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With the 86th Academy Awards about a week away, you can be sure that many of the world’s most prestigious movie stars are doing everything they can to get ready for the big night. Before you watch in anticipation of who wins the prized Oscar® awards on Sunday, March 2nd, perhaps you’ll tune in to see what your favorite celebrities look like when they hit the red carpet. While you may not be able to get legs like Angelina Jolie or cheekbones like Jennifer Aniston, a red carpet smile is easily obtainable.
In this day and age, people have discovered a variety of ways to whiten their teeth. Even though there is no substitute for professional teeth whitening in a cosmetic setting, below are some simple tips that can help you attain a noticeably whiter smile.
Avoid Certain Drinks
You may already know that liquids like coffee, soda, and red wine stain teeth, not to mention erode the enamel. However, if you’ve recently applied a whitening product, you may be even more susceptible to staining since peroxide opens the pores inside the teeth. If it’s impossible for you to avoid consuming these drinks altogether, then just make sure you decrease your consumption when using whitening products, and drink from a straw when possible.
Wear Blue-Based Lipsticks
Although you may be fond of lighter colored lipsticks, applying blue-based hues to your lips actually counteracts yellow tinting that exists on your teeth. For the best results, wear red and dark pink lipsticks. To enhance your lips and make your teeth appear even whiter, add a darker toned lip liner.
Focus on Your Gums
The color of your gums not only affects the brightness of your teeth, but also indicates how healthy your mouth is. Red or bleeding gums are the precursors of gingivitis, which can eventually lead to periodontal disease. Regular flossing your teeth once a day and using mouthwash each time after brushing can help keep your gums healthy and pink in appearance.
Use an Electric Toothbrush
Electric toothbrushes are much more effective at removing plaque and maintaining your results between dental visits than traditional manual toothbrushes. Our office carries Sonicare electric toothbrushes, which is Dr. Tomazin’s personal favorite.
Use an At-Home Whitening Products
Whitening strips are a popular choice among people of all ages, but there are other products that effectively produce results. Overnight serums containing a special blend of peroxide and fluoride not only whiten teeth, but strengthen the enamel as well. Whitening pens also provide an excellent substitute for chewing gum after meals. Our office can provide you with custom-fitted bleaching trays that will fit your teeth comfortably, allowing you to get amazing results while wearing them only two hours a day for three days to three weeks.
Schedule an In-Office Treatment
If you desire a red carpet smile with long-lasting whitening results, our “Zoom!™” teeth whitening treatment can give you just that. Although this procedure is more expensive than at-home treatments, only a single one-hour treatment will painlessly provide you with excellent teeth whitening results!
Feel free to contact our Riverside practice for all of your cosmetic dentistry needs. Call (951) 686-3666 or conveniently fill out our online contact form to schedule your consultation today. Dr. Chad Tomazin takes the time to provide every patient with the most personable treatments to give them the best results possible.
Various get-togethers with friends and family make the holidays one of the best times of the year. To look their best, many people focus on physical aspects, such as their hair, face, and body. However, the appearance of a bright white smile is perhaps the feature that matters the most. To get those pearly whites brighter and make a lasting impression this holiday season, we’ve provided a few simple “dos” and “don’ts” to help you get that Hollywood smile in no time at all.
Do’s
Baking Soda
Around for over a century, this simple product can be very effective in whitening teeth. By brushing your teeth with baking soda once a week, this slightly abrasive material creates a chemical reaction when added to water that gently removes surface stains from teeth.
Crunchy Foods
No, we’re not talking about chips (darn it!). However, crunchy fruits and vegetables such as carrots, celery, and apples can naturally whiten teeth because they contain a compound called cellulose that removes stains.
Strawberries
This tasty fruit contains malic acid, which is a whitening enzyme found in many toothpastes. By mashing up a few berries and rubbing them on the teeth for a few minutes at a time, stains are naturally diminished.
Don’ts
Coffee
One of the most infamous culprits of yellow teeth is coffee. Asking individuals to completely stop drinking the beverage may not be realistic. However, you can decrease the staining effects by sipping it through a straw or brushing your teeth immediately after drinking it.
Gold Jewelry
It makes perfect sense that yellow teeth are emphasized by gold jewelry. Instead, try wearing silver jewelry to contrast the appearance of your teeth.
Although there are various ways to eliminate yellow staining and get whiter teeth, a surefire way to get bright white teeth with no downtime is to seek professional dentistry. At his Riverside office, Dr. Chad Tomazin regularly helps men and women get the white, long-lasting smile they desire. To schedule your consultation, please call (951) 686-3666 or fill out our online consultation form today. Happy Holidays!
Are Yellowing Teeth Aging Your Smile?
So you think your teeth may be yellowing or that your smile just does not have the sheen it used to. This is a common concern that our dental team hears from our patients’. In this blog I am going to share a few reasons why your teeth appear to be more yellow as the years pass.
1. Stain: there are 2 types of stain: stain that goes inside the tooth and stain that only resides on the outside of the tooth. The stain that resides on the surface of the tooth is due to many foods and drinks we eat along with areas missed during oral hygiene care at home. This stain can be removed by a dental hygienist during a routine cleaning. It will also help you to spend more time at home with brushing and flossing. Also investing in an electric toothbrush will help. The stain that resides inside the tooth causing a dull and yellow look to the tooth is from years of eating/drinking foods that stain enamel. Simply, anything that could stain a white shirt over time can lead to yellowing of the teeth.
2. Recession: when there is gum recession, the roots are exposed to the oral environment and can quickly become discolored as the root surface is much weaker than enamel.
3. Exposure to Antibiotics: individuals exposed to high quantities of antibiotics as a child are more prone to yellow, dull, or gray looking enamel. Tetracycline is the main culprit in this, this antibiotic is now rarely if ever given to a child due to its devastating effects.
4. Crowded/Misaligned teeth: individuals who do not have a balanced bite run the risk of creating pockets for bacteria/plaque to congregate and create inflammation of the gum tissue and dulling of the enamel.
If you would like to hear about how our dental team here at Dr. Chad Tomazin’s Cosmetic Wellness office can brighten and enhance your smile please contact us at (951)686-3666. We are located conveniently in the Inland Empire area just off of the 91 freeway in Riverside, CA.
Reasons to Ask for an Advanced Oral Cancer Screening:
Did you know that not all dentists’ or dental hygienists’ routinely screen for oral cancer?
The following link shows an article released and in that the ADA states that only 15% of patients are told they are getting an oral cancer screening. I find this number to be alarmingly low, so I must defend the dental profession a bit and say we look at tissues in the mouth routinely for abnormalities without letting our patients’ know.
http://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/print/volume-97/issue-11/features/adjunctive-oral-cancer-screening.html
With that said, the “naked eye” can only see abnormal tissue in the form of district color changes. Thus, oral cancer when found is much more advanced and treatment typically results in removal of large amounts of tissues in the mouth. So what can you do to lower your risk of oral cancer…..ASK for a yearly oral cancer screening! Moreover, request technology like the Velscope be used to evaluate your tissue. The Velscope is a diagnostic tool used in dental offices to look at the oral tissues under fluorescent light. This light will “bounce” back on healthy tissue and “darken” tissue that is abnormal. What I like most about this technology is that to the “naked eye” this tissue that is “abnormal” with the Velscope is “normal looking” to the “naked eye.”
The question you may have in your mind is: AM I A CANDIDATE FOR AN ADVANCED ORAL CANCER SCREENING? The following is a list of “AT RISK” candidates for oral cancer.
HISTORY OF SMOKING/CHEWING TOBACCO
HISTORY OF HPV VIRUS
HISTORY OF MODERATE TO HEAVY ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
*there is also increase risk to those who have poor diets and who have an acidic environment in their mouths and body.
Scary statistics with oral cancer: 42,000 Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year. Approximately 50% of which who will not survive over 5 years.
Oral Cancer can affect the tissues of the tongue, throat, cheek, roof of mouth, floor of mouth, and oral tissues in general. These tissues are exposed to many different chemicals and toxins from the foods we eat/drink. It is my opinion that advanced oral cancer screenings be performed 1 time a year for preventive purposes. If you are interested in an oral cancer exam please contact my Inland Empire Cosmetic dental office where we have the latest in technology for screening oral cancer. (951)685-3666.
With the increasing amount of man-made materials used in healthcare, it is now wise for us to know what materials our bodies are sensitive to. When our bodies are overloaded with materials that it is sensitive to , inflammation sets in. When inflammation sets in, it causes varies ailments from lethargy to autoimmune issues.
Interestingly, what may be acceptable materials for one may be harmful to another. Let’s dive into this topic of dental material sensitivity a little deeper…
How can you tell if you may be at a higher risk for sensitivity to dental materials?
***An individual who has moderate to severe allergic reactions to many different man made materials is typically a candidate
***An individual who has unusual environmental sensitivities
*Chronic inflammation adjacent to where the dental filling/crown is located
*Unusual sores next to restorations that seem to not resolve themselves
*severe inflammation of oral tissue or lips
Just how relevant is Dental Material Testing? Well that all depends on the health of the patient needing the testing. It also depends on the types of materials that are currently in the mouth reacting in a negative way together. Here at my Holistic Cosmetic Dental office, we do encourage those individuals who are at a higher risk of having a dental sensitivity issue to have dental materials testing completed prior to treatment.
The test we recommend is the Clifford Materials Reactivity Testing. This test is ideal as it is a blood test that evaluates the levels of antibodies produced when coming into contact with materials used in dentistry. The CMRT reports on over 13,000 dental products and over 94 chemical groups used. Once the levels of sensitivity are determined, they are compiled in a report listing the materials from the most compatible to least compatible. The report is then sent to our office and is read, from the results of the testing a treatment plan is formulated using only the materials that are non-reactive to the patient. There are instances where detoxifying the body is recommended in conjunction with this to decrease inflammation throughout the body. Undergoing the care of a naturopathic/homeopathic doctor for detoxifying the body, can help the body/oral tissue decrease inflammation, thus a better cosmetic result for dental treatment.
If you think you may have an issue with dental material safety, please call our office to schedule a consultation (951)686-3666.