth are missing and if they are consecutive of each other. If teeth are missing in a consecutive fashion, the dentist will generally suggest a dental bridge to close the gap of the missing teeth.

There are many aspects involved before going through with such a dental restorative procedure. Usually the dentist will check for proper bone structure as well as ensure the patient has healthy periodontal properties before suggesting such a procedure. The actual procedure is divided into multiple visits. One of the first visits for the patient will involve taking impressions of the teeth to ensure the dental bridge will attain a perfect fit. Depending on an individuals needs, the dentist will reshape the teeth to ensure that the dental bridge can be properly placed without causing damage to the surrounding teeth. The actual dental bridge is made at a dental lab using the impressions that were made at the dentist office, the fabrication of the dental bridge will typically take anywhere from 3-7 days depending on the dental laboratory. Once the bridge has been fabricated, the dentist will perform the procedure to actually place the bridge into the patients mouth. The procedure itself routinely calls for the bridge to be cemented to allow for maximum strength. Depending on the dental practitioner, they will routinely schedule a post procedure appointment to ensure the gums and bones are in a healthy state as well as check on the dental bridge to allow for proper healing.

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The cost of such a procedure can vary significantly. There are many different factors that will play a role into the pricing of a dental bridge, they typically range from $800 up to $2,000. Factors such as, which dentist provided the procedure? Where was the dental bridge made, in what laboratory? These are all questions that should be answered should you decide to get such a restorative procedure done. It is also important to check with your medical insurance agency to ensure that they will pay for such a procedure.

For most people, when they think of ways to eliminate bad breath, we are often disheartened and discouraged. Most of the time, these people have come up with a very wrong idea that it is very hard and almost impossible to eliminate bad breath. However, contrary to that, eliminating bad breath is easy!

First and foremost, in order to prevent and eliminate foul breath, it is important to know what it is and what causes it. In medical terms, bad breath is termed as “halitosis”. It is caused by the abundance or the presence of bacteria in your mouth, or oral bacteria. This type of bacteria develops and becomes present in your mouth through many ways, such as from the food you eat, lack of dental hygiene, and a dry mouth.

The food you eat plays a key role in developing halitosis, this is because, certain kinds of food are notorious for causing bad breath, like garlic, onion, meat and coffee. The good thing is, bad breath that was developed this way can easily be treated and do not tend to last long.

Also, the food you eat affects your breath in a way that if you eat unclean food, or those that are too sweet, this may lead to the development of tonsil stones or tonsillitis.

Having a dry mouth also makes you more prone to developing foul smelling breath, since bacteria tend to thrive and multiply faster in dry places. For this very reason, it is important to drink lots and lots of water everyday. Avoid drinking coffee, soft drinks, and other alcohol drinks and those that are have sugar content in them to quench your thirst, for they may contribute to you developing bad breath.

Dental hygiene is important in order to eliminate bad breath. Brushing your teeth a minimum of two times a day, as well as using a dental floss properly to take away any food molecules that are stuck in between your teeth will help in keeping the odor of your mouth at bay. Lack of proper dental hygiene is one of the main causes of halitosis or bad breath.

Also, unknown to most people, most commercial mouthwashes contribute to having bad breath. This is because of the alcohol content in them, which leaves your mouth dry and a very good breeding ground for oral bacteria. Make sure that if you use mouthwashes that they have little to not alcohol content.

Granted, there is no full-proof way to eliminate and prevent bad and foul breath for the rest of your life, having proper dental hygiene, and avoiding food that contribute to the development of halitosis and will go long ways in keeping the chances of you developing halitosis, as well as tonsil stones or tonsillitis, at a low rate.

Much is discussed about what is the best whitening system and method but it is always difficult to answer accurately because the teeth are always going to be unique to you and this makes anticipating the exact colour when completed difficult. The teeth’s enamel has micro pores which open and release as they breathe and this results in eventual staining of the teeth but tends to happen over a long period of time, maybe three to four years as a minimum time period.

Factors which can influence the staining process –

The enamel’s porous value – some people have very porous teeth and therefore for these people they will absorb more staining and this can greatly change the colour of the teeth much quicker than the average person. Also for these people the benefits gained from whitening will be reduced much quicker. In the same way a person might put on weigh much quicker so for these people they need to watch what they eat and require plenty of exercise otherwise they gain weight more quickly than the average person.

Thickness of the enamel – the thickness of the enamel range from 1mm to 2.5mm so if you have thicker enamel you have less chance of getting stained teeth because the teeth will not absorb so much staining and also less chance of sensitivity. Less enamel and the reverse happens and the teeth will absorb the staining much easier without much resistance.

Type of staining on the teeth – for external type staining then it is easier to lift that out of the teeth opposed to the deeper intrinsic staining. Canadian pharmacy female viagra is used to intensify the sexual satisfaction for women. For examples nicotine and cola are more extrinsic strainers and tea, coffee and red wine are intrinsic staining components which are harder to remove particularly on an individual’s teeth who has thinner enamel.

Teeth whitening will tend to use a peroxide based gel in most cases and sometimes chlorine dioxide as these will work to remove the yellow stains but will not compromise your comfort in the process. This article is not a chemistry lesson and there is plenty written about these products on the internet but for the use of teeth whitening they work fine and as long as the treatment is performed by someone with experience and has take due care in protecting the gums there is no contact with saliva, gums or soft tissues and therefore is not going to get in to the blood stream at all.

Amazing benefits of having whiter teeth is found and this is why people are eager to try new and innovative products and services but beware because if something is new does not necessarily mean it is safe and proven. If you are unsure speak to your dentist and see what they recommend on the matter. Anyway good luck.

An abscessed tooth is an infection. An abscess can often include pus and swelling of the soft gum tissues that are surrounding the tooth. An abscess generally develops because of tooth decay or tooth trauma, such as a broken tooth. An opening in the enamel of a tooth, can also be created by a cavity. Either of these can allow bacteria to get into the center of the tooth. This can often cause an infection. The area inside the tooth essentially consists of “pulp” and it is soft and tender. Because of this, infection can cause a great deal of damage. This resulting damage is called an abscess of the tooth.

Once an abscess begins to occur, the infection can spread throughout the rest of the mouth and body. Usually, a root canal is the only option to save a tooth, once it has become abscessed. If you suspect that you might have an abscessed tooth, it’s important to go and see your dentist right away. The sooner this problem is treated, the more likely that potential damage can be minimized. The longer you wait for treatment, the more likely that the effects created by the abscess will have permanent consequences that cannot be reversed.

If an abscess causes the tooth to be severely decayed all the way into the nerve of the tooth, then a root canal is usually the only option to save the tooth. That is why it is so important to see your dentist, if you think you might be suffering from this problem. A root canal is a dental procedure that attempts to fix a tooth that cannot be filled or restored in any other way. The procedure is quite involved and extensive. Catching an abscess early can prevent you from ever needing a root canal. If you do require this procedure though, here’s what you can expect.

A root canal begins with the dentist numbing your tooth. It’s likely that they will use a rubber “dam” to keep the tooth area dry and free of saliva. A rubber dam is a piece of rubber that is designed to fit over the tooth and isolate it from the rest of the mouth. The dentist then needs to prepare the tooth by drilling and opening into the decayed area. After the dentist removes all the decay and bacteria from the upper area of the tooth, they will then have to focus their efforts down into the roots of the tooth. To do this, root canal files will need to be used. Root canal files are small instruments that are various sizes, so that they can fit deep down into the canals of the tooth. It is important that the files vary in diameter so that the different size roots can be thoroughly cleaned and the decay and infection located deep within the roots can be removed. After the decay and infection has been completely removed from the root system of the tooth, the dentist usually fills the canals that he has just cleaned with a rubber filling material called gutta percha. After the canals are filled with this rubber compound, a regular filling is placed in the tooth.

After a root canal procedure, a tooth can become dry, brittle and it can easily break. Because of this, a crown (cap) is usually placed on the tooth to properly restore it. The cost of a root canal generally averages about $800 and a crown, which is usually also required as part of the procedure, is going to cost about $900. Although the total price might seem expensive, the only other alternative to a root canal is the removal of the entire tooth. You can probably see now why it is so important to take care of your teeth in the first place. If you think you have an abscess, the sooner you can get into your dentist, the better.