Straight teeth are nice and all, but do they really matter? The truth may surprise you.

The Social Benefits of Straight Teeth

One of the first things people notice about us is our smile, which makes it a powerful social tool. Studies found that nearly half of American adults believe a smile is the most memorable feature after they first meet someone. It was ranked ahead of the first thing a person says, their clothing and their smell.

Straight Teeth and Confidence

Kids with straightened teeth can gain a huge amount of self-esteem associated with doing better in school, forming strong bonds and friendships, resisting peer pressure and trying new things. The confidence that comes from loving your smile is also important for adults. Feeling good about yourself can greatly enhance your quality of life.

A Reduced Risk of Tooth Decay

Straight teeth are much easier to keep clean because you eliminate the extra nooks and crannies where plaque and food debris can hide. When plaque isn’t brushed away, the bacteria from the plaque interact with starches and carbohydrates in the food you eat and they release acids that erode your tooth enamel.

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Up to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist altogether because of anxiety or fear (that’s almost 40 million people!). Going to the dentist, getting preventive care, and addressing issues is critical to your dental and overall health. Here are five tips to help with your fear of the dentist.

Arrive Early

Don’t add stress to your appointment—arrive extra early to give yourself enough time to take it slow. If it will help, arrive early enough to enjoy a few extra minutes in the lobby, talking to the front desk staff, asking questions, or just relaxing.

Bring a Friend or Family Member

Whether you want the person to wait out on the lobby during your appointment or in the room with you, having a supportive person nearby can help you feel safer and more relaxed.

Speak up About Your Fears

Acknowledge your fears by talking to your dentist or dental hygienist. Try writing down your fears before you arrive so you make sure you have all the information ready to share. Open communication with your dentist helps them personalize your experience.

Ask Questions

Want to know about a specific instrument or treatment? Just ask! A good dental team will gladly accommodate your requests, explaining what a sensation might be like and ensuring you’re comfortable the entire time.

Choose the Right Dentist

Overcoming your fear of going to the dentist starts with choosing the right dental practice. If you want a comfortable, family-friendly environment then schedule an appointment with us today.

A “smile makeover” improves the appearance of your smile with cosmetic dentistry. If your teeth are stained, discolored, worn, chipped, broken, misaligned, misshapen, cosmetic dentistry can improve your smile—and your confidence.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening can be one of the simplest and least expensive ways to improve your smile. There are also whitening products available over the counter at retail stores for convenient at-home whitening.

Dental Veneers

Often called “Hollywood teeth,” dental veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored porcelain or resin that cover the front surface of the teeth.

Dental Bonding

Bonding can repair decayed, chipped, cracked, or misshapen teeth. In dental bonding, a tooth-colored, putty-like resin, which is a durable plastic material, is applied to the tooth and hardened with an ultraviolet or laser light, bonding the material to the tooth. Your dentist then trims, shapes, and polishes it.

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Is your big day around the corner? Get your smile ready for the cameras with these five tips.

Beware of Foods that Stain Your Teeth

Here are a handful of common tooth-staining culprits:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Soda
• Red
• Berries
• Foods with bright artificial coloring

Consume these items in moderation and brush your teeth ASAP when you’re finished.

Drink Water

Dehydration is a problem you may not think about and is especially common if you are getting married during the hotter part of the year. Not only can dehydration sour your mood, it can also dry out your lips, creating a roadblock for your best smile.

Lipstick Matters

If you’re unsure which lipstick shade to choose, ask a make-up expert or check out the most requested lipstick shades brides want (pro tip: try before you buy).

Your Year for Veneers?

If there’s one cosmetic procedure that can do it all, it’s porcelain veneers. Strong, wafer-thin “shells,” they’re adhered to the front of teeth to give them a whole new appearance. They’re perfect for chip, cracks, gaps, minor crowding, small or misshapen teeth, and severe stains that don’t respond to whitening treatments.

Schedule a Pre-Wedding Visit to the Dentist

Make sure you visit your dentist regularly in the months leading up to your wedding. If you have any oral problems, such as teeth discoloration or crooked teeth, you should be seeing your dentist at least a year before the big day to ensure there is time for any lengthy wedding smile treatment plans. Schedule an appointment today to get your smile wedding-day ready!

When trying to get our teeth as clean as possible, it can be easy to brush too hard or think a stiffer bristle is necessary. But how can you tell if you’re going too far? Here are four signs that you’re overbrushing. 

Toothbrush Damage

If your toothbrush’s bristles look flattened, you’re likely overbrushing. Keep on the lookout for bristles that “splay,” which is a sign you’re pressing too hard or brushing too frequently. Remember to replace your toothbrush every 3-4 weeks. In that time, bristles will wear down in that time creating minute serrated edges which damage teeth’s surface.

Sensitive Teeth

Brushing too vigorously or too often wears away the tooth’s protective enamel coating, exposing sensitive nerves to cold and hot temperatures. If you have a history of sensitive teeth and have taken steps to remedy the situation, but the sensitivity returns every few weeks, you could be overbrushing.

Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums often happen when the thinnest layer of gum over the tooth is irritated and damaged, which can happen when you brush too often to let the gum heal itself. Pay close attention and see your dentist whenever you think your gums may be damaged.

Orthodontic Problems

While it is true that braces and dental implants need extra care to remain healthy, overbrushing can cause even more damage. Don’t run the risk of misaligning your braces, knocking dental bridges or wearing down cosmetic treatments as this will only mean more visits to your dentist and potentially complicate future treatments.

Schedule a Visit to the Dentist

Ready to get the healthy, happy smile you deserve? Schedule an appointment today.

We often hear that we should go to the dentist every six months. Have you ever wondered why?

Brushing at Home isn’t Enough

Plaque and bacteria can build up between teeth and in other hard to reach areas. Only a dentist will be able to clean these areas. This is also because over time, plaque hardens and becomes difficult to remove. If left alone, this could also lead to the development of cavities and other oral problems.

Prevent Tooth Loss

The later a cavity is treated, the lower the tooth’s chances for survival. Regular dental checkups can ensure early identification of gum infections and periodontal disease.

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Do you have a dental implant? Extend its lifetime with these three tips for maintaining your dental implant.

Keep Up Your Brushing

Treat your implants like you would your natural teeth. You can use any type of toothbrush you like, whether it’s sonic, electric or manual. Be sure to consistently practice oral hygiene and you’ll be protected.

Be a Floss Boss

Unwaxed tape or a floss designed specifically for dental implants is highly recommended. You could also use a floss threader to help you maneuver in the hard-to-reach spaces. Flossing is just as important as brushing your teeth, and it plays an integral role in maintaining your gum health.

You can also incorporate the use of an oral irrigator, aka a water flosser. It shoots pressurized water into your mouth to aid in dislodging leftover debris hidden between your teeth. Another way to protect your gums and extend the life of your dental implants is with a gum stimulator. It’s a tool with a rubber tip that allows you to get into the gum pocket to remove debris and plaque that can gather over time.

Visit Your Dentist for Preventive Care

An essential way to ensure a long life for your dental implant is to maintain regular dental visits. If there is any lingering plaque or tartar, it can be removed before it causes any gum health issues. Ready to give your dental implant the best care it can get? Schedule an appointment today to experience a kind, professional, family-friendly dental environment.

Dental fillings fill holes in your teeth caused by decay. Fillings can also be used to repair broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down by grinding. But how do you know if you need a filling?

Here are some symptoms that might indicate it’s time to get a filling:

• Achy teeth: These may come as sharp pains, dull aches, or general toothaches.
• If you have a tooth that is sensitive to hot or cold liquids and food
• Throbbing pain in your tooth
• Your food gets stuck on a certain tooth while eating
• Have a fractured or chipped tooth
• Rough on your tongue: If you run your tongue across the tooth and feel jagged edges that weren’t there before this may be a sign that the inside of the tooth is eroding
• You can see the problem: If you look at or in your mouth and a hole is visible, this is a sure sign that something is wrong
• Flossing fissures: When you start to see the floss becoming frayed after your gentle flossing at home this may be a sign that the tooth is becoming sharp and jagged pointing to tooth decay
• Discoloration of filling: Do you have composite resin fillings? Over time, these tooth-colored fillings can become darker or start to look slightly yellow. Replacing the filling will restore your tooth’s appearance and give you a brighter, more beautiful smile.

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A veneer is a thin piece of porcelain used to re-create the natural look of teeth, while also providing strength and resilience comparable to natural tooth enamel. Dental veneers are typically used to improve the appearance of teeth that are stained or discolored, which can be attributed to a number of different factors, including:

• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Gaps
• Crowding
• Misshapen teeth
• Severe stains

Dental veneers are also used to quickly, effectively, and painlessly change the shape of one or more teeth that may be chipped, uneven, misaligned, or even worn down. They can also be used to close small gaps between teeth.

Benefits of Veneers

Because the shade of a veneer is carefully matched to your natural teeth, they’re difficult to differentiate them from your natural teeth. Porcelain is also naturally more stain-resistant than tooth enamel and is thus less affected by coffee or red wine.

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People of all ages consume sports drinks under the assumption that they’re hydrating and they improve athletic performance. Unfortunately, your favorite sports drink is likely delivering sugars and acid—two things your smile could do without.

A study by the Academy of General Dentistry found that 30-50% of American teens drink energy drinks, and approximately 62% have at least one energy drink per day. This high proportion is what leads to a high percentage of American teens facing dental issues.

Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade contain either natural or artificial sweeteners that convert to acids once they enter your mouth; this is your body’s attempt to start digesting them.  To make matters worse, this mixture is in a liquid form, which means these acids bathe your teeth on all surfaces.

The best way to prevent dental damage caused by sports drinks is to opt for water instead. Water is the best way to hydrate the body and you won’t be putting your smile in harm’s way. Water also contains fluoride, so it helps strengthen your teeth as it rinses away bacteria in your mouth.

If you must grab a sports drink on occasion, try not to drink it over a long period of time and rinse your mouth with water immediately following.

Schedule an Appointment

If you’re an avid sports drink guzzler, look for signs that your beverage of choice has already caused damage. Are sports drinks causing you or your child issue with cavities or discoloration, or tooth sensitivity? Schedule an appointment with us and we’ll help you get your smile back to beautiful.