Dental Health Care

A first impression is the last impression, many say. A smile can change our world. We all know that. The key to a bright smile is a set of shining teeth. Imagine yourself in an interview trying to impress the panel. You smile and a set of yellow teeth flashes! Stained-teeth are a common problem and can lead to gum and tooth diseases. This needs to be treated at the right time and by a good dentist.

Pearly white teeth reflect more than just good oral hygiene, they show others that we take care of ourselves and that health and good looks are important to us, after all no healthy person would be delighted to have a smoker as a co-worker for obvious reasons. In order to keep good oral health we must follow basic guidelines which can be provided by a dentist.

Follow good oral hygiene practices. Brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss at least once daily to remove plaque. Use whitening toothpaste (once or twice a week only) to remove surface stains and prevent yellowing. Use regular toothpaste the rest of the time.

Rub raw strawberries on your teeth, preferably pureed. There is an enzyme in strawberries that acts as a whitening agent. You’ll want to brush and rinse after applying the strawberries to remove the natural sugars and acids they may leave behind.

A professional cleaning to remove external staining caused by food and tobacco.

Veneers or bonding to fix irregular or damaged teeth or to achieve specific results.

After having your teeth whitened, touch ups are generally needed to maintain your desired shade, depending upon habits such as smoking, eating certain foods and drinking coffee and tea which can all stain your teeth.

Using a whitening toothpaste can help keep your teeth white by removing surface stains.

Teeth whitening is a very safe procedure that simply involves using a peroxide-based solution and/or a special light to remove stains and discoloration. In some forms, the process can be accomplished in as little as an hour.

Teeth whitening can produce dramatic results. However, it is important to keep in mind that daily oral hygiene is an important part of maintaining teeth whitening results. Cigarette smoking, coffee, and tea will still stain the teeth after whitening. If this happens, an occasional touch-up with over-the-counter or take-home teeth whitening product should keep your teeth looking as good as they did following the professional teeth whitening procedure.

Some teeth whitening gels are safer and more effective than others. Most teeth whitening kits include gels containing carbomide peroxide; the percentage you should use depends upon the sensitivity of your teeth. Using a gel with too high a percentage of carbomide peroxide can be painful.

Tooth whitening is a bleaching process that lightens discoloration of enamel and dentin. The laser tooth whitening procedure is simple. It begins with a short preparation to isolate your lips and gums. The doctor then applies the proprietary LaserSmileâ,,¢ Whitening Gel, which is activated by a powerful diode laser. Teeth typically become at least six to ten shades whiter, sometimes more.

Combine lemon juice and one teaspoon of salt to make a paste-like substance. Brush your teeth and rinse. Again, not so pleasant on the palate, but your teeth will thank you.

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I don’t know about you but I consider myself to be fairly energy conscious. I switch off lights when not in use, don’t overfill the kettle and never leave the television or computer on standby. However, I must confess I don’t have many energy efficient light bulbs yet, although I understand in a few years there won’t be any others. People are already hoarding them away. Maybe they’ll become collectors’ items. Just make sure you keep the box, as apparently that’s the important bit. Well, at least it is on auction and antique shows.

Anyway, the main reason I don’t use energy efficient light bulbs (apart from the expense) is they are too long and unsightly. They simply won’t fit in my down lighters and in the fittings where I have a normal shade, or none at all, they look ridiculous. Also, they take a long time to get bright enough to see anything.

However, I now have another reason for avoiding them as long as possible, and that is mercury. It’s recently been disclosed they contain this dangerous heavy metal and if one should break in a normal house, the advice is that everyone should be evacuated. That may sound extreme to some, but not to me. You see, I had mercury poisoning and now know quite a bit about it.

I know fluorescent tubes contain mercury and are considered “hazardous waste” by Environment agencies. The companies that dispose of them have to wear special safety clothing. I also know small domestic barometers are disappearing fast and already hospitals have replaced their mercury filled thermometers.

There are various sources of mercury apart from fluorescent and energy saving lights including, but not limited to, batteries, body creams, cosmetics, crematoria, diuretics, fabric softeners, felt, floor waxes, fungicides, pesticides, industrial waste, laxatives, paints, photo engraving, psoriatic ointments, seafood, sewage disposal, skin lightening cream, tanning leather, tattooing. However, the main culprits and the ones, which affected me, are vaccines and dental amalgam.

Mercury is the second most toxic substance on the planet after plutonium and it makes up 50% of every amalgam filling. Did you know your teeth could be killing you? Don’t laugh - it isn’t funny and unfortunately for many it’s a very real situation. Believe me, I know.

I’ve had letters from people all over the world suffering from the condition and only last week I was speaking to a 54-year-old builder who was terrified because he’d just been told he had mercury poisoning. He’d had extensive filling replacement done seven months ago and his health has been deteriorating ever since.

He’s very weak, incredibly forgetful and panics about silly things. They are classic early symptoms, but unfortunately as neither the medical nor dental professions acknowledge mercury poisoning caused by amalgam fillings, it often gets misdiagnosed. Usually patients are led to believe they are either losing their mind, or are written off as complete hypochondriacs. Both are wrong.

Mercury poisoning is very difficult to diagnose because no two people will present with the same problems, and unfortunately it is hard to test for. Mercury only stays in the blood stream for a short transit period so blood tests are inconclusive. As mercury is a fat binding toxin, it attaches itself to the fatty organs in your body, and depending on which one (or ones) it selects, the health signs and symptoms of something not being right will appear. Unless you are offered some form of chelation to get the mercury back into your blood stream, the only other real test mainstream medicine can offer would be by doing a biopsy. Needless to say there aren’t many people wishing to undergo one of those.

I know of people who have been completely bedridden because of mercury poisoning, and many have wished to die. Some have.

As I said, mercury poisoning is no joke. If someone says to you they think their teeth are poisoning them, don’t just dismiss them as being crazy. Believe them and offer support. What do you think was wrong with The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland?

Yes - Mercury Poisoning!

There are tests available and with the right help and support, mercury-poisoning symptoms can disappear. It’s a long process though. Just don’t give up.

Achieving a whiter smile is possible for anyone today. The list of teeth whitening options available to consumers continues to grow and improve with each passing year. But with so many choices, choosing the option that best suits your budget and lifestyle can be a daunting task. And what about over-the-counter whitening products? What function do they serve and do they actually whiten teeth?

This article will look at one of the most common over-the-counter products, whitening toothpastes, and help you better understand what part, if any, it should play in your goal to obtain and maintain a whiter smile.

Most people brush their teeth twice each day. It is a habit yielding immediate positive results and provides long lasting benefits in overall oral hygiene. It is not to be taken lightly. Today’s modern toothpastes, meeting the American Dental Association’s Seal of Approval, contain ingredients specially formulated to help keep our teeth and gums healthy and strong. Some of the basic ingredients found in today’s modern toothpaste are:

* Abrasives: aid in the removal of tartar and plaque.

* Active ingredients: These are the components of the toothpaste that have a direct effect on the teeth and gums. Examples of what these ingredients are designed to accomplish are:

* Decay prevention

* Antibacterial Agents

* Tartar Control Agents

* Desensitizing Agents

* Detergents

With the increasing popularity in the teeth-whitening marketplace, toothpaste manufacturers have taken the opportunity to advertise the existing benefits, already inherent in toothpaste, toward this market. As shown above all ADA approved toothpastes help remove surface stains through the action of mild abrasives. “Whitening” toothpastes in the ADA Seal of Acceptance program have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. In general teeth whitening toothpaste can be expected to lighten your teeth by one shade.

Whitening toothpaste does not change the intrinsic color of the tooth structure. It is important to understand the difference between, extrinsic and intrinsic tooth staining.

Extrinsic refers to the surface staining caused by coffee, tea, tobacco, red wine, berries and other stain-causing foods as well as plaque.

Intrinsic means that the stain comes from within the tooth. This happens due to the natural yellowing that occurs to our teeth with age, medicinal stains like tetracycline, other antibiotics and too much fluoride.

To change the intrinsic color of teeth requires a bleaching agent to be applied over a specified period of time and is most effectively performed during a chair-side visit at your Dentist’s office. One power-bleaching visit at the Dentist’s office can lighten teeth by up to seven shades in one hour, removing yellowing and the other intrinsic stains mentioned above. This type of dramatic result does come with a price however.

While doing research for this article most Dentist literature I ran across was passionate in its emphasis that proper brushing with any ADA approved toothpaste will remove most of the extrinsic surface staining that accumulates on our teeth.

But the fact that the American Dental Association has created a new category for “Whitening Toothpastes” with ingredients providing additional stain removing effectiveness is proof these new toothpastes are here to stay and can play an important role in preserving the expensive teeth whitening results achieved at the Dentist’s office.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is an infection of the gums. It is usually painless and most people do not realize they have it until their dentist or hygienist tells them. Bleeding of the gums during brushing or flossing is sometimes apparent to the patient, but this is not always the case. The gums do become reddened and puffy due to the infection.

Treatment

• 1) One drop of each of the above noted essential oils added to half a glass of water for use as a gargle.

• 2) Dab the gums with one or two drops of tea tree oil added to a cotton ball.

• 3)Proper brushing and flossing to remove plaque and debris and control tartar buildup

• 4)Eating right to ensure proper nutrition for your jawbone and teeth

• 5)Avoiding cigarettes and other forms of tobacco.

Toothache

Toothache is pain in the area of your jaw and face. It is usually caused when a nerve in the root of a tooth becomes irritated. Dental (tooth) infection, decay, injury, or loss of a tooth are the most common causes of dental pain. Pain may also occur after an extraction (tooth is pulled out). Pain sometimes originates from other areas and radiates to the jaw, thus appearing to be tooth pain. The most common cause of toothache, or pain in the region of the jaws and face, is pulpitis - inflammation of the pulp of the tooth. The short, sharp pains usually occur in response to hot, cold or sweet stimuli.

Treatment

1) Toothache relief using Onion-Latest research has confirmed the bactericidal properties of onion. If a person consumes one raw onion every day by thorough mastication, he will be protected from host of tooth disorders. Chewing raw onion for three minutes is sufficient to kill all the germs in the mouth. Toothache is often allayed by placing a small piece of onion on the bad tooth or gum.

2) Activated Charcoal Compress-Activated charcoal is available at many drug stores and natural health food stores. Mix two teaspoons of activated charcoal powder with just enough water to make a paste. Apply it to a piece of gauze and place the gauze on the tooth. Bite down.

3) Avoid very cold or hot foods because this may make the pain worse.

4) Relief may be obtained from biting on a cotton ball soaked in oil of cloves. Oil of cloves is available at most drug stores.

Halitosis/Chronic Bad Breath

Halitosis is most often caused by the breakdown of food particles by bacteria that inhabit our mouths. These bacteria are often found under plaque, in the spaces between teeth and gums and in the deeper crevices on your tongue. As the bacteria feed on food debris, they produce a byproduct called volatile sulfur compounds (VSC), which includes gases such as hydrogen sulfide — which smells like rotten eggs!

Treatment

1) Brush your tongue.- It has been found that almost 50% of the bacteria which cause halitosis reside on the tongue. Use a soft bristled toothbrush or a special device called a tongue cleaner (or tongue scraper) to gently clean the tongue.

2) A handy portable, battery powered version of the water Pik is available. It can be easily transported in a purse or brief case and is one of the most powerful and certain ways of preventing bad breath; it really knocks the food particles out from between the teeth.

3) Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies

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Wisdom teeth are third molars in the back of the mouth that usually appear between the ages of 17 and 21. When these teeth are coming in many report sensations of pain. This is normal and should not be a cause a concern. It is also possible that not all four wisdom teeth come in. Even so dentists and oral surgeons are removing wisdom teeth left and right.

According to recent medical evidence most people don’t need their wisdom teeth removed, even if the teeth are impacted. In fact that some evidence suggests that removing healthy impacted wisdom teeth is not advised due to the risk of nerve damage. There are actually many other life altering complications from wisdom teeth removal including death. It is estimated that about 1 in 20 have complications following the extraction.

An air-and-water-cooled turbine drill can cause a gas related embolus by inadvertent injection which then passes into the jaw to the veins and then to the large vessels leading to the heart. Large amounts of air can cause serious problems including cardiac arrest and death, by traveling to the large veins leading to the heart, and mechanically blocking the flow of blood through the heart. Numerous people have actually died from this complication ranging from in their teens to much later in life. In some this caused cardiac arrest.

Trigeminal neuralgia can develop if there is injury to the trigeminal nerve. This causes episodes of intense pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, and jaw. Trigeminal neuralgia is considered by many to be among the most painful of conditions and once was labeled the suicide disease.

Another lesser known serious complication that can result from the removal of wisdom teeth is a rare disease known as new daily persistent headache. It is characterized by continuous daily head pain, varying in intensity, and sometimes accompanied by migrainous symptoms. People with NDPH can tell you the exact date when their headache began. Current research suggests that (TNF) Tumor necrosis factor α is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in brain immune and inflammatory activities, as well as in pain initiation, and is elevated in many cases of NDPH, suggesting persistent central nervous system inflammation.

Other complications that can result from the extraction of wisdom teeth include lingual nerve damage, inferior alveolar nerve damage, a dry socket, jaw fracture, injury to teeth, tmj pain, hematoma, anaphylaxis, angiodema and bleeding.

If dentists recommend wisdom teeth removal, this should be questioned and examined by the patient. Ultimately quality of life is the main issue.

With all the buzz surrounding teeth whitening these days arming your self with good information gives you the best opportunity to choose the right procedure suited to your lifestyle and budget. This article will help you understand the difference between chemical and light-activated teeth whitening and whether there is clinical evidence proving one procedure out performs the other.

Chemical tooth whitening is simply the application of a hydrogen peroxide-based bleaching agent to the teeth for a specified time, usually three applications of twenty minutes each. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide used is usually stronger than what is used in light-activated procedures. A chemical based bleaching solution will typically consist of thirty eight percent hydrogen peroxide whereas a light-activated procedure may use only a fifteen percent solution of hydrogen peroxide.

The usefulness of the addition of light to activate the bleaching agent has long been a subject of controversy in the cosmetic dental community. Those in favor of light activation procedures argue that the introduction of a very high intensity plasma arc light or argon laser triggers a chemical reaction causing the hydrogen peroxide to break down into its component parts of oxygen radicals and water speeding up and enhancing the whitening process.

However controlled experiments in the laboratory have shown laser-activated hydrogen peroxide did not produce any perceivable color change. Another laboratory study showed the use of intense light elevated the temperature of the bleaching solution resulting in an increase in the temperature inside the tooth root. This could have an effect on post bleaching tooth sensitivity and pulpal health.

One possible reason for the introduction of light-activated devices such as plasma arc, light emitting diodes, argon lasers, met­al halide, and xenon-halogen lights is dental manufacturers want to create a public awareness and demand for light-enhanced tooth whitening procedures. The purchase of a bleaching light can cost a dentist tens of thousands of dollars, a strong motive for dental manufacturers to promote these devices as the future of cosmetic dentistry.

Another reason is light-activated bleaching systems result in increased whitening immediately following bleaching compared with strictly chemical teeth whitening procedures. A randomized, parallel and blinded clinical evaluation study published in a January 2006 dental magazine deduced this was because of tooth dehydration due to the creation of heat from the light source.

However the increased whitening effect produced by light-activated procedures was only temporary as the teeth in all evaluated subjects showed an increase in yellow coloration for two weeks. At two weeks post bleaching yellowing stopped and this clinical study showed no difference in the tooth shade of patients using strictly chemical based or light-activated procedures.

Tooth sensitivity was not a problem for any of the participants of this clinical evaluation and everyone was satisfied with their results. Until more conclusive evidence is found, it appears there is no perceivable difference in the teeth whitening results produced by either chemical or light activated procedures.

Teeth whitening have gained immense significance among the masses because of its high success rate to lend the perfect smile to its client. The process involves the cleaning of the teeth and makes it devoid of any kind of stains. It is one of the major branches of the cosmetic dentistry. There are several processes through which the teeth can be whitened. There are chemicals that are being used to treat the teeth then there are scientific techniques that use the physical property of the light to whiten the teeth. Zoom procedure is one of the prominent techniques used in the process of Teeth Whitening. It is one of the very technically advanced treatments used for the purpose.

The procedure

The process of Zoom Teeth Whitening system actually involves bleaching of the teeth. The process involves discoloration of the dentin and the enamel. Generally before the process of the whitening starts the teeth are being cleaned through normal process. This period is being called as the preparation period. During the preparation period the teeth are being prepared to undergo the treatment by cleaning it. A gel is applied on the teeth which contains optical crystals. These crystals are generally hydrogen peroxide. The crystals are then activated by light. Thus when they are activated by the light the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into smaller molecules. The breaking down of the hydrogen peroxide releases oxygen in the oral cavity. The oxygen thus released enters the enamel and the dentin. The oxygen molecules have a bleaching effect on these parts. However the oxygen molecules do not have any effect on the structure of the teeth. The light activation the hydrogen molecules are being called as the zoom light that is how the treatment derives its name from. The zoom light also helps in the penetration of the oxygen molecules into the enamel and the dentin.

Other information regarding the process

There is a popular belief the process of zoom whitening is termed to be painful. Contrary to this the process is very smooth and the patient undergoing the treatment can indulge into activities like watching television and other things. The process generally helps to attain teeth which are eight shades lighter than before. Another thought crossing the mind generally is the time period for which it is going to last. It has been found through the research that if the post treatment instructions are followed properly then the effect of the treatment can last forever.