Dental Resources
How do I take care of my new smile?
Do not neglect your teeth, especially if you have had aesthetic enhancements. Your enhancements will not last forever, so in order to preserve them, you have to know what types of things are damaging to your restorations.
Do you:
- Grind your teeth?
- Casually bite your fingernails or a pen?
- Crunch ice?
- Have a diet high in sugar (such as soda, chewing gum and candy)?
- Drink coffee, red wine and tea?
- Smoke or chew tobacco?
- Force your tongue against your upper teeth?
If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, you are in danger of causing a detrimental effect on your new smile.
We have found the following helpful in protecting your aesthetic dental restorations for years to come:
- Brushing at least twice daily.
- Use minimally abrasive toothpastes.Extra whitening toothpastes are often abrasive. We can provide you with some excellent toothpaste we have found quite successful.
- Floss properly and with regularity.
- Use a soft bristled toothbrush if you are to brush manually.
Power, rotary toothbrushes such as the Braun Oral-B 3D Excel have been proven to be excellent home care devices, however, sonic powered toothbrushes such as the Sonicare can potentially loosen cements or bonded materials over time.
Use of a disclosing tablet can help show patients where plaque has been missed, especially around dental restorations.
Use of a professional dispensed fluoride supplement gel or paste for home use can help decrease the chance for recurrent cavities under the restorations. A neutral sodium fluoride is the ideal product since acidulated phosphate fluorides are too acidic in nature and can have a negative effect on certain bonded restorations. We can give you a prescription for this or you may purchase directly from our office.
Avoid breath mints, throat lozenges, hard candies, and etc. that can cause fracture or breakage of your dental work.
Avoid hard substances such as peanuts, ice, etc.
Visit our office at least twice a year and follow our instructions.
Grinding the teeth is generally an involuntary action and usually occurs when asleep. Because the habit is difficult to break, a plastic nightguard is the best solution to prevent excessive wear of your teeth.
A nightguard is a clear plastic mouthpiece that is custom-fitted to snap over your teeth, much like an athletic mouthguard. The nightguard is designed so your teeth grind on the plastic, not your teeth. The nightguard will wear out, but your teeth will not.
