Pages

Friday, September 30, 2011

Help keep your smile a beautiful pearly white!



We all want to have a nice smile, which includes beautiful white teeth. When we have yellow teeth, sometimes we don't feel like smiling as much. Or we'll sport that closed mouth smile more often. 

Some people have naturally white teeth, and others' are naturally more of a yellow hue. And as we age, we may find our teeth changing a bit too.

Causes of yellowing teeth can be attributed to:
-Foods/Drinks: berries, curry, soy sauce, colas, wine, coffee and even dark beer can stain teeth.
-Chewing or smoking tobacco can make teeth yellow.
-Medication: Some antibiotics are known to stain teeth especially in young children. 
-Antihistamines, medications for high blood pressure and some anti-psychotic drugs can change tooth color.
-Iron containing supplements
-Over use of prescription mouthwash (containing compounds such as chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride).
-Excess fluoride ingestion, either from unusually high content in drinking water (rare) or from using excessive amounts of fluoride toothpaste or mouthwash.

A few ways to prevent the yellowing of teeth are:
-Avoid or reduce your intake of foods or drinks that tend to stain your teeth.
-Brush your teeth after meals or after drinking coffee or other staining culprits.
-Don't smoke or chew tobacco products.
-Make sure to visit your dentist at least twice per year.
-Ask your dentist about safe whitening products or techniques.


Aesthetic & Implant Dentistry of Atlanta offers several methods that will allow you to brighten and whiten your smile! Visit our website for more information or call 770-955-0550 and speak with one of our knowledgable staff. 


SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER FOR A ZOOM II ADVANCE WHITENING TREATMENT AND PAY ONLY $450! REGULARLY PRICED AT $600, THE SERVICE ALSO INCLUDES A SET OF CUSTOM TAKE-HOME TOUCH-UP TRAYS AND BLEACH! 

CALL US NOW! APPOINTMENT TIMES ARE LIMITED!
770-955-0550


Get more information from a professional Atlanta Cosmetic Dentist
WWW.DRDAVIDZELBY.COM



Embarrassed about you breath?



You don't want to be a "close talker" if you're worried about this.
Did you know that bad breath is the third most frequent reason that people visit their dentist? (The first two reasons are cavities and gum disease.)

You may not know you have bad breath until someone comments on your breath or offers you mints or gum. A bad taste in your mouth is a good sign that your breath may not be pleasant.

Causes:
-Bacteria on the tongue that produce smelly compounds and fatty acids that stink.
-Bacteria in the mouth that are responsible for breaking down proteins into individual amino acids, and then the further breakdown of some amino acids into smelly gasses such as hydrogen sulfide.
-Gum disease
-Nose odor ... yup, even the breath that you exhale through your nose can have a smell, especially if you have a cold or sinus infection.
-Certain foods that you've eaten may be the culprit. Garlic and onions can lead to bad breath.
-Ketosis: During prolonged fasting or severe dieting, and even following a low carbohydrate diet, our bodies use an alternate method of getting calories from stored fatty acids in the liver. This produces ketones as a byproduct and we exhale these ketoacids, which have an unpleasant sweet smell. (We also expel them in the urine.)
-Lung infections
-Poor oral hygiene
-Smoking

Prevention and treatment:
Use a toothpaste or mouthwash that contains zinc compounds or stabilized chlorine dioxide. These compounds can actually help break down the sulfur chemicals in your mouth that cause bad breath.

Remember to brush your teeth and tongue regularly (at least twice a day, but ideally after each meal).

Visit your dentist on a regular basis. A dentist will be able to tell you if there are any problems with your oral health that may be contributing to bad breath.
Avoid eating onions and/or garlic if the result of bad breath bothers you.

There have been some contradictory and preliminary studies suggesting that some nutritional supplements may be helpful: If you have gum disease, Coenzyme Q10 or folic acid supplements may help. Also a mouthwash or toothpaste containing zinc chloride may improve things.

If you need to consult with a dental professional about bad breath treatment or need tooth replacement due to Atlanta Dental Implants please visit http://www.drdavidzelby.com/

Monday, September 12, 2011

Noisy Jaw? Read This!


Thanks to the temporo-mandibular joint or TMJ (jaw joint), muscles of mastication, and facial muscles, we can chew, swallow, smile and speak. Temporo-mandibular disorder or TMD occurs when the function of TMJ and surrounding muscles is impaired.

temporo mandibular
Symptoms of TMD
  • Tenderness and pain in the jaw muscles. The pain is more severe after waking up in the morning or after chewing foods or gums.
  • Difficulty in opening and closing the jaws, sometimes locking of the jaws might occur.
  • Unexplained headaches and having painful sensation in the neck area.
  • Clicking sound when chewing, yawning, or opening the mouth widely.
  • In severe cases of TMD, the mandible can be dislocated from its position.

temporo mandibular symptoms
Causes of TMD
Obviously, the causes of TMD are not always known, but in most cases stress is the prime suspect. The following are the most common causes:
  • Bruxism or Grinding teeth, especially while sleeping at night. Some people, when stressed, severely clinch their teeth until the muscles of the jaw are exhausted causing great pain.
  • Fractured or dislocated mandible (lower jaw)
  • Some joint disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Mal-occlusion, which occurs when your teeth are not properly aligned in your jaws causing extra forces on TMJ.
  • Missing, worn or loose teeth
  • Gingival diseases
  • Ill-fitting complete or partial dentures
  • Bad habits, like biting on hard objects

skull
How Can You Treat TMD?
1. Avoid stress and learn how to relax.
2. Be careful for the type of foods you eat:
    • Avoid chewing hard objects
    • Avoid chewing gums for prolonged hours
    • Avoid opening your mouth widely when you yawn
    • Eat soft diet or cut your food into small bites
3. Massage your jaw muscles; rub and stretch them. This will definitely ease pain.
4. Put a cold or warm compress on the area of painful jaw muscles.
5. When you are relaxed, your upper and lower teeth should be slightly separated, your tongue relaxed against your palate (roof of the mouth), and finally, your lips must be relaxed and slightly touching each other.
6. If you are suffering bruxism, your dentist will advise you to put night mouth guard; this is a bite pad worn at night while sleeping to absorb the forces exerted by your teeth when clenching.

bruxism

7. Beware that clenching of teeth increases after coffee (caffeine) and alcohol consumption. Try to avoid such drinks.

Visit drdavidzelby.com to learn more about TMD and other oral-related issues