Whitening - Is It Right For Me?

Whitening – Can anybody do it?

A bright and white smile is the first thing that people notice about us. Enhancing the whiteness of your smile can be the thing that makes all the difference in the world. It builds confidence. While many people can whiten their existing smile, not everyone is a candidate.

If you have a significant number of crowns, whitening may not give you the desired outcome you are looking for, as porcelain cannot be whitened. If you do have a number of crowns and are disappointed they appear yellow or the coloring of the porcelain doesn’t match your other crowns and/or teeth, your only choice is to redo the existing crowns. Porcelain is a lot like yarn and floor tiles – dye lots make a difference. That’s why your cosmetic dentist will always recommend doing all porcelain work at one time, ensuring all your teeth will match in color.

Some patients with severe staining caused by medications may also have difficulty getting the desired white smile. For those patients, veneers may provide a solution that enhances the smile while reducing the amount of tooth structure lost.

Finally, people who have had significant restoration of their smile due to decay may have fillings with the same shade challenges as mentioned above with the crowns. If you have had a filling here and there done over several years, by many different dentists, you may find you now have a very mismatched smile. For you, the best solution would be to have your existing restorations removed and refilled, again doing as many as possible at the same time.

It is never too late to get the white, bright smile of your dreams. Call today to learn more about how you can gets yours!

Sensitivity & Whitening

A dazzling smile is something most of us want. After all our smile is part of the first impression we present to people. A beautiful smile can improve self esteem and create good feelings in those we bestow are smile on. Getting your brilliant smile it's whitest can be easy. 

"Who is a candidate for whitening? Well, almost anyone who has their natural teeth can whiten," says Dr. Judith Ko from Hemet. "And there are a variety of products that can help."

Over the counter whitening products abound. They generally provide a small amount of the ingredient necessary to whiten your teeth. For years dentists have provided an alternative - whitening trays. These are taken home and used periodically has needed. Finally there is the whitening that is done in the dental office. "When whitening under the supervision of a dentist, you are able to receive a higher concentration of the active ingredient. This allows us to provide patients with a white smile many shades lighter than when they first began treatment," Adds Dr. Ko. 

The down side? Some patients complain about sensitivity following whitening. If you are one of those who experiences sensitivity here are some ideas for what may help:

1. Reduce the amount of product you are using at one time.

2. Reduce the amount of time you spend at home with your trays in your mouth.

3. Use Fluoride regularly and brush on your teeth, or use a toothpaste especially designed for sensitivity.

4. Limit your intake of cold drinks and liquids.

5. Speak to your dentist and let her know that you are having discomfort, many times she may have an alternate solution.

This year smile and be proud of your pearly whites.

Stained Teeth

How Do Teeth Become Stained?

While we recognize that our white smiles are what create a good first impression, we are often thwarted by teeth that become stained. Regularly seeing your dentist to remove the stains is one way of dealing with the problem, but why do teeth become stained in the first place?

"Most people know to avoid smoking to keep teeth at their whitest, but unfortunately many of the foods you may enjoy, and some that are good for you, can stain your teeth, too," Dr. Judith Ko says from her Hemet Valley Cosmetic Dental Practice.

Fruits such as apples, blueberries, blackberries and pomegranates.

Beverages such as coffee, tea, and red wine.

Even beets, soy sauce, curries and popsicles with bright colors can do damage to your teeth.

According to WebMD, the reason is that these foods tend to be acidic in nature, and the acid temporarily softens the tooth allowing the chromogens, the color pigments in the foods and beverages, to stain. A good rule of thumb is, if the offending food or beverage would stain a napkin or tablecloth, it will probably stain your teeth. 

With many of the offending foods being excellent sources of antioxidants, rather than remove them from the diet, it might be best to limit them and take additional steps to ensure your smile stays its brightest.