Okay, I understand getting to the dentist when you have an emergency can sometimes be hard. And, yes I realize that it’s awfully tempting to try and fix the problem yourself. But, there are just some things you should not do at home. This brings us to this weeks blog post. The WORST home remedies for dental problems.
Putting garlic against a sore tooth…. Besides making you smell bad, garlic is very potent and can irritate or burn soft tissues around the tooth causing even more pain and sensitivity.
Shaving down a sharp tooth with tools from around the house… Besides the fact that you are putting something that has seen more dirty surfaces than I’d care to mention directly into your mouth, you are putting yourself at risk for damaging the tooth more or slipping and causing damage to your cheeks and gums.
Using crazy glue to fix a broken natural tooth... Yes, I know people say the same stuff that’s in super glue is the same stuff used to seal battlefield wounds, and they’d be correct. However, the stuff used to seal battlefield wounds are made specifically to seal battlefield wounds. Using superglue to fix a tooth most likely will result in 1: You super gluing your finger to your lip, cheek, tooth or some variation of the aforementioned. Or 2: Pain from a tooth with a freshly injured dental nerve being assaulted by a brand of material that was not meant to see the inside of your mouth or to fix broken teeth. Trust me, its not pretty….
Whitening your teeth with lemon juice and baking soda… This one, although its gotten a lot of popularity throughout the years, is just not healthy for your teeth. Mixing an abrasive and an acid together and then scrubbing it on your teeth can cause abrasion to your gums while also removing and/or damaging the enamel on your teeth.
And lastly, searching through your medicine cabinet and finding a left over prescription from those wisdom teeth you (or someone you know) had extracted about ten years ago… Its not a mystery that taking old, expired or another persons prescription medications is a bad idea. Taking one or two remaining capsules of an antibiotic is not only ineffective, it can also help promote bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Also, taking prescription medications that were not prescribed to you can put you right in the middle of an adverse or even allergic reaction to a drug that no one knows you are taking. So if you are having a problem call your dentist or doctor first before resorting to whats left over in the medicine cabinet. Also, whenever you are prescribed medication once you have finished the prescription if there are any tablets remaining they should be disposed of.
So, I’m not saying there are not some things that you can do at home in a pinch to get you by until you can see your dentist. But, in an emergency situation, first and foremost, call your dentist and see when they can see you for an appointment and tell them your emergency. Your dentist will suggest the best way to get you comfortable and safely treated!]]>
Posts
1. Celebrity Smile Makeovers
2. The Seven Myths of Teeth Whitening
3. Teeth Whitening: How White Is Too White?
4. Are Teeth Whitening Kiosks at the Mall Safe?
5. No Time for Teeth Whitening? 4 Tricks for Making Teeth Appear Whiter
6. Why Do I Have Tooth Sensitivity After a Filling?
7. Bad Breath…Top Three Causes
8. Can Sugar Free Gum Prevent Cavities?
9. “It’s Halloween! What Do I Do With All This Candy?”
10. The Truth About Porcelain Veneers
Which post did you learn the most from? Have you scheduled your dental appointment for 2012 yet?
Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year!
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clear removable braces, facial and dental cosmetic surgeries have decreased significantly. With these types of products, gaps have been bridged between invasive surgical procedures and the non-invasive approaches such as teeth whitening and skin care products.
What has brought along this recent non-invasive trend? Is it the recession that caused people to look for less expensive cosmetic approaches? Or is it that people have become more educated about the processes and the potentially negative consequences of surgical procedures?
In my opinion, it’s probably both. Generally with new cosmetic products and techniques, it takes awhile before they become publicly accepted and mainstream. But that has not been the case with the newer products aforementioned. With a vast amount of information readily available to patients and more conscious spending, products such as Juvederm, Botox, and Invisalign have exploded in the market relatively quickly.
Regardless of what brought on this new non-invasive trend, it’s a huge positive for the cosmetic and beauty world. Cosmetic practitioners have new weapons in their arsenal and while surgical procedures are absolutely necessary in certain cases, we now have options for patients where surgery may be too aggressive as an treatment option.]]>
In recent years, many celebrities have gone through smile transformations that have enhanced and improved their looks. Others, have had cosmetic dental procedures that leave us scratching our heads:
In deep need of a drastic smile improvement, Nicholas Cage got one and now has the picture perfect Hollywood smile we have all come to recognize.
Looks like “Iron” Mike Tyson traded in the gold teeth for a nice set of natural looking ones. If you ask your local commodities broker, a bad trade considering the price of gold these days, but I’m sure most dentists would agree it was about time. I especially like that he preserved the trademark space between his two front teeth.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall to hear the conversation Hilary Duff had with her dentist before deciding to place porcelain veneers on her teeth. From what I understand, she did have some chipping and wear on her teeth but the initial result was way too aggressive a solution. In my opinion, the latest redo of her veneers is more natural looking.
Katie Price’s first set of veneers were okay to start but her latest set are way too short, flat, and chiclet looking. To make matters worse, she has reported extreme sensitivity in her teeth after having them done.
To improve the situation, I would recommend she dial-it-down a notch with the shade of the teeth and have them lengthened to more natural proportions.
What celebrity do you think has a picture-perfect smile?]]>
I would love to have been a fly on the wall to hear the conversation Hilary Duff had with her dentist before deciding to place porcelain veneers on her teeth. From what I understand, she did have some chipping and wear on her teeth but the initial result was way too aggressive a solution. In my opinion, the latest redo of her veneers is more natural looking.
Healthy and natural, can quickly turn towards tacky, ‘Chiclet’ territory though. Remember the ‘Friends’ episode with Ross and his glow in the dark teeth?
So what is the rule of thumb for teeth whitening?
The ideal shade of white really depends on personal preference. However, to retain that natural look, the whiteness of your teeth should not exceed the shade of the whites of your eyes (in most people). This allows you to have a nice bright smile without looking over-whitened.
here are many options for teeth bleaching available. Finding the right method for you that will provide you with a beautiful, natural smile can be a daunting task.
Before beginning any whitening procedure, consult your dentist first, to confirm which method is best for you.
]]> Watch any movie or television show and what do you see?
Perfect, straight, and unbelievably white smiles.
I’m not saying these types of smiles don’t occur naturally…however, often times in the media world you are looking at veneered, whitened, and orthodontically treated smiles. If you’re looking to replicate what you see in the media, here is some useful information on how to get your perfect smile.
There are many different ways to achieve your perfect look but before you start any work, the first step is to have a clear idea of what exactly you want to change. Is your smile too dark? Do you hate the way one of your teeth tilts? Is it the shape of your teeth you want to be different? Or the spaces in between them?
It is important to know where you want to go with your treatment so that you can pick the best type of treatment possible. Many of our patients come in and declare, “I want veneers.” While they think they need veneers, they may only require a non-invasive treatment such as Invisalign or teeth whitening to achieve the desired result. Therefore, it’s best to express your goal to your dentist and be open to different options he/she may suggest to get you there.
Veneers are a great aesthetic tool that can dramatically change a smile. However, veneers are a permanent restoration and require special care to keep them looking pristine. Maintenance should be taken into account before beginning treatment. Click here to learn more about the veneer process.
The decision to have porcelain veneers made is an important one. Veneers can provide a dramatic, beautiful, and realistic change to your smile. Once completed, most veneer restorations require special care and may have to be replaced after a 5-10 year period. In order to retain that look, you should take extra care to protect them from chips and decay.
To learn more about how to protect and maintain a healthy smile click here.]]>
Do you have a function to go to and not enough time for teeth whitening? Here are 4 tips for faking it:
1. Wear red lipstick. 
This is a trick seen often in dental advertisements. You may have noticed, women always have red hued lip color on. The contrast of your lip color and the red shade helps make your teeth appear lighter and brighter. If red’s not your color, then try to avoid wearing lipsticks that have a yellow or orange tone to them because they can give your teeth a yellow hue. Also, avoid pale or frosted shades and matte finishes, as they tend to make teeth look dull.
2. It’s all about the outfit! Try to avoid wearing bright white clothes.If you want to wear white, try picking a white that is off-white, cream or at least a shade lighter than your teeth. It will give the illusion that your teeth are whiter than they are, simply by comparison.
3. To make your teeth really pop, try using bronzer. Tan, golden, and darker skin tones make teeth appear whiter. By using a bronzer, with an appropriate lip color, you can make your smile appear brighter.
4 . And lastly, accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! Try wearing jewelry with a little sparkle to it such as silver, sparkling crystals or rhinestones. Avoid wearing gold which can emphasize yellow tones in teeth.Of course these are only a temporary fixes. For a truly dazzling white smile, speak with your dentist for recommendations on the best way to whiten your teeth.]]>
