If You Are Not Whitening, You Are Yellowing

Agnes Kumar, DDS
The Oaks Dental Center, Ltd.

Have you heard the ad that if you are not whitening, you are yellowing?  They have a point! Our teeth naturally get darker with time.  Getting a whiter, brighter, cleaner looking smile is easy and safe.  Done professionally, you get the personalized treatment that you know is going to be done well with great results.  It is safe with the dentist’s supervision.  You can smile more confidently with a whiter smile!!!

Soft Tissue Lasers

Hilary Deiter, RDH

 -By Hilary Deiter, RDH

Hilary is a Hygienist & Periodontal Therapist with The Oaks Dental Center, Ltd.

Why are soft tissue lasers useful in maintaining a healthy mouth? There are many advantages of having a soft tissue laser in the dental office. Lasers are very precise, they have a fast healing time, they are able to sterilize gum tissue, and are less painful than an average surgical procedure.

Most of the laser procedures that I use are to improve gum health. For example:

A Laser Bacterial Reduction (LBR) procedure is used to reduce or eliminate bacteria in your mouth by a count of 1,000,000,000 down to 100. It also can reduce cross-contamination from infected gum tissue to healthy gum tissue. This helps in decreasing bleeding and inflammation.

Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy (LAPT) is used for patients with periodontal disease. The laser removes the infected tissue from the periodontal pocket so healthy tissue can grow and tighten around the tooth causing the pocket to shrink. It also activates bone cells so bone is able to grow back in an area where it was once lost.

Another procedure that I use the laser for is eliminating and increasing the healing time of cold sores and canker sores. This procedure requires no anesthetic and the patient is quite comfortable. The laser eliminates the cold sore by killing the active virus before the sore even appears on the tissue. The patient will start to feel results as they are lying in the dental chair.

The more we know about the danger of the tissue-invasive bacteria responsible for gum disease the more important it is for the dental profession to seek out and embrace new procedures of bacterial destruction.

Tooth Fairy Answers Your Questions -- In Office Teeth Whitening

Dear Tooth Fairy,

I’d like to whiten my teeth but I’d rather not have to have impressions and bother with wearing trays at home.  I’m not very good at taking the time to do things like that.  I’ve tried some of the over the counter options without much success.  I’d like to feel more confident about my smile. How can I get a whiter smile with less hassle?  

Not So Pearly Whites

Dear “Not So Pearly Whites”,

You can actually have a brighter smile in about an hour with an in office whitening treatment!  TheOaks Dental Center, Ltd. offers an in office whitening treatment which is very effective.  First a special barrier is placed on the gums. Then the whitening solution is applied to the teeth while patients relax and listen to music if they choose.  The solution is removed after about fifteen minutes.  A fresh application is then applied and repeated one or two more times.  At the end of the hour, patients leave with a brighter, more confident smile and a refreshed spirit!   

Do Your Teeth Have White/Brown Spots?

Agnes Kumar, DDS

Do you have these annoying white spots on your teeth?  Or even brown spots? If you do, you are not alone.  However, there is something easy you can do to get rid of them*!! 

It involves a few short, painless dental visits and something called micro-enamel abrasion and  MI Paste.  It is really amazing to watch those spots disappear.  Your teeth will look very natural and healthy without any invasive treatment.

So, if you are concerned about those ugly looking white/brown spots, contact us and we will be happy to do a free consultation!

*The dentist has to determine that these spots are not cavities or other problems which would require other treatment. 

How Long Should a Good Dental Filling Last?

Agnes Kumar, DDS

It is very difficult to predict how long a restoration will last as it is in an environment with multiple factors.  The dietary, oral hygiene, and clenching/grinding habits are major factors in the longevity of a restoration. If the tooth along with a restoration is being stressed by excessive force, the restoration can fail more quickly.  I have seen some excellent restorations last in the mouth for two years and then be undermined by decay due to high-risk factors.  I have also seen them last 20 years in people who have low-risk factors and even longer if the bite forces are well balanced among the teeth. It is very important to have the fillings checked every six months to prolong the life of the restorations.

Nutritional considerations for long-term remission of periodontal disease - DentistryIQ

Nutritional considerations for long-term remission of periodontal disease - DentistryIQ

Oropharyngeal or Oral Cancer

Hilary Deiter, RDH

Oropharyngeal or Oral Cancer - by Hilary Deiter, RDH

Hilary is a Hygienist and Periodontal Therapist at The Oaks Dental Center, Ltd.

Did you know that someone dies of oral or oropharyngeal cancer every hour of every day? Oral cancer mortality rates and the incidence of oral caners have remained relatively unchanged for decades. Today, if you are diagnosed with late-stage oral cancer – which is when most oral cancer is discovered – and treated appropriately, you have about a 55%-60% chance of living for five years.

Oral cancer lesions show classic signs that can be easily recognized during a properly performed oral exam and hygiene visit. Typically, oral cancer presents  as firm, indurated lesions that exhibit shape irregularity and lack of mucosal mobility. They often show variation of color and they may present as slowly healing or nonhealing ulcerations. The lesions usually progressively increase in size if left untreated.

70% of red lesions will become caner within five years.

25% of white lesions will become cancer within five years.

Risk factors for the development of oral cancer include:

• Smoking Cigarette, cigar, or pipe smokers are six times more likely than nonsmokers to develop oral cancers.
• Smokeless tobacco users. Users of dip, snuff, or chewing tobacco products are 50 times more likely to develop cancers of the cheek, gums, and lining of the lips.
•  Excessive consumption of alcohol. Oral cancers are about six times more common in drinkers than in nondrinkers.
• Family history of cancer.
• Excessive sun exposure, especially at a young age.

Your regular visit to a dentist can detect early signs of oral cancer as your hygiene visits include screening for oral cancer.