Teeth Whitening Dentist Lafayette LA, Deep Bleaching Dental Treatment

Types of Tooth Whitening
Tooth Whitening is just one of man’s many innovations to fulfill his cosmetic desires. No wonder, it is the most sought after cosmetic dental procedure. Tooth whitening has dawned in various forms and procedures (infact every possible form you can think of).

Tooth Whitening Gums: This has been extensively seen via advertising media in recent times. They contain bicarb soda which is also employed in the commercial tooth whitening toothpastes. However, they do not containing any bleaching agent which are regularly employed in most commercial tooth whitening systems which are effective.

You need to be chewing these gums for 20 minutes each four times a day for it to show any affect. Any visible whitening signs can take up to four weeks to appear.

Tooth Whitening Pastes: These are available over the counter and cost slightly above your normal toothpaste. They are to be use just like normal toothpaste and claim to have whitening effects.

However, many dentists have pointed out that they do not have any significant whitening and are just as good as normal toothpastes. People brushing with whitening pastes many times a day might be doing more damage than good to their teeth.

Tooth Whitening Strips: Most of these are available over the counter (except a few) and they contain peroxide (bleaching agent) in low concentrations (generally around 6-15%).

You have to wear these in your mouth for about an hour once/twice a day for a specified number of days. Different brands produce different results. Achieving 3 shades improvement is generally seen.

They are comfortable to wear, produce only slight discomfort upon talking and a good economical option for those who wish to achieve whiter teeth.

Tooth Whitening Trays: These come as the one-size-fits all whitening trays or custom fitted trays for the patient. The custom fitted trays are preferable since they tend to be more effective and easier to work with. This method requires wearing of the trays with whitening gel in the mouth for a fixed period and number of times each day. The gel contains a Carbamide Peroxide concentration of around 10%-15%. They have been shown to be reasonably effective in many cases although the one-size-fits-all has been often shown to be ineffective due to the improper contact of whitening gel and teeth.


In-Office Tooth Whitening: This is the most sought after cosmetic treatment for whitening teeth and also the most effective. In-office tooth whitening is carried out by professional dentists and includes popular procedures such as Zoom Whitening System and Britesmile. The dentist cleans the mouth and applies a protective gel around your mouth. A special gel containing peroxide is then applied on your teeth. A special light is used to activate this gel and it penetrates enamel and bleaches it turning your teeth white and hence this is also known as laser teeth whitening. There might be initial side effects which subside in a few days.

Above article from DentalHealthSite.com

Teeth Whitening Dentist Lafayette Louisiana
Dr. Samuel R. Moss, DDS & Associates
Tel: 337-232-9937
217 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 100, Lafayette LA 70508

Cosmetic Dentist Lafayette LA

Dental Crowns

Damaged teeth need “caps” to protect them and safeguard their ability to function in a healthy manner; these ‘caps’ are also called ‘dental crowns’. Dental crowns may be fitted on to decayed or damaged teeth, cracked or chipped teeth, or in some cases they may even replace an old cap that has been damaged due to some reason.

This dental cap or crown acts like a sheath that protects a vulnerable tooth or teeth. The cap can be made from materials that suit the patient. There are many treatment options available to dentists today by which teeth can be restored and all these should be considered before choosing a crown that offers full coverage for the damaged tooth.


The clinical procedure to make a crown:

The first thing that a dentist will do when you go in for the crown procedure is to make a molded impression of your teeth as they currently exist. This mold will then be sent to a laboratory. A permanent crown will be made for your damaged tooth or teeth based on this mold. In the interim, during the same visit, the dentist will fit a temporary crown to protect your tooth. Once the new crown is ready, it will be bonded or cemented to your tooth during one of your later visits.

Computers and technology have now evolved to great extent. The new computer-aided design/manufacturing technology commonly referred to as CAD/CAM allows one to display a 3-D image of your teeth. Based on this image, the dentist will create a restoration by milling a ceramic block. If you are lucky enough to find a dentist who has CAD/CAM technology right in his office, then you will not need a temporary crown or even a second visit to have the final procedure done. It can be done on the spot.

Crowns used with Fixed Partial Dentures and Dental Implants

Dental bridges also called fixed partial dentures are another method used to replace missing teeth. One can call them an extension of the dental crown. In this method, the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth/teeth are capped or crowned and they are in turn connected to an artificial reproduction of the missing teeth.

Fixed partial dentures were used before the advent of dental implants. Today the popular choice for replacing missing teeth is dental implants. In the dental implant method of replacing teeth, a replica of the tooth is made with titanium. This is then placed and fused in the jawbone with titanium paste. The part of the tooth replica that is above the gum line is then fitted with a crown.

Dental implants give support to the bite and do away with the requirement for the needless crowning of adjacent teeth and thus they are a popular choice over fixed partial dentures or dental bridges.
Materials used to make Crowns: Gold, Ceramic and Porcelain Crowns.

When you want to choose the material with which you would like to have your tooth/teeth capped, you have a choice of three materials to choose from.

They are as follows:

1. All-ceramic (all-porcelain)
2. Gold
3. Porcelain-fused-to-metal
The final selection of the material will depend upon the strength requirements, the aesthetic and clinical demands, the space available in the jaw and the durability of the material. Let us look at each one in brief.

All-Ceramic Crowns

When it comes to all-ceramic crowns, you can choose between zirconia, and aluminous materials. These are the leading materials used in all-ceramic crowns. These materials take precedence over any others as they provide an esthetic option that is free of metals and in addition they offer several benefits. An all-ceramic crown does not need any supporting metal core and thus the thickness of the material used can be considerably reduced. This is especially good when the space available in the mouth is very small. Moreover, due to the absence of a metal core, light can be easily transmitted through the porcelain which gives a more lifelike natural effect to the tooth.

The materials used in all-ceramic crowns continue to undergo progress in terms of their sturdiness and strength, nevertheless one should be careful in using these where too much chewing and biting is required. Research is still being done wherein the susceptibility of porcelain in heavy-duty areas of the mouth are being explored.

Gold Crowns

Gold crowns are not a very popular choice as they do not match the color of natural teeth and they stand out instead of blending in. Nevertheless, there are still situations where one might choose a gold crown.

For instance people who have a habit of clenching their teeth under stress, or grinding their teeth in the sleep, or those that have a strong bite or chew excessively hard might benefit with a gold crown as it provides a stronger support to the healthy teeth as compared to ceramic crowns.
Gold crowns are very suitable for molars where there is heavy chewing as the material is not very rough or harsh to the opposing tooth, thus that tooth remains healthy for a longer time. Additionally, gold crowns need less time for preparation.

Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal Crowns

Porcelain fused to metal crowns offer a long lasting, strong and better looking option for capping teeth.
The success of this type of crown depends upon proper preparation of the basic tooth structure in such a way that there is enough space for allowing the thickness of the material being used to cap the tooth. The skill of the person making the crown will add to its visual beauty and how it will blend in with your other teeth.

One of the drawbacks in this porcelain-fused-to-metal crown is that over a period of time, the gum line may recede and thus expose the gold margin. A number of patients choose this type of crown, and later choose to replace the crown in order to maintain better visual appeal. Choosing a Porcelain-fused-to-metal crown with an all porcelain collar can get rid of this minus point.

Above article from dentalhealthsite.com

Cosmetic Dentist Lafayette Louisiana
Dr. Samuel R. Moss, DDS & Associates
Tel: 337-232-9937
217 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 100, Lafayette LA 70508

Dental Care Lafayette LA

8 Remedies for Bad Breath

Bad breath or Halitosis as it is medically known can be an embarrassing condition to contend with. It affects your rappo with colleagues or classmates.

There are plenty of causes of bad breath . The most effective way to prevent bad breath is by maintaining good oral hygiene by following the 10 Commandments of Good Oral Health. However, it should be noted that there can be extra-oral sources of bad breath and these underlying causes must be dealt with for the successful treatment of Halitosis.

Bad breath
I will discuss the 8 remedies of bad breath which should help in curing your bad breath.

- As clichéd or repetitive it might sound, a large percentage of the U.S population do not brush 2 times a day in a correct way. So, learn brushing the right way and do it regularly.
- Tooth Decay is an important causative agent of Halitosis and should be treated immediately. There are various treatments for tooth decay including fillings and Root Canal Treatment (RCT).
- Dry Mouth (Xerostomia) reduces the saliva which is a natural mouthwash leading to bad breath. There are many possible causes of Xerostomia and people affected by Xerostomia should get this condition rectified to treat Halitosis. Generally, drinking lots of water and chewing sugar-free gum is helpful.
- Quit Smoking and Chewing tobacco as smoking and tobacco products accumulate in the oral cavity emitting foul smell.
- Using a mouthwash effectively reduces the bad breath but it may not treat the underlying cause.
- Rinse your mouth after every meal and drink as this reduces the amount of food debris and sugars that bacteria thrive on.
- Make sure you are not a victim of delusional Halitosis or Halitophobia which simply means you do not have Halitosis yet.
- In case, you are concerned after having bad breath when hungry, it’s normal and will go away when you eat something.

Above article from DentalHealthSite.com

Dental Care Services In Lafayette LA

Dentist

Dr. Samuel R. Moss, DDS & Associates
Tel: 337-232-9937
217 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 100, Lafayette LA 70508

http://samuelrmossdds.com/