Teeth Whitening - It’s Everywhere!

These days it seems we can find the words “teeth whitening” on nearly every product in the dental aisle. The truth is that, as a country, we spend $1.5 billion annually on teeth whitening products! That is a lot of money and the results will vary greatly based on what the product is and where you got it from. One of the biggest questions we get is: What is the difference between over-the-counter teeth whitening products compared to what we can provide you in the dental office?

Well, we’ve put together a list for you!

Over-The-Counter Whitening Projects:

  • Treat extrinsic stains (on the surface of your teeth)
  • Use hydrogen peroxide to help whiten
  • Have limited amounts of active ingredients they can use 
  • Use a one-size-fits-all mentality, where the size of the trays and the percentage of whitening agents are the same for everyone

In-Office Teeth Whitening Options:

  • Treat intrinsic stains that go deeper than the surface of your teeth
  • Use several active ingredients (including hydrogen peroxide) to whiten your teeth
  • Have a much higher percentage of active ingredients for quicker, more noticeable results
  • Can be customized for each individual patient. We make trays for each person and will recommend a whitening product and percentage that we think is best for you!

Here at Grand Avenue Dental Care, we recommend that you speak to your dentist or hygienist about which whitening product would be best for you and your lifestyle. In our office, we offer both in-office whitening and take-home whitening options, both of which can be very effective. Our ‘Whitening For Life' program allows our patients to spend just $99.00 to get custom made trays to take home and use with a high percentage whitening solution. As long as you keep up with your regular dental appointments (every 6 months), we continue to give you additional whitening solution to use with your trays! 

Using a whitening toothpaste at home will still help in removing external stains from your teeth, but if you want to really jump start your whitening, we recommend you speak to your dental professional to get the best options for you!

How to Get our Kids to Be Better Brushers!

It is a constant challenge to keep kids interested and motivated to do the things that we want them to do: making their beds, doing their homework and getting out the door on time are all things that fall under this category. While we don’t have quick-fixes for all of these challenges, here at Grand Avenue Dental Care, we do have a couple of tips to help you motivate your kids to brush their teeth consistently.

The first way to try to get your kids to do anything, is to be a good example of that activity. That is no different when it come to brushing your teeth. If you are a good example of healthy oral hygiene habits, your kids will see that and be more likely to want to do the same thing! So, be sure YOU are brushing for two minutes, two times a day and flossing once a day! 

Another way to encourage your kids is to make brushing FUN! Getting them engaged in the activity, especially at a young age, can be instrumental in creating positive, lifelong habits. With technology so readily available today, there are quite a few apps that you can download to your phone, iPad or tablet, that were created JUST for this situation. A couple of our favorite tooth brushing apps are the Disney Magic Timer and the Brusheez app! They are both kid-approved but there are many more where they came from! See what works best for your child. Some kids really like the tangible, flip-over, 2 minute timer or they might prefer 2 minutes of dancing, while brushing, to their favorite song. Find out what works best for them, and if they loses their initial excitement, try something new!

Fun is always good, but so are rewards and positive reinforcement. Regardless of how you motivate your child to be a better, more consistent brusher, be sure to take notice! Just complementing how well they are doing is wonderful, but it might also be nice to set up a reward program if they do it well. We’ve created the below Brushing Calendar to help with just that. Feel free to print it out and encourage your child to color each half of the day (morning and night) as they brush. They can use their favorite color, green and gold for their favorite team or even stickers in each section. If they fill out the entire calendar for one month, you can arrange a special reward for them. Or, if they bring it in to Grand Avenue Dental Care, with their parents signature- we will give them a special treat. 

Remember, as soon as your child gets their first tooth, you should start brushing. You should also schedule them for their first dental visit once they have that first tooth, or by the time they are one year old. The earlier good brushing habits are formed, the better kids are at taking care of their teeth and the less cavities they will experience. We hope these few tips help you to build better brushing habits with your kids! Their bed might still be un-made, but at least their smile will sparkle! 

92% of Us Have Had at Least One Cavity!

That is a BIG number and yes, cavities are common. But, in many cases, they are preventable! So, here are a few ways that you can help to prevent cavities:

  1. Brush! It always goes back to brushing, doesn’t it? Two minutes, two times a day. No exceptions! Brushing in the morning and at night can help to remove debris and keep your teeth cavity-free. Remember- it takes about 6 weeks to develop a new habit, so be prepared to hit some roadblocks and keep at it!
  2. Floss! Along with the brushing, flossing reaches the remaining tooth surface to keep it all clean. Even the best brusher would be missing over 30% of tooth structure without flossing. That is a lot of your teeth, so be sure to floss once a day. 
  3. Watch the Sugar! What you eat goes a long way when it comes to dental health. Many foods that are healthy for us (or we think are healthy) have a lot of sugar in them. Read your labels and limit how much sugar you eat. Pay attention not only to the food you eat but the drinks you drink. Sports drinks, juices, sodas and coffee can all have natural and added sugars in them, and can also be acidic, which puts your teeth at a higher risk for decay. Chewy foods are more likely to stick in the grooves of your teeth, so crunchy foods (think nuts) or dairy (think cheese sticks) make great snacks in-between meals. 
  4. Rinse! We know that it’s not always possible to brush and floss throughout the day or eat perfectly. So, while you are sipping your coffee or your soda at work, be sure you are drinking water in between. Rinsing with water throughout the day is a great way to allow your mouth to return to it’s normal pH level and try to rinse away some of the debris from lunch(or that pick-me-up snack/coffee!). You can also try chewing some sugar free gum to help remove debris and freshen your breath while out and about all day! Gum with xylitol like this one from Walmart or this one from Thrive Market offer a ‘one-up’, as xylitol has been proven effective in reducing the risk of cavities … even better!

Ultimately, your daily eating and brushing habits will make the biggest difference in how often you will get cavities. By taking the time and making a few changes to your habits, you can make a positive impact on your oral health. And, as always, if you ever have a question about your teeth or oral health, don’t hesitate to ask any of us at Grand Avenue Dental Care!

Over-the-Counter Pain Killers Provide Better Dental Pain Relief than Prescription Opioids

For years, our doctors have recommended that patients take a combination of Tylenol and Ibuprofen to counter the affects of dental pain. The combination of the two over-the-counter medications is extremely effective in fighting the swelling and pain associated with dental issues and has less negative side effects than prescription medications.

A recent article from WebMD.com focuses on  a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association that agrees. One of their co-authors states, "What we know is that prescribing narcotics should be a last resort," said study co-author Anita Aminoshariae, an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University's School of Dental Medicine, in Cleveland. She went on to say, "The best available data suggests that the use of non-steroidal medications [NSAIDs], with or without acetaminophen, offers the most favorable balance between benefits and harms, optimizing efficacy [effectiveness] while minimizing acute adverse events."

Here at Grand Avenue Dental Care we have been and continue to practice this philosophy and only prescribe prescription medications when necessary. If you are unable to take acetaminophen or ibuprofen you should speak to your doctor or dentist so that they can make an alternate recommendation for pain management. You also should not take acetaminophen (Tylenol) while consuming or after consuming alcohol. If you ever have any questions about your dental health or managing dental pain, please contact us!

What happens if my child injures a tooth?

While statistics show that over 120 million of us are missing at least one tooth, that doesn’t make it any easier when you are one missing it! More difficult still, is when a child loses a permanent tooth in an injury or accident. It can be a stressful situation and one that we do occasionally come across. So, what happens when your child chips or loses an adult tooth?

The first thing to do, if your child experiences this, is to go to see your dentist. Whether there is a chip or a crack in the tooth, or if the tooth is loose or missing, it’s the best idea to get in to see a dentist right away. If there is something that can be done, doing it sooner than later, is always in your child’s best interest. 

There are a few treatments that can be done, depending on the injury sustained. 

  1. My child’s tooth is chipped.  Whether this is a front tooth or a back tooth, usually a chip in a tooth can be fairly easily restored with a resin filling, or bonding material. This is a tooth-colored material that is very durable, and it can work in a variety of situations to make the tooth whole again. 
  2. My child’s tooth is cracked. If a tooth is cracked or broken, there is still a good chance that the tooth can be saved. Sometimes, a small crack can be treated just like a chipped tooth, using filling material, as described above. More often, in these situations, a crown could be placed on the remaining, unaffected structure of the tooth, keeping the aesthetic look and function of the tooth. Occasionally, a crack will run up and down, or vertically, in the tooth, and that could be a situation where the tooth cannot be saved. Regardless, your dentist will be able to assess the tooth and let you know what your options are.
  3. My child’s tooth was knocked out. In these situations, it is always good to get your child to the dentist right away. If possible, bring the missing tooth with and keep it in water or milk while transporting. While it is difficult, sometimes the dentist can try to place the tooth back into the socket and stitch the gums slightly to see if the tooth will reconnect with the tissue. This is not always an option and it doesn’t always work, but it is worth a try. If the tooth cannot be placed back into the mouth, the dentist can make sure the socket is clean so that it will heal as nicely and quickly as possible. Your dentist can also discuss future options for tooth replacement with you and your child at that time. 

Any time a child has an injury involving their teeth it can be a traumatic situation. Getting them in to see their dentist right away is the best thing to do. These stressful situation are the times where it is helpful if you and your child have a dentist already so that you have a relationship with someone you trust and know. If you or your child don’t have a dentist currently, we recommend calling our office to set up a new patient exam! Today is a new day and a new opportunity to care for yourself and your family. We’d be happy to be a part of that!