We found these great videos on Youtube,
which show the way brushing and flossing should be done:
'Floss only the teeth you want to keep!'
Sometimes no matter how well we brush and floss, there are certain stains that we can not remove ourselves.
These stains may have formed over many years or may be as a result of the following factors:
-tooth decay (caries)
-a necrotic (dead) nerve in the tooth
-too much flouride in the drinking water that we drank as a child (before the age of 6)
-certain antibiotics that were taken during childhood eg. Tetracycline
-staining due to poor oral hygiene
-staining from tea, coffee, red wine, spices, nicotine, tobacco, e.t.c
If these stains affect the front teeth they may cause us to feel embarrassed and self conscious as they affect the aesthetics of our smile.
There are many safe and painless treatment options available today, that can correct unsightly stains, depending on the severity and cause of the stain.
Examples of tooth whitening treatments include:
-Scaling and polishing to remove external or superficial stains.
-Bleaching i.e. Zoom in-office tooth whitening with UV light, or custom made home-bleaching kits which lighten the shade of the enamel of the teeth and may also lighten deeper stains.
-Composite veneers for stains that are not too large.
-Porcelain veneers for deeper and larger stains found only on the front aspect of the teeth.
-Full porcelain or metal-ceramic crowns for teeth with large restorations.
We usually take Panoramic x-rays to check the health of all the teeth, before we proceed with cosmetic treatments. We are all different and unique, therefore a treatment plan is drawn up and discussed with each patient prior to treatment.