Why Are My Teeth Stained?

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Are your teeth stained? That’s pretty common. Knowing what causes your teeth to become stained and what you can do to make your teeth whiter can help you keep your smile beautiful! As your dentist in San Antonio TX, the professionals at Tran Dental can help. Here’s what you need to know.

What Causes Teeth to Stain?

There are several things that can cause your teeth to become stained.

Foods and Drinks

Teeth generally get stained when they’re exposed to certain drinks or foods that are dark-colored, are acidic, or contain tannins. Some of the most common foods and drinks that can cause your teeth to become stained include:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Red wine
  • Berries
  • White wine
  • Tomato sauce
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Beets
  • Soda
  • Soy sauce
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Fruit juice

Really, food or drinks that are dark in color, or any sauce that is a dark color could cause your teeth to turn yellow-brown.

Smoking

Nicotine can stain your teeth. The longer you smoke, the worse your teeth may become.

What Can You Do to Eliminate Stains?

Although it’s not hard to stain your teeth, there are many things you can do to improve the appearance of your teeth. Below are some things you can do to eliminate stains.

  • Use whitening toothpaste. Whitening toothpaste is available at pharmacies and grocery stores and can whiten your teeth a bit, although professional whitening is much more effective.
  • Get your teeth professionally whitened. Your dentist can whiten your teeth at the dentist office. Professional tooth whitening services are one of the most effective and long-lasting tooth whitening services available.
  • See your dentist regularly. Have your teeth cleaned by the dentist on a regular basis to remove small stains?
  • Swish with water after eating staining foods. If you eat a meal with staining foods, swish with water during your meal and after to wash the inside of your mouth on the spot.
  • Stop smoking. Smoking is bad for your teeth and gums. Stop smoking today to protect your teeth.
  • Get veneers. If your teeth are very badly stained, your dentist may recommend dental veneers.

Contact Your Dentist in San Antonio

Are your teeth stained? Contact Tran Dental to make an appointment for teeth whitening.

Decisions, Decisions: 4 Tips for Picking the Right Toothbrush

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Choosing the right toothbrush can be a challenge! You’ll find there are many different types of toothbrushes on the market, and many of them have unique advantages. If you’re not sure what type of toothbrush is right for you, speak with your dentist in San Antonio, TX – or read our article for some guidance.

1. Look for Soft Bristles Only

Toothbrushes can come with soft bristles, medium, or hard bristles. Hard and even medium bristles can do damage to your gums. Soft bristles are almost universally recommended for standard toothbrushing efforts.

When shopping for toothbrushes, look for the spot on the label that states “soft bristles.” When your toothbrush gets older, you may notice the bristles becoming hard and curved. This is when it’s time to replace your toothbrush!

2. Choose the Right Size

Select a toothbrush that fits easily in your mouth. Your toothbrush should brush at least 1-2 teeth at a time. For a standard adult, a toothbrush that is one inch long and a half-inch wide is adequate.

3. Angled Arms Make Reaching Easier

Some toothbrushes are straight across, while others have an angled arm for easy reaching. If you have a hard time reaching teeth in the back of your mouth, look for a toothbrush with an angled arm. Angled arms can simplify the toothbrushing process.

4. When to Get a Specialty Toothbrush

Some people need a special toothbrush because of their circumstances. For example, children have extra small mouths and thus need a toothbrush that will fit their body type. Child-sized toothbrushes have small heads and thick handles, so the user can grip their toothbrush easily.

Some people require an extra small toothbrush for cleaning hard-to-reach wisdom teeth or back molars, where their normal toothbrush won’t reach.

Older individuals with limited mobility or arthritis sometimes benefit from an electric toothbrush to make tooth brushing easier and more effective. If you need a special toothbrush, your dentist should tell you when you come in for your normally scheduled cleaning.

Need Advice? Call Today

If you’re not sure which type of toothbrush is best for you, your dentist can help! Call today to make an appointment or to reach your dentist over the phone.

5 Things You’re Missing in Oral Hygiene

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Good oral hygiene has a lot of components beyond just brushing your teeth after meals and snacks. Here are some parts you may have overlooked.

1. Tongue Brushing

You hear a lot about brushing and flossing, but did you know that it’s important to brush your tongue, too? Many people overlook this important part of oral hygiene. Bacteria can grow on the surface of your tongue very easily. The surface of your tongue is not smooth; it contains many tiny nodules that are your taste buds. Bacteria can attach to those nodules and cause bad breath as well as a general harmful condition. After you brush and floss your teeth, take a moment to brush your tongue or use a tongue scraper, which you can buy in any drugstore.

2. Flossing

Flossing is the only way that you can clean between your teeth. Brushing just isn’t enough. That’s why, every time you visit your dentist in San Antonio, they ask if you’ve been flossing. They know that if you haven’t been flossing, there’s apt to be problems developing in between your teeth.

3. Rinsing

Rinsing is an important part of oral hygiene that many people overlook. What you rinse with isn’t as important as the fact that you rinse. You can rinse with a commercial mouthwash, a homemade rinse, or even just tap water. But it’s critical that you rinse after brushing and flossing so that any loose bits of food can get rinsed away.

4. Hand Washing

You wouldn’t ordinarily think that hand washing has anything to do with oral hygiene, but it does. Think about how you handle your floss. You should be careful washing your hands before you floss because your hands are going to be all over that string that you’re putting in between your teeth.

5. Replacing Your Toothbrush

It’s surprising how long people will hold on to their same toothbrush. Typically, people don’t think to replace their toothbrush until bristles are flattened or falling out. But dentists recommend that you replace your toothbrush at least once a month. Buy several at a time so you can quickly replace them as needed. If you don’t like the idea of discarding what looks like a perfectly good toothbrush, reuse it as a cleaning tool for your household needs.

Home dental care is just as important as the care you receive at your dentist’s office in San Antonio. To book your next dentist appointment, please contact us today.

Scaling and Root Planing: What is it?

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Whereas a regular dental cleaning is used to clean the visible portion of the teeth and gums, scaling and root planing (SRP) is a procedure designed to clean the tartar and plaque that has built up beneath the gumline. Our San Antonio Dentist explains more below.

What is Scaling and Root Planing?

Scaling and root planing involves the removal of the tartar and plaque that has accumulated beneath the gingival tissue (aka gums). During this procedure, the bacteria-filled plaque and tartar beneath the gingival tissue and on the root is removed and the pockets along the gumline are reduced the gingival tissue can reattach to the teeth.

Follow a Daily Dental Hygiene Routine

Gum disease can be serious, which is why following a daily dental hygiene routine is crucial. Your routine should include a two-minute brushing session twice a day. Your toothbrush should be soft-bristled and use a toothpaste that contains fluoride. In addition, flossing and using an antibacterial mouthwash should be performed at least once a day. Be sure to avoid tartar buildup by scheduling your biannual cleanings and exams.

The Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease

Recognizing and then treating gum disease as soon as possible will reduce the damage to the teeth, gum, and jawbone.

Recognizing gum disease:

  • The gums bleed while brushing and flossing.
  • The gums are inflamed.
  • Halitosis (chronic bad breath) develops.
  • The gums appear darker, more red.

During the first stage of gum disease, regular dental cleaning is usually prescribed. This dental cleaning addresses the visible portion of the teeth and gum. However, if the gum disease has progressed past the first stage, to clean the teeth sufficiently, a scaling and root planing procedure is required.

Since a scaling and root planing procedure takes longer than a regular dental cleaning, this procedure may require more than one visit.

Who Needs Scaling and Root Planing?

When a patient has a pocket depth that is more than 3 millimeters, scaling and root planing will be prescribed. The pus-filled pockets that have developed along the gumline are full of bacteria.

Unless dental care is sought, these pockets deepen and the bacteria begin attacking the jawbone, which causes it to start deteriorating.

If you are in the San Antonio, Texas, area and you are experiencing the symptoms of gum disease or you a dental cleaning, contact Tran Dental PC to schedule an appointment.

You can request an appointment using our online request form or by calling 210-674-3700. At Tran Dental PC, in San Antonio, Texas, we are dedicated to providing high-quality, custom-tailored, compassionate care. Tran Dental PC’s address is 6918 West Military Drive.

Frequent Brushing Reduces the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

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Atrial fibrillation, which is also referred to as AF or AFib, is a condition that causes arrhythmias. Arrhythmia is the term used for an irregular or quivering heartbeat. AFib can lead to blood clot formation. These blood clots can cause an individual to suffer a stroke, heart failure or some other heart-related complication. However, the good news is that studies indicate brushing your teeth three times a day makes it less likely that you will develop atrial fibrillation and blood clots, thus, reducing the risk of heart-related complications.

Studies Show the Importance of Frequent Brushing

The results of a Korean study were published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). During this study, researchers looked at data gathered from more than 160,000 people, whose ages ranged from 40 to 79. These individuals had national health coverage and had never experienced cardiovascular problems. After 10.5 years, the researchers conducted a follow-up and found that nearly 5,000 (3%) of the people developed AF and almost 8,000 (4.9%) of the people included in this study developed heart failure. Participants who took the time to brush their teeth three times every day reduced their risk of developing AF by 10 percent and of experiencing heart failure by 12 percent.

The Benefits of Frequent Brushing and Professional Cleanings

Individuals who get professional dental cleanings every six months also experienced a 7 percent decrease in the likelihood that he or she would experience heart failure. In addition, frequent brushing helps you keep your natural teeth, which is important when you consider that individuals who are missing a substantial number of teeth (22 or more) have a 32 percent higher risk of experiencing heart failure. In order to keep your natural teeth as long as possible, it is essential that you have regular cleanings and practice good oral hygiene.

How Poor Dental Care Affects the Heart

Neglecting to care for your teeth as recommended can lead to the development of periodontal disease, which causes inflammation and gums that bleed easily. Researchers believe that when an individual neglects to care for his or her teeth properly, as more and more bacteria build up in the mouth, the risk of this bacteria entering the bloodstream through abrasion or an opening in the gingival tissue (gums) increases.

Frequent tooth brushing reduces the number of bacteria present below the gum line and helps to prevent the development of periodontal disease, thus, reducing the likelihood that bacteria will enter the bloodstream. If the bacteria do enter the bloodstream, once it reaches the heart, the bacteria adhere to the heart valves, activating platelets, which is what leads to the development of a clot.

If you need professional cleaning and/or an exam, contact Tran Dental, your San Antonio Dentist today at 210-674-3700 or by clicking here to fill out the online appointment request form.

Ways to Keep Your Gums Healthy

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Signs of gum disease include bleeding, tender, and sore gums, bad breath, loose teeth, and gum tissue that has become separated by teeth. Left untreated, gum disease can wreak significant havoc on your health. The good news, however, is that it can be easily treated when caught in the early stages, and in most cases, it’s reversible. Gum disease is also a highly preventable condition. Here’s how you can minimize your chances of getting it.

Brush and Floss Regularly

Gum disease occurs as the result of a buildup of plaque and bacteria at and under the gum line. Brushing after every meal and flossing at least once per day will help keep both teeth and gums healthy. Flossing removes food particles from between the teeth that toothbrushes can’t access. It also helps to swish mouthwash or even just water around in your mouth.

Use a Toothpaste With Fluoride

Make sure the toothpaste you’re using contains fluoride as well as carries the seal of acceptance from the American Dental Association. It’s important to brush your teeth for at least two minutes twice per day — most people don’t brush nearly long enough.

toothbrush, floss etc.

toothbrushes, floss and more

Use an Antibacterial Mouthwash

If you’re already experiencing sore gums or other signs that you may be developing gum disease, talk with your dentist about using an antibacterial mouthwash.

Limit Sugary Snacks and Beverages

Sugary foods and beverages increase plaque on the teeth and gum line, so avoid them as much as possible. Soda, hard candy, and sweetened coffee drinks are particularly harmful to the teeth and gums if consumed on a regular basis. However, you can minimize the damage sugary beverages do by drinking them through a straw.

Avoid Using Tobacco Products

Cigarettes and chewing tobacco both contribute to gum disease as well as play a substantial role in the development of cancer cells.

Schedule Regular Cleanings

Having your teeth cleaned on a regular basis helps ensure that your teeth are as free from plaque and bacteria buildup as possible. Your dentist will also perform a thorough examination at this time and advise a course of treatment if any signs of gum disease are detected.

Please feel free to reach out to us for more information on maintaining good oral health or schedule an appointment with our San Antonio Dentist.

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