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These Foods and Drinks Can Dull Your White Teeth

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These Foods and Drinks Can Dull Your White Teeth

Posted on: December 9th, 2020 by admin

pexels-photo-970204-coffee-desk-drawingYou want whiter teeth. We all do. The confidence that comes with having a white, bright smile can be a huge part of living a happy life.

Modern teeth whitening treatments can help you get the glowing teeth you’ve always wanted, but if you want to keep that smile you’ll want to avoid eating or drinking too much of the following:

  • Coffee – You had to know this would make the list. As much as many of us don’t like to hear it, coffee is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to staining your teeth. It may be the morning pick me up for half of America, but it’s also putting a damper on our bright smiles.
  • Red Wine – Like coffee, red wine is a big favorite that can also wreak havoc with our teeth. It’s no surprise that so many red wine enthusiasts end up seeking a teeth whitening treatment, available to people in Barnegat, Manahawkin, Forked River and beyond. Long years of the good stuff is a great part of your social life, but a bad part of your dental life.
  • Tea – Sorry, caffeine lovers, switching from coffee to tea will not cure your teeth staining blues. In fact, tea can be even more aggressive on your teeth than coffee. High in tannins and somewhat acidic, a lot of tea in your diet can be bad news for your teeth (and also, incidentally, for your kidneys). The good news is, black tea is the primary culprit. Switching to green, white and herbal teas can help.
  • Cola – Your dentist in Ocean County has probably been telling you for years that soda is bad for your teeth. It’s something we all learned in childhood: all that sugar in soda will rot away your teeth. What they didn’t tell us is that cola can stain your teeth, too. The sugar, when couples with the dyes and coloring and other ingredients of cola, means you’ll be seeking a teeth whitening after a few years of regular cola consumption.
  • Blueberries – Blueberries are a great part of your diet. High in antioxidants, they’re some of the very best fruits you can be eating – except, of course, when it comes to your teeth. Blueberries are especially high in tooth-staining colors, which is one of the reasons they were historically used in dyes. Blackberries, raspberries and other dark berries have similar qualities, but blueberries are by far the worst. Keep eating them – they’re good for you – just be sure to brush when you’re done.
  • Tomato Sauce – Sorry, pasta lovers, but that great red sauce that is used in every other pasta dish you enjoy also has qualities that can contribute to stained teeth. The acidic nature of tomatoes coupled with their deep red color means that you may want to see your Ocean County dentist after long years of eating Italian food.

All of this may seem like bad news, but it’s not. Most of the above food and drinks have good health qualities (though you may want to skip the cola), and their staining effects can be reversed by modern teeth whitening treatments. Remember, consume them in moderation, practice good oral hygiene, and you can have a great smile your whole life long.

How to Get Whiter, Brighter Teeth At Home

Posted on: August 26th, 2020 by admin

We know you want brighter and whiter teeth. You wouldn’t be reading this or visiting us here at Bayside Dentistry if you didn’t! Though the best results can only come after a visit to our office, there are some things you can do right in your own home to assist with making your teeth whiter. Here are some ideas:

Womans open mouth picture Barnegat Manahawkin Dental Office

pexels photo 922531

What To Do:

Brush Your Tongue

Brushing your tongue is not purely about keeping your breath fresh. Your tongue gets bacterial buildup, and that buildup that often results in staining on your teeth. Brushing your tongue helps ease that problem.

Eat Raw Fruits and Vegetables

The saying that an apple a day keeps the dentist away is true! Raw fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, celery, carrots, and others help scrub away plaque and other elements that can stain, making them a nutritious way to maintain whiter teeth. Just don’t skip your visit to a dentist serving Forked River and Southern Ocean County, like Bayside Dentistry!

Use Apple Cider Vinegar

This is an organic teeth whitening technique you can try at home. Just rinse with apple cider vinegar. It’s that simple! Though not nearly as effective as the professional treatments you’ll get from your dentist – it’s not even close – it can offer pretty decent results and help you maintain some brightness. All you need to do is mix two parts water to one part apple cider vinegar and rinse.

Replace Your Toothbrush

You should be doing this no matter what! Keep in mind that due to bacterial buildup, you should replace your toothbrush every three to four months, because worn bristles become increasingly less effective at cleaning your teeth as they wear down.

Rinse Your Mouth After Eating Citrus

Oranges, lemons and others are delicious, but they can be bad for your teeth due to their high acidity. Eat them as much as you want, but rinse with water after you’re done. Your teeth will thank you for it.

Visit Your Dentist

All of the above suggestions will help alleviate the staining effects that time, eating, and drinking will have on the whiteness of your teeth, but if you desire noticeably whiter and brighter teeth, you’re going to want to ask your dentist about teeth whitening in Ocean County.

What NOT to do:

Do Not Use Baking Soda

This all-purpose cleaning agent is often suggested, but proceed with caution! Baking soda can be abrasive, wearing away the enamel of your teeth and eventually causing them to darken.

Drink Too Many Energy Drinks

You already know to avoid coffee and tea, but did you know that energy drinks can wear at your teeth color, too? The team here at Bayside will confirm that these drinks are highly acidic, causing them to wear at your tooth enamel. If you have to drink them, consider using a straw to help avoid your teeth.

Don’t Gorge on Dark Foods

Marinara sauce, blackberries and blueberries, dark sauces for your pasta, and similar foods may be tasty, but they can stain your teeth. If you do eat them, brush promptly afterward!

Finally, the best thing you can do for your white teeth? Have regular checkups with your dentist, especially if they are a dentist serving Manahawkin.

What You Need to Know About Teeth Whitening

Posted on: June 9th, 2020 by admin

If it seems like you are hearing more and more about teeth whitening, you are probably right. Improvements in cosmetic dentistry have made it easier than ever to whiten and brighten your smile. You might even be thinking about a visit to your dentist so you can enjoy an affordable teeth whitening treatment.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about modern teeth whitening:

How It Works

These days, tooth whitening treatments use a peroxide-based bleaching technique that assists with bleaching out staining and discoloration. Remember that the treatments will have no impact on porcelain crowns or composite tooth-colored bondings.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-white-turtle-neck-sweater-709802/

At-Home Options

Not every dentist near Manahawkin dentist will tell you this, but it’s good information to have: there are at-home whitening treatments available, and some of them are available over the counter. The price can range from extremely low to about equal to an in-office visit. It usually takes much longer to get results, and the results are usually not as dramatic as a professional treatment.

If you are considering at-home whitening, your choices include:

  • Strips & Gels – Apply these twice a day for up to two weeks. When you use this cost-effective solution, expect modest results
  • Bleaching Trays – A tray not unlike a mouth guard is filled with gel or a solution. This tray is worn in the mouth for several hours a day. Treatment can last up to four weeks. The results can be good, but the cost is generally similar to professional treatments.
  • Whitening Toothpastes – You won’t see dramatic results from a whitening toothpaste. At best, they can brighten your teeth by about one shade. By contrast, you can get up to eight shades of brightness from professional treatments. However, one benefit is that whitening toothpastes are easy to incorporate into your life.

In-Office Treatments

A visit to your dental office near Manahawkin is going to end up giving you better whitening results than anything you can do at home, and you’ll get those results much faster. Dentists are able to use much stronger solutions than you can purchase over the counter, and the methods they use with in-office treatments can get results quicker. Some important things to know include:

  • Stronger – In-office whitening treatments can be up to 10 times more effective than over the counter treatments!
  • Faster – At-home whitening usually takes anywhere from two to four weeks and may result in a few shades of whiteness. In-office treatments usually take less than an hour per session, and only a few sessions are needed for up to eight shades of improvement.
  • Better Results – As mentioned, at most at-home treatments can increase your tooth whiteness by a few shades. In-office treatments can get you up to eight shades of improvement.

When you sum it all up, you have many treatment options available to you from your Southern Ocean County dentist. Before deciding on one, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist to be sure the treatment is right for you. Not all mouths are made the same, after all!

The Basics You Should Know About Teeth Whitening

Posted on: June 12th, 2019 by admin

If it seems like you are hearing more and more about teeth whitening, you are probably right. Improvements in cosmetic dentistry have made it easier than ever to whiten and brighten your smile. You might even be thinking about a visit to your dentist so you can enjoy an affordable teeth whitening treatment.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about modern teeth whitening:

How It Works

These days, tooth whitening treatments use a peroxide-based bleaching technique that assists with bleaching out staining and discoloration. Remember that the treatments will have no impact on porcelain crowns or composite tooth-colored bondings.

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-white-turtle-neck-sweater-709802/

At-Home Options

Not every dentist near Manahawkin dentist will tell you this, but it’s good information to have: there are at-home whitening treatments available, and some of them are available over the counter. The price can range from extremely low to about equal to an in-office visit. It usually takes much longer to get results, and the results are usually not as dramatic as a professional treatment.

If you are considering at-home whitening, your choices include:

  • Strips & Gels – Apply these twice a day for up to two weeks. When you use this cost-effective solution, expect modest results
  • Bleaching Trays – A tray not unlike a mouth guard is filled with gel or a solution. This tray is worn in the mouth for several hours a day. Treatment can last up to four weeks. The results can be good, but the cost is generally similar to professional treatments.
  • Whitening Toothpastes – You won’t see dramatic results from a whitening toothpaste. At best, they can brighten your teeth by about one shade. By contrast, you can get up to eight shades of brightness from professional treatments. However, one benefit is that whitening toothpastes are easy to incorporate into your life.

In-Office Treatments

A visit to your dental office near Manahawkin is going to end up giving you better whitening results than anything you can do at home, and you’ll get those results much faster. Dentists are able to use much stronger solutions than you can purchase over the counter, and the methods they use with in-office treatments can get results quicker. Some important things to know include:

  • Stronger – In-office whitening treatments can be up to 10 times more effective than over the counter treatments!
  • Faster – At-home whitening usually takes anywhere from two to four weeks and may result in a few shades of whiteness. In-office treatments usually take less than an hour per session, and only a few sessions are needed for up to eight shades of improvement.
  • Better Results – As mentioned, at most at-home treatments can increase your tooth whiteness by a few shades. In-office treatments can get you up to eight shades of improvement.

When you sum it all up, you have many treatment options available to you from your Southern Ocean County dentist. Before deciding on one, it’s a good idea to consult with your dentist to be sure the treatment is right for you. Not all mouths are made the same, after all!

Keep Your Teeth White By Avoiding These Food And Drinks

Posted on: May 7th, 2019 by admin

We know you want whiter teeth. We all do. The confidence that comes with having a nice smile is hard to overestimate.

Modern teeth whitening treatments can help you get the nice, white teeth you’ve always wanted, but if you hope to keep that bright smile you should avoid eating or drinking too much of this:

Source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-s-white-and-black-button-up-collared-shirt-774909/

  • Red Wine – Red wine has some health benefits when enjoyed in moderation, but it can also wreak havoc with your teeth. It’s no surprise that so many red wine fans end up seeking teeth whitening treatments. Years of the good stuff can be a fun part of your social life, but a bad part of your dental life.
  • Coffee – We know this is bad news fore many of you! As much as many of us don’t like to hear it, coffee is one of the worst culprits when it comes to staining your teeth. It may be the morning go-to for half of America, but it’s also one of the worst things for our bright smiles.

  • Tea – Sorry, caffeine lovers, switching from coffee to tea does not change things in this regard. In fact, tea can be even more abrasive on your teeth than coffee. High in tannins and rather acidic, too much tea in your diet can be bad news for your teeth. The good news is, black tea is the primary culprit. Switching to green, white and herbal teas can help.
  • Cola – This is something we all learned as kids: all the sugar in soda will rot your teeth. What they didn’t tell us is that cola can stain your teeth, too. The sugar, dye, coloring and other ingredients of cola means you’ll be seeking need teeth whitening if you are a regular soda drinker and you want to maintain a bright smile.
  • Blueberries – Blueberries are a part of a healthy diet. High in antioxidants, they’re some of the very best fruit to eat – except when it comes to your teeth. Blueberries are high in tooth-staining colors, which is why they have historically been used in dyes. Blackberries, raspberries and other dark berries have similar qualities, though blueberries are more potent than all of them. They’re good for you, so keep eating, just be sure to brush when you’re done!
  • Tomato Sauce – Sorry, everyone, we love tomato sauce too, but that traditional red sauce has qualities that can contribute to stained teeth. The acidic nature of tomatoes along with with their deep red color means if you want a whiter smile, you may want to see your dentist in Southern Ocean County after long years of eating Italian food.

All of this may seem like bad news, but it’s not. Most of the above food and drinks have good health qualities (though you should skip the cola!), and their staining effects can be reversed by modern teeth whitening treatments. Remember, consume them in moderation, practice good oral hygiene, and you can have a great smile your whole life long.

These 6 Dental Procedures are VERY Common – so don’t fear them!

Posted on: April 25th, 2019 by admin

Over the years, your Barnegat dentist has done and seen it all. You name the procedure and they have probably done it. There are, however, a few that stand out as far more common than others. Here are the 6 procedures we find ourselves doing more than any other:

1) Fillings

One of the most common dental procedures is also one of the easiest: getting fillings. This is nothing more than using restorative materials to repair damage to your teeth, usually cavities. In addition to filling holes left by tooth decay, aka cavities, these materials might be used to repair chipping, cracks, and other tooth damage. The resins used are colored to match your teeth, giving you a natural look that blends in seamlessly with your existing teeth.

2) Caps or Crowns

Dental crowns or caps are covers usually made of porcelain that go over or around existing teeth. These procedures are usually performed to help repair the appearance of broken or cracked teeth. These crowns not only improve the appearance of teeth that have been chipped in accidents and other events, they also help strengthen what is left of the teeth.

 

3) Tooth Whitening

More common than ever these days, the professional tooth whitening offered by your dentist in Ocean County is a cut about over-the-counter solutions. Using one of several types of treatments, your teeth can be whitened by several shades, reversing the damage done by years of coffee drinking, juice, smoking, and other ways to stain your teeth. Even better? The procedure is fast, easy and affordable.

4) Bridges and Implants

When teeth are missing or removed, it’s usually a good idea to replace them in some way. This is not just for the sake of appearance, but to protect your gums and to make eating easier. One of the most common ways of doing this is with a bridge, sometimes called dentures. These are false teeth with crowns used to fill in gaps in your mouth. Another is through the use of implants, metal posts that are placed in your mouth to serve as anchors for false teeth. In both cases, technology used by dentists near Manahawkin has come so far that you’ll never notice the difference.

5) Root Canals

Also known as Endodontics, root canals are a procedure often talked about with fear, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Modern advances in how these procedures are done have made them far less uncomfortable than in the past. Root canals are the removal of the pulpy, thread-like tissue in the center of the tooth. This is done when decay had advanced far enough so that it might cause infection inside the tooth. Root canals can save teeth from being extracted, but more importantly, they can prevent the formation of abscesses, buildups of pus that can destroy tissue and cause extreme pain – and sometimes worse.

6) Extractions

This one is pretty self-explanatory. An extraction is when a tooth is removed. These procedures may be done for a myriad of reasons, whether the tooth is damaged, decay has progressed too far, unwanted extra teeth are coming in, and more. In most cases, extractions are relatively easy procedures that any experienced dentist near Forked River can perform.

4 Tips To Make Toothbrushing Work For You

Posted on: February 20th, 2019 by admin No Comments

By now, all adults know that they should be brushing twice daily. If you are reading this, you know it, too.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to learn. For instance, consider these 4 tips that will make your brushing (and your choice in toothpaste) far more effective:

Tip #1: Sensitive Teeth? Try A Baking Soda-Based Toothpaste

We see a lot of patients who have sensitive teeth, so we know how frustrating the condition can be. We also know that having sensitive teeth means you must take a slightly different approach to oral health than others might. One way is in the brand of toothpaste you choose. Standard brands may be more abrasive than is comfortable for your teeth, or may contain chemicals that trigger sensitivity in your teeth. A good way to get around that problem is to choose baking soda-based toothpastes. These toothpastes tend to be softer and milder on the teeth, resulting in a gentler yet still effective brush that won’t leave your mouth feeling sensitive.

pexels-photo-814052

Tip #2: Understand That Not All Toothpastes Are Right For Everyone

It’s a common misconception that one toothpaste is pretty much the same as another. After all, it’s all just toothpaste, right? Wrong. The fact of the matter is, not all toothpastes are created alike. Many types of toothpaste are designed to address specific issues, such as sensitive teeth or staining. Others are made for children – children below a certain age should not be exposed to high levels of fluoride – while still others are ideal for people who prefer all-natural products. Yes, that means you may need to buy more than one tube of toothpaste for your family. That’s okay, though. That just means that everyone will be getting exactly what they need to maintain the best oral health possible. Nothing wrong with that!

Tip #3: Some Toothpastes May Accelerate Tooth Decay!

It may sound counterintuitive, but there are some toothpastes that could contribute to tooth decay even as they are helping you clean your teeth. How? By being overly sweet and full of sugars. You’ve probably seen them, usually aimed at children: toothpastes that practically taste like candy they are so sweet. Well, they almost taste like candy for the same reason candy tastes sweet. They are sweetened! It may be easier to get your little ones to use toothpastes like these, but as a general rule of thumb your dentist near Forked River suggests you should avoid them when possible. In some ways, using them defeats the purpose of brushing in the first place!

pexels-photo-298611

Tip #4: Brushing Is Only The Start

For too many Americans, their oral health regime begins and ends with brushing their teeth. While that is a great place to start – if you are mindful enough to be brushing at least twice a day, kudos to you – it is only the start. Good oral health includes mouth rinses, flossing, and regular checkups from your dentist. Remember, brushing is just one part of an overall plan of good oral health.

Keep these tips in mind and we guarantee your Ocean County dentist will have nothing but good news on your next visit!