It is very helpful to avoid pop as it is acidic and will etch the teeth . This will cause decay very quickly and it may be wide spread as well. Acid reflux is another source of acid in the oral cavity and so you may need to see your physician about that if it is occurring. We have had a fair number of patients with dry mouth and acid reflux who have lost their teeth as a result. So this is a very serious problem that needs attention as soon as you recognize it.

This article is only a partial treatment of the problem, but hopefully it has been helpful. For more information you can call our office at 765-649-3388 or 317-578-1933 or send me question thru my web site at www.garrysmithdental.com.

So the answer to the question of “is whitening dangerous” is yes if you go to far. That is why  recommend the process be monitored by a professional. The over -the-counter materials are not as strong as the in-office products. So the over-the-counter products are less effective but over time can do the same thing- cause permanently darker teeth. The only way to reverse it is by having crowns and veneers placed on your teeth. That will be an expensive mistake.

So my recommendation is to have your whitening process monitored and have a realistic expectation as to how white your teeth will become. Everyone cannot have bright white teeth. There 4 basic shade in the human teeth: white,yellow,brown, gray. You will have one of those genetic types in your tooth makeup. So whitening each of those types will dohe following:

white will get whiter

yellow will get less yellow, some whiter

brown will be less brown some whiter

gray will be a lighter gray and some whiter

It may be clear from this discussion that for the genetically yellow, brown and gray teeth can only be WHITE by doing crowns or veneers. Skin color is also a be factor in what looks white in your mouth. So you should contact your dentist to see how your whitening expectation n be attained before you start either in- office or over-the counter processes.

The vast majority of  TMJ patients are adults in the 20-50 age range. The major causes for TMJ dysfunction are accidents, crowded teeth, missing teeth and a bad bite. Regardless of the causative factors, a corrective splint or bite appliance (also called grinding appliance) is required.  It will require a custom made hard plastic appliance not a flexible one as sold in pharmacies and sporting goods stores.  Flexible ones will be “chewed” on and can cause the problem to get worse. The flexible appliances are only good for very short term relief until you can get to a dentist who treats TMJ problems. There are very few dentists trained in the treatment of true TMJ problems. We have been treating TMJ patients for 30 years, so we are well versed in all of the treatment modalities for TMJ problems.

If left untreated, the problem will get worse , it never gets better if it is a true TMJ problem. A grinding or bruxism problem is NOT a TMJ problem until the grinding problem has gone untreated for a time. So grinding and clenching problems , if treated, can be prevented from cause damage to the TMJ area.

The reason an onlay is better is that good tooth structure is saved.  The original tooth structure is superior to any man made material and so if we can save any tooth structure, the patient is far better off.  Crowns and onlays can be made out of gold, all porcelain,porcelain fused to gold, or plastics.  We use Cerec Technology ( CAD-CAM instrument) to fabricate porcelain bonded restorations in one appointment.  Bonding is superior to cementation and, since metal does not bond well to tooth structure,we choose porcelain or plastics over metal anytime.  Crowns or onlays can be done to replace large mercury fillings, resin fillings,  to repair fractured teeth or to replace existing crowns or onlays.

Unless you have this CAD-CAM technology, these procedures are much harder to do and require multiple appointments. That means more shots and temporaries in between appointments. Patients have told us they love having one appointment instead of multiple appointments because there is only one shot , no sensitivity and  less lost hours at work.

Many people, when asked how their partial or full denture is performing, will say “OK”… even when everything is not “OK.” Unfortunately, they may have lost their frame of reference – they simply don’t remember what it felt like to have natural teeth. They think that their removable teeth are their “cross to bear.”

Be Honest With Yourself

If you’re a partial denture wearer, ask yourself a question: “Would I rather not have to remove my teeth ever again?” Or, if you’re a full denture wearer, “Would I like to have my dentures firmly attached to my jaw, without slipping or sore spots?” Most people answer “Yes.” Dental implants can help you attain these goals, which is why more and more people have become eager to learn about them.

Straight Talk About Dental Implants

If you would like to schedule a consultation to communicate your needs and desires, and to receive a thorough, straight-forward understanding of the benefits of dental implants, please talk to our appointment secretary. The consultation with the Doctor will not be technical. He will show you what is really possible with today’s modern implants and give you the opportunity to reach your goals. Wouldn’t it be great to see your healthy smile in the mirror, and to read a menu without giving a thought to what you can or cannot eat?

Take the First Step

If you are interested in knowing more and to see if you are a candidate for fixed replacement teeth, talk to Dr. Smith. It may be the best thing you have ever done for yourself.

Brush daily with the proper tooth brush.  If you use a hand tooth brush, you need to brush down on the upper teeth and up on the lower teeth.

If you use a rechargeable electric tooth brush (not battery) then hold and move ( no up,down or scrubbing motions).  Do not scrub horizontally with any tooth brush as it will then cause erosion of the tooth at the gum line.

Floss once a day.  You must use the proper technique or you may cut your gum tissue.

If you smoke cigarettes, consider stopping since over 90% of the smokers have gum disease in some form. In fact the use of tobacco in any form causes gum disease in over 90% of the users.

CoQ10 in the liquidform  mixed in water as a swish and swallow mouth rinse will eliminate bleeding within days and stimulate your immune system into action..  This in combination with good brushing and routine dental cleaning will restore your tissue to health.

Regular professional dental cleanings, and scaling as necessary, is imperative.

Remove any filling or crowns with rough margins, or heavy metal fillings (better known as “silver fillings” or “mercury fillings”).  Rough areas are like fine sand paper against the tissue.  Mercury or other heavy metals also cause irritation to the tissue and may cause bleeding.

If you have any non-precious crowns with heavy metals ,they may need to be removed so that the tissue can heal without irritants present.

If there has been bone loss due to the about factors, laser surgery of the gum tissue may be needed. But that decision would not be made immediately. The first thing to do is Change bad habits and evalute from there.

The laser is more precise and allows us to treat 1 tooth at a time as opposed to treating 3-4 teeth in order to get the one that needed the surgery) as is required with traditional periodontal surgery).No shots are required with treatments with the ND:YAG laser. The laser also sterilizes the area as we work with it. Research has shown the treated areas to be free of infection for up to 90 days with laser therapy. This allows the body plenty of time to heal assuming the patients oral hygiene is up to standard. Post operative bleeding, swelling and pain are non-existent with laser treatments for gum disease.

There are several types of laser out there to be used. All of them work but safety is my primary concern. The ND:YAG laser was the first laser  to receive approval and is the best and safest laser to use in periodontal treatments. Other laser have to much power and can cause post operative pain and swelling due to the amount of heat produced. When used within the parameters set by the manufacturer, the ND:YAG has no side effects.

If you have been diagnosed with gum disease or suspect you have it, you owe it to yourself to pursue laser treatments. You can call us at 765-649-3388 or 317-578-1933 for an appointment.

The laser is very precise and allows us to treat gum disease in a pinpoint manner rather than the more broad area needed for conventional surgery. Since it is a more defined area of treatment, we can  intercept problems before they become big and require you to face more serious (and expensive) treatment. The laser can be used to treat one tooth or several teeth at one time. Another benefit is that no shots are needed in 90% of the cases and you can eat as soon as we are finished. Bleeding is minimal since the laser cauterizes as it works.There are no stitches needed  following laser surgery as well. It also means less risk of spreading blood-born diseases since the laser sterilizes the area that  we treat for  infection. The process is quick , minimally invasive and pain free. It feels like your tissue has been “sanded”

Is it safe?

Yes, very safe. Lasers like the one in our office have safely performed millions of procedures. This safety is also supported by hundreds of university studies. Our laser is so precise, it only removes a few cell layers at a time. It delivers its beam in tiny pulses. In any given second, it is actually off longer than it is on because it is a pulse laser.  Because of the “pulse” nature of this laser, the nerve tissue does not even know the laser has been there, so the pain response never happens.

Since 1990 ,when the FDA cleared this laser to be used on the soft tissue, millions of patients have been treated with this instrument rather than the old scalpel and suture surgery you may be familiar with . Here are some of the advantages of laser surgery over scalpel surgery:

• Faster and more efficient
• Bloodless in most cases
• Less invasive ( no scalpel and sutures)
• much more precise
• More comfortable post-operatively ( no post -op meds needed)
• you can eat right away

If you have been diagnosed with gum disease or think you may have gum disease, you owe it to yourself to call us for an examination . I know we can treat it with the laser. None of my patients have had periodontal surgery with a scalpel since 1990. You can call us at 765-649-3388 or 317-578-1933.