Dental Plus

Till recent years, the most commonly used method to get white teeth has been a trip to the dentist, who used the corrosive tooth bleach to give them whiter appearance. Over the time the bleach preparations have improved, but these are still very harsh on teeth. These days, there are many ways that can help you whiten your teeth, but most of these methods involve use of dangerous chemicals.

Best Teeth Whitening Methods

If you use the natural products, it is possible to get the white teeth without any side-effects of chemicals. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day is the best teeth whitening method. Make sure to floss at the bedtime, and you can also use a gum massager to get under your gum flap. Buildup of plaque can discolor your teeth, hence you should try to prevent its formation by focusing on your teeth every day. Avoiding the plaque buildup is one of the best teeth whitening techniques.

Another one of the best teeth whitening method is to avoid drinking the water with added fluoride or using the fluoride toothpaste, as this can discolor your teeth. Many countries have banned the use of fluoride in their drinking water due to symptoms and diseases associated with it.

Avoiding coffee and tea is also one of the best teeth whitening methods as these can cause teeth staining. Even if you drink, make sure to rinse your mouth with plain water after you are done. Wine and sodas are also known to cause the teeth staining. Try to cut down on smoking as much as you can as it makes more difficult to keep your teeth white. Smoking is also a risk on health which should be avoided.

Strawberries are also one of the best teeth whitening products, and they can be easily rubbed on the teeth or brushed on after being mashed up in a paste. Rinse after leaving for five minutes. Inside of orange peel is also one of the best teeth whitening natural product. You can either rub the inside of the peel on the teeth, or take the dried orange peel, and make paste along with ground bay leaves and brush it on.

Baking soda has been the best teeth whitening product so far, and you can mix it with the salt to make a cheap teeth whitening product at home. In addition to using these products, it is also essential to take healthy diet, avoid snacking, drinking plenty of water and rinsing your mouth thoroughly after each meal. Natural teeth whitening products are cheap, and quite effective. You can get a winning smile without spending a fortune, or hurting the tissues in your mouth.

end gum disease

Have you ever seen a tinge of pink in the sink and wondered to yourself, “Why do my gums bleed when flossing?” This is a question asked by many people, and with good reason. It is an incredibly important one. Bleeding gums are nothing to take lightly. We are going to discuss the many reasons why throughout the course of this article.

You see, bleeding gums  can be one of the first signs of gum disease. It may be just starting or it may already be pronounced. Contrary to popular belief, gum disease does not just happen to older people. It does not just happen to adults, teenagers, or young children either. It can affect people of all ages, people of any age. Basically, if you do not take proper care of your teeth by regularly brushing, flossing, and use of a dental irrigator, you may be at risk.

Bleeding while flossing or brushing can point to gum disease, which can also be known as periodontal disease. What happens is that the tissues and the bones surrounding and supporting your teeth become infected. Try using an oral irrigator for better results. If periodontal disease goes untreated for too long, your teeth can become loose. You can even lose them!

Primarily, bleeding gums are the most likely sign of the gum disease or gingivitis. Fortunately, this is one form of periodontal disease which can be reversed with surprising ease. You should talk to your dentist at the first sign of blood, especially if you experience other symptoms. Some of these include tender gums, or if your gums are red and puffy.

That being said, sometimes you may be flossing a little too rough. It is possible to have sensitive gums, but you never want to explain away any blood on your own. Talk to your dentist and get a check up – and remember to brush at least twice a day.

Author: Scott Wells recommends the book: What You Should Know about Gum Disease for those seeking more information on this topic. ISBN: 978-0981485508

Disclaimer: If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, please visit your doctor or periodontist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to provide advice, diagnosis or treatment for any health condition.

Florida Dental Plans

Looking for Emergency Dental Help?

Unless you have Insurance at the time of the emergency, it is usually not an option. Dental Patients can save even more on the dental emergency treatment by joining the discount dental plan before going to the dental appointment. Normally with a Discounted Dental Plan you are able to get in to see the Dentist within 24 hours in cases od dental emergencies.

How Dental Insurance works:

Discount Plans has been around for a long time, but many consumers do not understand the difference between discounted plans and insurance. It’s not unheard of for a family of four to pay over $100 a month for dental insurance premiums. Once the dental procedures are completed the dental office usually bills the dental insurance company for payment. The insured client usually will have a deductible of $100 or more which must be paid out before the Insurance Company pays. Once the deductible is met, the company will typically pay out between 50-80% of the bill, and that will vary depending on the type of dental procedure.

With insurance there are usually exemptions, where certain types of costly procedures are no covered, such as braces or cosmetic procedures. Of the dental work that is covered there may also be waiting periods, before certain procedures can be done. Then the final downside is the fact that there are annual limits on the services. Dental Insurance companies must limite the dental services provided in order to be profitable.

A Better Option:

One of the options to consumers is the Discount Plan. Many Dental Insurance companies now provide Discout Dental Plans as an option. With discounted dental plans the member pays less. The Discount Organization contracts with local Dentists to provide their services at a discounted rate.

Why would a Dentist accept a discounted fee for their services? They are willing to provide them because the participating member, pays the agreed fee at the time of service. At the Dental Office the discount dental plan member typically pays on the spot unless other arrangements are mad ahead of time. There is no paperwork. Having plan members referred also eliminates the need to pay expensive advertising costs, as the company sends them a steady stream of new patients.

The Discount Plan concept works so well for the Dentists, that they are willing to provide deep discounts usually between 25-80% in most areas. The exact amount depends on the treatment. It;s a win win situation for both the dental plan member and Dentist.

Options for Emergency Dental Care Service:

1. Investigate Discount Dental Insurance with no waiting period.
2. FInd a Dentist in your area able to accomadate dental emergencies.
3. If on the weekend and there are no other options, go to the pharmacy and purchase Ora-Gel for the tooth pain or get to the hospital emergency room if the pain in the teeth persists.

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge not only restores your smile, it also balances the normal bite, prevents the other teeth from moving/tilting, prevents the onset of decay and prevents undue stress to the dental ridge. Dental bridges literally mean bridging the gap between missing teeth. It’s made up of two crowns anchored on the teeth on either side or both sides of the gap. A false tooth known as pontic is fused between the two crowns to fill the area of the missing tooth.

There are three kinds of dental bridges:

1. Traditional bridges
This type of bridge creates a crown on opposing sides of the missing tooth with the pontic in between. Traditional bridges are the most common bridges. They are usually made from porcelain attached to metal or ceramic.

2. Cantilever bridges
Cantilever bridges are used when the adjacent teeth is only one side of the missing tooth.

3. Maryland bonded bridges
This bridge is composed of plastic teeth and gums supprted by a metal framework. The metal wings on each side of the bridge are attached to the adjacent teeth.

Dental bridges usually require two visits to your dentist. The first visit involves the preparation of the abutment teeth, re-contouring of the teeth where the crown will be placed and making an impression of the teeth which will serve as the model for the pontic, crown and bridge. The dentist will prepare a temporary bridge for you to protect the exposed teeth and gums while the bridge is being made. The next visit entails removing the temporary bridge and fitting the permanent bridge.

Make sure to practice good oral hygiene and have regular check-ups with the dentist to ensure that your fixed bridge will last for years.Bridges need extra care because the build up of bacteria on the treated area will cause infection such as gingivitis.

If you want to learn more about dental bridges, consult with our Ft Lauderdale dentists for treatment options.

Do you know that gum disease and not tooth decay is the major cause of tooth loss among adults? Periodontal or gum disease is caused by bacterial infections that attack the tissues and the supporting bone that hold your teeth. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to tooth loss. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, an estimated 80 percent of American adults have some form of periodontal disease. Often painless, people who have gum disease are not even aware that they already have it.

What are the symptoms of periodontal disease?

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should visit your periodontist for a periodontal evaluation.

• Gums that bleed easily when brushing or flossing
• Swollen and tender gums
• Persistent bad breath
• Pus between the teeth and gums
• Mouth sores that don’t heal after two weeks
• Change in the way your teeth fit together

There are different forms of periodontal diseases. It could be a simple case like gingivitis wherein the gums bleed easily, red and swollen. Gingivitis is generally caused by inadequate dental hygiene. Further, untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontitis. In this case, the plaque advances below the gumline allowing the bacteria to irritate the gums. As the disease progresses, the gums separate from the teeth forming pockets (spaces between the gums and teeth). The more gum tissue is destroyed, the deeper the pocket becomes. The unfortunate end result of the diseased gum is tooth loss.

What are the necessary steps to avoid periodontal disease?

Proper brushing and flossing everyday helps remove the plaque from your teeth. Regular visits to the dentist are also important. You should have your teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist at least twice a year to remove the calculus from the spaces in between your teeth and gum lines your toothbrush and floss may have missed.

Choosing the right oral care products is as important as regular brushing and flossing. Here are some general guidelines that work for most patients:

• Choose a soft bristled toothbrush that allows you to reach every surface of your tooth. Change brush as needed.
• Massage the gums using the rubber tip found on the end of the handle of the toothbrush.
• You may also use interproximal toothbrush and interdental cleaners to clean the plaque between the teeth.  Consult with your periodontist before using these dental aids because these can injure the gums when used improperly.

To learn more about periodontal disease and treatment, visit our Ft. Lauderdale dentists at sleepdentists.com.

One of the amazing hidden ‘secrets’ of this century is xylitol. It is truly astonishing on two points. This five carbon sugar can help to prevent both tooth decay and gingival disease because the bacteria that eat it cannot utilize xylitol as they can glucose (six carbon table sugar). 

The second fact to know about xylitol is that it has been both well known in one country and almost unheard of in many other countries at the same time. This astounds me because it clearly demonstrates the limited nature of our human awareness.

Let us take a closer look. Xylitol has been used and well documented to reduce the incidence of dental disease in Finland for over five decades now.  Yet here in the United States and many other countries you will hardly hear of a dentist that promotes it. There are a few, but they are not many.

How can something as beneficial as xylitol, in today’s world, be so unknown to most people despite the fact that Finlanders have been using it since the second world war when regular sugar became scarce.  Later, the dentists and doctors of Finland discovered that their levels of dental health improved due to the use of xylitol as a substitue for sugar. Another item worthy of renewed interest is the
oral irrigator.

Xylitol has one third the calories of an comparable amount of table sugar. It does not promote tooth decay or the growth of bacteria that cause gum disease or bad breath. It does not require insulin to be metabolized and therefore is of special interest to diabetics. 

Few things in this world are perfect and xylitol does have some drawbacks. Pets really should not be given xylitol. While a human being has a special metabolic pathway to digest xylitol, many pets do not. Therefore it can be bad for pets and can even kill them.

You can learn more about xylitol at Xylitol.org. There is plenty of research and information about xylitol there. Ora md is different in that it is an essential oil blend for helping to fight dental diseases.

We tend to think that if something is good, that everyone should be aware of it.  Yet, as this example shows, that is not always the case. There are so many things we do not know.  Perhaps we should resolve to reach further beyond our limited awareness and discover the truth of this world and the universe that is around us.

Author: David S.

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to provide advice on any health condition nor does it intend to provide diagnosis or treatment. If you have a health problem, or think you might have one, visit your doctor for advice diagnosis and treatment.  The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products in this article.

Nearly all dental work procedures utilize the administration of sedation or anesthesia. With the developments in dental art technology, anesthesia care is said to be 50 times safer today than it was 20 years ago, that is according to the report conducted by the Institute of Medicine. Ultimately, the goal of anesthesia is to provide a safe surgical environment for the patient to achieve a desired level of comfort during the dental procedure and to allow the oral surgeon to focus on the operation.

How does sedation differ from general anesthesia?

Generally, sedation dentistry employs medication to alleviate the levels of anxiety during a dental procedure. The patient will be put in a deep state of relaxation by administering oral or intravenous sedation. The amount of sedating and anesthetic medication varies depending on the patient’s treatment plan.

General anesthesia uses intravenous or inhalation agents to put the patient in complete sleep. The patient is unconscious, as opposed to sedation wherein the patient is conscious and awake albeit in a sedated state, and does not remember the details of the dental procedure.

On both procedures, the anesthesia specialist monitors the vital signs for any changes in the heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels in the blood.

Patients who suffer from mild anxiety and fear are the perfect candidates for oral sedation. With this kind of sedation technique, the treating dentist prescribes oral pills to be taken at least an hour before the procedure. In some cases, nitrous oxide or commonly known as laughing gas is also administered. However, oral sedation is not advisable for very young children.

For patients who require complex dental treatment and would like to finish the procedure with fewer dental visits, intravenous conscious sedation is administered. This procedure is another alternative for patients who experience mild levels of anxiety and fear. With this method, the patient is consciously aware of his surroundings but has little recall of the procedure.

Patients who have special needs, dental phobics and hard to restrain patients especially very young children are the perfect candidates for general anesthesia.

In South Florida, a team of Fort Lauderdale dentists specialize in sedation dentistry and the utilization of anesthesia management technique. All dentists have completed and are in compliance with the required education, training and experience prescribed by the state and the dental industry’s regulating body.

As not all dentists are licensed to administer general anesthesia and practice sedation dentistry, it is important to check the dentist’s background and education before making a commitment.

In terms of Bruxism or teeth-grinding, one of the most innovative technologies that have emerged is the creation of a night guard or a mouthpiece known as teeth-grinding guard. It costs around $500 and it can help any Bruxism patient to temporarily stop teeth grinding but you see, not everybody is satisfied with the end results. There was once a guy who has teeth grinding problem. When he was about 13, he found a dentist which claimed can help him with his Bruxism. What the doctor did was to fit in his mouth the same $500 mouthpiece to help him but guess what? In just one night, he literally tore off the mouthpiece to pieces without his knowing because of the immense teeth-grinding he is experiencing the first night we wore that mouthpiece. If that’s the case, surely, investing on an expensive piece of gadgetry is not a great idea to you but what is?

When this guy has discovered by himself that no teeth grinding appliances can help him with his Bruxism problem, he instantaneously tried to find a way to cure it on his own. After spending some time in doing some research and study, he finally came up with a solution, a natural teeth grinding prevention technique that doesn’t use anything. All a teeth grinding patient has to do is to teach himself this method and he can eradicate teeth grinding anywhere and anytime he wants.

If you browse the Internet, you can come across this natural teeth grinding treatment for it is now being featured in a book guide written by the same guy who have gotten rid of his own Bruxism using this technique of his and this book guide is called “Save Your Smile, Stop Grinding.” If you are someone who has the same kind of problem, you better check this one out and save your money from expensive gadgets and teeth grinding prevention procedures that are mostly temporary and even not that effective.

Patients with disabilities require special attention when undergoing dental procedures. These patients are hard to restrain and have difficulties remaining still for extended periods especially in the case of complex dental surgery. The treating dentist puts the patient in a deep state of relaxation or complete sleep by administering sedation medication or general anesthesia. Sedation and sleep dentistry offers a better dental solution to patients with disabilities.

Patients who are afflicted with physical and developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome, Cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s and those who have behavioral issues require the expertise of a certified sleep dentist. Their situation demands special care and attention different from the regular dental procedures performed on non-special needs patients.

How does sedation and sleep dentistry work?

First, the treating dentist will evaluate the needs of the patient. Once the needs and the goals of the patient have been identified only then a treatment plan will be determined. As each patient’s case is different, the levels of sedation vary as well. Some patients are easily put into a relaxed state while others require more sedative drugs before they can achieve the desired level of deep relaxation. Yet in other cases, it is paramount to put the patient to complete sleep as in the case of patients with severe mental disabilities.  

During surgery, the sedation is administered through a combination of breathing mask and medication. Laughing gas or nitrous oxide will gradually put them in a relaxed state. Oral pills and intravenous medication are administered depending on the needs of the patient. These are administered in graduated levels until such time complete relaxation is achieved. 

In the past, these procedures are performed in the hospital where proper facilities are available. Now, developments in dental art technology allow patients to have the surgery right at their dentist’s office. These dentists and anesthesiologists have secured general anesthesia permits from the state and have undergone training to comply with state requirements in the administration of anesthesia. 

Not all dentists are licensed to perform sedation and sleep dentistry. Do not forget to check the dentist’s qualification and experience before committing to a dental procedure.  

Dental caries when left untreated progress into the tooth’s soft core (dental pulp) causing the bacteria to develop abscess or pus pocket at the root tip. When the infected pulp is not removed, this will cause pain and swelling. Also, certain byproducts of the infection can damage your jawbones and without immediate treatment, this could also result to extraction. Endodontics or root canal procedure can save the diseased tooth. Today, a root canal procedure is a better alternative than permanently losing your tooth to extraction. 

The thought of having a root canal procedure conjures up pain and renders more than one visit to the dentist’s office. If the tooth demands complex procedure, the root canal can take hours. Imagine sitting for an extended period of time on the patient dental chair plus the enervating thought of the excruciating pain that comes along with the procedure. Some patients really cringe at the thought of the procedure. The good news is developments in dental technology has made root canal procedures faster and more comfortable on the patient. You can have a pain-free root canal with fewer visits to the dentist through sleep and sedation dentistry.

During the treatment, the dentist will put you in a complete relaxed state by administering sedation medication. The gravity of the diseased tooth plus the amount of dental work required to carry out the procedure will determine the levels of sedation and anesthesia that will be utilized. In addition, the profile of the patient is a factor on the type of sedation to be administered on the patient. For example, in cases where the patient is experiencing high levels of anxiety or has dental phobia, the dentist will have to go with sleep dentistry therapy. With this treatment, general anesthesia is administered through intravenous medication and/or inhalation agents, if necessary. This will put the patient in a complete unconscious state. 

On the one hand, in the case of adult patients who want to finish the root canal with fewer visits, the dentist may recommend conscious sedation technique. This treatment employs the use of intravenous agents and if necessary, laughing gas to help relax the patient. Unlike general anesthesia therapy that puts the patient in deep sleep with no recall of the procedure, patients treated with conscious sedation usually have little memory of the procedure being performed.

In sum, root canals do not have to be painful as it used to be. There are alternatives available to alleviate the anxiety and the pain associated with the procedure. If you find yourself needing a root canal work soon, talk to your dentist about the best option to make the procedure more comfortable and of course, painless as much as possible. 

For more information on sedation dentistry visit the Ft Lauderdale Dentists at sleepdentists.com.