How To Know If You Need Braces: Signs To Look Out For

Are you thinking about getting braces? Do you think getting races would help you make your smile better? Is correcting misaligned teeth and making the smile of a patient better is the only reasons why you should choose orthodontics treatment?  No, it’s not true. Yes, braces help you correct your misaligned teeth and enhancing your overall smile, but they can also help you alleviate jaw pain, facial tenderness, and even bad breath. The benefit of braces is not just limited to cosmetic reasons. There are many more reasons why getting braces may be the right move for you.

Painful Biting or Difficulty In Biting: Sometimes while eating your food, you may find it difficult to chew your food or even painful to bite down. This happens mainly with hard-to-chew foods like sticky candy, non-veg, or apples. Some people find out that they are repeatedly cutting the side of their cheek or tongue when they eat. This is due to misalignment of your teeth which may be causing this type of disordered eating. The only solution is visiting Invisalign specialists in McKinney and taking recommendations from them.

Uneven or Excessive Gaps in Teeth: When there is too much space in-between your tooth, then it simply shows that you definitely need braces. Large gaps in your smile can result in tooth decay, jaw misalignment, and eating complications. Food may easily get stuck in the gaps, causing sensitive gum and on-going pain. Braces can help in reducing these gaps and prevent future problems.

Crooked or Crowded Teeth: When you have crooked or crowded teeth, you would definitely need braces to realign your bite and create more space. You should floss regularly as it will keep you informed that you are at risk for crowding. If you are finding difficulty in flossing between certain teeth, then there is a possibility that there is a space issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible with braces. A malocclusion can turn into an affected tooth if it is left untreated. The tooth may have to be pulled or it may lead to costly surgery.

Overbite: When the upper front teeth unreasonably overlap the lower front teeth, then it may cause overbite. This is easily perceptible and comes with many health and oral problems. Individuals with overbite issue are at high risk or can cause trauma to the front teeth, resulting in the fracturing of the front teeth in the case of an injury. Overbites can cause extreme tooth wear and gum recession.

Underbite: The underbite happens when all of the upper front teeth are behind the lower front teeth. Normally, this occurs when an individual has an inconsistent jaw size. Individuals with underbite may experience difficulty chewing and biting. Underbites can also cause enhanced facial aging and an imbalanced facial appearance.

Crossbite: If you have an upper tooth that marks behind a lower opposite tooth, then you may have a crossbite. This is an abnormal bite and you should get yourself treated. Without proper care, a crossbite can result in asymmetric jaw growth, increased gum recession, and extreme wear of the affected teeth. Crossbites can be treated, but if you wait too long, there are very few chances of restoring fractured or worn teeth.

Pain or Clicking in the Jaw: If you are experiencing creaking, clicking, or jaw pain, then it may be due to misalignment of the tooth. Though it can be easy to write-off occasional jaw pain, it is necessary to see Invisalign specialists in McKinney. Jaw pain can be considerably reduced by extrication of your teeth and correcting your bite. Jaw pain can also be an indicator of a more pressing issue that needs to be taken care of straight away. It is always better to be on the safe side and look for the advice of a dental professional.

Protruding Teeth: If you have protruding teeth, braces are the only solution to put them back into alignment. Protruding teeth are difficult on a person’s self-confidence, as the individual is at high-risk for a dental injury. Such teeth that aren’t protected by the lips can be easily blown away during an accidental fall.

Jaws Shift and Sound Produced: Inappropriate jaw position can result in your jaws to shift and produce a sound. This is a serious problem that is a result of a developmental problem with the jawline and your teeth. If you experience pain in your jaw often, you need to visit a dental service to fix braces.

Stay On Top Of Your Oral Health With Dental Treatment

Now when you have decided or you have been recommended for orthodontic treatment for any of the above problems, we would suggest getting it treated by a professional only. Before any patient can receive orthodontic treatment, professionals will first evaluate check the health of their teeth, gums, and mouth.

An orthodontist will suggest you avoid certain foods during orthodontic treatment such as sticky or sugary candies and food as they can damage orthodontic appliances and result in tooth decay or plaque builds up on teeth. Brushing and flossing will partly reduce the effects of these foods, but not completely. Therefore, you have to maintain healthy eating habits and oral hygiene altogether.

How to Prevent Your Teeth to Turn Yellow?

Pale and stained teeth are the most common dental disease all across the world. It occurs due to many different reasons. Though it is not a very serious dental health problem, it has a very big impact on your life. It can turn your beautiful smile into an ugly laugh, low your self-confidence, and make you feel embarrassed in front of your friends, family, and other people. Sometimes, the embarrassment you face in front of your friends and other people due to your yellow and stained teeth leads you to suffer from stress and depression. And once you are victimized by these mental illnesses, it can affect your whole life. So, it is very important to treat this dental disease as soon as possible with appropriate treatment. 

Many people ignore it considering it a minor dental problem, and so their dental health gets worse over time. Eventually, they have to go to a dentist and do more expenses. So, it is always better to take precautionary steps and get treatments in the initial stage. 

In this guide, we have compiled the best preventive and precautionary measures that can certainly help you prevent your teeth from turning yellow. But before we talk about those preventive and precautionary measures, let’s first explore what are the causes of yellow and stained teeth. 

What Causes Pale and Stained Teeth? 

Unhealthy Diet- As per the teeth whitening doctors in McKinney TX, your daily diet has a big impact on your dental health. If you eat healthily, your dental health keeps healthy for a long time. But if you eat too much unhealthy street food, it can turn your teeth yellow within a few weeks. And if you drink certain acidic, alcoholic, and caffeine-containing beverages, it can also turn your teeth yellow as these substances get into the enamel and create a yellow layer on the surface of the teeth. 

Smoking and Consuming Tobacco- Containing Products- Smoking and consuming tobacco-containing products are not only injurious for your lungs and liver but are also very harmful to your overall oral health. They are one of the biggest reasons behind the discoloration of teeth. 

Poor Oral Care- Of course, poor oral care is another big reason for paled and stained teeth. It includes not brushing the teeth properly, not brushing the teeth twice a day, using low-quality fluoride toothpaste, using an ineffective toothbrush, not rinsing the mouth properly after eating food, not flossing, and eating too many unhealthy foods. 

Taking Too Many Medicines and Supplements- Medicines contain different compounds and chemicals. These compounds and chemicals are very strong and can fade the real color of your teeth. If you are consuming or have consumed too many medicines or supplements, it can be the reason for your paled and stained teeth. 

Genetics- Sometimes, it is not your fault that your teeth are pale and stained as it can occur due to genetics. If one of your parents' or grandparents' teeth are pale and stained, likely, your teeth can also be pale and stained. 

These are some possible causes of pale and stained teeth. Now, let’s talk about how you can prevent your teeth from turning pale and stained. 

Top Preventive and Precautionary Measures to Prevent Your Teeth To Turn Yellow

Have Control Over Your Daily Diet- As we mentioned above, your daily diet has a big impact on your dental health. If you eat unhygienic foods and junk foods that can cause stains and yellowness on your teeth, you have to be careful. You should avoid them and eat healthy homemade foods. 

Avoid Acidic and Alcoholic Drinks- According to the dentists, consuming acidic and alcoholic drinks is the most common reason for paled and stained teeth. So, if you want to have a brighter smile, you must avoid this. 

Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day- Dentists repeatedly suggest that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day. It helps to prevent the deposits of layers on the surface of your teeth which is the main cause of pale and stained teeth. So, brush your teeth after waking up from your bed and before going to your bed at night. You should also brush your teeth after eating non-veg foods like chicken, eggs, and fish. 

Do Flossing- Flossing is the process of removing the food particles that are stuck between your teeth. It is important because food particles can produce bacterias and can cause tooth decay and dental infections. So, whenever particles of food are stuck between your teeth, do flossing. 

Take Care of Your Oral Health Alongside Consuming Medicines- When you consume medicines and supplements on a regular basis, your teeth start turning yellow very fastly. So, you will have to take care of it. Consult your concerned dentist and take some good oral tips to keep your teeth white during your medication course. 

Use Mouthwashes and Mouth Fresheners- Though mouthwashes and mouth fresheners are not very effective and helpful for whitening your teeth, but yet you should use them because they remove the plaques and prevent bacteria production. 

So, these are the top preventive and precautionary measures you should follow to keep your pearly whites shining. Apart from this, you can consult your concerned dentist for learning such more good oral care tips. 

How to Maintain Your Kid’s Oral Hygiene?

As a newly become parent, your kid’s care is the most important thing for you. Yes, it can be very tough for you but that’s what you should take as a challenge. You should take care of the overall health of your kid. You must consult with your concerned pediatrician and learn important tips to take care of your kid. It will help you keep your kid safe and healthy until he/she turns 3 years old or learns to take care of his/her overall health. 

Oral hygiene is an important part of the overall health of your kid. It is quite tough to maintain the oral hygiene of kids as they drink milk, keep spitting out, keep sucking their thumbs and try to chew anything they find. But that’s something you need to learn as soon as possible. 

In this piece of writing, we have compiled some very useful tips to maintain the oral hygiene of your kid. You must follow them. If you do so, you will surely be able to pass the real test of your life. Let’s take a look below at those useful oral hygiene tips for kids. 

Some Useful Oral Hygiene Tips For Kids

Babies are born with all their teeth. You can’t see them because they do not erupt at that time. They are hidden in the gums. Normally, they start erupting between 6 to 12 months. As parents, you should not wait for the eruption of the first tooth in your kid’s mouth, rather you should take care of the oral hygiene of your child from the beginning. If you ignore the oral hygiene of your kid, you will be responsible for the oral health of your kid in the future. Let’s check out the best ways to take care of your kid’s oral hygiene. 

Stop Your Kid Chewing Anything They Find

Kids chew anything they find. Generally, parents ignore this habit of their kids considering it a childish act. Yes, it is a childish act but it can harm the oral health of your kid. It can hurt gums, lips, and can delay the eruption of teeth. So, you should take care that your kid does not try to chew everything.

Following are the tips to stop your kid from chewing everything. Take a look below. 

• Try to find out why your kid tries to chew everything. Is it a normal childish act or your child does it due to a particular reason? You should consult with your concerned pediatrician. He/she will suggest to you the best ways to get rid of your kid’s chewing habit. 

• Keep them busy with other interesting things and always try to grab their attention. It will help you distract your kid’s mind from chewing anything. 

Wipe Your Kid’s Gums With Soft Cotton Pads or Microfibre Wipes

Normally, kids keep spitting out. You can’t have control over this. But yes, you can wipe the spit with soft and wet cotton pads or micro fibre cloth. Also, after feeding your baby, you should wipe your baby’s gums, teeth, lips, chin, and neck. It will help you maintain your baby’s oral hygiene as it keeps the bacteria and germs away that cause tooth decay.

Use Soft-Bristled Toothbrush and Pea-Sized Fluoride to Brush Your Kid’s Teeth 

When your kid’s teeth erupt or he/she turns one year old, start brushing his/her teeth at least one time a day. You should use a soft-bristled toothbrush and pea-sized fluoride to brush your kid’s teeth. It will help you maintain good oral health for your baby. One thing you have to take care of is that the fluoride you use to brush your kid’s teeth is an ideal option for kids. It should not contain any chemical and acidic compound. It can harm your kid’s oral health.

Don’t Let Your Kid Swallow the Fluoride While Brushing His/Her Teeth  

Kids are very likely to swallow fluoride when you brush their teeth. You will have to take care of this. If you think you can’t have control over this, it is better not to use fluoride as it can harm both the oral health and physical health of your baby. You can follow other methods of brushing and cleaning babies’ teeth or you can consult with your concerned pediatric dentist or specialized doctors in McKinney. They will surely help and guide you with this.

When Feed, Keep the Milk Bottle Away From Your Kid

Your kid will never stop sucking the milk bottle until you put it away from him/her. It is a very normal thing with kids. But it is not a good habit as the particles of milk stay in your kid’s mouth. And as long as those particles will stay in your kid’s mouth, they will produce bacterias that can cause tooth decay. So, make sure you keep the milk bottle away from your kid after feeding him/her. 

Meet A Pediatric Dentist When You Notice the First Tooth of Your Kid 

When your baby’s teeth start erupting, meet a certified pediatric dentist, and consult with him/her about caretaking of your kid’s dental health. It will help you give proper oral care to your kid. 

So, these are some useful tips that will help you maintain your kid’s oral hygiene and keep him/her orally healthy. 

Do Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening Products Really Work?

Brushing your teeth regularly is enough to keep your teeth brightening like pearls. But, those people who have coffee habits and are addicted to alcohol and tobacco-containing products, that’s just not the case. They need more than routine cleaning of their teeth as their teeth are pale and stained. 

Presently, pale and stained teeth are the most common dental problem in the world. If you just take a look around in your neighborhood, you will be surprised to notice that most people have pale and stained teeth. The reason could be unhealthy diet plans, too much consumption of acidic drinks, regular consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical medicines.  

This dental problem is not a major disease. It is neither painful nor life-threatening, but yes it has many effects on the daily lifestyle of humans. Generally, the patients with such dental problems lose the brightness of their pearly whites, their pretty smile, and self-confidence as well. So, it is very important to treat pale and stained teeth as soon as possible otherwise this disease will dominate your mind and you will not be able to concentrate on anything else. 

The Teeth Whitening Options

Whitening dentists in McKinney TX have many teeth whitening options. We can categorize those into two major categories: Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening and Professional Teeth Whitening. 

Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening

In Over-the-Counter teeth whitening, you get many different teeth whitening products such as whitening strips, whitening wraps, bleaching, gels, tubes of toothpaste, mouthwashes, and whitening pens. These products are manufactured by different brands, and so have different characteristics and benefits. Generally, you use these OTC products without consulting your dentist. 

Based on the experimental uses and the manufacturers’ statements, they are very effective to whiten the pale and stained teeth and to bring back the pretty smiles. But many question the effectiveness of these products. They want to know whether or not Over-the-Counter whitening products really effective to whiten teeth. If you have the same query, keep reading this piece of writing as you will get a satisfying answer in the end. Let’s discuss a little bit about Professional Teeth Whitening. 

Professional Teeth Whitening 

In professional teeth whitening, the whitening treatment is processed under the supervision of specialized dentists. It is also called in-office teeth whitening. It mainly includes laser treatment and tray bleaching. Generally, teeth whitening treatments are processed in a dental office within one-two hours. After the treatment, patients are given a particular diet plan and some important instructions for taking care of their teeth. They also have to visit the dental office again and again as explained by the dentists for further assessments and treatments. This can be a little costly, but the patients get 100% results, and that too within a few weeks. So, professional teeth whitening is a very effective way to get rid of pale and stained teeth. 

Do OTC Products Really Whiten the Teeth? 

It is a fact that professional teeth whitening treatments give 100% results. But if we talk about over-the-counter teeth whitening products, there is still a lack of clarity. People know that OTC teeth whitening products are effective to treat pale and stained teeth, but the question is that are they as effective as professional whitening treatments are? Well, let’s try to find the answer. 

Generally, there are two types of discoloration in our teeth. The one that develops over time due to improper regular brushing and cleaning of teeth. It is called intrinsic. Then there is extrinsic, the one that develops due to the routinely deposits on the surface of teeth from smoking, taking coffee, consuming alcohol and acidic drinks, consuming tobacco-containing products, and taking medicines. Of course, extrinsic discoloration is tough to treat. 

The OTC products such as whitening strips, wraps, and gels can whiten your teeth if your teeth have intrinsic discoloration. However, these products will not be as effective as professional teeth whitening treatments are. So, if you are completely dependent on OTC products, you should not expect complete whitening of your teeth. 

On the other hand, if we talk about toothpaste and mouthwashes, they are specially made for keeping your mouth fresh and clean. They are the least effective OTC products for whitening pale and stained teeth. But yes, they are effectively keeping your mouth protected from bacterias, germs infections, and plaques. 

Do You Invest In OTC Teeth Whitening Products? 

It depends on different factors. If you have minor discoloration issues on your teeth, you can invest in these products without any hesitation because they will certainly help you get rid of yellow surfaces and dark spots. But if you have a major discoloration issue, you should first ask your concerned dentist and consult with him/her. He/she will quickly examine your teeth, then suggest whether or not you should invest in OTC teeth whitening products. 

Final Thought

Considering all the facts mentioned above in this piece of writing, we would say, yes OTC teeth whitening products are effective to reduce the yellowness and darkness of teeth, but they are not as effective and professional teeth whitening treatments are. So, it is always better to consult with your concerned dentist whether or not you should invest in them. 

How Can You Whiten Your Teeth And Keep Them Bright For Long-Time

Your smile is the biggest and most important asset that you own which makes you feel good about yourself. Do you think that your pearly whites are losing their luster because of yellow or brown stains? Though staining of teeth is very common and occurs quite frequently as we age.  But some common drinks, foods, and even mouthwashes can stain your teeth. Though home remedies of teeth whitening can help you improve the appearance of your teeth, but consulting professional whitening dentists in McKinney TX, and getting whitening treatment is only a long-lasting way to keep your teeth white. In both cases, you have to avoid consuming substances that can stain your teeth to stop further discoloration.

DO-IT-YOURSELF TEETH WHITENING

When you choose a do-it-yourself teeth whitening procedure, you may be able to get rid of stains by yourself, but that would be superficially only. There are several at-home tooth-whitening products available in the market such as kits, strips, toothpaste, and rinses that may lighten your teeth stains. You can even try natural home remedies to prevent staining, but these too do not last for long. Most of the tooth-whitening products use mild bleach to brighten yellow teeth. On the other hand, toothpaste use chemicals and abrasives to remove surface stains. For deep stain removal, you may need the help of a dentist. Before we discuss professional ways of teeth whitening, let’s discuss some of the do-it-yourself teeth whitening procedures in detail.

·         Home Whitening Strips:  Tooth-whitening strips are a temporary way to get rid of tooth stains. These are thin strips that are nearly invisible and are coated with a peroxide-based whitening gel. You have to wear these thin strips a few minutes daily for a week or more depending upon the intensity of your stains. You can witness the improvement in your teeth in just a few days, which last for at least a week. The results with strips are not as intense as you obtain using whitening kits, but these strips are easy to use and pretty much safe.

· Whitening Toothpaste and Rinses: Over-the-counter toothpaste, gels, and rinses help in removing a few surface stains. Most of these whitening products contain mild abrasives, chemicals, or polishing agents. But these products don't change the natural color of teeth like bleach does.

· Home Remedies for Whiter Teeth: Home remedies are always the safest and easiest ways of dealing with any problem. People with old-age prefer these remedies for teeth whitening as well. The most commonly preferred natural remedy is using baking soda and a toothbrush to gently whiten teeth at home. Some food products such as apples, pears, celery, and carrots produce lots of salivae, which helps in washing away food debris on your teeth. Chewing sugarless gum is a tooth-cleansing action and also produces saliva. Saliva neutralizes the acid that causes tooth decay.

TEETH WHITENING BY PROFESSIONALS

There is a standard routine that a trained dentist follows for in-office teeth whitening procedures. These include:

· Shade measurement of your teeth is taken before starting the procedure. The idea behind shade measurement is to compare your existing tooth color to a shade with a stylized chart. This sets a benchmark to gauge improvement after the teeth whitening procedure. Once this benchmark has been decided, the whitening process will take place.

· The dentist then polishes your teeth using pumice. He places a cheek retractor to expose all your teeth and covers your eyes, gums, and lips, to protect them from the bleaching gel.

· He puts a hardening resin or a liquid rubber dam and paints over the gums. He also protects the tips of the gums between the teeth from the bleaching agents.

·  Finally, only teeth will be exposed. This process may take up to 10 minutes.

·  Dentist now applies a special whitening gel to your teeth which releases an active ingredient hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.

· Teeth bleaching is a long procedure which may take three to four 15-20 minutes sessions. In each session, the previous layer is removed.

· Cheek retractors protect gums from contact with whitening gel.

· Lastly, your dentist will make you rinse your mouth with a lot of water, and polish your teeth with pumice again.

· He then assesses the degree of teeth whitening to measure whether there is any need to repeat the procedure. He will apply more whitening gel if necessary.

· Take your final teeth shade!

The biggest benefit of choosing teeth whitening treatment by whitening dentists in McKinney TX is that you would get the fastest results as in-office procedures are the way forward. Unlike home bleaching techniques, home remedies, and other whitening products, results obtained through professional whitening treatments are quick and visible after a one-hour session. Other methods or whitening techniques performed by you at home are instead slower and are needed to be used for over a long period of time. However, the only benefit is that you can try them at home and get temporary whitening solutions just for a day or a week.

People have the misconception that professional whitening treatment is expensive. It is not true at all. It completely depends on the condition and staining of your teeth. The time required to perform this treatment also depends on the number of sittings required for performing the whitening process in your case.