Brighten Your Montana Smile
First off let me welcome the lovely women in the 406 to 2014. In my last article I encouraged you to include an improved oral healthcare routine amongst your goals for the New Year. Remember, your mouth is the window. to your overall health so I encourage you to remain resolute. The year is fresh, your goals are fresh, let your mouth be fresh also.
To be honest, I'm sitting on a plane to Salt Lake City right now and for someone like me, with mild to moderate undiagnosed attention deficit disorder (ADD), planes are torture. I feel like I've been placed in "time-out." However, my greatest moments of clarity always come within the confines of a fuselage and I'm ultimately. grateful for the opportunity to step away from the distractions of Terral Firma and reflect. My poor wife Juli calls it my flight-induced manic episode.
Anyway, my present flight has my mind wrapped around my young career as a dentist and what I desire for the community that I serve. My enhanced clarity & focus strip away the fluff and I have it: SMILE! In other words, I want Montana to SMILE bigger, brighter, and often. So let's focus the remainder of this discussion on the quickest and easiest process in which to freshen and brighten your Montana smile. Whitening!
Most of us are familiar with the current whitening campaign, which claims that "if you're not whitening your yellowing." I agree with this statement and I actually like it. The process of teeth whitening is considered a cosmetic dental procedure and it can be grouped with cosmetic procedures in general. And if we really consider the purpose of a cosmetic procedure, it is to look fresher, healthier, and I think the one word that embodies cosmetics is "Youth!" Our teeth naturally yellow as we age, whitening your teeth will automatically make you appear younger.
In my kitchen I have a raw butcher-block island. As wood being porous, it absorbs stain (especially Huckleberry products). It needs regular maintenance to stay fresh (if you haven't figured it out yet, fresh is the word of the day). Teeth, while much more resistant, are also porous and will pick up the stains of life: coffee, tea, dark berries, red wine, smoking the usual suspects. Let's discuss the current available methods to combat these stains. and maintain our bright smiles.
Over the counter whitening options:
1. Whitening toothpaste and gums:
Toothpaste and gums that claim to whiten are blurring the lines between what is actually stain, and what is actually debris. Brushing teeth, obviously the most important thing you can do for your oral health, it is effective at removing physical debris, plaque, and minor surface stain from your teeth. In doing so your teeth are obviously going to look whiter because they are indeed cleaner. With that being said, toothpastes and gums that claim to whiten teeth have little if any effect on removing actual stains.
2. Whitening strips:
Whitening strips are very thin, virtually invisible strips that are coated with the peroxide-based whitening gel. They represent a quick, cost-effective and readily accessible option for whitening your teeth. Easily found at nearly all supermarkets and drugstores, whitening strips utilize peroxide to break down the stains in your teeth.. Consistent usage of whitening strips will deliver some result, but the general rule in teeth whitening is quick easy and cheap equates to a greater time commitment.
3. Whitening gels and whitening trays:
Whitening gels are clear, peroxide-based gel systems that can involve filling a generic mouthguard-like tray with a peroxide-based gel or applying it with a small brush directly to the surface of your teeth. These modalities will get results but there will be a greater time commitment involved, with less predictability and consistency.
Dentist facilitated whitening options:
1. In-office whitening:
In-office whitening, also known as. bleaching, provides the quickest way to whiter teeth, and usually comes with the most expensive price tag. During an in-office bleaching treatment, the whitening product is applied directly to the teeth. Used in combination with heat special light and or a laser, results are seen in only 30 to 60 minute bleaching appointment. This procedure is usually followed with a set of custom trays for follow-up take-home treatments.
2. Custom Bleach Trays:
Custom bleach trays have long been, and remain the most effective and predictable teeth whitening modality. Custom trays are fabricated using stone models of your upper and lower teeth. A small reservoir is created on the surface of each tooth in which to hold. the peroxide-based bleaching gel. Depending on the bleaching system used and the strength of the gel, these treatments last anywhere from five to 30 minutes. For me, the commute home from work once or twice a month is the perfect opportunity to maintain my "fresh" smile.
Things to consider:
A common side effect to whitening one's teeth using a peroxide-based gel is increased tooth sensitivity to cold. In fact about 80% of patients who undergo a teeth-whitening treatment will experience some form of sensitivity. With that in mind, people with gum recession and exposed sensitive root surfaces may find the whitening ingredients further irritate their teeth, and may not be good candidates for teeth whitening. There are ways to lessen the sensitivity through at home topical fluoride treatments (prescribed by a dentist) or in more simple cases adding a toothpaste for sensitive teeth like Sensodyne prior to and during your whitening regimen.
People with active dental cavities should avoid a peroxide-based whitening program, as it could cause additional harm to their teeth. It should also be noted, that fillings and crowns do not lighten with bleaching or if you have any unusually dark stains, you may not get the result that you desire to achieve.
Lastly, teeth have an element of translucency. If teeth that are highly translucent are bleached they will actually appear darker and this cannot be reversed with time. Your mouth is very dark inside and the shadow will show though. Your dentist will help you to know if you fall in this category.
I guess what I'm ultimately driving at is there is more to whitening your smile than just slapping on some bleach. A conversation with your dental health professional is strongly recommended before undergoing any tooth whitening regimen whether it is at home or supervised by a dentist. This will ensure you achieve the result you are hoping for.
This is so cheesy, but I love smiles. A true smile is an uncontrollable reflex caused by pleasure. What's not to love? With that I encourage you to keep smiling Montana! Smiles are contagious. They brighten the lives of those around you. You show me yours; I'll show you mine.
Read Brighten Your Montana Smile and other Smile Montana articles by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS, in 406 Woman magazines.