Healthy Diet and Keeping your teeth White.

March 3, 2008 by ·

Healthy Diet and Keeping your Teeth White.
Question:  I have heard that there are natural diets that will reduce staining and whiten my teeth.  Could you explain this to me and provide me details?
 

Answer:  According to the a recent consumer poll by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) The most unattractive thing about a smile are discolored teeth.   According to the AACD Whitening treatments are the number one requested cosmetic dental procedure and have increased more than 300% since 1996.
“While daily home care and regular professional cleanings are essential for maintaining healthy teeth and gums, certain foods can help remove stains from your teeth,” according to AACD President Dr. Marty Zase. “Foods such as apples, pears, celery, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumbers produce saliva which combines with the foods’ natural fibers to naturally clean teeth and remove bacteria.”
White Smile Diet Foods and Tips include:

  • Strawberries will naturally whiten your teeth.
  • Lemons will lighten and brighten too (just as they naturally “bleach” your hair, they can do the same for your teeth)!
  • Avoid drinking coffee, dark syrup sodas, red wine and blueberries. All stain teeth quickly.
  • Drink from a straw whenever possible…allows food dyes to bypass teeth altogether.
  • Baking soda will help remove stains and build up. Brush it on your teeth twice a month, just as you would toothpaste, and rinse.
  • Raw veggies are not only healthy to eat, but they will clean your teeth and remove surface stains.
  • The mechanical action of chewing sugarless gum can also stimulate saliva and clean teeth surfaces, though not recommended for patients with TMJ

Dr. Antolak practices high tech dentistry in a relaxed atmosphere.  from Implant surgery to teeth whitening we can help you out in our Shelby, macomb county cosmetic dental office located at 15055 22 Mile, shelby twp. Michigan.  Phone number is (586)247-3500

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry, Nutrition, Teeth Whitening Tagged With: , , , ,

Porcelain Veneers and Porcelain Dental Crowns.

March 3, 2008 by ·

Interview with cosmetic dentist Dr. Robert Antola

I was presenting information about cosmetic dentistry today to one of my patients and the question was brought up what the difference was between a crown and a veneer and what are the indications for each.

  • Both Porcelain Veneers and Porcelain Crowns are made in a dental laboratory.  The color (shade) is matched up with the rest of the teeth in the mouth so as to blend in and create the most beautiful and natural appearance.
  • I will usually recommend that the natural teeth are first bleached so that the color of the veneer/crown will match the adjacent teeth™s color.  This step is important since porcelain and fillings will not whiten with bleaching techniques.
  • Automatic Color matching instruments are used which are similar to those used to match paint shades.  We also use our professional digital camera to send emails to our laboratory to precisely obtain a great result.
–Porcelain Crowns extend completely around the tooth. This is done if there are large fillings in the existing teeth, or if there is need to strengthen the tooth.  These crowns are very strong especially since they get bonded to the remaining tooth.
– Porcelain veneers (also referred to as dental veneers, dental laminates, porcelain laminates, or even simply tooth veneers) are custom-made wafer-thin shells of porcelain that are bonded onto the front side of teeth so to mask imperfections associated with their color, shape, size, or positioning  The benefit of this very conservative technique is that it leaves the majority of the tooth intact and not altered.
Porcelain veneers are typically best suited for those situations where initially the tooth is still fairly intact (as opposed to having large portions missing due to fracture or decay) and when the tooth is not expected to be exposed to excessive loads (extreme chewing pressures or else tooth clenching and grinding habits). When some aspect of the ideal conditions for a porcelain veneer are (or are expected to be) exceeded then a dental crown is typically the preferred dental restoration.

Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home. His motto is to “relax while we take care of your smile”. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb county Michigan.

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, Fillings, General Dentistry, Teeth Whitening, Tooth replacement Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good Deed Contest-Win A Computer!

March 3, 2008 by ·

GOOD DEED CONTEST—WIN A COMPUTER
 

And to really get you to smile we would like to encourage you to enter your child age 17 years and younger into our “Good Deed Contest”.  There is a chance he/she could win a laptop computer!!!!! All you have to do is go to our website at www.TheGentleDentist.com and go to the GOOD DEED CONTEST. 
Do not underestimate your or your children’s contribution to society with some good deed. They may not have saved a life, but if they even have made a decision to clean up a parking lot or helping out an elderly neighbor please tell us. It is our intention to promote the good things happening in our area. In this day and age the media continuously emphasizes the negative and bad things people do; we would like to take the opposite approach and gloat about you and your good service.

RULES

  1. You must submit your letter by March 31, 2008 to be considered.
  2. This contest is open to children and teenagers less than 18 years old.
  3. Just write a short essay in the Contact Form below (or in your word processor and copy and paste it into the form below) approximately ½-1 page long telling us about what you did, why you chose to do it and what results occurred because of your good deed.
  4. The winner will be notified by us after April 14, where we will then make arrangement for the presentation at our office.
Filed Under: General Dentistry, How to choose a dentist, Welcome