What You Might Not Know about Toothpaste

Although most people refer to teeth cleaning products as paste, toothpaste can also be a powder or gel that you use to clean your teeth. Brushing your teeth twice each day, along with flossing and seeing your dentist regularly, helps improve your overall oral health and get rid of food particles, bacteria, and plaque.

The American Dental Association explains that toothpaste plays an important role in oral health as it helps to fight tooth decay and gum disease. These days most toothpastes, powders and gels contain fluoride, which helps keep the enamel on your teeth healthy while fighting tooth decay.

Although the composition in toothpastes may vary, with some touting the benefits of gum inflammation reduction and tooth whitening, your dentist explains that all toothpastes contain the same ingredients.

Whatever brand of toothpaste you use, it will contain gentle abrasives including hydrated aluminum oxide, magnesium carbonate, phosphate salts, and dehydrated silica gels.

Known as, “Humectants, sorbitol and glycerol are added to the toothpaste to keep it from drying out.  

Natural gum, synthetic cellulose, mineral colloids, or seaweed is used to thicken toothpaste giving it a homogenous texture and appearance.

According to your dentist, fluoride is added to the toothpaste to make your teeth more resistant to dental carries and helps strengthen the enamel on your teeth.

Flavoring is often added to toothpaste. These flavorings, such as saccharin will not promote tooth decay.

Sodium lauryl sarcosinate is a detergent additive that is used by manufacturers to make toothpaste foamy.

Your dentist explains that one of the toughest decisions when it comes to buying toothpaste is deciding what one is the best for you. With so many brands to choose from you almost need to have a degree in toothpaste to make a selection.

Buying fluoride toothpaste is imperative with fluoride toothpastes, gels, and powders regulated by the FDA or Food and Drug Administration. All of these products will have a drug facts panel somewhere on the packaging.

Look for toothpastes, gels, and powders that carry the American Dental Association seal of approval. You can find a complete list of toothpastes that are ADA approved on the American Dental Association website.

If your teeth are sensitive, look for toothpaste that contains strontium chloride of potassium nitrate.

In order to fight the buildup of tartar or gingivitis, your dentist recommends toothpastes with ingredients such as tirclosan, pyrophosphates, or zinc citate.

If you are still unsure what toothpaste, gel or powder is best for your needs, schedule an appointment with your dentist today. 

Boost your Confidence with Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain Veneers can improve your smile and boost your self-confidence, in fact, a healthy grin is good for your self-esteem.

According to the American Dental Association, Veneers are thin shells that are custom made to fit over your own teeth. Directly bonded to your natural tooth they can improve the appearance of your smile and can actually change the length, size, shape, and color of your teeth giving you a perfectly proportioned smile.

Dental Veneers are made from resin composite or porcelain materials. Porcelain Veneers are more resistant to staining and mimic the natural reflecting properties of your own teeth. Resin Veneers are thinner and require less removal of your natural tooth. Your dentist will be able to decide what type is best for your situation.

Porcelain and Resin Veneers can fix teeth that have been discolored because of medications such as tetracycline. Veneers can also be used to fix root canal treatments, excessive fluoride use, and large resin fillings that have discolored the entire tooth. Other fixes include:

• Chipped or broken teeth
• Worn down teeth
• Misaligned, irregularly shaped, or uneven teeth
• Fill the gap between two teeth

If the thought of Porcelain or Resin Veneers appeals to you, it will require three appointments with your dentist. Of course, your teeth and gums need to be healthy before the veneering process begins.

During your treatment planning and diagnosis, your dentist will ask you what results you want to achieve. X-rays and impressions may also be made of your teeth.

In order to prepare your teeth for veneers, your dentist will remove ½ millimeter from the surface of your tooth. That amount is about the thickness of a dental veneer and may require a local anesthetic. After this procedure, your dentist will make a model of your tooth before sending the impression to a dental lab. Your dentist may also recommend temporary veneers.

When your permanent Resin or Porcelain Veneers are ready, your dentist will check for color, fit and placement, before etching and cleaning the surface of the tooth. Your dentist will then cement or bond and complete the process with a light that cures or hardens the cement.  

Dental Veneers can last for years as long as you practice good oral hygiene. If you would like more information regarding Porcelain or Resin Veneers, schedule an appointment with your dentist today. 

Stop Hiding Your Smile

The holidays are right around the corner and will be here before you know it, and thanks to your restorative dentist, you don’t have to hide your smile.

Schedule an appointment for cosmetic dentistry today and you can have a stunning toothy grin that you will be happy to show off at during the festive season.

Not everyone has a perfect smile. In fact, according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the majority of people in the United States cover their mouth when they talk, but thanks to the wonders of modern 21^st century dentistry, you can fix that gap between your front teeth, brighten your dull smile, or fix that vampire fang that is the result of a chipped tooth.

Traditional dentistry is more focused on prevention, diagnosis, oral hygiene, and treating oral diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. Cosmetic dentistry will improve the look of your mouth, teeth, and most importantly, your smile.

With cosmetic dentistry in Corona, you can have your silver fillings replaced with tooth colored resin, porcelain or one of the best materials available, CEREC. By replacing those old fillings in your molars and front teeth, your entire appearance will be enhanced.

The advancements of dental procedures and techniques have certainly changed over the years. These days your dentist can create a new smile using tooth-colored dental materials that are as durable as your natural teeth, best of all, your new smile will look completely natural.

Dental Care of Corona has more than 40 years of combined dental experience and has the dental technologies in office to give you a brand new smile in as little as one dental appointment.

A smile makeover is much more comfortable than it used to be with dental veneers, replacement fillings and dental bonding taking place in one location whether you are considering tooth whitening or have had your heart set on fixing your short teeth.   

Give yourself a new smile for the holidays and schedule an appointment with the experts from Dental Care of Corona. Your smile may only take one dental visit and really is just a phone call away. Call now!

Sleep your way through the Appointment with Sedation Sleep Dentistry

If the word dentist brings back painful memories, schedule an appointment with a dentist for Sedation Sleep Dentistry.

Web MD explains that Sedation Sleep Dentistry can help people who experience a true fear of the dentist, and people who have sensitive teeth. If you have had traumatic dental experiences in the past, Sedation Sleep Dentistry could be the perfect solution. Other people who may benefit from Sedation Sleep Dentistry include those who have a hard time getting numb and others who have complex dental issues.

If the thought of a needle or shot makes your skin crawl or you have a limited amount of time when it comes to dental care, you may also benefit from Sedation Sleep Dentistry. Call your dentist today and schedule Sedation Sleep Dentistry if you cannot stand the taste, smell, or noise of the dentist office, or if you are embarrassed about your teeth and gums.

There are three types of Sedation Sleep Dentistry. Light Sedation, Moderate Sedation, and Heavy Sedation.

Nitrous Oxide, or laughing gas, is used for Light Sedation. Your dentist will place a small mask over your nose so that you can inhale the gas and oxygen mixture. Nitrous Oxide wears off quickly and is extremely safe. So much so that you can drive yourself home after your dental appointment. Your dentist can also control your level of Light Sedation with Nitrous Oxide.  

During Moderate Sedation, your dentist will prescribe you pills in order to relax you. Benzodiazepines are from the Valium family and can cause drowsiness. Some patients may even fall asleep while sitting in the dentist’s chair. Most patients have very little if any memory of the dental appointment. The Moderate Sedation pills work as a sort of mild anesthetic for pain control.

Deep Sedation is administered through an IV directly into your blood stream. This type of Sedation Sleep Dentistry can be used to sedate patients so that they are completely unaware of the procedure. Only a handful of California dentists are qualified to provide you with Deep Sedation allowing your dentist to control the amount and level of sedation required. After you come out of deep sedation, you will have no memory of the dental treatment. Deep Sedation is excellent for long dental appointments and to aid in pain control.

If you would like more information regarding Sedation Sleep Dentistry, schedule an appointment with your dentist who will be able to determine the best type of sedation for your needs.

Do You Really Need Your Wisdom Teeth?

About 100 million years ago, the jaws of prehistoric man could easily accommodate all 32 teeth, including Wisdom Teeth. Wisdom Teeth are the third set of molars that come in after birth. Paleontologists and anthropologists will tell you that because early man walked on all fours, much like a dog, the massive jaw lead the way.

According to Wikipedia, teeth played an important role. Jaws were larger, which helped with running and balance. Teeth were used to catch, dismember, and eat prey. Early mans diet consisted of raw meat, roots and a healthy diet of leaves. This meant that having 32 teeth was a massive advantage. Prehistoric men and women did not have the luxury of seeing a dentist either which meant that those Wisdom Teeth might have been a back up if the first and second molars were worn down, broken, or lost.

Once man began to walk upright, Wisdom Teeth were not as important. According to some scientists, jaws became shorter and brains larger. Once this occurred the amount of space for teeth was lessened.

Those who oppose evolution say that it was dental hygiene and dietary changes that lessened the importance of Wisdom Teeth, totally discounting the jaw shortening and brain growth theory.

Whatever the reason Wisdom Teeth are the only teeth that develop entirely after you are born. In fact, 35 percent of people never see an appearance of Wisdom Teeth at all.

According to your dentist, Wisdom Teeth are valuable as long as they come in properly and are healthy. However, problems with third molars can occur especially if your jaw is not large enough to accommodate your new Wisdom Teeth.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth are one of the biggest issues when it comes to the third set of molars. If the teeth do not erupt properly and are impacted, the other teeth will obstruct the path. If this occurs, your dentist may recommend having your Wisdom Teeth extracted.

Other problems that could occur include sideways growth or part of the tooth causing damage to the adjacent teeth. Your dentist may also recommend removal if cysts begin to form or if jaw stiffness, pain, and swelling are present.

If you would like more information regarding Wisdom Teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist who will be able to decide whether you or kids need to have those third molars extracted.

Oral Piercings May Be Cool but They Could Also Be Dangerous

These days it’s quite rare to see a teen or young adult who doesn’t have something pierced, but according to your dentist, there are some dangers that are very real when it comes to oral piercings.

According to a recent article published on the Colgate website, oral piercings can cause a number of things including infections and jewelry aspiration. Tongue, cheek, and lip piercings can also be to blame for permanent nerve damage.

The metal jewelry that is used in oral piercings comes in many styles. These include barbells, rings or hoops and studs, but unlike ear piercing, oral piercings cause a great threat to your overall health, including your teeth and gums.

Because your mouth is host to millions of bacteria, oral piercings could cause infection, not only from the wound itself, but also from the jewelry. If you or the person who is handling the stud, ring or barbell has not disinfected his or her hands you could be asking for trouble.

Serious or prolonged bleeding is another complication that can occur after oral piercing. If the person who is doing the piercing accidentally punctures a blood vessel, prolonged bleeding and extreme blood loss could be the result.

Your dentist understands that swelling and pain is expected after any type of oral or body piercing, but in extreme cases, the tongue becomes so swollen that it has actually cut off the breathing passageway severely restricting breathing.

If your teeth are exposed to your oral jewelry, you are setting yourself up for fractured teeth, chips, and damage to your caps, fillings, and crowns. 

Metal mouth jewelry can injure your gum tissue. Once this begins, it is very difficult to reverse, as your gums will begin to recede eventually leading to tooth loss. You may think that your mouth jewelry looks cool, but recessed gums are not very attractive. If the root of your tooth is exposed you are also setting yourself up for periodontal disease.

Mouth jewelry can also cause problems for oral function including your ability to speak or chew properly. Oral piercings have also been known to cause excessive saliva.

Oral piercings could be responsible for transmitted diseases including hepatitis B, C, D, and the Herpes Simplex virus.

People who have undiagnosed heart problems and decide to have their lips, cheek, or tongue pierced could be risking endocarditis, or an inflammation of the heart or heart valves if bacteria happens to enter the bloodstream.

If you would like more information regarding the dangers of oral piercings, schedule an appointment with your dentist who can help you understand the risks. 

Your Bad Oral Hygiene Could Be Making You Sick

Most people have no idea that plaque and tartar buildup could make you sick. In fact, if you suffer from gingivitis or periodontal disease your dentist will tell you that you could be setting yourself up for all kinds of problems including heart disease.

According to Web MD, that bacteria, known as plaque, will build up on your teeth unless you brush twice and floss once a day. If left to its own devices, plaque will cause your gums to bleed and be inflamed.

Recent research has indicated that periodontal disease can cause problems for the rest of your body as well. Some of the health problems include dementia, heart attacks, and even diabetes. Although scientists have been unable to establish why this happens, they have identified links between health problems and poor oral health.  

Plaque constantly forms on your teeth when you eat or drink beverages and foods that contain starches and sugars. Once the bacteria have released damaging acids, it will attack the enamel on your teeth. Plaque acts like a glue of sorts keeping the acids in constant contact with the enamel on your teeth. Over time, the breakdown of your enamel will lead to tooth decay.

If your gums are tender, swollen and bleed after you brush or floss you could have gum disease, which begins as gingivitis, leading to periodontal disease. Once the gum tissue begins to pull away from your teeth, the bacteria will start to attack the bone that supports your teeth leading to tooth loss.

Some of the diseases that scientists have linked with periodontal disease include;

• Dementia
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Heart Disease
• Premature Birth
• Diabetes 

Although experts have been unable to pinpoint the exact links, many dentists and doctors believe that it is the oral bacteria that escape into your bloodstream causing problems for your major organs.

In a paper written in 2009 by the American Academy of Periodontology and the American Journal of Cardiology, recommendations were made to encourage heart doctors to ask their patients if they have had, or still battle with periodontal disease. 

If you suspect that you may be suffering from gum disease, schedule an appointment with your dentist who will be able to get rid of your gingivitis or periodontal disease.