Quit Smoking for a Healthy Teeth

It is known that people who smoke frequently are at higher risks of getting cancer and lungs related problems. Nowadays, people are also clear that smoking damages your dental health too. Though people are aware of the problems caused by smoking still they get addicted to the habit. Adults who think it as a stress reliever must definitely stop the habit of smoking to lead a happy and healthy life.

Oral Cancer

How smoking harms your dental health?

1. Gum disease

2. Tooth discoloration

3. Bad breath

4. Loss of bone

5. Higher risks of Oral Cancer

Gum disease

When you smoke your immune system gets weak thereby lessening your mouth's ability to fight against the bacteria and infections. Frequent smoking forms bacterial plaque on your gums if it is left untreated it may lead to gingivitis. With gingivitis untreated, you will get a severe gum disease called periodontitis which may affect your gums hardly that may even result in removing your teeth. 

Tooth Discoloration

You can even find the difference by yourself, the teeth colour of the people who smoke will be much different from those of the non-smokers. When you smoke, the bacteria settle down deep into your teeth forming a hard yellow coloured layer over your teeth. The normal colour of your teeth gets disappeared leaving stains on your teeth.

Bad Breath

Bad breath is one of the common problems among smokers. Bad breath is caused by the chemicals present in the cigarettes. These chemicals build bacteria in your mouth and affect your gums, teeth, tongue and other surrounding areas. This causes bad breath from your mouth. Another reason for bad breath from smoking is because it dries the mouth very soon. Smoking stops saliva to flow and rinse away the bacteria in your mouth. When saliva is stopped bacteria gets multiplied in your mouth leading to a bad odour while breathing.

Loss of Bone

As mentioned earlier, smoking leads to gum diseases like periodontal diseases. When the periodontal disease gets severe, it affects the jaw bone. If the bacteria in your mouth are not cleared off properly, it will stay in your mouth which will melt your bones. If this condition is not treated earlier, you may subject to lose your teeth. When the tooth is lost, the bone which had been holding the lost tooth starts to get weak. This affects your face badly and it may also lead to premature ageing where you tend to look older than your original age.

Higher risks of Oral Cancer

One who smokes frequently have a higher risk of dying of oral cancer than who doesn't smoke. 40% of smokers diagnosed with oral cancer are expected to die in 5 years after finding it. When the person is also an alcohol addict then his life is at danger. Smoking creates many dental problems that affect the teeth and the gums which may result in oral cancer. Once diagnosed, then the treatment will be severe that includes surgery and radiation therapy. You can extend your life span by quitting smoking for your entire life.

Quitting is the best solution than any other method to stop the habit. Self motivate yourself, make up your mind, meditate, know that your health is more important than anything else. Quit smoking and keep your teeth healthy to lead a wholesome life. Visit your dentist when you identify the early signs of gingivitis.

Teeth Whitening - For a better smile

It is quite common for your teeth to get stained and discoloured with the kind of food habits we take in our day to day life. Even if you maintain good oral hygiene there are chances for your teeth to turn yellowish as your turn older. Who doesn't love to smile better with their teeth brightened? Who will love to smile with the disgusting yellowish teeth? That's the reason people tend to spend lots of money on teeth whitening. A smile is the one that defines you. A brighter smile gives the self-confidence to face the world.

When you decide to opt a whitening treatment it must be more effective as your every penny counts. Though there are many teeth whitening products in the market, professional teeth whitening treatment will be the best and safe.

What's the first step?

Do your own research on the best cosmetic dentists in your city/area. Have a talk with your dentist either through a call or visit the office directly. Have an open chat regarding your dental issues and the best dentist will always help you out.

Once convinced with your dentist, book your appointment for your treatment. If you didn't have oral hygiene properly before, your dentist will remain all the stains and plaque which is present over and between your teeth. Then you will be applied by a whitening gel followed by a laser light will be activated for about 20 minutes which will be repeated for a few times until your stains vanish away. Teeth whitening isn't permanent, it lasts for 2 to 3 years when you maintain good oral hygiene.

Here are a few facts about teeth whitening

1. Practically, it is impossible to remove the stains on your first visit. It takes nearly 5 days to a few months for your teeth to turn white. If you have more stains it really takes more months to clear off. Once the stains were removed then it is easy to maintain your dental health.

2. Every method has its own pros and cons. So do the teeth whitening procedure too. There are a few side effects which are temporary. Among the two, sensitivity is the most common side effect after you complete your teeth whitening procedure. But it is temporary and just fades away.

3. Laser Teeth Whitening is a whitening method where the light passed accelerates the gel to whiten the teeth faster. But the fact is, it is temporary and needs to maintain your teeth either with whitening trays or you need to visit your dentist regularly. Also, it is very expensive and takes more time to complete the procedure.

4. Any artificial teeth like caps or veneers that have been placed cannot be whitened. Because caps neither get stained nor whiten. They are attached to match your other teeth and you can't whiten the caps. Instead, you can change a new artificial tooth.

5. Once you are done with your whitening procedure your teeth will have open pores that are more likely to get stained easily. So it is better to get your teeth whitening treatment done before your bedtime.

Not everyone's teeth are the same. Not everyone can have that perfect white colour for their teeth. Your natural colour of the teeth is set by birth. You can only remove the stains that are filled over your teeth and bring them to your natural colour. So, don't be focused on the white colour, but on removing the stains and to stay natural and healthy.  

Everything you must know about dental crowns

What is a dental crown?

A dental crown is simply a "cap" that fits to cover the patient's tooth. This is mainly used to replace a broken tooth or to reshape the tooth or even to enhance your perfect smile. This dental crown is glued to your teeth using dental cement. A dental crown is made from stainless steel, gold, and other metal alloys.

Why do you need a dental crown?

There are many reasons why an individual needs a dental crown, but here are a few major reasons.

1. Cosmetic reasons

If a tooth is stained or damaged, it can be replaced by porcelain or ceramic crown. It covers the ugly tooth and improves the performance and elegance of your tooth.

2.  To replace a weak tooth

If a tooth is weakened or cracked, dental crowns help to hold back the tooth giving a strong firm to the tooth. A cracked tooth will be painful, but while placing a crown it feels free from your pain.

3. After the root canal treatment

When you are done with your root canal treatment, your teeth will become weak. Therefore, dentists would suggest placing a dental crown over your treated tooth to regain strength. One of the reputed dental clinic in Trichy offer the best root canal treatment with advanced techniques and instruments.

4. After dental implant

As a dental implant is a replacement for your missing tooth. Once a dental implant is done over your jaw, it is better to protect it using a dental crown.

Procedure for getting dental crowns

Getting crowns over your tooth is a quite common procedure which follows the below steps.

1. The initial step is to numb your tooth and its surrounding tissues by giving local anaesthesia.

2. Accurate models of your maxillary and mandibular arches will be fabricated to create the perfect crown for your tooth.

3. Your dentist will start to prepare the tooth imitating that of your tooth leaving a hollow space atop like a cap. This is the crucial step of the entire procedure and takes most of the time.

4. Once the tooth is prepared, your dentist will take the impression of your prepared tooth. The dentist will insert the impression tray over your prepared tooth to set it down. This step continues until an exact impression is acquired.

5. Temporary crowns are placed over the prepared tooth in order to prevent the prepared tooth from moving. If the prepared tooth starts to shift from its fixed place, then the final impression needs to be taken again and the crown needs to be renewed again.

6. It takes around 6 to 10 business days to prepare your permanent tooth. On returning for cementation treatment, the dentist will ensure that your tooth is numbed and the temporary crown and cement will be removed. Then your permanent crown will be placed over your prepared tooth, which takes around 10 minutes to settle.

7. After setting your permanent tooth, check how the teeth bite together. Even though, the exact impressions are made beforehand there will be some adjustments on your new permanent crown.

8. Your crown will be made strong in order to perform regular actions like chewing, grinding. Still, a crown isn't something unbreakable. So, hard eatables like nuts need to be avoided.

Dental crowns may look costly but its a must required factor to protect your tooth once it got cracked or you are done with your root canal treatment. Getting a friendly dentist will be such bliss, he will guide you through the entire journey of the treatment. One such Dentist in Trichy offering various cosmetic dentistry and various other dental treatments at Surya Dental Care, Trichy. I would suggest paying a visit over there if you are planning to get your tooth treated.