Are You a Candidate for Tooth Whitening?

Not everyone can use tooth whitening solution. Circumstances that may prevent the use of tooth whitening product are:

• Teeth that which have been bonded white fillings, veneers or crowns, cannot be whitened with whitening gels.These materials do not whiten past the color they were originally made. The color of these types of restorations were determined by the surrounding teeth. If the surrounding teeth are whitened, the restorations will stand out and look artificial.
• Teeth that have internal staining, discoloration from developmental conditions or have been root treated may not be affected by the typical whitening process. Internal tooth whitening or permanent restorations may be an option to consider.
• Natural tooth colors that are brown or gray in hue may not produce desired results. Typically, teeth with a yellow hue will produce the best results.
• Pregnant or nursing mothers should avoid whitening their teeth as there is not enough research to determine the safety of tooth whitening products during pregnancy or lactation.
• People with hyper sensitive teeth should avoid tooth whitening, because this process may enhance the level of sensitivity they experience.

How Are Teeth Whitened?

Enamel, first layer of tooth surface, is actually semi-translucent, or clear. The layer underneath the enamel, known as dentine is typically yellow, but may be gray, brown or black. This hue is what is seen penetrating through the enamel, In order to whiten the dentin, a peroxide solution is placed on the enamel. This process opens the pores of the enamel, allowing the solution to reach the layer of dentin. The solution will then begin to lighten the dentin, resulting in the appearance of whiter teeth.

Is Teeth Whitening Safe?

I frequently get questions about teeth whitening and safety. Teeth whitening done correctly is safe, and it does not work by stripping enamel from your teeth!

Many people may have gotten the wrong idea because of how older whitening formulas used to work. Remember “Pearl Drops” for smokers? It used harsh abrasives that literally scoured away the stains and took off a little enamel in the bargain!  Abrasives are the enemy,  but teeth whitening works with chemical agents, not abrasives. These whitening (or bleaching) agents actually react with the stain deep inside your teeth to neutralize it. There’s no harmful stripping of enamel.

View your teeth under a microscope and the surface will look something like a honeycomb. Thousands of tiny tubes (called “enamel rods”) are lined up side by side forming the enamel, and beneath them “dentin tubules” form the tooth’s inner layer. Over time, the stains on the tooth’s surface work their way through this system of tubes and become trapped within the honeycomb structure. The stain is now part of your tooth. We dentists call this “intrinsic stain”. It can’t be brushed away, no matter how hard you try.

Now, it takes a lot of time for intrinsic stain to form because the tubes in the “honeycomb” tend to be “plugged up” with organic matter. If they were wide open, your teeth would be terribly sensitive to temperature changes, especially cold. In order to work, bleaching agents need to remove the plugs so they can penetrate to the inner layer of your teeth, where they work their magic. The active ingredient loses effectiveness quickly, so no need to worry that you’re trapping harmful chemicals inside. After some time (usually a couple of weeks), the plugs return. This explains why it’s common for teeth to become sensitive during and after the teeth whitening process, and why the effect subsides.

The bottom line is that for the vast majority of us, teeth whitening is a perfectly safe and harmless beauty treatment that almost anyone can afford.

Bad breath is a very common problem and can be extremely embarrassing. Most people often suffer from bad breath and are still not aware of the fact. Tobacco, foods with too much garlic, or may be lax toothbrushing are a few culprits for bad breath. This condition is also termed as halitosis. Halitosis is caused due to bad oral health, when proper brushing is not included in the daily routine, the food particles get stuck to the teeth and bacteria contaminate the mouth. Halitosis can also be caused due to some pungent foods like garlic and onion. Here are few tips to get rid of bad breath, prevent it in the future and keep your mouth clean and fresh.

1. Brush your teeth

First and foremost, it is essential to practice good oral hygiene to kill the bacteria, which can cause bad breath. Brush your teeth and floss them twice a day. Visit your dentist once in six months. You can also use mouth rinses, mint flavored chews, to mask your bad breath, although it can not resolve your problem.

2. Clean your tongue

It’s important to clean your tongue after brushing. Bacteria lingering on the tongue can also be the culprit.

3. Visit the dentist & Hygienist

Preventing bad breath is achievable when you treat dental problems such as tooth decay, gum abscess, and tooth abscess. Never feel scared to visit the dentist. It should be the first thing to do if you feel anything hurt or you feel a hollow inside the tooth, or anything related. Keep everything on hold and first get an appointment.

The hygienist is specially trained to remove plaque, tartar and stains from your teeth. Bacteria gather in the plaque under the level of the gum and longterm can cause gum disease and tooth loss. Our hygenists are very experienced and will monitor your progress and coach you on effective tooth brushing and flossing techniques. 

4. Avoid tea, coffee

Tea and coffee can directly cause a strong odour but in addition these hot drinks contain caffeine that can dry your mouth adding to the problems of bad breath. These drinks also lead to stain build up and discolouration so opt for the healthier option of water!

5. Quit smoking

Tar and nicotine can build up on the surface of the teeth, tongue and cheeks. It can also dry the mouth and inhibit saliva flow

Witches, fairies and even a dinosaur visited Church Street Dental on Thursday 3^rd November. Our little patients had their faces painted and had oral hygiene instruction with our tooth fairy! Joanne and Peter carried out examinations and each child received a party bag containing toys, stickers and oral hygiene products. Another triumph for the little patients of Church Street Dental!  These children will remember this check-up visit for a long time!

To download and print off the colouring entry PDF,  just click on the picture below, print off the PDF file that’s downloaded/displayed in your browser, then colour it in and drop in competed entries before 12^thDec 2011.

• 1^st prize €50 voucher for local toyshop. 
• Two runner up prizes of €20 vouchers.

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Can you believe it’s a year since the first Dental Check up Party. This time last year we examined 80 children in one day. The came in fancy dress, had their faces painted and had an enjoyable dental experience. The places are filling up quickly and we expect to have another successful check up day. Say posted for the photographs!

I recieved such a welcome from the children at Kill National School when I arrived to give a  talk about oral health. What a well behaved classroom, Mrs Mc Nally should be proud! I did a little power point presentation on plaque and how tooth decay develops. The kids were all questions and the talk was really interactive and great fun! Thanks to David our friendly colgate rep who supplied us with toothbrushes and toothpastes. I have heard on the grapevine that the children in Kill are still brushing like mad and timing themselves! The kids made a fab card for me which is in proud display on the practice noticeboard.

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Our cosmetic evening which was held on 30th of March was a huge success. There was a great turn out and everyone learned more about the new procedures we are carrying out. All staff members were present and available to chat to patients and answer any questions which they had. The practice was essentially open that evening and people were free to wander around, view our premises and our 4 surgeries. Cosmetic procedures were carried out in the surgeries by our dental surgeons and orthodontist. There was a jovial atmosphere in the practice and hopefully this will be a yearly event from now on.