Whitening Toothpaste

Dentist visits are critical to remove the plaque and stains that develop over time, but whitening toothpaste can help the process on a daily basis. Ingredients in products such as Colgate® Total® Advanced Whitening toothpaste can gently scrub the teeth to remove stains, so it’s great to use between dentist cleanings and whitenings. If you’re looking to whiten teeth at home, the hydrogen peroxide in Colgate® Optic White® White & Radiant can help you achieve that.

Crunchy Produce

You can’t have toothpaste with you all the time. But you can still keep your bright smile intact while away from the bathroom sink. How? According to Prevention magazine, fruits and veggies such as celery, apples, and carrots are naturally abrasive, so they can help remove some of the substances that discolor your teeth.

Enamel Protection

Your smile may not be as bright as you want because of weak enamel. According to the American Dental Association’s Mouth Healthy site, enamel is naturally a hard substance, but it cannot repair itself when it breaks down because it doesn’t contain any living cells. Once enamel has been affected by oral disease, you can’t restore it, and weak enamel can be more susceptible to stains. That’s where enamel protection comes in handy. Fluoride found in most toothpastes can actually help strengthen tooth enamel against the wear and tear associated with acidic foods and beverages, meaning fewer stains left on weak enamel.

Dairy Products

Good news for dairy lovers: The Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center recommends eating foods high in calcium (cheese and yogurt) to help keep your teeth white. Not only do dairy products provide your teeth with the calcium they need to keep enamel strong, but harder cheeses can actually eliminate food particles that stain your teeth.

Whitening at home or seeing your dentist for professional treatment are both viable ways to get rid of stains. To help keep it that way between visits, use the above teeth whitening tips, such as eating the right foods and using the right products, to ensure you can put your best smile forward.

The post 4 Teeth Whitening Tips For A Broader Smile appeared first on Keridam Dental Clinic .

Is Orthodontic Treatment Painful?

Discomfort levels vary from patient to patient depending on a number of unique factors such as how much teeth have to move, how overlapped teeth are, etc. However, the discomfort usually only lasts for the first couple of days to a week and can be alleviated with the right medications.

Are Braces And Invisalign Expensive?

As with the above answer, there is no clear-cut answer. How much your orthodontic treatment will cost depends on the type of treatment you undergo (braces, Invisalign, spacers or expanders). Treatment time will also factor in your overall cost. However, the benefits of treatment far outweigh the cost for most people.

Are Metal Braces My Only Option?

Traditional braces are bulky, flashy and uncomfortable. If you’re at a point where you want a more discreet treatment option that fits with your lifestyle, consider Muscle Shoals Invisalign or Invisalign teens.

How Soon Do I Need To Start Orthodontic Treatment?

The sooner you start treatment, the better. Early treatment can cut down on treatment time and circumvent more serious issues such as gum disease, chipped or cracked teeth, unnecessary tooth loss and other health concerns. Early treatment can also cut down on the cost of orthodontia.

How Long Does Treatment Take?

The length of treatment varies depending on your particular issues, the extent of those issues, the type of treatment you opt for and how well you care for your teeth during treatment. However, the average braces treatment takes 24 months while the average Invisalign treatment takes 12.

Contact Our Orthodontist Today

If you have more questions about braces, Invisalign, or anything else that you think will help you get the straight smile you’re longing for, reach out to our team today – we’re always here to help! Call us at or contact us online. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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Using Proper Brushing Technique

Brushing is the core of any good oral hygiene routine, but without proper technique, you’ll be leaving behind a lot more food particles and bacteria on your teeth than you think. Especially with your braces brackets creating new, hard-to-reach pockets of bacteria, brushing the right way could make the difference between a great smile, and one with a bunch of cavities. Not sure if you’re brushing the right way? Just follow this step-by-step guide.

1. Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle so the bristles point toward your gum line
2. Move the brush in small circles over each tooth and along the gum line.
3. Repeat circular brushing motions for both the front side and back side of your upper and lower rows of teeth.
4. Change to back-and-forth brushing motions for the chewing surfaces of your teeth.
5. Brush your tongue gently to clear away built-up bacteria.

Remember that it’s recommended that you brush your teeth for two whole minutes. Taking your time and not brushing in a rush goes a long way and helps ensure that smile is perfectly clean. To make sure you hit that two minute mark, you can use a timer, or remember to make 10 circles with your brush for every tooth. You’ll be brushing like a pro every time!

Flossing With A Floss Threader

The moment you try to floss with your braces, you’ll notice one big glaring problem in the way: the archwire. Getting your floss under the archwire can be a hassle, but by using a special tool called a floss threader, cleaning the space in between your teeth becomes a breeze. Just get yourself a floss threader and follow these steps:

• Take out a thread of floss (about one to one and a half feet)
• Push the floss through the loop of the floss threader
• Slide the floss threader in between the archwire and your teeth
• Pull the floss threader until the floss is behind the archwire
• Floss your teeth all the way down to your gums with an up-and-down motion.
• Pull on the floss threader to remove the floss and repeat the process for each tooth

While you should be brushing your teeth at least four times a day, you only have to floss at least once per day and that’s it! With that said, flossing more often is always good too, since bacteria in those spaces will never get a chance to damage your teeth.

Using An Interdental Toothbrush

Even with great brushing and flossing, cleaning the area of your teeth around your brackets or around the archwire can still be challenging. To make sure nothing is hiding in those hard to reach places, you can use a special tool called an interdental toothbrush, or proxa-brush, which has tiny bristles attached to a small wire, designed specifically for going where your toothbrush and floss can’t. Once you get your hands on one, just follow the steps below:

• Push the bristle tip into the hard-to-reach areas around brackets and archwire using a back-and-forth motion.
• Rinse the bristles off with warm water after you clean around each tooth.
• Repeat the process for each bracket.

Cleaning With A Water Flosser

Water flossers may still be fairly new to the oral hygiene scene, but they are quickly becoming an effective tool for anyone who wants to have a cleaner smile, not to mention that they are great for keeping your braces and tooth spotless. Most water flossers even come with a special orthodontic tip attachment that has tiny bristles for cleaning around brackets and wires, while using a powerful stream of water to blast away plaque. To make sure you get the most out of your water flosser, just follow these steps:

• Attach the orthodontic tip to the flosser
• Fill the water reservoir with lukewarm water (you can even mix in a small amount of mouthwash)
• Lean over the sink and put the water flosser tip into your mouth.
• Turn on the water flosser and guide the top across your braces and along your gum line to clear away food particles and plaque buildup, letting the water fall out of your mouth into the sink.
• Continue the process until the water reservoir is empty.

Visit Your Dentist & Orthodontist For Regular Check-Ups!

Our final oral hygiene tip is one that is less of a suggestion and more of a reminder. When you have your braces, make sure you always go to your regular checkups with both your orthodontist and your dentist. By coming to see your favorite Dentist we can make sure that your treatment is proceeding as efficiently as possible, while seeing your dentist for a regular teeth cleaning will help keep your mouth perfectly clean. If you need to schedule your next visit with us here at Keridam Dental Clinic, just contact us and a member of our team will be happy to help you!

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