If you’re anything like me, when you look in the mirror, the condition of your teeth is one of the first things that catches your eye. Unfortunately, if you have noticeable stains on your teeth it can be hard to ignore them. 

Even if you practice good oral care, your teeth might get discolored over time. Cosmetic and family dentistry like Tempe Family Dentistry, offers in-office teeth whitening as a way to brighten not only your smile but your overall face appearance to help address this common problem.

While some discoloration may come with age or medications, there are also other common causes for stained teeth. You can expect noticeable whitening when you use our professional teeth whitening choices. In this blog post we will discuss what parts of lifestyle and diet contribute to tooth discoloration as well as how best to prevent future staining!

What Causes Dental Stains?

Teeth lose their white sheen and develop discoloration, stains, and a duller appearance over time. This occurs for a variety of reasons, some of which are beyond your control, such as aging and your specific genetic predisposition.

However, your daily habits do play a role in issues such as staining. The following habits can all lead to dental stains. Certain foods and beverages. What you eat and drink has an effect on the color of your teeth. Certain beverages and meals can stain your pearly whites.

Some of the most common offenders are:

• Coffee
• Cola
• Tea
• Red wine
• Chocolate

Eating a diet rich in added sugar also impacts dental health and can cause teeth to appear yellow over time.

1. Smoking and chewing tobacco

Both smoking and chewing tobacco can cause tooth stains. Regular smokers and consumers of tobacco products are much more likely to have stained teeth than nonsmokers.

2. Improper oral hygiene

Not practicing good dental care at home, such as brushing twice daily and flossing daily, increases the risk of dental stains. Dental stains can also develop if you neglect routine dental cleanings. Visiting your dentist twice a year helps to prevent dental problems from arising.

3. Addressing tooth discoloration

If your teeth are stained or discolored, implementing lifestyle adjustments won’t solve the problem. Our dentists, fortunately, can improve the appearance of your teeth with a simple professional teeth whitening process.

To safely whiten your teeth, these teeth whitening solutions employ a bleaching ingredient. It’s normal to experience minimal sensitivity to these chemicals for a few days. Following the completion of your teeth whitening, proper lifestyle practices will help you retain the effects. This means you can get teeth whitening procedures less regularly while still enjoying a sparkling, bright smile.

For the best results, limit or avoid staining foods and drinks, smoking, and chewing tobacco. Many people agree that stained teeth can get in the way of making a good impression. When you’re ready to brighten your smile, consider professional in-office teeth whitening. 

Even if you take exemplary care of your teeth at home, it’s important to have dental cleanings on a regular basis. How often should you schedule them? The answer may depend on how frequently you visit the dentist and what the state of your oral health is. Work with your dentist to determine the best cleaning schedule for you and be sure to keep up with your appointments to maintain optimal oral hygiene.

When it comes to maintaining good oral hygiene, regular dental cleanings are essential. But how often should you be visiting your dentist for a professional cleaning? While opinions vary, most dentists recommend scheduling an appointment every six months to ensure that your teeth remain healthy and free from unwanted plaque buildup. 

In this blog post, we’ll break down the pros and cons of scheduling more frequent or less frequent cleanings as well as discuss what factors can influence how often you should be seeing a dentist for a cleaning. Whether you’re looking to stay on top of your oral health routine or want to know when it might be appropriate for additional visits, read on!

If you want to protect your teeth and have a brilliant smile, you should regularly see your dentist for dental cleanings. These visits let your dentist examine your teeth to spot problems that give you pain and to troubleshoot issues that could bother you in the future.

What to Expect from a Dental Exam and Cleaning

Dental cleanings and exams are the best way to keep up with your dental health. Here’s what you can expect during your visit:

1. Examination

Here’s where your dentist checks the overall state of your mouth. He’ll look at your teeth and gums, searching for cavities and gingivitis. The dentist will also take X-rays periodically that check for cavities, cracks, emerging teeth, and other dental conditions.

2. Cleaning

Clean teeth are more likely to stay healthy. During a cleaning, your dentist or dental hygienist will:

• Remove plaque and tartar from your teeth and gums with a manual or electronic scraping tool
• Brush teeth with a high-power toothbrush and gritty toothpaste that remove leftover plaque and tartar 
• Floss teeth to remove any remaining tartar or toothpaste
• Rinse mouth with water and liquid fluoride to remove debris
• Coat teeth with fluoride varnish to help prevent cavities 
• While few people say they love going to the dentist for an exam or cleaning, most easily tolerate their appointment. Some patients even love how fresh and clean their teeth feel after routine visits.

Why Regular Dental Care is Important

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer oral diseases. As you age, oral health plays a large part in your overall health. The likelihood of cavities and periodontal disease grows and you age, increasing your need for regular dental exams and cleaning. But how many times each year should you visit your dentist?

The American Dental Association says your dentist should determine the correct intervals between dental visits. That decision will be based on your health history, particularly risk factors for periodontal disease, including smoking, diabetes, and interleukin-1 genetic variations. High-risk patients will likely be advised to schedule dental appointments every six or three months, while low-risk patients will most benefit from annual visits.

Dental cleanings are important for keeping your teeth and gums healthy. However, you may not need to have them as often as you think. According to the American Dental Association, most people only need to get their teeth cleaned every six months. Of course, this recommendation is based on a general average – your individual needs may vary depending on your oral health history. 

If you have any questions or concerns about how often you should be getting dental cleanings, talk to your dentist at your next appointment. They will be able to give you specific recommendations based on your unique situation.

Oral hygiene is one of the most important aspects of maintaining your family’s overall health. By following a few simple tips, you can help keep everyone’s smile looking good and their teeth healthy. 

Eating healthy and enjoying delicious cuisine is easier when your teeth and gums are healthy. Several issues can impact the condition of your teeth, but with proper care and with the help of a family dentist, your gums and teeth should remain healthy as you grow.

We know that, as a parent, you already have a lot on your mind. We surely aren’t looking to add more to it, but we wish to improve your life and your children’s quality of life! 

To encourage individuals of all ages to improve the maintenance of their smiles, oral family health strives to make dental care pleasurable and uncomplicated. Oral hygiene goes beyond simply brushing and flossing. Check out these tips for some great advice on how to keep your family’s oral hygiene on track!

Takeaway Tips For Good Oral Health For Your Family!

1. Brush Properly

How you brush is highly significant. In addition, improper cleaning of teeth is as ineffective as not cleaning at all. 

Start by taking time and eliminating bacteria. You can get started by encircling your teeth with the toothbrush. The unremoved plaque has chances of hardening, causing calculus to form and periodontitis.

2. Eat Healthy Foods

A balanced diet is necessary for strong teeth and gums at any age. You can receive all the nutrients you need by eating a healthy diet, including whole foods such as cereals, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and milk products. 

Eat fewer sugary treats. Sugary beverages, such as soft and fruit drinks, represent a specific concern because people prefer to sip them, resulting in rising acid levels over time. 

3. Keep The Bathroom Sanitary

Our bathrooms need to be kept as spotless as possible, specifically the areas where we put our towels, cosmetics, and other frequently used goods. 

The bathroom has to be routinely cleaned using a bleach-based cleaner. Doing so could prevent germs and viruses from growing in our restrooms.

4. Go To The Dentist Routinely

Regular dental visits will enable you and your family to spot issues early and preserve oral health.

Your dentist will inspect your mouth during your appointment to check for any issues with your oral health. This includes evaluating your gums, examining your tongue, throat, face, and neck, and looking for cavities between your teeth.

Good oral hygiene is essential for everyone in the family. By following a few easy tips, you can help keep everyone’s smile looking good and their teeth healthy. Oral and dental hygiene must be given utmost importance. Your general dental health depends heavily on your daily routine. However, frequent dental visits are necessary even for the most diligent brushers and flossers. 

Brushing and flossing regularly are both essential for maintaining good oral hygiene, but it’s also important to see a dentist on a regular basis. If you’re looking for a new dental home for your family, we would be more than happy to welcome you into ours. Give us a call today and we’ll help you get started on the path to better oral health. 

We all know how important fluoride treatments are for children. However, did you know that fluoride usage for adults is just as important? It’s never too late to start practicing a healthy oral hygiene routine for your teeth. Even adults should use fluoride to experience the amazing positive effects it has on our teeth.   

For all of the reasons children require fluoride treatments, adults need them as well. Even when our adult teeth are healthy and strong, it’s still important to have routine fluoride treatments. Over time, different liquids and solids that we consume build up an acid that ultimately breaks down our teeth, starting with the enamel.  Once the acid penetrates the enamel, it can start to break down crucial minerals needed in our teeth. Fluoride is the best way to ensure strong, healthy teeth and it’s a great way to rebuild the enamel or minerals that may have already been lost.

There are 5 clear benefits of fluoride treatments that all ages can appreciate.

Protects Your Enamel

One of the most well-known benefits of fluoride treatments is its ability to protect a tooth’s enamel. Drinking liquids that contain high amounts of acid can cause the enamel on your teeth to break down. When the enamel deteriorates, your teeth become much more sensitive to normal activities such as drinking warm, hot, or cold liquids. Drinks containing high amounts of acid include lemon juice or lemonade, tomato juice, grape juice, orange juice, apple juice, and many other fruit juices. 

Unfortunately, extremely sensitive teeth can cause an unpleasant sensation at any moment. Brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste and receiving fluoride treatments at the dental office reduces the amount of sensitivity your teeth experience. Fluoride helps protect the teeth and enamel against these acids and the bacteria that cause them. Specifically, fluoride protects the enamel from being broken down, reducing teeth sensitivity

Puts Minerals Back In Your Teeth

Acid does more damage to your teeth than simply breaking down the enamel. It also breaks down the structure of your teeth by destroying the minerals that make up your teeth. Minerals, like calcium and phosphorous, are vital to the health of your teeth. When acid breaks down the enamel, it causes your teeth to become weak and damaged. The loss of calcium and phosphorous in your teeth can have dire consequences.

Fluoride reverses the damage by adding those vital minerals back into your teeth. This process, known as remineralization, ultimately helps rebuild damaged teeth. Remineralization is essential to maintaining healthy, strong teeth!

Helps Prevent Cavities and Tooth Decay

Bacteria is present in everyone’s mouth. When sugars and starches are consumed, they enable the bacteria to produce an acid which breaks down the enamel. This process is extremely harmful to your teeth and when it’s not combatted with fluoride treatments, the acid begins to decay your teeth. Fluoride is always the best treatment when battling tooth decay or cavities.

Saves You Money Down the Road

It’s no secret that dental procedures can be costly. The best way to save money in the long run is to stay up to date with your fluoride treatment. There are topical and systemic fluorides.

Topical fluorides are applied directly onto your teeth’s enamel. This can be completed with fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash, and treatments offered within the dental office. Many dentists apply a fluoride treatment onto the teeth during a routine cleaning.

Provides A Natural Preventative

A final significant benefit of fluoride is that it serves as a natural preventative for your teeth. Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance found in both the oceans and the groundwater. By using water fluoridation, we’re able to adjust the levels of fluoride in our drinking water to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay and cavities.

It’s a natural and effective way to prevent possible damage to our teeth. The next time you visit the dentist, it’s wise to ask about receiving fluoride treatments as a means of prevention for your teeth.

Removable partial or full dentures require proper care to keep them clean, stain-free, and looking their best. For good denture care and to maintain good oral health, you need to care for complete and partial dentures as carefully as you would look after natural teeth. Proper denture care is important for both the health of your dentures and mouth.

It’s important to maintain good oral health by keeping your dentures, any remaining natural teeth, and mouth clean. Like natural teeth, dentures attract plaque, can stain and collect food particles that cause bad breath and irritate gums.

If you are wearing removable dentures as substitutes for your missing teeth, you should know that they are designed to fit snugly in your mouth. Like your natural teeth, you should keep your dentures clean and maintain them properly to prevent damage or fungal infection. Below are some tips on how to take care of it.

1. Remove and rinse dentures after eating. Run water over your dentures to remove food debris and other loose particles. You may want to place a towel on the counter or in the sink or put some water in the sink so the dentures won’t break if you drop them.

1. Handle your dentures carefully. Be sure you don’t bend or damage the plastic or the clasps when cleaning.

1. Clean your mouth after removing your dentures. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush on natural teeth and gauze or a soft toothbrush to clean your tongue, cheeks, and roof of your mouth (palate). If used, remove any remaining denture adhesive from your gums.

1. Brush your dentures at least daily. Remove and gently clean your dentures daily. Soak and brush them with a soft-bristled brush and nonabrasive denture cleanser to remove food, plaque, and other deposits. If you use denture adhesive, clean the grooves that fit against your gums to remove any remaining adhesive. Don’t use denture cleansers inside your mouth.

1. Soak dentures overnight. Most types of dentures need to stay moist to keep their shape. Place the dentures in water or a mild denture-soaking solution overnight. Check with your dentist about properly storing your dentures overnight. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on cleaning and soaking solutions.

1. Rinse dentures thoroughly before putting them back in your mouth, especially if using a denture-soaking solution. These solutions can contain harmful chemicals that cause vomiting, pain, or burns if swallowed.

1. Schedule regular dental checkups. Your dentist will recommend how often to visit to have your dentures examined and professionally cleaned. Your dentist can help ensure a proper fit to prevent slippage and discomfort, and also check the inside of your mouth to make sure it’s healthy.

1. See your dentist if you have a loose fit. See your dentist promptly if your dentures become loose. Loose dentures can cause irritation, sores, and infection.

There are also things you typically should avoid:

1. Abrasive cleaning materials. Avoid stiff-bristled brushes, strong cleansers, and harsh toothpaste, as these are too abrasive and can damage your dentures.

1. Whitening tubes of toothpaste. Toothpaste advertised as whitening pastes often contains peroxide, which does little to change the color of denture teeth.

1. Bleach-containing products. Don’t use any bleaching products because these can weaken dentures and change their color. Don’t soak dentures with metal attachments in solutions that contain chlorine because it can tarnish and corrode the metal.

1. Hot water. Avoid hot or boiling water that could warp your dentures.

Staying on top of denture hygiene is one of the major keys to long term success with your new teeth. Without proper maintenance and care, you may start to notice that your dentures smell.

If your dentures aren’t cleaned regularly, it could lead to a build of tartar. In this article, we’ll examine some of the best ways to keep your denture tartar free.

First, let’s take a look at what tartar is and how it can impact your oral health.

What do you know about Tartar?

When we allow bacteria to build up on our teeth or dentures, it can lead to plaque — a sticky deposit that can lead to gum disease if left untreated. If plaque is allowed to harden, it turns into tartar which is a common source of discoloration and surface stains on our teeth.

Tartar is extremely difficult to remove and will likely require the help of a dental professional. It can also make it much harder to remove new bacteria and plaque.

The good news is that tartar is completely preventable with proper oral hygiene. If you’re staying on top of denture maintenance, you can easily minimize the risk of tartar buildups. Here are some tips you can do:

1. Prepare your Cleaning Area

It’s a good idea to fill your sink halfway with water or lay down a folded towel to provide some cushion if you accidentally drop your dentures.

Taking small measures to prevent cracks or scratches on your dentures (which give bacteria more places to hide) can go a long way to keeping them free from tartar.

2. Don’t forget to Soak your Dentures before Cleaning

Mix half vinegar and half warm water in a container big enough to cover your dentures completely. Allow your dentures to soak for a short while before cleaning them. The mixture of vinegar and warm water can soften plaque and tartar — making it much easier to remove.

3. Brush Your Dentures

If at all possible, it’s best to brush your dentures after every meal. At the very least, your dentures should be cleaned twice a day.

Make sure you’re using a soft-bristled brush and denture cleaning paste — traditional toothpaste and toothbrushes can scratch and damage your dentures.

Pay close attention to any crevices or holes where bacteria may like to hide. After you’ve brushed your dentures thoroughly, rinse them with warm water to wash away any tartar/plaque that may have come loose.

4. Soak Your Dentures Overnight

Lastly, it’s always a good idea to soak your dentures overnight with a denture cleanser. This can reduce the likelihood of bacteria buildups and prevent your dentures from drying out.

However, taking good care of dentures will be a challenging one, because we know for a fact that it’s synthetic. So if you’ve noticed any discoloration or unusual smells on your dentures, it may be time to get your dentures cleaned professionally. You can always contact your orthodontist that made your dentures.