Bright, white teeth certainly add to the beauty of your smile and can really increase your confidence. The American Dental Association notes your only choice for whitening back in the 1800s was in-office bleaching on nonvital teeth.

Today’s consumer has many more options to choose from, including home-applied products that promise to keep your teeth looking their best. Unfortunately, not every take-home product lives up to its promise. Here at Meadowbrook Dental Care, we can help you sort through the hype and select a whitening technique that’s suited to your lifestyle and budget.

Believe it or not, most dentists share a common goal, and that’s to keep you from spending too much time in our chairs. And this holds true here at Meadowbrook Dental Care. While we love seeing our patients in Mineola, New York, our goal is to preserve and maintain the health of your natural teeth with the least amount of dental work possible.

To that end, we’ve pulled together a few tips for avoiding a root canal infection. While modern dentistry has made a root canal procedure no more uncomfortable than a having a cavity filled, there’s still time and expense to consider, as well as the overall integrity of your teeth.

Braces are the traditional way to move your teeth into a more aesthetically pleasing bite, but they’re uncomfortable, unsightly, and inconvenient. Consider Invisalign® clear aligners as an alternative.

As an official provider, the staff at Meadowbrook Dental creates a customized plan for the aligners to shift your teeth into a more cosmetically appealing position. The aligners use just the right amount of force in the right places at the right time. You change aligner sets every few weeks as your bite changes.

Invisalign offers many advantages over traditional braces, but before you commit to treatment, understand these truths.

You Use the Wrong Toothbrush

Have you gone to get a new toothbrush only to be overwhelmed with the sheer number of options available on the market today? You can choose from a variety of colors, sizes, spinning brush heads, lights, and more. Most dentists agree that it doesn’t matter what brush you choose as long as the bristles are soft and the brush is the right size for your mouth. The bristles need to be able to bend and gently get under your gum line while not being too harsh or abrasive. The brush head should fit comfortably in your mouth and be able to reach all of your tooth surfaces. Picking the right brush will set you up for brushing success!

Brush Your Teeth

Okay, this one is obvious, right? But if you read our last blog, not only do many Americans not brush regularly, they aren’t brushing right! A soft bristled toothbrush, held at a 45 degree angle near the gum line, will help you keep your teeth clean. Brush in a gentle circular motion and make sure that you get every tooth surface. Be sure you are replacing your brush every three to four months, or when the bristles appear worn. Brush at least twice a day to prevent plaque buildup and to keep your teeth white, your breath fresh, and prevent cavities!

What is Gum Recession?

Gum recession is a common problem, especially for older adults, where the gum tissue around the teeth pulls back and exposes more of the tooth and the tooth root. Gum recession can cause gaps or pockets to form between teeth where bacteria can be harbored. This bacteria can build up, and if left untreated can cause damage to the gum tissue, and even the surrounding bone. Gum disease can lead to tooth loss, which may require surgical treatment of both the jawbone and the teeth. Gum recession often occurs slowly, over time, and many patients don’t realize that it is happening. Tooth sensitivity is often the first sign of gum recession and you may feel a notch near the gum line. Your teeth may also appear longer than normal as the gums pull back to reveal more tooth surface. Gum recession can be part of periodontal disease, brushing your teeth too aggressively, not brushing or flossing enough, hormonal changes, or you may just be genetically predisposed to receding gums. If your gum recession is mild, you may have your dentist do a deep cleaning of the area, also called tooth scaling or root planing. During this process, plaque and tartar are removed from below the gum line and the exposed root area is smoothed back into place to make it harder for bacteria to collect. If cleaning does not help, traditionally you were facing a very invasive process for restoration. Thankfully, with PST such drastic measures are no longer necessary!

What Exactly are Veneers?

Veneers are thin pieces of acrylic or porcelain that are applied over your natural teeth to hide imperfections or change their appearance. Veneers made their debut in 1928 when a California dentist, Charles Pincus, used them to temporarily change the appearance of actor’s teeth in a film shoot. He went on to create acrylic veneers that would be cemented with denture adhesive, but these were not long-lasting. It wasn’t until the late 1950s that the etching process was developed for tooth enamel, and the bond between veneers and the natural tooth surface could be made more permanent. Today veneers are incredibly durable and can last anywhere from 10 to 30 years with the proper care.

If you had to reschedule your wedding last year because of COVID-19, you’re definitely not alone. In fact, you may even know one or two other couples who had to do the same thing! The great news is, life is finally becoming more normal, and like many others, you’ve probably got an exciting event on the horizon. As a cosmetic dentist, I see hundreds of patients every week who are wanting some type of smile transformation, and often it is because they want to look their best for a big event. I also know some of the best wedding planners out there, and they will tell you that having a smile you can be proud of can make all the difference when it comes to enjoying your special day. If you’re looking to prepare your smile for the spotlight, keep reading to learn about some of the treatments that can give you the pearly whites of your dreams and boost your confidence for the big day.

Cleanings

An annual cleaning is important even for the most diligent brushers. A dental cleaning removes any tartar and plaque buildup, and can get into the hard to reach areas of your mouth. Your teeth will feel great after a dental cleaning!

Sugar

So sweet, so delicious, and so bad for your teeth! Sugars in foods promote bacteria in the mouth that produce acids that dissolve and damage teeth. Sugar is in almost every prepackaged food we eat, and trying to avoid it can be a difficult task. Sugar is found in many beverages, including sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweet teas, and more. Tooth erosion can occur when acids dissolve the outer surface of the tooth enamel, and this loss can lead to tooth sensitivity or cavities. You may not be noticing the sugar in foods such as cough drops, that you hold next to your teeth for prolonged periods, allowing bacteria to proliferate. Even worse can be sticky candies, such as gummy bears, that can stick in the crevices of your teeth and are not washed away by saliva. Along with gummy bears, jelly beans, caramels, and even raisins or other dried fruits can stick on the teeth and damage the enamel. If you do eat or drink sugary foods, rinse your mouth after, to get the acid-causing bacteria out. Brush your teeth if you have eaten sticky sweets to get them off your teeth. Being aware that sugars can be damaging to your teeth can make you more careful to keep your teeth clean and evaluate your eating habits.