Health And Fitness

Dentists are a group of professionals who focus on the health of teeth and gums. They play a very important role in maintaining a person’s overall health since dental health affects the body, sooner or later. It focuses on the right diagnosis, evaluation and treatment (surgical and non surgical) of the teeth and gums as well as the entirety of the oral cavity. Since dentistry is a medical field, it is to be expected that there is some form of medical background for those who enter it. The dentist needs a full functioning staff to help him or her when he has a client. Included in the staff is a receptionist, dental aides, hygienists, technicians and therapists.

Education

The education of dentists starts in college when the individual chooses to take up a course that will lead to dentistry. This means the subjects taken up are usually focused on medical basics. These help to create a solid background for the individual who wishes to proceed to dentistry sooner or later. Many college students go directly to dentistry instead of taking up a course related to dentistry. The course usually takes six to eight years to finish depending on the number of subjects taken up by the individual and his capacity to learn. There is no guarantee that each individual who takes up dentistry can graduate from it. Post graduate studies can add to the length of time that the individual undergoes in order to pursue this field of medicine.

The different countries around the world have different requirements and qualifications for their dentists. This is why not all of them can practice their profession once they are outside of their native country of outside of the country in which they took up their education. There are usually many updates and seminars conducted by the board that facilitates the licensing of dental professionals in each country. These help to improve the skills and capacity of the professional as well as keep them up to date with the newer techniques and product which may have been developed to improve their field.

Kinds of Dentistry

There are two kinds of bachelors for this course, Doctor of Dental Surgery and Doctor of Dental Medicine. There is also a form of Cosmetic Dentistry in which the dentists are more focused on aesthetics and improvement of appearance of the oral cavity. Whitening of teeth, putting veneers and other beautifying methods usually fall under cosmetic dentistry. Dental surgery if more concentrated on the surgical aspect of this field.

Not all dentists have the qualifications to do surgery. Some dental surgeons, on the other hand, do not perform the basics of oral health. In pediatric dentistry, the dental professionals deal with babies and children from the time their first temporary tooth erupts until the age of twelve to fifteen years old. After this, they should transfer their consultation to an adult dentist. It is important to consult a pediatric oral health professional when the first tooth comes out for maintenance and prevention of oral diseases.

By: Andrea Avery

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We all should go to the dentist twice a year, but why? We are brushing twice a day, Flossing once a day, Using Mouthwashes, our teeth look healthy and white.

The answer, Prevention. Prevention of gum disease, tooth decay and any other conditions that may risk our dental health.

Everyone has been to the dentist at some time in there lives, especially when young, there is not such a fear factor when you are at a young age. But as you get older fear comes it to it, being afraid to go to the dentist is a very common phobia.

But is there any reason to be fearful?

When you do go to the dentist they will ask you what care you have taken of your teeth since your last visit (which in some cases may have been years.) They will then continue to check the health of your teeth, gums and mouth tissue. Dentists will use a probe and mirror to check the crown of every one of your teeth, they check these for either plaque, decay or general looseness. In relation to your gums they should be firm and pink, if they are soft, red and/or swollen it could be a sign of gum disease.

Also on top of this dentists will check the to see if you have any pockets (deep depressions) where the tooth meets the gum. If you have healthy teeth and gums and no sign of gum disease they should only be slight depressions rather than deep as mentioned above. When having a thorough check up the dentist will take x-rays of your mouth, this could flag up tooth decay or even abscesses.

After your teeth have been checked the dentist may recommend a professional clean. By having a professional clean they can remove tough plaque/bacteria build ups and will also polish your teeth which will get rid of unwanted stains (yellowness). Your dentist will run through this in more detail.

If the dentist finds a cavity you will need to return to have it filled at a later date, or if you have other issues you may be referred to an orthodontist.

It is recommended that you visit the dentist for a check up twice a year, if you do, it will only cost a small amount. Say if you do not look after your teeth at home and still do not visit the dentist regularly you could be looking at massive dentistry costs in years to come. How many people can afford unplanned dentistry works? Especially if you a struggling to pay bills at the moment.

Even if you have a healthy routine you still need these regular check ups, some people do not go to the dentist either because of fear or because they feel they do not need to, at the end of the day the dentist is the one who knows whats best for our teeth, what we think may be clean may actually not be.

Going back to the fear/phobia of dentists, or the dentist chair. If I sit back and think about the dentist I automatically think of them standing over you and drilling or pulling out a tooth. A few years ago, when I was neglecting my teeth, I had a tooth pulled out at a local dentist. I knew it was going to be done beforehand and was dreading it, to make it worse it was a cold night and when I came out my tooth absolutely killed (so to speak) I said I would never go again. But when you think logically, if you look after your teeth with regular brushing, flossing and not eating too many sugary items then you should never need to have a tooth pulled out or major work done. Going to the dentist for a check up does not involve any pain, so in fact there is now no fear factor.

Now I make sure I look after my teeth at home, while still having the twice yearly check ups, so I can hopefully avoid expensive dentistry work in the future. So is it the dentist we need to fear or ourselves for not looking after our teeth?

By: Samuel J James

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Unlike most dietary supplements, hundreds of well managed scientific studies and trials have upheld resveratrol’s potentially critical health properties as a treatment for diabetes, cancer, inflammatory and auto-immune diseases and neurological conditions. Without passing judgement on resveratrol’s actual efficacy or effectiveness it is clear that many people purchase resveratrol as a preventative or treatment for a serious medical condition. If the resveratrol these consumers purchase is not a high quality, properly manufactured, bio active compound they are not only wasting their money but are also failing to obtain whatever benefits resveratrol may offer for the amelioration of their condition.

The criteria below are based upon valid scientific principals and accepted standards for the evaluation of either a of a functional dietary supplement such as resveratrol. The standards can also be used in judging other supplements.

Ethical labeling

Many resveratrol suppliers do not disclose the exact form of resveratrol or the quantity which is contained in their supplement. Some simply call their main ingredient “red wine complex” or a “proprietary blend”. Given that red wine contains less than 1% resveratrol it seems a bit strange that a company would use this description to label a resveratrol product unless the purpose was to conceal the actual ingredients in the product. A proprietary blend can be anything, but is unlikely to consist of pure resveratrol given the relatively high cost of quality resveratol versus other possible ingredients.

Resveratrol is composed of two principal isomers, trans-resveratrol and cis-resveratrol. Only the trans-isomer has been associated with health benefits. The cis isomer actually acts to nullify the effects of trans-resveratrol. Unless the seller states on the label that the product consists entirely of the trans-resveratrol form it is highly likely that it contains either some or all of cis-resveratrol, which is, by an order of magnitude, the less costly form of resveratrol.

A size 0 capsule is able to contain about 500mg of resveratrol, if the base material is processed using pharmaceutical technology and equipment. This is the largest size capsule that is quite easily swallowed by most people. Sellers who use larger capsules do so to compensate for the fact that they are simply stuffing raw extract into a capsule without going through the time and expense of purifying and granulating the resveratrol extract. A larger capsule size also allows for the use of various fillers and chemicals such as silicon, magnesium sterate, cellulose, and other additives. The best quality resveratrol supplements are contained in a size 0 capsule and contain no additives or fillers at all. There is no reason why you should have to consume sand and other inert ingredients in your supplement simply because your supplier can not be bothered with using more sophisticated processing and filling technology.

Is red wine the best source of resveratrol?

Although much of the news about resveratrol mentions the red wine grape as the source, wine grapes are not a practical source of resveratrol for two important reasons. First grapes are subjected to a wide range of toxic chemicals in the cultivation process. Fungicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and many more chemicals are sprayed directly on wine grapes. Since resveratrol comes from the skins it is very difficult to eliminate contamination in the resveratrol concentrate. The second reason wine grapes are not a good source of resveratrol is that it is impossible to produce a high potency supplement using grape extract. The concentration of resveratrol in grape skins is simply too low. This is why in all of the animal and tissue studies on the health benefits of resveratrol the source of the resveratrol was the Giant Knotweed plant, which grows without fertilizers or agricultural chemicals in the wild.

Capsules and packaging

The capsules themselves should be all vegetable such as Pfizer Vcaps rather than clear gelatin, which is made from an animal product. Not only is an all vegetable capsule healthier to consume than an animal by product but it is designed to better regulate the release of the active ingredients into your digestive tract when taken orally. What is the use of taking a natural supplement if the capsule is derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones?

Resveratrol is highly susceptable to deterioration by oxidation and exposure to ultraviolet light. A quality supplement will be protected from oxidation during manufacture through the use of nitrogen gas filled processing lines. The bottle in which the supplement is contained should also use an inert gas to prevent oxidation during shipment. However once the bottle is opened oxygen is allowed to enter. If active packaging technology is not employed to protect against this damage the shelf life of the product will be seriously degraded. An oxygen absorber system is needed to capture the oxygen which enters the bottle when a capsule is retrieved.

Dosage

The appropriate dosage of trans-resveratrol is a highly contentious issue, with respect to the rhetoric of resveratrol suppliers that is. The science regarding dosage is relatively clear however. Although doses of around 100mg appear from some studies to have potentially important preventative effects, the consensus is that at least 250mg is required to reach the threshold for efficacy as demonstrated in most animal and in vitro studies undertaken to date. This equates to the human equivalent of the dosage used in the Dr. Sinclair study and many other studies. The dose recommended by most clinicians for treatment of an existing condition ranges from 1,000mg to 4,000mg. however it is recommended that one consult a physician before taking a dose over 1,000mg daily. No toxicity or serious adverse effects were observed in several animal and human studies in which up to 5,000mg was given on a daily basis for an extended period of time. In animal studies dosages up to the human equivalent of 30,000mg have been tolerated with only minor adverse effects.

Natural versus synthetic resveratrol

Synthetic resveratrol can be produced using one of two methods, fermentation and chemical engineering. In the case of fermentation a yeast or bacteria is genetically modified to produce resveratrol. Chemically engineered resveratrol is constructed from a broth of compounds using organic chemistry to engineer the molecule. Both processes are fraught with potential pitfalls. In the case of fermentation often what occurs is that bits of the bacteria or yeast DNA used to produce the resveratrol show up in the finished material. This means that if you use this product you are consuming a novel substance, that is a compound that has never been previously consumed by a human, with potentially toxic or other other unknown effects. In the case of a chemically engineered resveratrol product the issue is contamination by small amounts of the chemicals used to produce the synthetic resveratrol. On a typical HPLC graph of a chemically engineered resveratrol there will almost always be spikes on the chart of what are what are referred to as “unknowns”. These trace chemicals are by products of the creation of the primary compound which are unidentified and assumed or hoped to be non toxic. Furthermore, naturally extracted resveratrol from the polygonum cuspidatum plant is known to be non toxic and effective. Neither properties have been verified for certain in regard to synthetic resveratrol. There is only one reason some suppliers use synthetic resveratrol in place of natural resveratrol from polygonum cuspidatum. The reason is the far lower cost of synthetic resveratrol. If a supplier does not disclose which type of resveratrol is contained in its products you can assume that it is the synthetic variety.

Quercetin or no quercetin?

Quercetin is a potent antioxidant in its own right, however it should not be combined with resveratrol or even taken within at least 8 hours of taking a resveratrol supplement. The reason, which was only recently discovered, is that quercetin blocks the metabolites of resveratrol from entering your blood stream. Quercetin also down regulates sirtuins, precisely the opposite effect of resveratol. Until a few years ago it was assumed that adding quercetin was a good thing since the importance of the metabolites was not understood. At that time it was assumed that the metabolites were not responsible for the metabolic and epigenetic effects of resveratrol. Based upon several highly regarded studies we now know that it is very likely that the beneficial effects of resveratrol actually derive principally from these metabolites rather then from the free resveratrol. These metabolites are bioactive products of the breakdown of resveratrol by the liver and endothelial cells lining the small intestine. By blocking these sulphates and glucordinates quercetin interferes with the ability of resveratrol to activate the sirtuins, specifically SirT2, the so called anti aging gene, and blocks other signalling pathways through which resveratrol operates, and which are responsible for many of the desirable health effects of resveratrol. Moreover, the half life of the metabolites is several hours whereas the half life of free resveratrol is only about 12 minutes. In a 2009 study of resveratrol’s effects on inducing the creation of hemoglobin cells in Thalasemmia patients’ blood it was found that quercetin totally blocked the ability of resveratrol to create the new red blood cells. Quercetin also nullified the anti inflammatory property of resveratol in an informal trial of resveratol’s pallative effect on arthritis. There is no scientific justification for adding quercetin to a resveratol supplement. If one wishes to take quercetin it is readily available as a low cost supplement that may be taken by itself.

The credentials of your supplier

The media coverage of the studies demonstrating the potential benefits of resveratrol has attracted a flood of new and clearly disreputable resveratrol sellers to the market. These companies have no experience in producing a food or health supplement, no scientific staffs, labs or other technical resources, no established quality control standards and no history by which one can judge their reliability and integrity. Many of these companies use a form of the word resveratrol in their names and sell only via a web site. The lawyers for Dr. Mehmet Oz and Oprah Winfrey recently filed federal law suits against over 50 of these companies for illegally using their trademarks and making false claims that their products were endorsed by these well know personalities.

Your resveratol supplier should be a manufacturer rather than simply a reseller of resveratrol from unknown sources, it should have a history of at least ten years, preferably more, of ethical business operations. It should offer a range of products not just one or two virtually identical products. Its products should have passed Consumer Lab’s recently updated evaluation of resveratrol brands, and its web site should provide easy methods to contact the company if you have any questions, complaints or a request for a refund. If the company offers a monthly recurring order program a clear and convenient means of canceling your subscription should be offered. If the company’s products are not available in brick and mortar stores such as GNC, The Vitamin Shop and other reputable resellers it should probably be avoided. Anyone can sell a product over the Internet but to have one’s products accepted by major Health and Supplement stores requires liability insurance, thorough testing of the products’ quality and vetting of the company and its principals.

The gold standard for a manufacturer is for its products to win widespread acceptance by the medical and research communities. Resveratrol used in human trials at institutions such as the Albert Einstein Medical School and the NIH are the purest and most thoroughly tested supplements available to the general public.

By: Leo Day

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When it comes to dentists, Philadelphia is really fortunate to have the services of a number of qualified and highly reputable dentists. Like dentists in any other part of the world, dentists in Philadelphia diagnose and treat dental problems or problems of mouth tissue. Additionally they remove decay, fill cavities, examine x-rays, repair fractured teeth and even straighten teeth. Facilities are available in Philadelphia to perform corrective surgery and other advanced treatment procedures.

A dentist is a physician who specializes in treating our teeth and gums. With rapidly advancing technology, there are also “super specialists” within dentists. For example, there are exclusive pediatric dentists who treat children’s problems. Philadelphia has lots of pediatric dentists. You can find them on online directories or in your yellow pages. Philadelphia sedation dentists, Philadelphia cosmetic dentists, Philadelphia emergency dentists, Philadelphia implant dentists – you name it – and you can find the right kind of dentist in Philadelphia. Of course, if you are based in Philadelphia, you always have your Philadelphia family dentist. You can also check out the various directories for Philadelphia-based low-cost dentists.

Check with your friends or colleagues who may be able to suggest to you the services of a good dentist. Since a dentist needs a variety of equipment, like drills, x-ray machines, probes, forceps, and scalpels (to name only a few), check whether your dentist’s clinic is well equipped. As we saw earlier, if you are in Philadelphia, you can hire the services of a variety of dentists. Orthodontists, oral maxillofacial surgeons, periodontists, prosthodontists, endodontists, radiologists – you name it – and they are available in Philadelphia. Dentists are assuming increasing importance due to the boom in cosmetic surgery. Teeth being a very important part of the face, you always dream about flashing that perfect smile. One can find several leading dental physicians offering cosmetic surgery in Philadelphia.

You can locate most of them through online resources. Otherwise you can always consult your family doctor (a general physician), friends or colleagues, who may have hired the services of one. Referrals are perhaps the best way to find out about a dentist. Taking good care of your teeth is a lifelong process; therefore it does not make sense to change your dentist all the time. A dentist whom you have been visiting for a long time knows your medical history best and is therefore in the best position to offer you good treatment.

By: Ross Bainbridge

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Dentists focus on preventing, diagnosing and treating all conditions regarding the teeth and mouth. The whole point of seeing this type of doctor on a regular basis is to help prevent as many problems as possible. And if something does come up, this doctor can address it quickly. If an issue is taken care of ahead of time, this usually can reduce the need for any other procedures later down the road. Check out what it takes to become a dentist and the learn about the many areas in which these doctors can practice.

Education
When it comes to school, people in the field are expected to go through four yeas of undergraduate school, and then attend at least four years of dental school. Once complete, students can receive their degree as a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine. Both require the same schooling; it’s just a preference in name. Once all the schooling is done, there is still a state board exam that has to be taken in order to practice in a particular state. Once this test is taken and passed, dentists can get started practicing or go on to complete more school in order to specialize in a certain area.

Pediatric
For people that love kids, pedodontics, or pediatric dentistry, is the area that they focus on. This can include examining children teeth as well as teaching them how to take care of them. Pediatric dentists also work on infants and teens to help with oral issues.

Cosmetic
When a doctor beautifies teeth, this is known as cosmetic dentistry. This can include anything from whitening teeth, inserting implants, adding veneers, fixing chips, cracks and more. Many times, when a person has been suffering with a mediocre smile, they seek out this type of doctor. While it may not seem like a big deal to some people, a beautiful smile can give folks a much-needed boost of confidence.

General
General dentists are some of the most well known in the field. These are the doctors that people tend to go to for exams, cleanings, x-rays and more. Usually, this doctor can help stop problems before they start and he or she may suggest options to help you improve your dental health. If there is an issue with the teeth that require more extensive work, then patients are usually referred to a specialist.

Orthodontist
For people that have issues with their teeth and jaw line, such as overbites, under bites, extremely crooked teeth or overcrowding, then the orthodontist is one of the dentists to see. Oftentimes, people first think of orthodontists for braces, but these doctors provide an array of services.

Periodontist
If someone is suffering from issues related to the gum, they may be referred to a periodontist. These dentists have taken the time to go to school and specialize in periodontics. If a person has periodontitis, he or she has plaque around the gums that can grow bad bacteria. If left untreated it can get worse and eventually the patient will lose teeth.

By: Andrea Avery

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Dentists enjoy a fantastically colorful history, and navigating back through time not only shows us how far they have come, but also the inherent creativity that remains a common thread among them. This article walks you through the enthralling journey of the history of dental health professionals.

The very first false teeth date all the way back to 700 B.C. uncovered human remains provides evidence of crowns dating from the same era. However, it wasn’t until centuries later that actual dentists came to be. Prior to this time, general doctors and even barbers acted as a dentist for people with oral afflictions.

Back in those times, extraction was the only treatment used for tooth ache. In and around the 16th century, ingenuity and inventiveness flourished, and the first official extraction tools were born. An online search of early dentist equipment will send chills up your spine and leave you grateful to live in the age of technology and Novocain! It was also during these times that dedicated dental health professionals came to be.

The 1700s gave birth to a very special dentist, the Father of Modern Dentistry, Mr. Pierre Fauchard. He authored the book titled ‘The Surgeon Dentist, a Treatise on Teeth,’ which was the first book for dentists that detailed treatment and care.

Surprising as it is frightening is the fact that dental schools weren’t in existence until the mid 1800s. Nitrous oxide made its debut as a method of pain relief and anesthesia in the same time period. They were now inventing tools and methods at an impressive pace, once given the education and materials to create and heal.

The beginning of the 1900s saw the invention of their most powerful substance (according to their patients): Novocain! An American dentist invented professionally crafted crowns in the same time period.

The first nylon bristled toothbrush made its way on the market in 1938 and in the following decade, fluoride was being added to public water supplies and finally, to toothpastes and the most feared dentist’s tool, the electric drill was invented.

The 1960s gave us more technologically advanced dentist’s tools such as dental lasers, as well as electronic toothbrushes not just for dentists, but also for the general public’s use.

Dentists began adding cosmetic services to their repertoire, as the 1990s saw vast advancement in this arena. Currently, they have expanded their practices with specialties like surgical procedures, maxillofacial treatment and orthodontics, to name a few. They continue to perfect the craft of customer service, and even provide entertaining experiences for their smallest patients.

Now you can appreciate where a dentist has come from, and if you choose to learn more, do an online search and see for yourself who and what built the foundation of modern dentistry.

By: Anna Woodward

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Dentists may not be the most popular medical care providers around, but it is important to make sure that you see them regularly. If you have never been or just haven’t been there in a while, now is the time to set up an appointment and find out how your mouth, teeth and gums are doing. Follow these easy steps to setting up your first visit.

Dental Insurance

Find out if you have dental insurance. If you do, your visits will cost less, though you will need to choose one of the dentists within the network. If you don’t have insurance, feel free to go to any office that you want. After paying for an exam and finding out if you need any work done, you may choose to look into insurance for the future or just continue without it.

Choose a Provider

Find out if any local dentists are accepting new patients. If so, this is a great time to call and make an appointment. Try to find a time that you can make it over to the office without rushing and be sure that you can get there a few minutes early. Usually, if you are a first time patient, you will need to fill out some paperwork.

At the Visit

Most dentists’ offices are set up in a similar manner. Patients begin by signing in a the front counter or desk. You can put your name as well as the time that you arrived and the time of your appointment. If there is more than one dentist in the office, you may need to write down which one you are planning to see. Before someone calls you back, you will be called back up to the front counter. You may need to fill out paperwork, provide an insurance card to make filing a claim easier, or just to verify the information on file.

Once everything is completed, you will be called back and placed in an exam room. If you are a new patient you will need to have x-rays taken. Some offices have a special room for this and others just have the equipment in each room. Someone will prepare you for this and place some type of bites into your mouth. As you bite down, it will move your mouth in such a way to get the best look at your teeth. These often take a while to complete, so you may be waiting in the room for a small while.

A dentist will come in and talk to you about the x-rays. If there are any issues that need to be addressed, he or she will talk to you about what appears to be going wrong and what solutions or options that you have to fix it. Even if you are in for a routine cleaning, if someone notices something that doesn’t look right, they may still bring it to your attention.

When you are done, you usually receive a free toothbrush or toothpaste. You can go to check out at the same desk that you used for check in. If you have a co-pay or payment that is due, this is the time to take care of that. Also, if you need to schedule another appointment, you can do that before leaving.

By: Andrea Avery

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Dentists and orthodontists are both health professionals that deal with problems involved in the maintenance and care of the teeth. When most people think of orthodontists, they think of braces, while most people think of dentists when they think of teeth cleaning and repair. From this standpoint, you are actually not far from the mark. This is one of the most basic differences between the two professions. However, there is more than that, as you will find as we take a closer look at the two dental specialties.

Dentists must attend college and obtain a four year degree before moving on to an advanced school of dentistry. There they must complete an additional four years of training in the specifics of dentistry before being given both oral, written, and practical exams which will give them the degree and the license to practice in their state of education. As a professional, they will be primarily concerned with the teeth and other issues that might arise in the mouth such as gum disease. Repairing teeth, performing advanced procedures, and performing general checkups are all a part of their everyday jobs. Some dentists will also play educator to their patients, particularly those who treat young children.

This may come as a surprise to some, but orthodontists are actually licensed dental professionals. What sets them apart is that they completed a special orthodontic residency after obtaining their advanced degree. This residency could last two years or even longer, depending on the state and the university. Orthodontists will not be as concerned with dental health (though that will certainly be a peripheral part of their practice) as they will be with the proper alignment of the teeth and jaw. Correcting overbites, underbites, and crooked teeth are the specialty of the orthodontist. To that end, they will make use of braces, retainers, and other tools of the trade to help their patients achieve straight teeth.

To make practical use of this information, you should make basic inquiries into the background of your teeth experts. See to it that they have completed the required education for your state and are not trying to pass themselves off as something they are not. There are frauds in every line of work, and dentistry is no exception to this rule. Avoid getting into trouble by asking the right questions and doing your homework. Your teeth are too important to put them into the hands of someone who does not have the education and experience to care for them.

By: Andrew Stratton

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One of the most common treatments cosmetic dentists perform is teeth whitening. In fact, you don’t even have to go to a cosmetic dentist to have this procedure. Most dental offices have the equipment on hand to take care of your yellow teeth. Brightening up your smile will do a tremendous amount of good for your self confidence and overall appearance, and the good news is that there are teeth whitening options to fit most needs and budgets.

At Home Options

You can try bleaching your teeth at home without a trip to any area dentists offices. You can purchase home-use bleaching kits at your local drugstore. These have a bleaching gel with a low concentration of the whitening agent, a one-size-fits-all bleaching tray to place the gel in, and instructions as to how to bleach your teeth. It may also be in the form of whitening strips that you place on your teeth, or a paint-on whitening product that you paint onto your teeth and then go. These typically cost under $100 and provide fairly good results.

In-Office Options

The main benefit of whitening performed by dentists is the fact that it can make a big difference in a short period of time. This procedure uses a high-concentration of peroxide in the form of a gel that the dentist or dental technician applies to the teeth after placing a protective barrier on the gums. Over the course of an hour, the peroxide is removed then reapplied 3 to 4 times. For some patients, one session is sufficient, while others need more than one to deal with deep stains.

Take-Home, Professional Grade

The in-office whitening procedure uses a far higher concentration of peroxide or other bleaching options than the kits you can purchase at the drug store. For those who do not wish to spend the money on the office whitening procedure but need a higher concentration of bleaching agent than is allowed in over the counter options, professional take-home whitening kits may work.

These kits use a lower concentration of the peroxide than the in-office option, but a higher concentration than the over-the-counter option. They are dispensed with custom-made bleaching trays similar to a mouth guard that the patient places the bleach in and wears for an extended period, even overnight sometimes. Some dentists feel that these kits provide better long-term results than in-office bleaching, even though it takes longer to see the results. They also cost substantially less, although more than the over-the-counter options.

Risks of Teeth Whitening

Getting a whiter smile is not without its risks. Some patients find that their teeth are more sensitive to pressure, touch, and temperature for a short period of time after bleaching. It causes gum irritation in about half of all users. It also does not affect veneers, restorations, or other forms of artificial teeth, so the mouth may appear to have more than one color after treatment. Most dentists will discuss these risks and ways to prevent these problems with patients prior to administering or dispensing whitening products.

By: Andrea Avery

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In the field of dentistry there are many areas that dentists can specialize in including cosmetic dentistry. Most general practice dentists are usually cosmetic dentist. The difference between the two fields is simple. A general practitioner will work to treat tooth decay and other problems that are causing pain. A cosmetic dentist will work to restore the teeth cosmetically which can mean repairing cracked or broken teeth through a variety of methods. A cosmetic dentist works towards the ultimate goal of restoring or creating a perfect smile.

Today’s dentistry has made great strides in the cosmetic aspects of dentistry. For example it wasn’t that long ago that having a cavity filled meant leaving a dark circle where the fill material replaced decayed tooth matter. Today, dentist can use a fill that resembles the actual tooth dentine itself and the cavity is virtually unnoticeable.

Other strides in modern dentistry have allowed broken teeth to be replaced with the use of an artificial tooth that is surgically screwed into the jawbone and can pass for a real tooth. This method often replaces the need for bridgework or dentures which have limitations and dietary restrictions with their use.

The most popular cosmetic dental procedure however remains teeth whitening. This procedure can either be done at home with dental trays made by the dental lab or it can be done in the dentist office. The end result is generally teeth that are whiter, often as much as five times whiter than your current white level. This method has limitations and for teeth that are seriously stained from years of exposure to wine, smoking or cola drinks the results may not reach the desired goal. In that case the options include caps to cover less than perfect teeth and give that perfect white smile.

And even for the adult who grew up with a slightly crooked smile, there is still the hope that your smile can be straightened without the use of braces. Again, thanks to advances of cosmetic dentists, braces can be applied inside your mouth where the invisible braces are not seen by anyone to slowly work parts of your mouth, with a treatment plan, to push crooked teeth into line. This can take up to a year but in the end, your smile will be straight and you won’t have to explain having braces to your co-workers or friends because they are invisible and you can remove them at night and for meals, without a doctor’s assistance.

With so many options available today, almost any defect can be corrected with a little planning. Your dentists can probably help you decide what cosmetic options are best for you and work with you to develop a treatment plan to prioritize your dental needs and help you get that perfect smile you’re striving for.

By: Andrea Avery

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