Toothspot - All About Teeth

Teeth Grinding  Wearing of the chewing surfaces if your teeth occurs normally throughout life at a slow pace. Just the friction of the upper and lower teeth moving against one another wears away your enamel. You don't notice it because it is such as low process. Though, you might notice that the biting surfaces if your lower incisors appear more yellow than they used to. Depending on your age, the yellow you are looking at is probably dentin (the layer under enamel). You may have also noticed that your upper front teeth are beginning to chip.  The normal process of attrition can become greatly accelerated if your teeth don't fit together properly. In other words, if your normal bite is off to one side and not evenly balanced with the teeth interlocking, you can have problems with excessive loss of tooth structure. One out of every four adults falls into this category a some level. Grinding and clenching are usually a physical manifestation of stress. It occurs at night

How can I make my teeth whiter? Bleaching or veneers are typically the best choice unless you have existing dental work. If you currently have crowns, you may have to have them replaced to whiten your smile. If you have bonding or tooth colored fillings, you may need to change them following bleaching.   Which bleaching method is the best? If your teeth are receptive to bleaching, all methods will eventually lighten your teeth to a similar result, though, some methods may take longer than others. The in-office treatments offered by your dentist will give you the quickest result. The tray method will also whiten your teeth over a longer period of time (generally about 2 weeks). Are there any reasons I shouldn't bleach my teeth? Yes. You shouldn't bleach your teeth if your pregnant, nursing, or have any infections related to your teeth or gums. You might also consider avoiding bleaching if you have excessively sensitive teeth.  So, How long w

Bad Breath (halitosis) My breath gets worse throughout the day, what's going on? Do you breath through your mouth? Do you spend most of your day speaking? This is often a common problem for people whose jobs require them to speak quite a bit. Talking or mouth breathing dries out the tissues in the mouth and makes for an ideal environment for odor-causing bacteria. You might want to carry a bottle of water with you. Frequent sips will keep your mouth moist and stimulate salivary flow. I brush my teeth constantly, but I still have bad breath. What can I do? Brushing and flossing are definitively the first steps to eliminating bad breath. Brushing and flossing remove bacteria responsible for creating odorous sulfur compounds and the food these bacteria feed on. However, bacteria hide not only on and around the teeth but also on the tongue under a layer of mucous. Here they are free to create odorous sulfur compounds. You might want to consider using a tong

  So... When Are Those Baby Teeth Supposed to Come out? Background : It's important to note that eruption times vary form child to child just as the individual growth rates between children vary. Normally, no teeth are visible in the mouth at birth. Occasionally, some babies are born with an erupted incisor (neonatal tooth), but these are not true teeth and are lost soon after birth. The first baby teeth to erupt are usually the lower two front incisors (mandibular central incisors) at about 6 months of age. They are followed by the 4 upper front teeth. The remainder of your child's teeth will appear periodically, usually in pairs on each side of the jaw, until all 20 baby teeth have come in at about 2 1/2 years of age. The last teeth to emerge are the top two molars (maxillary second molars at 30 months). The complete set of baby teeth are in the mouth from 2 years to 5 3/4 or 6 years of age (when no permanent teeth are present). Shortly after your child's 4th birthda

  Canker Sores The terms "canker sores" and "cold sores" are often used interchangeably. While both are painful sores of the mouth, there's a difference. Canker sores are found on the inside of the mouth and are not contagious; however, cold sores can be found on both the inside and outside of the mouth and are contagious. Canker Sore Producing Foods to Avoid apples milk soy barley nuts tomatoes buckwheat oranges vinegar cheese pineapples  whole wheat chocolate rye lemon  shellfish Watch What You Eat Studies show that what we eat may play a large role in determining whether we get canker sores. Consumption of the following foods can lead to canker sores; avoiding them may help to reduce the number of sores you get. In particular, citric fruits and chocolate seem to be common triggers for canker sores. We've noted that many patients relate experiencing canker sores soon after consuming citric fruits or j

A List of Tips to Keep Your Breath At It's Best! At some point, everyone fights bad breath at some point or other, here's some suggestions to help you tip the odds in your favor: Eliminate the causative agents - bacteria and food particles. Floss, then brush your teeth, gums and tongue after each meal. You can make this easier on yourself by keeping floss, toothpaste and a toothbrush in your desk and car. If you can’t brush and floss after every meal, at least rinse your mouth with water to dislodge food and moisten your mouth. Learn the proper way to brush. Use an oral irrigation device such as a water-pik to remove particles of food wedged between your teeth. Avoid mouthwashes which contain alcohol; Instead, try a mouthwash that contains chlorine dioxide. Unlike conventional mouthwashes, the chlorine dioxide actually neutralizes the odor-causing sulphur compounds. Baking soda is an effective odor eliminator; if you can handle the taste, try brushing with a mixtu