Dental fears are a lot more common than most people realize. Those that do have dental fears often feel alone. It is very important that you understand just how common dental fears really are. Some people get so afraid of going to the dentist that they skip going to the dentist altogether.

That is not the best option. Instead, what you need to do is communicate your dental fears to us. That way, we can adjust your treatment to avoid stressing you out more than necessary and still keep your oral health a top priority.

Talking About Dental Fears is Easy Once You Get Started

The hardest part about dental fears is starting the conversation. Saying you are afraid of something is not easy, no matter who you are. However, once the conversation is going, explaining what causes the fear naturally becomes easier. When you come in for a cleaning or exam, just let us know that you are not always comfortable when you come in.

That will be enough to open up the door to talking, and we can help guide the conversation from there. That way, all you had to do was get the process started, and we can help see what is going on from that point.

You do not necessarily need to tell us exactly what it is you are afraid of. In some cases, you may not even know exactly what it is you are afraid of. That is alright. Once we know that you are nervous, we can help make the process of seeing us a little bit easier.

Accommodations are not a problem, and we do them whenever the need arises. Call our office today and find out what options we offer for nervous patients. Finding out that we have things in place to help may be enough to help you start to relax.

You have heard how important good oral health habits at home are. Brushing twice daily, flossing, and visiting our office regularly can keep your mouth healthy, but eating certain foods may come with a warning sign. After an acidic meal, you need to wait to brush your teeth.

Foods such as lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and tomatoes are great for a healthy body, but they can create come problems for your teeth if you are not careful.

Acid Can Damage Tooth Enamel

Exposing your teeth to acid meals on a regular basis can cause the enamel to weaken by losing important minerals that keep it strong. If you don’t take proper care, this exposure eventually destroys the enamel creating a cavity, which can be the beginning of other dental issues.

Wait to Brush Your Teeth After a Meal

Even though you need to brush your teeth after a meal, some studies concluded that it’s best to wait to brush, especially after eating an acidic meal. Brushing too hard can damage the enamel, which is already weakened after eating certain foods.

Mayo Clinic recommends you wait at least 30-minutes before brushing your teeth, in instances where you have eaten acidic foods, such as oranges, lemons or grapefruits. This will allow the enamel to recover from the acid.

Sugar Can Produce Acidity

You wouldn’t think of sugar as being acidic, but tooth decay is caused by bacteria from sugary foods and drinks that produce acids that when dissolved damage the teeth. Acid attacks cause tooth erosion that damage the outer surface of the tooth enamel.

The enamel on our teeth is as hard as steel, but it can get damaged so after an acidic meal, you need to wait to brush! It is also a good idea to rinse your mouth with water after eating acidic or sugary foods until you can brush to minimize the damage to the enamel.

Regularly cleaning your toothbrush is an important step to prevent the spread and growth of bacteria, viruses, and germs. In the right environment, these organisms can grow on your toothbrush after you use it.

Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to sanitize your brush.

Focus on Everyday Cleaning

It is important to focus on everyday cleaning in order to maintain a healthy toothbrush. To do this, you have a few options. First, you could simply keep it in a dry area, as bacteria and other germs in the mouth cannot survive in a dry environment. If you feel you need something stronger, store your brush in a cup of hydrogen peroxide or Listerine. Before you brush, rinse it off. When you brush, make sure you change out the liquid.

Boil Your ToothBrush

Boiling your toothbrush is another way to ensure you kill all germs. Boil it in for about three minutes, and make sure you allow it to cool before use. Boiling is hard on your brush, but it will kill off most germs.

Put it in the Dishwasher

Another good way to ensure your brush is cleaned thoroughly is to run it in the dishwasher. Place it in the silverware compartment, and run it through a hot cycle. Don’t add soap. Remember that this type of cleaning may wear your toothbrush out faster than normal, so be prepared to swap your brush out for a new one more frequently.

Use a Toothbrush Sanitizer

While it certainly isn’t necessary to go out and buy a UV toothbrush sanitizer, if you are really concerned about germs, this gadget may put your mind at ease. Using dry heat and steam, this machine will sanitize your toothbrush appropriately.

Whether it has been awhile since your last trip to the dentist or you need your six month cleaning, we are here to help. Call us today to set up your evaluation.

When your entire family brushes their teeth together, it can provide a lot of benefits to you and the other members of your family. All of you will be more likely to keep up with daily oral hygiene routines. Plus, you will all work together to make sure each other is doing the best job possible.

This sets up good oral care habits from a young age, and keeps them going as children grow into adults. It is a great way to set up positive oral health habits for life.

Your Kids Learn How to Brush From You

Children learn from adults. This can be both good and bad. When you set up a positive habit as a family, every member of the family who participates benefits. Brushing as a family gives each member of the family someone to hold them accountable. The parents have the kids, and the kids have the parents. People will be brushing twice daily like they are supposed to, and everyone will be brushing for the right amount of time. This helps everyone have good oral health now, and into the future.

Take the time to establish these positive oral habits with your kids starting at a young age. Have them come with you to get an exam with us if they want to see what happens so they know what to expect as they get older. You set the tone for how they care for themselves. The best thing that you can do is to be an active part in taking care of yourself the right way, including brushing, flossing, and coming in to see us.

If you want to make sure you are taking care of yourself properly, call us and let us do an exam. That way, you know your oral health is as good as it should be.

We all realize that foods and drinks can stain our teeth and darken our smile. However, what we’re not as familiar with is how some food can whiten your teeth while we eat them.

Foods That Help Whiten Your Teeth

Surprisingly, one of the foods that will help whiten your teeth are strawberries, especially when mashed up and combined with baking soda. Although they can stain your shirt, they contain malic acid – an enzyme that will whiten your teeth.

While you’re in your grocery store’s produce aisle you should check out some other great foods. These include crunchy items like apples, celery, and carrots. They help increase your saliva production, which is your mouth’s self-cleaning agent.

Another pleasant surprise comes from two citrus foods: oranges and pineapples. They also help your mouth produce more saliva, which will naturally wash your teeth clean. However, you don’t want to use other citrus foods like lemons directly on your teeth as you could damage them.

An old-fashioned home tooth whitening remedy is baking soda. Studies have proven that toothpastes that contain baking soda do a better job of removing plaque than other toothpastes do. You can also occasionally brush your teeth with baking soda right from the box too.

One last food you should include in your diet to whiten your teeth is dairy. Yogurt, milk, and cheese are your best choices here. They contain lactic acid which helps protect your teeth against decay. This is especially true of yogurt because it contains proteins that bind to your teeth and protect them from being attacked by harmful, cavity causing acids. Hard cheese works best here because it also removes food particles.

A Professional Care Is Still The Best Solution

While there are numerous foods that can help you maintain a healthy, white smile, nothing is more effective than professional whitening treatments and cleanings. If you are worried about the color of your teeth or want to improve your smile for an upcoming event or other affair, contact us today! We’ll be glad to help!

Have you ever tried using an air flosser? It is a relatively new item that you can use in your battle to get the cleanest teeth and gums possible. Some people struggle with using traditional floss, which leaves their mouth to struggle with the consequences.

Instead of going without flossing, or not doing it well enough, you have options. One of them is the air flosser. This helps you to get more debris out of between your teeth, helping to improve your oral health.

Benefits of Using an Air Flosser

The main benefit most people talk about when they discuss air flossers is the fact that they are painless. Air flossers use microburst technology to push air between your teeth. They often use a small stream of water along with the air to help remove that debris more easily. You can also use mouthwash if you would prefer to use that over water.

Many people discuss how easy it is to use an air flosser over traditional floss, meaning they are more likely to use it. Plus, once you get used to how it works, you can floss your entire mouth very well in about one minute. This gives you back the time you would otherwise have spent struggling with traditional floss.

It does not hurt, and it works. This is what most people experience when they give an air flosser a try. If you want a way to incorporate better flossing into your oral hygiene routine, then you may want to consider the benefits of an air flosser. They are not expensive, but they are a great investment in your oral health and the future of your mouth. Find out more by asking us about them at your next appointment.

Smile makeover with porcelain veneers by Dr. Shapiro

Your smile contributes so much to your personality. So much so that you can makeover your smile and it can be the best thing you can do for yourself.

While cosmetics have evolved dramatically over the years, a variety of treatment options have also been developed to enhance your smile and make it easy for you to achieve a beautifully pleasing and healthy smile.

Cosmetic Dentistry is the area of the field that helps increase your self-confidence by reversing dental imperfections. Undergoing procedures can also help you look your best in any situation you might be facing.

Undergoing Teeth Whitening Can Make Your Smile More Radiant

This is simply becoming the most popular cosmetic services for most people as your set of teeth is naturally susceptible to discoloration. Mostly a pain-free and a quick and easy procedure, undergoing tooth whitening not only make your teeth look whiter and healthier, but it can also slash your age in half giving you a youthful appearance.

Popular celebrities and TV personalities commonly undergo this procedure which is why it has become one of the most sought after dental services. Our office utilizes the Zoom whitening process. It involves a gel preparation and an intense cool blue light to activate the compound and give you a whiter set of teeth. The whole procedure takes about an hour.

Bonding to Cover Up Dental Concerns and Hide Other Problems

If your tooth has a small chip that does not require too much attention or if you have a gap between your front teeth, undergoing a bonding procedure using composite can do so much as to give you a naturally beautiful smile and hide imperfections. This can be a good way to cover up minor issues concerning the aesthetics of your teeth. Bonding preserves tooth structure.

Restorative materials like porcelain  veneers have been one of the most common ways to correct these problems. Not only does it create a naturally beautiful exterior over your smile, but can also help boost your self-confidence while removing little tooth structure.

A lot of cosmetic enhancements can be done to help you get a more radiant smile, simply contact us for more information.

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