Category: Blog

Many patients want to get their teeth whitened, which involves removing the stains from the teeth and helping make the teeth a whiter, more natural color. These treatments are available for both men and women alike. Some people get them done professionally at the dentists’ office, while others want to get their teeth to look whiter but don’t have or are not willing to spend the money or time in the dentists’ office for just professional whitening process. Teeth whitening procedures are growing in popularity due to their ability to greatly reduce the appearance of stains on the teeth while providing the person with a more confident smile.

This is a great tool for everyone to keep in mind as most Americans will experience yellow or stained teeth at some point in their lives. It’s caused when the surface of the tooth covered in enamel gets stained giving teeth a yellowed or discolored appearance. Any number of factors can cause this to happen including sugars our teeth are exposed to, colorings in flavored drinks, acids in foods that chew away enamel and stain the actual tooth, or the effects of chewing.

There are two types of stains your teeth can get:

Extrinsic Staining: these are stains on the surface of the tooth caused by things you consume like dark liquids such as coffees, tea, soda, or even red wines. These are part of life to have these kinds of stains however, they are unsightly and can be removed relatively easily. These are the reasons we go for routine cleanings and checkups, and user teeth whitening strips or at-home treatments periodically when the stains start to set in. More stubborn stains may need in-office whitening or bleaching treatments.

Intrinsic Staining: the intrinsic stains are much deeper and form on the interior of the teeth — this is resulting from aging, excessive exposure to certain minerals, or exposure to excessive levels of fluoride.

According to the FDA, the difference between a whitening and a bleaching treatment are that when a “bleaching” treatment is done the teeth can be made whiter than their natural color only through products that actually contain a bleaching product and whitening refers to only restoring the tooth’s natural colors by removing junk and debris.

These terms are mistakably interchanged frequently even though both have separate and distinct meanings. Whitening is preferred by some dentists as it sounds less harsh even though many of these whitening agents contain bleach. It’s more of a marketing technique to get the patient to believe one thing over another based upon preferences and the situation

OTC treatments and bleaching can be done several ways including the following:

The strength of Bleaching Agent: the strength of the bleaching agent is regulated as the OTC products and take-home products usually contain 7 to 43% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent whereas in-office bleaching agents contain 15 to 43% hydrogen peroxide.

Mouthpiece Trays: the mouthpiece trays from the dentist as opposed to OTC trays is that they are custom-fit to fit the exact mold of your teeth allowing for maximum contact with the whitening agents and gel that is put into the trays versus the ones that are take-home and are just standard and may not custom fit your teeth the way you want them to. At-home treatments are also, consequently much cheaper as well.

Additional Preventative Measures: In an office setting, irritation and concerns associated with the irritation of the gums and mouth that may occur with the contact of the gels are also able to be monitored and handled more smoothly than with the absence of the dentist in the at-home treatment options.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has approved the use of dentists providing at-home products that use up to 10% carbamide peroxide whereas office solutions can use up to 35% hydrogen peroxide. Over-the-counter bleaches are not endorsed by the ADA because of the organization’s belief that it is not as safe and effective when it is used. Just because the ADA does not endorse it does not mean you cannot try it personally as such products are plentifully available. Talk to your dentist about the products you plan to use.

Remember that diet and food consumption are the main causes of tooth staining and discoloration, but a number of sources can contribute to the problem. The main reasons teeth become discolored or stained according to the ADA can include medications you take, excessive fluoride being present in your diet, consuming a lot of darkly-colored foods/liquids in your diet, and poor oral hygiene including lacks of flossing/brushing.

There are considered to be 3 treatment options available for tooth-whitening today! One is the at-home treatments that generally are the cheapest options including toothpaste, gels, rinses, strips, or trays and these treatments are recommended for people who have no fillings and otherwise healthy teeth. They usually just whiten teeth a few shades and cost $20-$100 depending on the product used.

Take-home kits are often available from dentists’ offices to use at your own leisure. These will be a bit more expensive and run $100-$400. These are usually the trays you put in your mouth overnight while you sleep to help whiten teeth.

Finally, you can get in-office treatments often called Zoom Whitening, and these are usually the most whitening of all and they are the most expensive as well. These are your best option if you are hesitant to use these products or have a lot of cavities, fillings, bridges, implants, or other teeth issues. These will run generally from $500 or more per cleaning. These are the treatments designed to maximize patient results.

If you’re interested in our Zoom Special for $199 instead of $500 Click Here.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about us visit us here or call us 909-465-1016. The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”

People often ask if dental implants really work and if they are for them or not. Others have experiences that are horrifying stories of how implants did not work for them. The misinformation and misconceptions are abounding, but what is true and what’s not?

Approximately 100 million Americans are missing at least one tooth or more. About 69% of people have between ages 35-44 have at least one tooth in their mouths lost to permanent decay or a failed root canal or even gum diseases or accidents. 1/3 of all people 65 or older have no original teeth at all.

Many people who lose teeth prematurely have poor nutritional habits and are not getting the nourishment they need to be healthy as they could be. Others cannot smile comfortably and be OK with who they are. Modern-day dentistry offers implants and dentures and many ways to fix one’s teeth, but many people are all confused about what to do and what works or doesn’t work for them therefore they don’t go see a dentist or do anything to fix the problems at all. They just don’t bother.

Dental implants are growing popularity as about 5.5 million were inserted for people in the US alone in 2006, and that number is set to increase exponentially in the future as popularity continues to grow. However, many Americans refuse to consider these implants as they don’t even know what they are getting into, or are afraid of what may go wrong.Here are 5 things you need to know about implants and their conspiracies that are FALSE also known as myths before making your decision as to what works best for you:

1) Implants Are Too Invasive & Painful: Dental implants can be put in by a surgeon in little as 10-15 minutes, and patients often report less discomfort having the implant put in than having the previous tooth extracted. They are not nearly painful as people make them out to be. However, some people will recover faster than others depending on how they are at bouncing back from a procedure.

2) Implants Are Expensive: Procedures do cost money, yes, but an implant is often partially covered by your insurance, and moreover an implant should last a lifetime. Keeping the surrounding teeth healthy and the mouth full of teeth can save you a lot of money you otherwise may spend in the future! Most implants also likely do not need more care than just general dental upkeep for the rest of their lives unless they chip or crack.

3) Implants Are Frequently Rejected by the Patient’s Body: Overall the success rate of an implant is about 96% over the past 50 years as experience and research have gone into making the implants a very healthy option. The implants are also made of materials like titanium that fuse well with the bone structure of the mouth so the chances of infection are minimal.

4) I Don’t Have Enough Bone Mass or I Am Too Old for Implants: Jawbones may become thinner with age, but grafting techniques that are available for oral surgeons allow them to easily make it so that the implants have adequate structure around the tooth to hold it in place. Grafting procedures are available for almost everyone including the elderly. As a result, these implants can improve eating patterns and confidence in social settings to provide older people with a fuller life all around.

5) Any Dentist Can Perform Dental Surgeries: That’s false as very few dentists are certified oral surgeons. Oral surgery is a totally different job, and it requires at least 8 years of school and 10,000 hours of experience and practice to ensure the dentist is adequately equipped to do this procedure. Very few people who try get the whole way to being an oral surgeon. You are in good hands!

Dental implants are really one of the most ideal ways to replace lost teeth as they are fixed in and permanent. They are able to provide longer-term fixes that don’t need as much maintenance as other forms of fixing teeth!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about us visit us here or call us 909-465-1016. The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”

ClearCorrect is a tooth alignment system that is an alternative to getting traditional braces. This is similar to other designs like Invisalign available through a dentist or orthodontist to help provide alternative treatment to their patients. ClearCorrect offers custom-made removable aligners that gradually move the teeth back into line without having to wear braces to do it.

Different things from your medical history will help build these personalized, custom trays including x-rays and scans of your mouth as they are used to create an exact 3D-model of what your mouth looks like. Your treatment is then mapped out by using a gradual realignment system to help get your teeth to be straightened to the point where your dentist wants them to be.

Treatment is set up through a computerized model of your mouth for you to use on the internet while you are wearing the ClearCorrect trays throughout your treatment time. The program allows you to email your dentist with questions, comments, or concerns throughout your experience and to get advice on how to make the system work best for you.

You wear these trays for a three-week period of time before the alignment changes enough that you get a new customizable set of trays. Each phase allows for you to control and be flexible with where your teeth go and what you do with the next phase of the treatment. You should wear the trays at all times except when eating and drinking, and they are barely noticeable while they are in your mouth unlike braces.

After each set is worn for the 3-week period you will notice the gradual alignment of the teeth and the entire treatment takes from 1 to 2 years. There are 3 sets of options available for treatment. One plan provides unlimited tray changes till your teeth are where they need to be and the other plans offer 12 or 6 sets of trays respectively and are priced accordingly. Treatment costs vary depending on the plan you choose to best suit your needs.

ClearCorrect is currently available for teens and adults. ClearCorrect is similar to comparable with InvisalignTeen. Children who might now have all their molars or senior citizens who are missing some teeth or have complicated dental needs may be able to use ClearCorrect if the dentist determines that this treatment can meet their specific needs.

ClearCorrect can also help correct various problems that you are having including some conditions like crowded teeth, extra space between teeth, overbites/underbites, or crooked/rotated teeth that need to be moved to be facing forward again.

In cases where ClearCorrect is not a good solution to one’s problems such as where there are complex problems are treated by more traditional orthodontics such as braces. Traditional metal braces, however, can oftentimes stop one from cleaning and keeping good oral hygiene up as well as they can with trays you remove to brush your teeth and floss. ClearCorrect requires a lot less intervention from dentists and is pain-and-hassle free compared to metal braces that can cause poor oral health or gum and lip irritation from constant rubbing.

Both ClearCorrect and Invisalign are removable trays that slowly realign teeth into their natural position, while changing trays continues to help the teeth move when the previous set no longer fits anymore. Expect to pay between about $2,500 and $3,500 for a full treatment depending on your needs and length of the treatment involved. It’s up to individual insurance plans if they will cover the cost of this treatment or not.

Your dentist can determine if something like ClearCorrect is right for you if you want to improve your smile and use this technology ask them today!

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about us visit us here or call us 909-465-1016. The Ramona Dentistry Team “Where Family Comes First”