Dental Health: Fact and Myth

Proper dental care isn’t always black and white.  We know “facts” like brushing and flossing your teeth is the best way to avoid cavities; sweets are the main cause of cavities and tooth decay; and root canals are the result of unattended cavities…right?  How accurate are these “facts”?  They all sound correct, but surprising as it may be they are not all true.  

Naturally, brushing and flossing your teeth to prevent cavities best is 100% true.  This is the best way to sweep away bacteria from the tooth’s surface as well as in between the teeth-where cavities are most prone to be. Besides overall health, brushing and flossing your teeth also helps with fresher breath and a shinier smile.

            Next “fact”: avoid sweets to keep from getting cavities.  Avoiding sweets can definitely keep you healthier in all aspects; however, it does not ensure you will never get a cavity.  Sugar is a cause of cavities. Sugars are also found in carbohydrates.  This is because carbs are what bacteria thrive off.  The more carbs you ingest the more you feed the bacteria in your mouth.  This can cause tooth decay and cavities.  So if you’re avoiding sweets, good for you!  But try as well to cut back on the carbs too as these count as sugar as well!

            Third “fact”: While cavities can lead to a root canals, cavities are not the only cause.  If you have a cracked or otherwise traumatized tooth, this can cause need for a root canal.  The purpose of a root canal is to dig out a damaged nerve within the tooth then sealing the tooth back up.  There are a number of things that can lead to a damaged nerve. Make sure and get any cracked or chipped tooth correctly fixed to avoid the possibility of a root canal.

            Of course we all aren’t perfect, which is why we have experts to call on for help in the dental area.  Simply call Affleck Dental for a free consultation today!  (801) 782-5010

Foods for Healthy Teeth

           Even if you brush your teeth twice a day and gargle with mouthwash you are only doing half of what it takes to keep a healthy smile.  Having a good smile needs more than just toothpaste. It is also about what you eat.  There are many satisfying foods that are beneficial to the health of your teeth.. Below are some tips to eat your way to a healthier smile.

Start out with inspecting how often you eat.  Are you a heavy snacker?  Studies show that people who snack frequently throughout the day are more vulnerable to cavities.  Why?  Eating often means new bacteria entering your mouth, causing potential cavities, leading to tooth decay.  Snack less often throughout the day to avoid this problem.  But if you just cannot peel yourself away from your daily snacks, perhaps take a look at what it is exactly you are consuming.     
       

There are several good food options to choose from first when it comes to snacking.  These foods will not only improve your teeth but overall health as well.  If you have a big sweet tooth and you must eat something sweet, turn away from candy.  Such things as hard candies are horrible for your teeth’s health.  They are chock full of sugars which harbor on your teeth.  Choose healthier options such as hard fruits.  Apples and pears are perfect examples of this.  These fruits are full of natural water which washes away their natural sugars from your teeth and also stimulate saliva flow which has the same effect.  Raw vegetables are also perfect for this same reason.  But not all fruits are necessarily good for your teeth’s health.  Bananas and dried fruits are ones that can cause cavities.  They are softer and full of more sugars. 

Recommended foods to improve your teeth’s health include cheese, celery, water, and yogurt.  These are also great snack options.  Water is always a great choice because it washes away any bacteria sticking to your teeth.  If you find that you need a little flavor try unsweetened tea or milk.  Leave the colas, sweet teas and lemonades in the fridge.  Other good food choices include nuts and meat.  These are full of calcium and phosphorus which re-mineralize teeth and helps to protect tooth enamel.  But what about chewing gum?  Chew away! Turns out gum stimulates saliva flow which helps to clean teeth and also helps to dislodge food particles from in between teeth.  There are also many brands of gum that contain anti-cavity ingredients.

Closely observe your eating habits from now on.  Stay away from those sugary snacks; eat plenty of raw vegetable and hard fruits.  Chew sugar free gun and drink plenty of water.  Next step, SMILE!

For more information on how to keep you teeth healthy, give Affleck Dental a call today!

CareCredit - Your Financial Opportunity

Medical expenses can be costly and a financial burden.  Loading up your credit card with life and medical expenses is a fast way to max it out.  Luckily there is another credit option specifically designed for medical expenses.  CareCredit is an alternate credit option designed to give you a credit line for your entire family’s health expenses, even your pets!

With CareCredit you are able to choose a 6, 12, 18, or 24-month plan.  These individual plans give you time to pay off your CareCredit card without incurring interest initially.  Of course a minimum monthly payment is required.  And, if your medical treatments are more costly, CareCredit also offers a variety of plans for that situation as well, to include a lengthier re-payment plan with a fixed, reduced interest rate. 

Designed for certain medical procedures not covered by insurance, CareCredit is good for use on Lasik/eye care, cosmetic surgeries, dental care, as well as hearing care.  You can also use your CareCredit to pay for procedures only partially covered by insurance.  Now with your CareCredit card, you can finally afford those healthcare procedures you have wanted or needed!

CareCredit is specifically designed to allow people the freedom to keep healthcare and household payments separate making it easy for you to better manage your medical expenses and keep interest rates low.  Unfortunately not all healthcare providers offer CareCredit.  But Affleck Dental proudly does!  Visit the CareCredit website at www.carecredit.com or call Affleck Dental at (801) 782-5010 for more information! 

The Perfect Smile Makeover

Our smiles can say a lot about us and naturally we all desire to have a perfect smile. Not everyone is born with the perfect smile, but luckily reaching that goal is not a hard thing to do.   Now improving our smiles is easier than ever with many options to receiving a total smile makeover.  We have all had something about our smile we have wanted to fix, whether it is straighter teeth, whiter teeth, or just prettier teeth.  

There are many options to perfecting your smile.  One of the most common and easiest is whitening.  There are many ways to whiten your teeth from strips bought in-store to a quick and easy chair session at your dentist’s office.  Teeth whitening may seem like such a small aesthetic improvement to your smile but the results can really make a huge difference in your smile’s look.

A smile makeover can also include certain measures such as closing gaps between teeth or correcting inconsistent spacing.  This can be accomplished with veneers — a thin material placed over a tooth, like a shell, to improve the appearance of your smile.  Veneers are also great for chipped teeth or making your teeth have a more even look about them.

Smile makeovers can have some very positive results like boosting self esteem.  This reason alone makes smile makeovers extremely common.  Many celebrities have had aesthetic dental improvements.  It is extremely common to find celebrities having dental improvements just like everyday people! A smile makeover could possibly be one of the best decisions you have made yet. Affleck Dental has just the answers with great, fast teeth whitening options and reliable veneers for designed specifically for every person.

         

Veneers? Why would I want veneers?”

– you ask yourself. Thousands of people every day are having veneers placed over their teeth for a variety of reasons. Perhaps your teeth are permanently discolored, they are worn down, chipped or broken, uneven or there are large gaps between them. With veneers, you don’t have to live with aesthetic issues like these.

 Veneers are wafer-thin, customer made shells that are designed to cover the front surface of the teeth, colored to match your normal teeth color and intended to improve your appearance. Veneers are bonded to the teeth for permanent change of color, shape, size and even length.

Now that you have a better understanding of what they are and the purpose of veneers, you can decide if the process if for you. Generally veneers are fitted within three visits.

Visit 1) Diagnosis, treatment and discussion of the entire procedure

Visit 2) Preparation of the tooth; removing unnecessary enamel to allow the veneer to fit; and taking an impression of the tooth to use a base for construction of the veneer

Visit 3) Bonding – here the dentist will make sure your veneers are a perfect fit before permanently cementing the veneer on to the tooth.

Nevertheless, as with any procedure, there are advantages and disadvantages. Even with veneers, your teeth can still decay if not taken care of and your tooth may be more sensitive since enamel was removed. On the other hand, veneers are stain resistant and offer a stronger, more aesthetic alternative to other potential procedures.

And if you are still unsure, it’s ok! Dr. Affleck provides FREE consultations before coming up with a plan to better your appearance.

Zoom Whitening - Get Ready for the Summer

Summer is just beginning which means the excitement of summer vacations.  This means opportunities for plenty of photos full of happy smiles.  You will want to put your most confident smile forward, and with the professional whitening system, Zoom Whitening offered by Affleck Dental, you definitely can reach your highest smile potential for every camera out there.

Teeth whitening is one of the easiest, most popular aesthetic dental treatments available today.  With a surprisingly long history, people have always wanted a gleaming white smile. After centuries of perfecting ways to whiten teeth, it is now at its safest and most convenient! Now we can reach your perfect smile in what seems no time at all thanks to Philips Zoom Whitening systems.  Zoom Whitening is the #1 patient recommended brand and has whitened over 4 million smiles!  Different whitening services are offered by Zoom, but the quickest and easiest is by far the Zoom Whitespeed.  And now Affleck Dental can get your teeth shining white with Zoom Whitespeed.

 This is a scientifically advanced whitening system which offers a sophisticated LED whitening technology. It is applied chair side right in our office for your convenience.   The great thing about Whitespeed is that it shows immediate results.  It is faster than white strips or toothpaste and you spend even less time in the dentist’s chair and leave with a long-lasting brilliant smile. 

 If you are in a rush to get to the beach but don’t want to leave without a shining smile you can schedule a Phillips Zoom Whitespeed appointment with Dr. Affleck at 801.782.5010, and leave his office with an instantly brighter smile.  It truly is the quickest way to get a whiter smile and you’ll be sure to look your best in all those summer vacation pictures!  

Cosmetic Dentistry - What is it exactly?

Did you know that the earliest known dental work was performed between 7500 and 9000 years ago? Thank goodness we have come along way from those prehistoric practices. Today, you have the luxury of opting for the perfect smile with little pain and more options with Affleck Dental.

Cosmetic dentistry isn’t what it used to be. There are a variety of procedures that prosthodontists and orthodontists are licensed to implement in order to give you the perfect smile. These range from whitening your teeth to dental implants, dentures, fillings, veneers, tooth contouring and reshaping, crowns, root canals, braces, and cosmetic gum surgery. Now with the advance in technology and the professional services of Affleck Dental, everyone can have the smile of a celebrity. Better yet, now celebrities can have an amazing smile, too!

Tooth contouring and reshaping is one of the newest procedures that is targeted and quick to correct. With just a little dental contouring, you can improve your smile and how it makes you feel. It is required to already have normal, healthy teeth before these types of procedures as contouring and reshaping is meant to help with teeth crowding, small chips and fractures in the teeth. On the other hand, reshaping should be limited as it can wear away at the natural enamel of your tooth.

 As with every cosmetic dentistry procedure and option there are pros and cons involved. The best practice is to call the experts at Affleck Dental with any questions you may have or make an appointment for a consultation. Our dedicated team of doctors, technicians and staff are here to help you on your path to getting a beautiful smile!