Tooth enamel is porous and over time, teeth become stained. After years of eating pigmented foods such as blackberries or blueberries, and consuming pigmented beverages like black tea and coffee, teeth become darkened and yellowed, losing their youthful shine. This fact makes Teeth Whitening one of the most sought-after cosmetic dental procedures in the United States.
There are two options to whiten dull and dingy teeth: go to a cosmetic dentist for professional intervention, or use a take-home professional whitening kit.
In-Office Whitening
According ADA the most effective treatments for whitening teeth are performed by trained dentists using a whitening agent and special light. The active ingredient in most whitening gels is hydrogen peroxide. Your cosmetic dentist uses a stronger gel than you can buy in any store, making an in-office treatment more effective in-office procedure takes a bit over an hour. The cosmetic dentist first applies protective gel to the lips and gums. Then he applies the whitening gel to all the teeth to be treated. A special light activates and speeds the whitening agent. This sequence takes about 20 minutes and is repeated twice more. To finish off, a fluoride treatment is given.
A take-home follow-up kit will usually be given, so you can do touch-ups later on.
Temporary tooth sensitivity is sometimes felt with in-office whitening procedures. If that happens, your cosmetic dentist will stop treatment and apply a desensitizing agent to the teeth. Treatment can be resumed at any time. You will be astounded at the different in your smile after an in-office tooth whitening treatment.
At Home Whitening
There are two options for at-home whitening: using a professional-strength kit with custom-made trays, or choosing an over-the-counter whitener. If you choose a professional kit, your cosmetic dentist will have the trays made for you and explain how to use the kit.
You can wear the two trays when it’s convenient for you. Some people wear them overnight. The whitening agent stops working after about 45 minutes, so you can wear them during the day for that length of time and then remove them. The kits come with a shade strip where you can mark your Before and After colors.
Store-bought whitening kits are less effective, as (a) they have one-size-fits-all trays; and (b) they have a less-than-professional strength whitening gel. Teeth get whiter only while they are in contact with the whitening agent. So an ill-fitting pair of trays will give uneven results.
Whitening toothpastes are a poor idea, as they do not contain any bleaching agent, but an abrasive ingredient. They try to scrape the stains off, but also gradually scrape off your tooth enamel as well. This will make your teeth look more yellow, because the less enamel they have, the more the yellow dentin layer will show through.
Sourcelink:- http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=node/19935
Friday, December 12, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Porcelain Crowns to Improve Your Smile
In the past, crowns have been made of a gold alloy.This is very durable and provides a strong chewing surface. But a gold crown stands out among its natural, white neighbors and does not give an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Cosmetic dentistry has advanced in huge strides over recent years, so that now the material of choice for a crown is dental porcelain.
What is dental porcelain?
It’s a glass-like ceramic material that comes in many shades of white. A qualified cosmetic dentist can give you a porcelain crown that nobody will ever identify as a crown. He will match the exact shade of porcelain to your natural enamel, and will even have the crown made of several subtly different shades of porcelain, to mimic the subtle variations in natural tooth enamel.
Advantages of porcelain :-
It is translucent like natural tooth enamel.
Light can travel through it, but is also reflected back to the viewer from the dental cement holding the crown to the tooth. Similarly, light travels through enamel and is reflected back from the dentin layer beneath. So in both cases, the result is a characteristic white sheen.
It is strong and long-lasting and gives a good chewing surface
It is stain-resistant like glass. The pigmented substances we eat and drink, like cola drinks, blackberries and red wine, do not affect its color as they do our enamel color.Conversely, it is not affected by any teeth whitening procedure. It retains its original shade of white.
A porcelain crown can be:
1. All-porcelain, with porcelain on the outside and a porcelain lining; or
2. Porcelain-fused-to-metal, with porcelain on the outside and a metal lining.
Source Link:- http://bestsyndication.com/?q=node/20252
What is dental porcelain?
It’s a glass-like ceramic material that comes in many shades of white. A qualified cosmetic dentist can give you a porcelain crown that nobody will ever identify as a crown. He will match the exact shade of porcelain to your natural enamel, and will even have the crown made of several subtly different shades of porcelain, to mimic the subtle variations in natural tooth enamel.
Advantages of porcelain :-
It is translucent like natural tooth enamel.
Light can travel through it, but is also reflected back to the viewer from the dental cement holding the crown to the tooth. Similarly, light travels through enamel and is reflected back from the dentin layer beneath. So in both cases, the result is a characteristic white sheen.
It is strong and long-lasting and gives a good chewing surface
It is stain-resistant like glass. The pigmented substances we eat and drink, like cola drinks, blackberries and red wine, do not affect its color as they do our enamel color.Conversely, it is not affected by any teeth whitening procedure. It retains its original shade of white.
A porcelain crown can be:
1. All-porcelain, with porcelain on the outside and a porcelain lining; or
2. Porcelain-fused-to-metal, with porcelain on the outside and a metal lining.
Source Link:- http://bestsyndication.com/?q=node/20252
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