Just like hair and skin color, people are born with varying shades of tooth color. Over time, the shade of your teeth can also be affected by a host of factors including:
- Food and drinks: Wine, coffee, colas, juice, tea, and sports drinks contain dyes and tannins which can change the color of your teeth. Berries, candy, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, pickles, and popsicles are just a few examples of foods that can wreak havoc on the whiteness of your teeth.
- Tobacco use: Both cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco cause discoloration of teeth.
- Medications: Antibiotics such as doxycycline and tetracycline have shown to cause tooth discoloration when given to young children. Certain antihistamines, high blood pressure medications, and antipsychotic drugs have also been noted to cause tooth darkening.
- Disease: Both chemotherapy and radiation treatments, as well as certain infections in pregnant mothers, can cause changes in coloring of teeth.
- Age: As you age, enamel wears away and teeth accumulate tartars and stains, causing them to discolor and darken.
- Environment: Excess amounts of fluoride that can often be found in your water effects the coloration of teeth. Additionally, excessive use of fluoride supplements, toothpaste, and rinses can cause unwanted yellowing.
- Trauma: A fall or blow causing damage to the nerves can cause discoloration in both children with developing teeth and adults with permanent teeth.
- Poor oral hygiene: Infrequent or ineffective dental hygiene or neglecting regular dental cleanings can cause teeth to turn gray, yellow, brown, or even black.
When determining if teeth whitening is right for you, consider that the color of your teeth should closely match the whites of your eyes. If your teeth have darkened due to any of these factors, professional teeth whitening may be the path to achieving a whiter smile. A visit to your dentist can help you determine both the cause of your tooth discoloration, and the best and most effective means of treatment to achieve the brightest, most natural smile.
If you are looking for professional teeth whiting in Toronto, contact our dental office today to learn about our whitening options. We look forward in seeing you.
Teeth are a vital part of the body and require proper care, which includes regular dental checkups and necessary treatments. Many people neglect that portion of their oral health, and one of the reasons is anxiety or fear of dental work. This occurs with people of all ages and walks of life. Luckily, sedation dentistry has been developed to handle this problem.
Dental sedation involves administering sedative medications to patients to induce relaxation, a carefree attitude, and pain management. Conscious sedation depresses the level of consciousness so that the patient is still able to speak and follow commands, but feels completely relaxed.
Sedation dentistry in our Toronto dental office offers a number of benefits to patients who typically avoid visiting the dentist. These include:
- Minimizes pain or discomfort during treatment
- Allows the dentist to work more efficiently
- Enables multiple dental treatments to be performed in a single office visit
- Produces a level of amnesia so that the patient does not remember the treatment
- Promotes return dental visits because the patient has a good experience
- Enables treatment for small children
- Has minimal side effects, if any
- Allows patients who have a strong gag reflex to obtain treatment comfortably
- Provides the ability for patients to communicate and respond to verbal instructions throughout treatment
- Allows normal heart and breathing functions during treatment
- Provides the ability to easily monitor the patient at all times while under sedation
No matter what the reasons are behind dental anxiety or fear, sedation can help patients get through treatment without ill effects. It allows dentists to provide the best possible treatment, often in a single appointment, and patients are able to come away with better oral health and a positive experience.
Take a drink of your refreshing cold beverage, delve into your favorite flavor of ice cream, or have a sip of the perfect coffee concoction. But then, a hundred miniature daggers stab your teeth!! If this is your experience when eating foods that you used to enjoy, you are suffering with overly sensitive teeth.
Your dentist will be able to determine the reasons behind your tooth sensitivity. Often your enamel is worn, exposing the nerves on your teeth and increasing the sensation of anything that comes into contact with them. There are treatments that should help reduce your discomfort and allow you to eat the foods you like. While waiting to see your dentist, here are some things you can try at home to relieve your sensitivity.
Switch toothpaste
Visit the oral products section of your drugstore, and you will find numerous choices of toothpaste to help reduce sensitivity. Try switching to one of the toothpaste options designed for that purpose, or ask your dentist for further toothpaste recommendations.
Watch what you eat
Certain foods trigger discomfort more than others. For example, acidic foods and spicy items tend to hit the tooth nerves. Extreme temperatures of icy cold or piping hot foods and drinks can also cause pain. Dentists advise that you keep a food diary to notice patterns of foods that cause sensitivity so that you’ll be able to cut down on those items until your teeth have improved.
Change toothbrushes
Brushing your teeth can be painful if your teeth are overly sensitive, but it’s not advisable to discontinue brushing. Instead, look for a toothbrush designed for sensitive teeth and brush as gently as possible. Also, remember to floss even though it can sometimes be uncomfortable.
Dr. Cruz – General Dentist Toronto – Schedule your appointment today!
If you’ve ever noticed that your gums are swollen, red, or even bleeding, your body is giving you a sign that trouble is brewing in your mouth. You should pay attention to this warning, because irritated gums can lead to serious problems like tooth loss. It’s important to know what might be causing your swollen gums, and what you can do to return your mouth to normal.
Poor dental hygiene is the most common cause of swollen gums. Inadequate or harsh brushing can lead to gum irritation, and so can rough flossing. The most common reasons that dentists find for swollen, irritated gums include:
• Gingivitis (gum disease)
• Canker sores
• Bacterial infections
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy or puberty
• Dry mouth
• Periodontitis (severe gum disease affecting teeth and bones)
• Tobacco use
• Poorly fitting dentures or other appliances
• Fungal or viral infections
• Poor dental hygiene
• Cancer or other diseases
There are steps you can take to reduce swelling and aid the overall health of your gums. For instance, if you treat gingivitis early, it can be reversed before worsening and eventually causing tooth loss. First, choose a toothbrush with soft bristles and use gentle, circular motions on your teeth and gums. Brushing in a back-and-forth motion can irritate and damage your gums. Gently floss every day, and ask your dentist about using a mouthwash to reduce bacteria in your mouth. Make sure you schedule an appointment to see your dentist when you notice your gums are irritated and bothersome, because it’s best to identify the problem and get treatment before your condition gets worse.
Dr. Cruz – General Dentist in Toronto – Schedule your appointment today!
You might think your smile is a lost cause. Maybe you believe it’s beyond repair with gaps, discoloration, chips, and other problems. It might be time to turn to dentistry for help. There are likely very effective and affordable solutions to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. Here are some common dental concerns that can be addressed through dentistry.
What if I have missing teeth?
Having gaps in your smile is probably the most embarrassing dental problems you can have. Whether it’s due to an accident or tooth decay, the desire to restore your smile is the same. Your dentist can help you by offering crowns or bridges, or using dental implants to create artificial teeth.
What if my teeth are yellow?
Cosmetic dentistry offers various teeth whitening solutions to brighten your smile. Some options are available for use at home, while other treatments are performed in your dentist’s office. The whitening techniques done by a professional are usually stronger and work faster and often more dramatically than products to be used at home.
What if I have chips or stains?
Cosmetic solutions such as porcelain veneers work well to hide tooth problems like chips and stubborn stains. Veneers are permanently applied over the fronts of your teeth, and provide a beautiful and natural-looking way to hide tooth imperfections. An alternative to veneers is bonding, a procedure in which a dental composite that looks like enamel is applied to a tooth and then sculpted. This restoration blends into the rest of your tooth to produce a healthy, sparkling smile.
Cosmetic dentist in Toronto – Schedule your appointment today
In many households, the bedtime routine is no fun. One of the trickiest parts for some parents is getting their kids to brush their teeth. However, it’s not a part of your child’s routine that should be skipped. To help make taking care of their teeth fun for children, here are some ideas for parents.
Toothbrushes
Provide your kids with fun toothbrushes! By choosing a brush decorated with their favorite character or color, your children will think of their toothbrush more like a toy than a dental tool. Consider getting more than one toothbrush, so each night they can choose the one they want to “play” with at the time.
Toothpaste
Children are picky about their toothpaste flavors just like their foods. Select toothpaste that you know your kids will like. Some of the flavor options include bubble gum and fruits, as well as the standby mint.
Floss
If they start flossing at a young age, your kids will likely view it as part of their oral hygiene routine all of their life. Try using some of the fun flossing tools on the market today, because they may help get your child interested in flossing. There are many colors and shapes to choose from, so keep trying until you find one that motivates your child.
Rewards
Enticing your children with rewards is often an easy way to encourage them to perform a task without arguing. Consider making a rewards chart and giving them a sticker each time they brush and floss. By the end of a week filled with good dental hygiene, a special reward will await them!
Dentistry office in Toronto Ontario – Kids Dentist
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