Taking care of teeth with braces

There are few things that are more challenging than trying to brush your teeth and floss them while you have braces. Although slightly difficult , it is very important to brush and floss during your orthodontic treatment in order to ensure that you do not get new cavities at the end of your treatment. It is a common scenario that new decay develops in several teeth during the treatment especially in the hard to reach areas such as the last molars. Also, there may be discoloration of the teeth and the various attachments and brackets that are present in your mouth.

Few tips for maintaining good oral hygiene –

• Invest in an electric tooth brush as it will increase your efficiency of brushing.
  
  
• Floss before you brush – This makes sure that all the food particles dislodged while flossing are removed completely while brushing.
  
  
• Use a proxabrush each time. It does a really good job at removing food particles between the teeth. Utilise your regular tooth brush aslo along with the proxabrush.
  
  
• Visit your dentist for cleaning regularly, so that if cavities develop, then they can be caught early on .

This article has been posted by Dr. Purvi Thakkar.

Lipstick shades and a whiter smile

How tricky it is to find that perfect shade of lipstick. Did you know how some lipstick shades can actually make your teeth appear whiter than they are , while some shades can make them look yellow.

For a brighter dazzling smile, try-

1. Rich reds and berries-These colors are perfect to make your pearly whites look brighter. Notice Emma Stone’s lipstick?
2. Lip colors with blue undertones-           .
3. Shimmery bright pink glossy shades- These reflect against greying enamel and create an illusion of shinier teeth.

Best shades to avoid-

1. Shades like coral or tomato have yellow and orange undertones and make the teeth look yellower.
2. Avoid frosts, matts and pale pinks- to avoid dull looking teeth.

Try these tricks for a dazzling smile and let us know if they work for you.

This article has been posted by Dr. Purvi Thakkar.

The debate over mercury in silver fillings

Are silver fillings really that dangerous for your health as they have been claimed?

In 2013, Dr Oz sparked up a controversy in his hugely popular show stating the dangers and hazards of silver fillings attributing it to the high mercury content in them. That controversy was soon followed by a claim from the American Dental Association that as a physician he failed to educate his viewers and relied on sensationalism to prove something that is inaccurate. The ADA counter claim was supported by several authentic research studies.

Dental amalgam fillings are actually safe and effective ways to restore the back teeth and usually last much longer than tooth colored fillings. Of course, it’s best to not have any filling. Tooth colored fillings are obviously the only option for treating cavities in the front teeth, but if there is a cavity in one of your back teeth which will not be visible , you do have two choices , white fillings or silver fillings , and both the choices are healthy and safe for you. In fact, several dentists will prefer silver fillings in their own teeth, and ask your dentist the reasons for this preference.

This article has been posted by Dr. Purvi Thakkar.

It’s not your average denture

The word denture conjures up an image of a set of artificially looking set of fake teeth set up on a pink base that fits moderately and looks average. Often , one would imagine using denture adhesive to make the denture fit well .But thanks to recent advances in technology and in dentistry, there are many better ways to replace teeth , and one of them is implant supported dentures.

What exactly is an implant supported denture, you may ask.It is a denture that is supported by elements embedded in the bone of the jaws. The mandibular/lower denture can benefit more from an implant supported denture , but they can be useful for both upper and lower dentures.

Existing dentures can be modified to fit onto implants or new dentures can be made after thr implants are placed.

It is finally possible to replace many missing teeth with dentures while maintaining a high level of function and omfort.

This article has been posted by Dr. Purvi Thakkar.