Teeth Whitening

Jan 26 2020

Conditions that can lead to Tooth Pain

Did you know that chronic tooth pain can alter the way one talks? And not only that, it can change one’s demeanor and personality with time. For example, an individual with an exuberant nature can become withdrawn and cranky if they are dealing with consistent tooth pain.

But tooth pain doesn’t just happen. It’s a culmination of a number of things. Some causes of toothaches are common like a dental cavity or trauma to the jaw. Here are the four main conditions that lead to tooth pain.

An abscess

An abscessed tooth can be excruciatingly painful. This is an infection within the tooth that has found its way to the roots of the tooth. The infection causes the roots of the tooth to be inflamed resulting in swelling and pain. This condition is characterized by a lesion in the gum that is filled with pus. The bacteria causing the infection to enter the dental pulp through a crack or chip in the tooth. An abscessed tooth can be remedied through a root canal.

Drug abuse

Drug addicts tend to have bad teeth because of their drug use. Methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy and even marijuana that is now legal in some states contribute to dry mouth which leads to tooth decay and dental cavities. Ultimately, drug addicts have toothaches as a result of their addiction.

Also, these drugs cause one to clench their teeth or grind their teeth against each other making the jaw and teeth susceptible to pain and weak with time. Unfortunately, some prescription medication for conditions like medication for blood pressure can also cause dry mouth contributing to dental cavities. Also, chemotherapy can have the same effect.
Trauma

Injury or trauma to the mouth or jaw can result in the loosening of teeth. Loose teeth are painful to touch and because the mouth is constantly active they can be constantly brushed against causing the pain to be continuous.

Damaged filling

If the filing in a tooth comes off or cracks exposing the dental pulp one becomes prone to toothaches as cold and hot substances enter the cavity and irritate the pulp. The solution is to refill the cavity and hide the exposed nerve endings in the tooth and this can be done by the dentist in a series of visit depending on the scale of damage to the filling. In most cases, the dentist needs to do the refilling all over again including cleaning the tooth to ensure that food particles do not get trapped inside.

Nov 26 2019

How Coffee Creates Stains on Your Teeth

Most people would find it extremely hard to start their day on the right foot without a strong cup of coffee. And while there’s no harm in enjoying a daily cup of morning coffee, it’s imperative to know the effects of the beverage on teeth.

Coffee is one of the world’s leading beverages with a whopping 400 million cups of coffee consumed by Americans annually. It’s also one of the leading causes of tooth discoloration.

How does coffee stain teeth?

Although coffee does provide much-needed stimulus in the morning to get the body’s senses going, it does contain tannins. Tannins are a group of bitter and astringent compounds found in plants such as coffee, teas, and wine, all of which cause staining on teeth in varying degrees. Of all these, coffee is the leading culprit of teeth staining owing to its popularity.

The coffee stains on teeth occur over time for coffee enthusiasts as the tannin builds up on the enamel. In time the teeth become visibly discolored. Discolored or yellowing teeth can cause one to smile self consciously. Fortunately, no one should have to endure discolored teeth as a result of coffee because a visit to the local dentist should be able to restore coffee teeth to glistening white.

The enamel of the teeth is indeed the hardest substance in the human body. However, contrary to what most people think, it’s not as smooth and flat as it appears. Upon close inspection with a microscope, the tooth enamel reveals microscopic pits and ridges. These minute crooks and crannies on the enamel can accumulate particles of food and drink. Tannins from coffee accumulate over time and embed themselves into these enamel spaces to cause discoloration.

Can discoloration of teeth from coffee be prevented?

Well, the answer is yes, coffee teeth are preventable. Giving up coffee is not exactly an option for a majority of coffee drinkers. However, one of the solutions is having scheduled coffee breaks that allow one to rinse their mouth or better yet brush their teeth to get rid of any tannins embedded in the teeth enamel.

If one already has coffee teeth, fret not! That’s because a competent dentist can restore the bright white smile in place once again through teeth whitening. They do that by cleaning the teeth thoroughly using specialized solutions as well as equipment.

Conclusion

Rinsing the mouth or brushing teeth after enjoying a cup of coffee is an excellent way of preventing coffee teeth. Coffee lovers can stay ahead of coffee teeth and maintain a brilliant smile by regular visits to the dentist for a thorough session of teeth cleaning.

Oct 12 2016

Whitened Teeth Maintenance – Keep the Sheen

Nothing attracts attention quite like a glimmering, white smile. Here at Bedford Dental Group, we work hard to help our patients obtain exactly that type of smile. In fact, the Zoom! Whitening System is one of our most popular treatments we perform, whitening your teeth in less than an hour.

Once you’ve managed to get that perfect smile, the last thing you want to do is start staining your teeth again. You’ve put in a lot of work to get that smile. You need to maintain that newfound luster on your pearly whites.

Here are some steps you can take to protect your smile from the stains of everyday life.

Brush and Floss: Just because the Zoom! Whitening System can whiten your teeth doesn’t mean you are exempt from taking good care of them too. You need to maintain good oral hygiene, which includes brushing, flossing, and washing your mouth out with a good antiseptic mouthwash.
Consider Touch Up Methods: While whitening toothpastes can seldom do the job themselves, using one at least once or twice a week can help maintain the work done by our office and cut down on yellowing. In addition, taking part in regular dental exams gives our staff the ability to check in and perform touch-ups as needed.
Cut Down on Stain Causing Foods: Some foods contain compounds that naturally stain your teeth. These substances include coffee, tea, red wine, tobacco, dark sodas like cola, or berries. Cutting down on these will help maintain that clean, white look. However, when you do consume these substances…
Rinse Afterwards: Brushing or rinsing shortly after consuming stain-causing foods greatly reduces the impact of those substances.

Taking care of your dental hygiene is the most important thing for your smile. That goes double for teeth that have just been whitened. Following these suggestions will help keep your teeth whiter for longer.

Sep 16 2015

Donald Trump’s Smile Care Secrets

Whether you support Donald Trump’s campaign for presidency or not, there is one thing we can all share and discuss—his teeth! Trump has been the butt of jokes about his hair for years, but his teeth have never looked better. So what’s his secret? How does he get those chompers so pearly and so white? At Bedford Dental Group, our Beverly Hills cosmetic dentists have some theories.

He has porcelain veneers! Just look at his smile. His teeth are straight and nicely sized, with no gaps or chips. Teeth tend to have wear over time, but Trump’s smile is still strong and straight. Porcelain veneers are a great way to achieve this. With veneers, a thin layer of porcelain is coated over your teeth, giving them a natural, beautiful look.
He might have had cosmetic surgery! It is very possible that the Trump has used oral surgery to permanently alter his smile for the better. Unlike porcelain veneers, which need to be replaced every 5-10 years, cosmetic dental surgery can permanently fix problems, like gaps and alignment.
He gets regular whitenings! Teeth naturally begin to yellow and stain with age, coffee, tea, and other foods. It has been said that Trump regularly gets his teeth whitened to help them keep a younger and cleaner appearance. Whitening, especially with the Zoom! whitening system, is an easy procedure that can instantly lift years off your teeth.

Everyone knows Donald Trump has lots of money to spend on his smile, but having a gorgeous grin doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. At Bedford Dental Group, our Beverly Hills cosmetic dentists provide high-quality dental services at affordable prices. Like Trump, you can have a smile that stands out.

Contact our Beverly Hills office today to get more information or to schedule an appointment.

Sep 10 2015

Zoom! Post Whitening Care

The Zoom! whitening system is considered the best teeth bleaching system available on the market. Following Zoom!, most people see 4-7 shades improvement. So, after you leave our office, it’s extremely important to stay away from certain foods and beverages for 48 hours following your teeth whitening procedure.

After your teeth are whitened, you want to maintain your beautiful results for as long as possible, so you have to be careful of open pores. Your teeth are the most vulnerable to stains for 48 hours after the procedure because the pores in the teeth are still open until your teeth re-hydrate.

The good news is that you can easily avoid this staining by avoiding certain foods and drinks for the next couple of days. Just think that if it could stain a white shirt, it can stain your teeth!

What NOT to consume for the first 48 hours following your Zoom! treatment:

Red sauces
Soy sauce
Berries
Coffee
Dark sodas
Teas, especially Earl Grey and English Breakfast
Cooked spinach
Tobacco products

Since the enamel remains porous following the whitening procedure, it’s very easy for the above foods and drinks to penetrate the outer surface of the enamel and counteract your results.

Instead of eating chocolate, soy sauce and other dark foods, consider eating white bread, white rice, or less-starchy foods, such as white cheese, cottage cheese, vanilla protein drinks or yogurt.

Returning to Your Normal Routine

After the first two to three days, you can go back to your normal routine. However, if you can drink coffee, tea, and dark sodas out of a straw, even better.

The protocol is to drink only water for the next 48 hours, and every time you eat, rinse or brush soon after you eat. As a general rule, simply don’t allow stain forming foods to stay on your teeth for long.

If you have further questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call our office. Our Beverly Hills dentist and our caring, supportive staff are always here to help!