Top 10 Reasons to Practice Good Oral Hygiene

It is easy to understand why oral hygiene is important for your mouth. But did you know that poor oral hygiene causes problems throughout the rest of your body? Besides creating health issues, poor oral hygiene can create social issue for you too. Who wants to be known as the person with bad breath? If these aren't reasons enough to practice good oral hygiene, here are a few more:

Top 10 Reasons to Practice Good Oral Hygiene

1) Did you know that bad teeth, caused by poor oral hygiene, could give you a heart attack? Numerous recent studies have shown that ignoring oral hygiene could encourage heart disease and that there is a relationship between periodontal disease and a greater risk for developing problems with the heart and circulatory system. In a study at the University of Montana, researchers followed participants ranging in age from 57 - 75 with no history of stroke or heart disease. They scanned participants' carotid arteries for atherosclerosis and examined participants' teeth and gums, looking for signs of periodontal disease. Besides analyzing signs such as plaque on the teeth and pockets between the teeth and gum, they also counted the number of teeth each person - considering tooth loss to be a sign of past periodontal disease. The study showed that people with the most missing teeth had the most carotid artery plague.

2) Poor oral hygiene can give you systemic injuries. Pyorrhea is an infection of the gums and tooth-sockets. The infection starts beneath the edges of the gums and progresses into the membranes that attach the root of the tooth to the socket. There, a pocket is formed and as the pus is continually produced it is discharged into your mouth and swallowed. Also, as the tooth rises and falls in its diseased socket during ordinary chewing, bacteria are forced into the circulation and may be carried to other body parts, attacking tissues in which they can thrive including your heart, kidneys and lungs.

3) Practice good oral hygiene to keep all of your teeth. Pyorrhea is also the culprit of tooth loss. As this gum infection progresses, it destroys the membranes that attach the root of your tooth to the tooth's socket. A pocket is formed around the root and the tooth becomes loosened, eventually falling out.

4) Bad breathe, also known as halitosis, is caused by poor oral hygiene. Although there are other factors that affect the quality of your breath including smoking, gum disease, dry mouth and medicines, the primary cause of halitosis is oral bacteria. Control your breath by brushing, flossing and visiting your dentist for professional cleanings.

5) Good oral hygiene prevents cavities. One of the most obvious reasons to practice good oral hygiene is to prevent cavities. Acids that eat away at tooth enamel are caused by dental plaque. The bacteria in plaque consumes sugars and the waste product created from these bacteria digesting sugars is the acid that causes demineralization of tooth enamel and dentin. The more often and longer duration that food is in your mouth, the greater chance plaque has to grow. Minimize in-between meals and snacking. Brush twice and day and don't forget to floss.

6) Oral hygiene promotes a pretty mouth. Practicing good oral hygiene helps you to preserve your natural good looks. Your smile is one of the first things that people notice - and poor oral hygiene can speak volumes in an instant. If you have braces, oral hygiene is even more imperative. Spending thousands of dollars to straighten your teeth will seem meaningless if after you remove them you have white scaring on your enamel. Poor oral hygiene can allow plaque to work behind braces, causing white scars that could become permanent. Keep your teeth healthy, white and cavity-free with a nutritious diet, visits to your dentist twice a year and proper oral hygiene.

7) Oral hygiene prevents gum infection. Harmful bacteria called plaque are also the cause of gum disease. If you do not control plaque it will build up on your gums and irritate them, eventually causing them to bleed easily. When left uncontrolled the infection can attack your bone and connective tissues. Teeth will loosen and ultimately must be removed.

8) Oral hygiene is good for your bank account. Practicing good oral hygiene is the foundation of preventive dentistry, whose goal is to maintain healthy teeth and gums, and to prevent oral illnesses. A proper diet and plaque control will help you to safeguard yourself against dental decay and keep expensive repairs to your mouth to a minimum. While preventive dentistry, such as professional cleanings, is usually covered 100% by insurance, retroactive repairs such as root canals are not. Safe time and money by practicing good oral hygiene - and prevent expensive problems from rearing its ugly head.

9) Practice good oral hygiene to keep your energy levels high. Lack of sleep, hectic lifestyle and stress can weaken the body's defense system and affect overall wellbeing. When you have an infection in your mouth, it can cause your immune system to be constantly elevated. This constant elevation can affect your energy levels, making your feel tired more often as well as increasing your susceptibility to other illnesses.

10) Good oral hygiene is your most simple, economical way to keep a happy, healthy smile. Brush, floss, visit your dentist regularly cleanings and checkups, eat a healthy diet, drink lots of water and stop smoking. Following the proper approach to oral hygiene will held you keep a full, durable and brilliant set of teeth for your whole life.

Professional teeth whitening

Teeth whitening popularity is rising rapidly these days as every one wants a pearl white teeth.  The concept of teeth whitening is based on the oxidization effect of free oxygen on stain particles. The teeth whitener or the teeth whitening agent releases free oxygen that penetrates the tooth to reach the deep layers where internal stains present.

When the free oxygen attacks the large molecules of dental stains it breaks it to a smaller particles that is lighter in color.

There is many forms of teeth whitening  available but generally we can categories it to.

    * Dentist applied (which called dentist or professional teeth whitening)
    * Dentist prescribed (which called at home teeth whitening).

The home teeth whitening method start by your visit to you dentist to examine your teeth and to be sure that there is no contraindications for teeth whitening treatment  like caries or gum recession , So please don’t start applying any of the products available in the market without dentist prescription as this may be dangerous and many of these products lakes the proper testing and evaluation, So your dentist is the best one who can choose you what to use and how to use it AND sometimes you are contraindicated to use teeth bleaching at all.

Dentist or professional teeth whitening products are based usually on hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient . Some times carbamide peroxide is used but it release half of the oxygen released by the same concentration hydrogen peroxide so many dentists prefer the hydrogen peroxide based whiteners.

The procedures of teeth whitener application is depending to the system but generally we can summarize it as follow:

1-Careful examination

2- Calculus removal and teeth polishing: This is a very important step and i think it is the cause of the failure that happens with over the counter teeth whiteners. When teeth scaling is neglected the free oxygen released by the whitening gel react with tartar, plaque and superficial stains and after this reaction there will be no oxygen left to react with the deep dark stains that cause the dark color of the teeth  which will lead to failure of the treatment.

3- Soft tissue isolation : This is the reason that makes professional teeth whitening more safe and less annoying than home teeth bleaching as the dentist will isolate the gum, cheek and lips not to come in contact with the teeth whitener gel which cause the material to be more concentrated on the teeth, This can  also diminish the burning effect of oxygen on gum and lips. There is many ways to isolate the soft tissue either by using rubber dam to cover gum and lip or painting isolating resins to gum and lips before applying of the material.

4-Application of teeth whitening gel:  Teeth whitening gel may be used directly as a painting to the labial surface of the teeth or may be loaded to a custom tray that the patient wear. Also some systems like ZOOM needs light source to be activated and others may be activated chemically with no need to light. generally light systems are a little bit expensive and supposed to be more effective although some authors stated that the efficacy  is almost the same but i see that light activated systems are a little bit more effective.

The application time vary from 10 min to 45 min in some systems and also the number of application vary according to the case and the system used.

5-Rinsing the gel and removal of the insulator system.

6- Applying of desensitization gel: Dentists prefer to apply desensitizers after finishing of the whitening process as this will relive the sensitivity that happens some times and also repair the tooth surface enamel and remineralize  the lost calcium from the tooth.

After all dentist applied teeth whitening is considered the best solution to have a whiter teeth if you can afford it. It is safe,  fast and have the best results the only disadvantage is the cost as it usually coast from 500- 1000 $ which is much higher than you usually pay for home teeth whitening systems available in market so forget all the faulty information on the internet and choose it, If you can’t afford it then let your dentist describe any good at home system,  It will work too.

Top 10 Cosmetic Dental Procedures

A great smile often acts as a booster for your self confidence and modern cosmetic dentistry has enabled us many advanced procedures to reshape our smile. You must consult your dentist first to determine which cosmetic dental procedure is best for your needs.

Here are some of the most common cosmetic dental procedures that can help you own that beautiful smile.

Teeth Whitening or Bleaching

This procedure is usually done inside the dentist’s clinic but you can also get some products at some retail stores. Their prices vary so you can definitely find one that will suit every budget. This kind of treatment is used to eliminate tooth stains and discoloration. The results can be instantly achieved and you can enjoy whiter teeth for a long time.

Dental Implants

This type of dental procedure is a better alternative to traditional dentures because it could give you the kind of teeth that will look and feel more natural. The teeth will be planted directly into the bones so you will not have to worry about your teeth falling off. These tend to be costlier though.

Dental Bonding

Teeth could easily get crooked or broken due to injury and some people are just born with not-so-perfect teeth. So, dental bonding is highly recommended to fix these kinds of problem. A clay-like material will be applied to the teeth and a special kind of intense light will be used to harden the material and give the best possible results.

Veneers

These are usually made of porcelain to achieve shiny and white teeth.  Dental veneers are specifically recommended for people with tooth discoloration or heavy stains problems. This dental procedure could also correct damaged teeth due to other causes. It could effectively change the way your teeth look and could create a positive effect on your teeth’s appearance.

White Fillings (Composites)

Fillings are commonly used to repair the damages or holes caused by cavities. They often come in metallic form which is highly noticeable when you smile but now, these fillings also come in white shades that will easily blend with the color of your teeth. These are known as composites. You will achieve a more natural look with these kinds of fillings.

Dental Bridge (Fixed partial denture)

This will help eliminate the flat look or effect caused by the absence of teeth. A denture will be placed on the location of the missing tooth and will be connected by a crown. This could definitely bring back the natural appeal of your smile. Bridges are better alternatives to removable partial dentures in comfort level as well as aesthetic appeal.

Dental Contouring

This is used to align or straighten crooked or overlapped teeth. It could also help people who have problems with the shape of their teeth. The procedure is simple and there will be no to little pain that is completely tolerable.

Cosmetic Gum Surgery

Have you ever noticed some people who seem to have very long teeth? This is because of the recession of gums due to the natural aging process or gum disease. Gum disease is a very dangerous entity that can lead to the recession of the gums. This could be fixed by grafting some tissues from the other areas of your mouth and then using these to rebuild the gum area.

Custom Dentures

This is the simplest form of dental procedure when it comes to replacing missing teeth. It has become the most common preference because of its simplicity and as it costs cheaper.

Accelerated Orthodontics

This is one of the best ways to achieve perfectly straight or aligned teeth. This is better than getting braces because the process will normally take about 3-8 months only compared to braces that could stay on your teeth for years.