What Causes Discoloration?

While people have different colors of skin and hair, they also have genetic differences in tooth color. Some teeth are more yellow, while others yellow with aging. Natural tooth color can be discolored by a number of causes. The surface of the teeth can be stained by tobacco, coffee, tea, berries and other foods as well as by deposits of calculus (which is better known as tartar).

Discoloration of the tooth internally can also result from aging, injuries, excessive fluoride, certain illnesses and taking antibiotic tetracycline during early childhood. Although bleaching successfully lightens most discolorations, certain types (like those caused by tetracycline) are more difficult to remove.

What is Bonding?

Bonding is a term used to describe a number of procedures that involve applying composite resins to the tooth. Regardless of its use, bonding can provide an attractive result.

How Bonding is Performed
Bonding is often completed in one visit and often does not require the use of anesthesia or drilling. The process involves preparing the tooth surface with an etching solution that allow the composite resin to adhere. To match the color of your teeth, various colors of resins are carefully blended so the bonded tooth will look natural.

The resin is applied, contoured into the proper shape and hardened using a special light or chemical process. It is smoothed and polished to appear natural. Sometimes a follow-up appointment will be required for final polishing and finishing.

Aftercare

Because bonding material is not as strong as natural tooth enamel, it can chip and may have to be replaced periodically. Bonded areas of the tooth are also prone to stain. For these reasons, bonding requires careful home and professional maintenance. You can help maintain your bonding by following these tips.

- Avoid acids (such as vinegar, tomatoes, or pineapples) and alcohol which can damage the resins.
- Avoid items that can stain bonding material such as cigarettes, coffee, tea, and berries.
- Do not put excess pressure on resins. Chewing ice, popcorn kernels and hard candy can cause damage.

X-rays

Why do I need X-rays?

Dental X-rays are extremely valuable for helping to detect oral diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissues. An X-ray exam may reveal small cavities that can't be seen by a visual exam, infections in the bone, abscesses, cysts, developmental abnormalities, such as extra or impacted teeth and some types of tumors. Just because such diseases, including early tooth decay, can't be seen by a visual exam does not mean that treatment isn't required.

Is it safe to have dental X-rays?

Yes. Numerous precautions and advances in X-ray equipment help protect patients from receiving unnecessary radiation. The amount of radiation received from a Dental Exam is extremely small compared to other naturally occurring sources of radiation, including minerals in the soil, radon, and cosmic radiation from outer space. A full-mouth series of films, using state-of-the-art technology, will deliver an effective dose that is equivalent to about 19 days of exposure to naturally occurring environmental radiation.

How often are they necessary?

This depends upon the patients individual health needs. If you are a new patient, the dentist may recommend X-rays to determine the current status of your mouth and to check for hidden problems. The need for radiographs varies according to your age, risk for disease, and your past dental history.

Children may need X-rays more often than adults because their teeth and jaws are still developing and they are more prone to tooth decay. X-rays help the Dentist discover developmental problems as early as possible so preventative or treatment measures can be started.

Sealants

What Sealants Do for You

A sealant is a clear shaded plastic material that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (premolars
and molars), where decay occurs most often. This sealant acts as a barrier, protecting the decay prone areas of the tooth from plaque and acid.

How Sealants are Applied

Each tooth only takes a few minutes to seal. First, the teeth that will be sealed will be cleaned. The chewing surfaces are then etched (roughened) with a weak acidic solution to help the sealant adhere to the teeth. Finally, the sealant is placed onto the tooth enamel and hardened. Some sealants need a special curing light to help them harden, while others do not.

Who Should Have Sealants

Although children receive significant benefits from sealants, adults can also be at risk for pit and fissure decay and thus be candidates for sealants. Your Dentist can advise you about the need for sealants. Sealants are also recommended even for those who receive topical applications of fluoride and who live in communities with
fluoridated water. Fluoride helps fight decay on the smooth surfaces of the teeth but is least effective in pits and fissures.

How Long Do Sealants Last

When the sealant is applied, finger-like strands penetrate the pits and fissures of the tooth enamel. Although the sealant cannot be seen with the naked eye, the protective effect of these strands continues. As a result, it may be several years before another application of sealant is needed. Reapplication of the sealants will continue the protection against decay and may save the time and expense of having a tooth restored. Sealants will be checked during regular dental visits to determine if reapplication is necessary.

How Sealants Save Money

The American Dental Association recognizes that sealants can play a major role in the prevention of tooth decay.

When properly applied and maintained they can successfully protect the chewing surfaces of the tooth from decay. A total prevention program includes brushing twice a day, cleaning between teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaner, regular dental visits, and limiting the number of between-meal snacks. Ask your dentist how to obtain the right level of fluoride. If these measures are followed and sealants are used well, the risk of decay can be reduced or may even be eliminated.

Aftercare

With the sealant deep within the pits and grooves of the enamel surface, normal eating habits can be maintained.

Twice a day brushing is very important to maximize the benefits of the sealants. Of course, sealants should be
checked during regular dental visits to determine if reapplication is necessary.

Injuries from Non-Use

Recreation experts have long recommended a mouth protector as an important piece of safety equipment. Without one, an athlete on the playing field runs the risk of acquiring a toothless grin!

You’ve probably seen mouth protectors used in contact sports, such as hockey, football, and boxing. Coaches and team members know that mouth protectors cushion blows that would otherwise cause broken teeth, injuries to the lips and face, and sometimes even jaw fractures.

Athletic Requirements

If you have dental appliances such as orthodontic braces or bridgework, you should wear a mouth protector that has been fitted by a Dentist.

A mouth protector should be worn at all times during contact sports, in practice as well as during games.

Mishaps on the playing field, the basketball court, and while riding a bicycle or skateboard often involve blows to the head, face, and mouth.

Besides creating a painful emergency, injuries to the mouth can result in chipped or fractured teeth, nerve damage, and tooth loss. Wearing a mouth protector is a simple way to prevent many of these painful and costly injuries.

Types of Mouth Guards

You don’t have to be a football player to benefit from wearing a mouth protector. Any adult or child involved in a recreational activity that poses a risk of injury to the mouth can obtain smile protection with this important safety device.

There are basically two types of mouth protectors:

• Pre-fabricated: A pre-fabricated mouth guard can be purchased at stores, these mouth guards are often only offered in a general size offerings.
• Custom: Mouth guards can also be fabricated by your dentist using an exact model (impression) of your mouth. This type of mouth guard provides superior fit and protection.

Custom-made mouthguards

Your Dentist can create a special mouth protector just for you – one that will provide comfort and proper fit. A custom-made mouth protector is individually designed and constructed in the dental office or according to your dentist’s specifications in a professional dental laboratory.

First, the dentist makes an impression of the patient’s teeth. Using a special material, the dentist constructs the mouth protectors over a model of the teeth.

Although custom-made mouth protectors are somewhat more expensive than stock mouth protectors purchased in stores, their exceptionally good fit, comfort, and overall quality make them worth it. A custom-made mouth protector is easily retained in the mouth and does not interfere with speech or breathing. For these reason, custom-made devices are often preferred by sports enthusiasts and recommended by dentists. So give your smile a sporting chance – ask you Dentist about mouth protectors.