The Truth about Teeth Whitening: What to Consider Before Bleaching Your Teeth

Teeth whitening treatments are arguably the best marketed dental treatments available; just about everyone has heard of Zoom!, even if they aren’t looking to get their teeth bleached. While there’s plenty of information available about teeth whitening, there’s just as much misinformation.  Below, we help clarify some truths about whitening, so you can get a better understanding of what to look for and expect.

In-Office Teeth Whitening vs. Take-Home Whitening Kits

Many patients believe that in-office, or laser and light-activated teeth bleaching is somehow better than other methods. Whether you should choose the at-home or in-office method depends on why you’re looking to get your teeth bleached and how much time you can give to treatment.

In-office teeth whitening is best for patients who are in a time-crunch – they have a big event coming up and need instant results. While the light used with in-office teeth bleaching helps activate the whitening agent, it does not produce dramatically different results that would lead patients to choose one treatment over the other.

Take-home teeth whitening kits produce the same whitening results, just in a different method.  If you have about two weeks to dedicate to whitening your teeth, you can do so from the comfort of your own home.

Most Patients Will Experience Some Tooth Sensitivity

Even drugstore teeth whitening strips will create tooth sensitivity, but any discomfort can be easily managed with over-the-counter pain medication. Additionally, there are some brands of teeth whitening treatments that tend to produce less sensitivity on average, so it’s important to check with your dentist about what to expect with what they offer.

For Some People, Teeth Whitening May Not Work

Standard whitening treatment is best for patients whose teeth have been stained by food, drink, and even tobacco. But some things that discolor teeth, such as medication, aging, and health problems may not be positively affected by teeth bleaching. In these instances, a treatment like porcelain veneers might be indicated over standard whitening.

Hillcrest Dental Group welcomes patients into their Petaluma cosmetic dental office to learn more about teeth whitening, treatment options, expected outcomes, and alternate treatments. For more information about our whitening procedures, contact Dr. DeBerardinis and her friendly dental team.

CEREC Crowns VS Traditional Dental Crowns

The wide-spread use of digital dental technology has made receiving certain treatments, especially prosthodontics, quicker and more comfortable. Restorations using CEREC, for example, provide natural-looking results in a shorter amount of time. 

But what do crowns produced using CEREC provide that the traditional dental crowns do not? The technology truly is a huge differentiating factor, with a significant benefit for patient experience.

The Fabrication Process

CEREC employs computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology; the program accurately captures and relays 3-D images, which are used to precisely manufacture and fit a crown. The crown is created in-house, while standard dental crowns are hand-made from impressions at a dental lab – the skill of the lab technician having an effect on the finished result.

Time Commitment

CEREC restorations take single visit, often under two hours, to complete, which is not possible with traditional crowns. Getting a standard dental crown requires the use of molds, temporaries, and a 2-week turn-around time for care.

Aesthetics and Cost

Digital imaging in the production of crowns also helps with accuracy and the look of the finished product. Because CAD/CAM technology enables a high level of precision in designing and milling a crown, the new tooth closely mimics the adjacent teeth.

While it’s true that a solid-ceramic crown, the kind produced by CEREC, can be more mostly than a metal-over-porcelain crown – the investment in cosmetic effect and the time-savings often makes CEREC preferable over standard methods of restoration.

If you have questions about dental crowns, or how to get same-day dental restorations – call Hillcrest Dental Group’s Petaluma cosmetic dental office to speak to a member of our team.

Family Dentistry: Is Fluoride Treatment Important?

Minerals and vitamins are building blocks for our body's health and immune system. Calcium, for example, helps us grow strong bones and teeth, while potassium plays an important part in nerve function, muscle control and more. In the same way, our teeth benefit from fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral naturally found foods such as fish and certain kinds of tea.
Fluoride helps form the basis of developing teeth by strengthening the structure of enamel during infancy and early childhood. Fluoride also reduces the effects of acidic bacteria on our teeth and gums, preventing the formation of cavities.

So Why is Fluoride Important?

The benefits of fluoride have been extensively researched and documented since the early 1900's, when scientists discovered that a lack of fluoride in drinking water resulted in widespread tooth decay and gum disease. In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first town in the U.S. to fluoridate its drinking water, and the results were astounding. Eleven years after the water was fluoridated, incidents of gum disease and tooth decay among children in the area had decreased by 60%! ¹

Modern Fluoride Treatment

Today, fluoride is an active ingredient in virtually every toothpaste on the market. According to the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, 200 million people receive fluoridated water, and over 13 million children take part in a school-based fluoride mouth-wash program. As a result, tooth decay has been in decline, and is now considered a preventable condition for most people.

Concentrated fluoride treatments are a standard part of good family dentistry, as they can be effectively used for both adults and for children’s developing teeth. Fluoride can be used in the treatment of gum disease, or for cracked teeth, untreated cavities, cases of dry mouth, or patients who have a lot of fillings or hard-to-clean dental work.² Fluoride treatment can be included in regular dental cleanings, and is found in over-the-counter mouthwashes, too. 

If you have any questions about how fluoride treatment can help members of your family enjoy better oral health, call our Petaluma, CA family dentist today for more information.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm

National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (¹) http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/topics/fluoride/thestoryoffluoridation.htm

How Do Veneers Work?

A dental veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that cosmetic dentists place on top of your teeth in order to achieve a certain aesthetic effect.  Think of veneers as similar, in some ways, to a contact lens – a thin layer of material used to augment and improve a natural look or function.

There are different types of veneers, applied via different methods that help you achieve a better-looking smile. But all dental veneers work by concealing and covering flaws and damage in the following ways:

Building up of tooth-colored resin  - Resin veneers camouflage cracks, chips, and deep staining on teeth by way of building up a composite material that looks just like your real teeth. Your cosmetic dentist “paints” this material on your teeth, with the result being teeth that look flawless and damage-free.

Covering natural teeth – What most people know as veneers are the thin shells made of porcelain, as described above.  Your dentist will buff down a small amount of tooth enamel so that the shell lays flush on your teeth and doesn’t looker thicker than any of your surrounding natural teeth.

There are also “no-prep” veneers that work the same way as regular veneers, by covering up flaws on teeth; however, the “no-prep” style of veneers are typically thinner and require either buffing down a smaller amount of dental enamel, or none.  After preparing your teeth, veneers are bonded in place with strong dental cement.

Veneers can help you achieve a whitening effect for your smile, and can even make teeth look straighter, if you’re struggling with mild crowding or gaps between teeth.  Many cosmetic dentists will work with you to help you pick a desired shade for your teeth, especially if you’re getting veneers on all of the top teeth in your smile zone.  Because veneers are bonded in place, they can last for many years with proper care.

If you have questions about how veneers can help you cover damaged teeth, or disguise flaws on teeth, contact Hillcrest Dental Group today for your cosmetic dentistry consultation.  We customize treatment to fit your needs, as well as your goals for an improved smile.

Recovering from Oral Conscious Sedation

Sedation dentistry makes it easy for fearful patients to get the dental care they need. If you’re considering sedation for the first time, it’s important to know what goes on during your appointment and what recovery will be like.

Sedative medications utilized in sleep dentistry are safe and have been widely used for many years to help patients relax. You can expect the following during the recovery process for oral conscious dental treatment:

• Provide Your Dentist with Your Medial History before Treatment - Health conditions, such as diabetes, and habits like smoking can affect what sedative medications are chosen for you, the overall sedation effect, and ultimately your care instructions for the recovery process.  Be sure to disclose your medical history, as well as any medications you’re currently taking, so your dentist can provide you with accurate after-care tips.

• Bring a Friend –You’ll need someone to drive you to and from your appointment. Different sedative medications have different half-lives, so you may still be experiencing sedative effects after your dental appointment is over, making it unsafe for you to drive yourself home.

• Avoid Eating and Drinking for 6 Hours Beforehand – Some patients may experience nausea as the sedative effect wears away. Because of this, it’s important to avoid eating and drinking before your appointment, to prevent stomach upset. If you feel light-headed or dizzy after treatment, eating light foods can help prevent this feeling.

• Take the Rest of the Day off Work - You’ll need to take some time to relax and let the sedative effects taper away. During this time, make sure to drink plenty of fluids, reduce activity, and do not attempt to drive or operate other machinery. 

Oral conscious sedation uses milder sedatives that pose decreased risk of side effects and are non-habit forming.  Recovering from sedation is a comfortable process that only requires rest and relaxation for the day – and sometimes less, depending on the level of sedation and the length of your dental appointment. At Hillcrest Dental Group, we help anxious patients get comfortable dental care with oral conscious sedation. If you have questions for our Petaluma sedation dentists, please call our office for more information.

Your Cosmetic Dentistry Options

Cosmetic dental treatment isn’t a one-size-fits-all method; there are plenty of procedures that help address overlapping aesthetic concerns, but some are better suited for certain goals than others.

If you feel that your smile could use some improvement, take a look at our list of common issues we hear from patients about their smiles’ appearance.  Our Petaluma cosmetic dentistry office provides patients with as many options as possible, so they get the smile they want.

Gaps between teeth – Minor gapping between teeth, which doesn’t require the intervention of more complex treatment (like braces), can be corrected with cosmetic procedures. Placing veneers or crowns on teeth creates a smile with just the right spacing. When applying crowns and veneers, teeth are buffed slightly to accommodate prosthetics, with the finalized procedure filling out any gaps between treated teeth and neighboring teeth. The number of teeth to be treated and your budget for cosmetic care will determine which route you’d prefer.

Stained or discolored teeth – We help lift or disguise stains on teeth with teeth whitening and porcelain veneers. Our in-office and at-home teeth bleaching systems remove deep-seated stains on your smile caused by coffee drinking, red wine, or other food and drink with heavy pigment. If your teeth have been discolored in way that cannot be corrected with teeth bleaching, we help you get a bright new smile with veneers. We help you pick just the right shade for your veneer treatment so your teeth are as bright as you’d like.

Cracks, chips, and decay – Teeth that are showing signs of wear and tear, or have been affected by decay can be made to look flawless and healthy. We place dental crowns that cover teeth and prevent further cracking or chipping, and stop the spread of decay to healthy teeth. Best of all, our office uses CEREC imaging and milling technology to make your crown right in our office, in under an hour. After getting crowns, your smile will look flawless.

Too-small teeth – Not everyone has teeth that are completely uniform in appearance; you may have one or two teeth that are just slightly smaller than the rest of the teeth in your smile zone, compromising the balance of your smile.  We use porcelain veneers, shells of tooth-colored material, to augment specific teeth in your smile for an even, picture-perfect look.

No matter what issues you’re experiencing with your smile, we have treatments that can help. Contact our office for more information about your cosmetic dentistry options.

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