Are There Any Good Inexpensive Eectric Toothbrushes You Recommend?

Yes, I often recommend the Oral B Vitality Precision Clean Electric Toothbrush. It's affordable(under $20), easy to find, and usually I find that patients do a better job cleaning their teeth with it than they would with a good manual brush. It is especially good for a children's brush. Children are proud to have their own electric tooth brush and this brush rotates more slowly than more expensive models and children tend to find it less 'scary'

Why do I need Full Mouth X-rays?

In my practice, I recommend patients have a full set of X-rays taken every 5-7 years. A full series of radiographs consists of 18 different views of the teeth and allows the dentist to view the teeth from multiple angles. Although some dental problems exhibit obvious symptoms, some do not. Teeth can have rather extensive decay that causes no pain and some patients have abscessed teeth that remain asymptomatic for years.

Although some dental problems exhibit obvious symptoms, some do not. Teeth can have rather extensive decay that causes no pain and some patients have abscessed teeth that remain asymptomatic for years.

The full set of X-rays allows a dentist to assess a patent's bone levels, to better visualize decay and check whether a patient has any bone lesions due to cysts or endodontic abscesses. Also, by comparing a recent full series with one taken earlier, a dentist can see whether bone loss has occurred during that period.

Other anomalies may be discovered by viewing a complete set of X-rays,including root fractures, some tumours in the bone, and retained roots.

I recently started bleaching my teeth and I have noticed white spots. How do I get rid of them?

White spots on teeth are generally caused by hyper or hypo mineralization in the enamel matrix. The enamel structure is not formed perfectly and looks white or brown. When someone starts bleaching, these defects are in the enamel layer and are close to the surface,and they are first thing to whiten. It should be mentioned that white spots also become more noticeable when teeth dry out. This phenomenon is noticeable during a long dental appointment, when a mouth is open for long periods. When teeth rehydrate, the spots become less noticeable.

When teeth with white spots are bleached, the white spots get really white, really fast. Then, As patients continue to bleach, the yellowish areas of the teeth, which are less superficial, gradually become lighter and whiter, thus making the white spot less noticeable.
When patients stop bleaching, the teeth appear to visually 'rehydrate' and the white spots tend to fade somewhat over a two week period.

Do You Perform Laser Whitening?

No, we utilize the Zoom II advanced bleaching system that has an infrared light source. The purpose of using a light, whether it is a laser or not, is to help warm up the bleach. Supposedly, manufacturers put something in the gel that helps warm the gel when the proper wavelength light hits it. Actually, I have tried a chair side whitening system made by Dentsply, called Nupro White Gold, which does not require a light and it seems to work just fine.

When I use the Zoom system, I always warm up the bleaching gel prior to using it and it is my impression that the warmed gel may work better then gel at room temperature . The gel should just be slightly warmed since, it is important not to over heat the teeth!