Q-Can an apple a day really help my teeth too?

A- Crunchy foods, including apples, celery, and carrots, act like little toothbrushes when you chew them, and they actually help scrub away stubborn stains over time. The cleansing effect on your teeth may be noticeable—if ever so slightly—especially if you're a coffee drinker who wasn't eating apples every day to begin with. The mildly acidic nature and astringent quality of apples, combined with their rough, fiber-rich flesh, makes them the ideal food for cleansing and brightening teeth. Just be sure to chase it with a glass of water to rinse away the sugar, acid, and any plaque it may have removed from your enamel! 

Q-Does my diet have a role in my oral health?

A-Changing your eating habits could help reduce the risk for cavities.

The December 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association reminds patients that maintaining a balanced diet is important to maintaining a healthy smile.

Cavities are caused by plaque—a thin film of bacteria that coats the teeth. After you eat or drink, plaque bacteria digest any sugar and produces acids that weaken tooth enamel. The more you consume foods and drink that contain sugar, the bigger risk there is of plaque developing and eventually leading to cavities. The best way to protect your teeth from plaque is to keep an eye on the amount of sugar in your diet.

Almost all foods, including milk or vegetables, have some type of sugar, but to help control the amount of sugar you consume, read food labels and choose foods and beverages that are low in added sugars. Added sugars often are present in soft drinks, candy, cookies and pastries.

To counter this, it’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and to clean between the teeth with floss. When plaque builds up, it can cause the gums to bleed or swell—which, if not treated, could lead to gu, disease and tooth loss.

If your diet lacks certain nutrients, it may be more difficult for tissues in your mouth to resist infection. Although poor nutrition does not cause gum (periodontal) disease directly, many researchers believe that the disease progresses faster and could be more severe in people with nutrient-poor diets.

Q-What is the difference between a crown and a veneer?

A-Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted from tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of the tooth. A small amount of tooth enamel must be removed to accommodate the shell. Veneers are mainly used for cosmetic purposes. A crown covers the entire tooth surface to the gumline & is custom-crafted. We generally use all porcelain or ceramic crowns for aesthetic reasons. A crown makes the tooth stronger and improves its appearance. Crowns are also used to cover dental implants. Because of their thickness more tooth enamel must be removed in the preparation process. 

Q- What's the Difference Between Gingivitis and Periodontal (Gum) Disease?

A-Gingivitis (gum inflammation) usually precedes periodontitis (gum disease). However, it is important to know that not all gingivitis progresses to periodontitis.

In the early stage of gingivitis, bacteria in plaquebuild up, causes the gums to become inflamed (red and swollen) and often easily bleed during tooth brushing. Although the gums may be irritated, the teeth are still firmly planted in their sockets. No irreversible bone or other tissue damage has occurred at this stage.

When gingivitis is left untreated, it can advance to periodontitis. In a person with periodontitis, the inner layer of the gum and bone pull away from the teeth and form pockets. These small spaces between teeth and gums collect debris and can become infected. The body's immune system fights the bacteria as the plaque spreads and grows below the gum line.

Toxins or poisons - produced by the bacteria in plaque as well as the body's "good" enzymes involved in fighting infections - start to break down the bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. When this happens, teeth are no longer anchored in place, they become loose and tooth loss occurs. Gum disease, in fact, is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. 

Q-What is a smile makeover?

A- Teeth can tell your age……that is, only if you let them. A cosmetic smile makeover can subtract years from your appearance. This smile makeover involves nonsurgical modifications, where the smile is broadened, teeth are brightened, and the lips are made to appear fuller. As people get older, their lips usually lose elasticity and become thin, wrinkles develop and their face begins to show their age.

Smile design takes into account the entire picture, where the lips and gums act as the frame for the esthetically enhanced teeth. Just as different frames complement different paintings, the design and modifications of one’s smile are considered on an individual basis. The focus is to improve the entire smile. Fixing just one or two teeth is like renovating one or two houses on the block. It makes everything else look worse. Esthetic dentistry is not patchwork; it is important to concentrate on the entire smile. The dental profession is currently undergoing an esthetic revolution, where materials, techniques and equipment have enabled the dental practitioner to produce high quality, highly esthetic restorations that are predictable and minimally invasive. While some people may turn to their plastic surgeon for a face-lift, the cosmetic smile makeover may eliminate the need for that in some cases.