One, always remember to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. If you do not have a proper and balanced diet it may have an effect on your whole immune system. If you do not have the proper vitamins and nutrition your body becomes prey to many common germs and bacteria, including the oral ones! Antioxidants found in many fruits and vegetables keep your gums and teeth healthy, and help protect your gums from inflammation. Also, try to eat fruits and vegetables like carrots, celery and apples. These help keep plaque from building up in your mouth therefore keeping your breath fresh. An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but it will also keep you from visiting your local dentist often!
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Two, if you are a smoker – STOP! Smoking any tobacco products is not only bad for your teeth, but it leads to many other bodily ailments as well. When it comes to your teeth smoking increases teeth discoloration, cavities, gum recession and disease, as well as many forms of oral cancer. Smoking also makes one twice as likely to lose their teeth compared to non smokers. Once a person stops smoking, or using any forms of tobacco, the risk of tooth loss decreases right after.

Three, tobacco isn’t the only vice that many deal with. Drinking alcohol has a negative impact on your oral health as well. Those who drink high amounts of alcohol tend to be at a higher risk for gum recession. Those who consume alcohol and smoke have been shown to have a higher disregard for their overall health and are much more likely to not brush their teeth on a regular basis.

Four, remember to brush your teeth a minimum of twice a day and to floss once a day. Doing this can really limit the amount of times you have to visit a top dentist in your neighborhood. Brushing and flossing your teeth will really help preventing the likelihood of tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque builds up around one’s teeth every day, and it is a harmless and colorless bacteria that you would not notice just by looking in the mirror. Brushing your teeth and flossing on a daily basis will help prevent the build-up of plaque and thus keep your teeth in better shape.

Five, see your dentist regularly. Even after you do all this you must make sure to keep appointments with your dentist. If you make sure to keep these lifestyle changes then you will not have to go too often, because you will have much better oral health. But it is always important to have a professional dentist look at your teeth at least twice a year to make sure you are doing things right. Often times, even if you are taking proper care of your teeth, genetics may come into play and necessitate a need for a more comprehensive preventive and overall oral health care.

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a healthy one with many successful resolutions and memories to make you smile!

The two main types of veneers which dentists use today are porcelain veneers and composite veneers. Both of these options have their pros and cons and all dental patients thinking of having veneers installed should weigh them when considering which choice might be better for them. It is important to make sure that your dentist, or a different local dentist, is capable and has all of the qualifications and equipment necessary to install the veneers in the right way. It is important to speak to the dentist who will perform the procedure so that you feel comfortable and know that your smile will become improved after the veneers are installed.
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The facts that stand in favor for choosing to have your dentist install porcelain veneers are very convincing. They include:

1. Porcelain veneers are much stronger
2. They are also much more durable than composite veneers. They are capable of lasting for 10-15 years
3. Porcelain veneers provide the patient with a more natural look and have a translucent appearance
4. Your top dentist will not have to remove much of your natural tooth, and might not have to remove nothing at all, to place the veneer The porcelain can resist staining

A specific type of porcelain veneers that have become quite popular within the dental community are Lumineers. They have become very popular because:

1. They are ultra-thin
2. Involve no shots and no drilling of any sensitive tooth structure
3. No pain
4. Take no more than 2 visits
5. Custom made to fit your needs
6. Lumineers may last for over 20 years

On the other hand, there are facts that seem to make composite veneers a more likeable choice for some patients. These facts include:

1. Composite veneers are much cheaper than porcelain
2. They are ideal for small chips that the patient feels need to be covered
3. Unlike porcelain veneers, composite veneers can be fitted and placed within one day. Porcelain veneers require at least two visits.
4. Composite veneers can be fixed if they are broken. Porcelain veneers need to be completely replaced if they are broken.

Taking these facts into consideration is an important part in making a decision on which type of veneers is better for you. Make sure to discuss it with your dentist as well. If he or she cannot perform the installation of the type of veneers you want then a recommendation for a top cosmetic dentist is necessary to make sure it is done properly. Veneers can be a great way to get you that beautiful smile, the one that lights up the room and is an inspiration to artists everywhere.

Problems associated with “mouth breathing:”

1. Oral cavity, or the mouth, dries out
2. Long Face Syndrome – when there are abnormalities in the shape of the face and jaw, gummy smiles, gingivitis and crooked teeth
3. Social stigma associated with being less attractive, less intelligent, and inept
4. Misdiagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or hyperactivity
5. Poor sleeping habits that may lead to bad academic performance, development and growth
6. Lower levels of oxygen in the blood which can increase the risk of one’s chance in developing hypertension, heart disease and sleep apnea

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Treatments:

1. Clearing the sinus and nasal passageways
2. Orthodontic intervention to correct face and jaw abnormalities
3. Surgery

“Mouth breathing” might seem like a silly joke, but it is a serious problem that may lead to many social, psychological and physical issues in the future. One of the main problems with this condition is that many medical professionals do not recognize it when they come across it. Most often the condition is diagnosed by a child’s local dentist and an intervention of some sort is set up between the doctor and the parent to rectify the situation.

Top dentists and dental health professionals are much more familiar with the symptoms and are therefore much more likely to recognize and treat it before the issues progress. It is important to see your dentist regularly so that he or she may notice if you start to develop any of the symptoms and problems associated with “mouth breathing.” Staying healthy is important, and your dentist is there to help you!

Here are a few ways to help you keep your toothbrush as germ-free as possible:

1. Keeping your toothbrush in a cabinet or using a toothbrush protector actually increases bacteria.
2. Keeping multiple brushes in one cup is bad – brushes rub against each other and spread bacteria.
3. Wash your hands first! This may seem like common sense, but many people first reach for their toothbrush.
4. Wash your toothbrush before and after every use. This means holding it under running water and rubbing your thumb over it with force.
5. Occasionally place your toothbrush in the dishwasher for a deep clean. Use ordinary dishwasher soap.
6. Replace every three to four months.
7. Always use toothpaste!

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Here are some helpful tips that your top dentist recommends to keep your toothbrush clean:

1. If your bristles are bending it might be time for a new toothbrush.
2. Consider buying a UV toothbrush cleaner.
3. Keep your toothbrush in a cup of water with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. Change daily!
4. Stir your toothbrush in a cup of mouthwash for a minimum of 30 seconds. The alcohol present in the mouthwash solution will kill most of the bacteria.
5. Keeping your toothbrush away from the toilet.
6. If anyone in your home is sick, throw away that person’s toothbrush and any other that came into contact with it.
7. Take a mug of boiling hot water and place your toothbrush in it for 30 minutes. Some brush’s bristles may melt, but most brands will not

Remember to clean your toothbrush and keep up with regular appointments at your local dentist. Keeping up with appointments is a crucial factor in keeping your oral health at its best. Help yourself and help your smile by remembering to brush and keeping that toothbrush clean.

Foods that You Should be Eating:

1. Cheese
2. Chicken
3. Meat
4. Nuts
5. Milk

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These foods help protect the enamel on your teeth by providing them with the calcium and phosphorus needed to redeposit minerals in tooth enamel after being removed by acids. Once tooth enamel is gone it does not come back, so taking care of the enamel you have is important.

1. Apples
2. Pears
3. Vegetables

Crunchy fruits and vegetables are important to keep in your diet as well. These kinds of foods have a high water content which dilutes the sugars present in them. These foods help stimulate the flow of saliva which helps prevent tooth decay.

1. Citrus foods
2. Tomatoes
3. Lemons

Many dentists would tell you to stay away from all acidic foods, but top dentists understand that some acid is necessary for a healthy diet. Acidic foods, such as these are good to have, but at a minimum, and should be eaten with a larger meal to minimize the acid level. Lack of citrus foods in a diet can result in many different diseases, such as scurvy, which result in a loss of teeth.

Poor Food Choices That Should Be Avoided:

1. Candy
2. Cookies
3. Cakes
4. Pies
5. Breads
6. Muffins
7. Potato Chips
8. Pretzels
9. French Fries
10. Bananas
11. Raisins and other dried fruits

These foods all contain a large amount of sugar and/or stick to your teeth. This provides a perfect place for bacteria to grow and breed. They also leave sugar around the teeth when eaten, and the sugary layer contributes to tooth decay – a surefire sign that you need to rush to your local dentist.

What about Drinks:

Besides for food, drinks are also important for a balanced and healthy diet. Your choice of beverages should include water, especially water with fluoride, milk and unsweetened tea. You should remember to limit the amount of soft drinks, such as coke, as well as lemonade, coffee, and tea with sugar.

Your diet is an important part of your life, and if you keep a healthy lifestyle you will find yourself spending less time at the best dentists and doctors’ office. Eating and drinking healthy is important. Not only will it save you the time of sitting at an office, it will also save you a headache or two and lots of pain.

Knowing if You Have Bad Breath

The most common methods to tell whether you have bad breath are:

1. Cupping your hands to your nose to smell your breath as you exhale
2. Licking your wrist (wait for it to dry) and then smelling it to see if there is a bad smell
3. Exhaling into someone’s face and letting them determine
4. Using a spoon to scrape the white stuff off the back of your tongue

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The first two ways are not the best indicators of how our own breath smells. Your body gets used to your odor over time and it will be very hard to tell if your own breath smells bad. Also, most times bad breath only emanates when one talks. The third way is a very good indicator, but it would be very unpleasant or the person who you breathe on. A way to avoid using another person is with the fourth method of checking if you have bad breath. If the white stuff from the back of your tongue smells good or bad than it is a good indicator as to how your breath smells.

If you have tried these methods, or any other do-it-yourself method, and you are still not sure, it might be a good idea to go visit a local dentist so that he or she may check the level of sulfur compounds in your breath – the more compounds present the worst your breath smells.

Causes of Bad Breath

The top five causes of bad breath are:

1. A Dirty Mouth
2. A Mouth Out of Balance
3. Stinky Foods
4. Not Enough Carbohydrates
5. Illness

If you do not clean your mouth properly bacteria builds up inside your mouth that will end up causing your breath to smell very bad. For this and other health reasons, it is important to brush and floss your teeth regularly as well as going to a top dentist so that he or she may clean your teeth. Another problem is if you are already suffering from gum disease or dry mouth it causes bacteria to grow and flourish. Stinky foods often leave behind byproducts that enter your bloodstream and eventually create a stench in your mouth that will not go away so easily. Stinky foods are not the only dietary issue that will cause bad breath – not having enough carbohydrates in your system may also be a cause for the odor coming from your mouth. When your body does not have carbohydrates to burn it burns stored fat instead resulting in an odor coming from your body. Sometimes bad breath can be a sign of a more serious illness such as diabetes or GERD. It is important to have bad breath checked and fixed so that any other illnesses may be ruled out.

Remedies for Bad Breath

For these five most common causes there are five simple ways to cure bad breath. If one makes sure to do these things then the chances of developing bad breath will be reduced. These five things are:

1. Keep your mouth clean
2. Keep your mouth moist
3. Watch what you eat
4. Include carbohydrates in your diet
5. See your doctor

Gum, breath mints and mouthwash are a great temporary fix if you have bad breath, but they are no cure for it. The key to getting rid of bad breath is to brush and floss regularly, and especially to remember to scrape your tongue twice a day for any bacteria and plaque buildup (90% of bad breath comes from bacteria on your tongue). Another important thing is to make sure you have enough liquids in your body to keep the right saliva balance. Keeping a normal diet is also very important. Avoiding foods, such as onions and garlic, which cause bad breath is important. Certain things, like drinking two cups of tea a day, help to prevent bad breath. Keeping a normal level of carbohydrates in your body is also important in keeping your oral health in perfect shape. If all this does not work you need to see a doctor and/or one of the best dentists in your neighborhood to make sure you are doing things properly and that it is not a more serious illness that is causing bad breath as a side effect.

Did any of these suggestions help you? If you know of any interesting home remedies let us all know!

Define Your Smile.

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Regardless of the treatment plan you choose to undergo, you must make sure that the Orthodontist you are going to is a top dentist, and will do the job properly and as painlessly as possible. Also, you must make sure to ask the dentist exactly how the treatment works, how long it will take, how much it costs and if there are payment plans available. The most common treatment in patients today is braces. Depending on the extent of treatment necessary to straighten your teeth the braces will consist of some combination of bands, wires, and other fixed and/or removable corrective pieces. A top dentist will know what pieces will be best to correct the crookedness of his/her patients’ teeth. Once everything is properly installed and set on the teeth the braces work by applying a continuous amount of pressure to slowly move the teeth in the needed direction. The braces work to shift the teeth and adjust the arch of the bone in which your teeth are connected so that there is more room for them to be properly aligned. Braces, usually worn between one to three years, are usually followed by a retainer which is worn for the first 6 months after and then only during sleep for many years to make sure the arch stays in its new position. The treatment of adult teeth may require more than braces alone and may take a longer time to treat because adult bones are static and are much harder to control. As for the cost, braces usually cost between $1,800 and $5,500 for the total treatment. Many dental insurance plans cover some portion of the work, and it is always wise to ask if your dentist provides a monthly payment plan.

Invisalign is a trademarked treatment plan that only the best dentists provide for their patients. Not all dentists have been authorized to provide this treatment so make sure the dentist you are seeing has received the proper certification. The way this treatment works is by taking x-rays, impressions, and pictures of your teeth to create the aligners necessary that will work specifically for you. Made of smooth, comfortable BPA-free plastic, the aligners will not irritate your gums or cheeks as braces might do. These aligners must be worn throughout the day, except when you eat or brush and floss your teeth. The length of the treatment is the same as that of braces, but it is taken into consideration that the patient is wearing the aligners about 20 to 22 hours per day throughout the treatment. The average cost of Invisalign ranges from $3,500 to $8,000, but depending on the severity of the crookedness it can cost as little as $2,000. Some dental insurance plans do cover some of the treatment, and about 1/3 of Invisalign patients use financing options to spread the payment over time. The advantage to Invisalign aligners over the traditional braces is that there is no pain or discomfort at any point during the treatment and are virtually invisible so that no one can even see that the patient is wearing them.

The Six Month Smile works to achieve perfectly straightened and aligned teeth within the range of 4 to 9 months depending on the severity of the case, with the average patient completing treatment around 4 months. The key ingredient in the procedure is the use of high-tech Nickel-titanium arch wires that exert a light and continuous pressure to align the crowded teeth and move them into their correct position. In many severe cases this treatment will have to be preceded or followed by some oral and dental surgery to adjust the teeth and the bone arch into a better position. This treatment usually costs on average $4,500 for the process and is met with usually positive results. The downside to this treatment option is that unlike the other treatments is primarily works on only 6 teeth and not the whole mouth, and within the first hour after the braces have been installed it will be hard to speak. It is important to make sure that your local dentist has been properly informed and taught in this relatively new treatment option and understands whether your case is ideal for this option.

Make sure to ask your dentist about all your options and the pros and cons of them all. Do not forget to ask about payment plans and costs because most dentists do not bring this issue up, leaving it to the patient to broach the subject. Do not choose one option over another without understanding the way each works and getting an educated prediction on how your teeth will look. After you have received and understood all the details you should make the decision with your top dentist.

Did you know that there are different smile options depending on what you are looking for. Check out the list below and let us know which one your interested in!

Diffrerent Smile Styles. Which do you like most?