All Cosmetic Dental

Dental Health: a priority for baby boomers to Healthy Aging Month, says veteran San Antonio Cosmetic Dentist

Baby boomers are increasingly faced with problems unique dental aging and should be a priority for treatment that will improve the quality of life for their remaining years, instead of just patchwork fixes, says veteran cosmetic dentist San Antonio Camacho Edward, in recognition of September is Healthy Aging Month.

The leading edge of the baby boomers – who said "do not trust anyone over 30" in the 1960s – has moved past its 66th birthday, and almost all older than 50 years. Healthy Aging Month was created more than 15 years as the first baby boomers reached 50, to help them meet the challenges of aging.

By this time of life, Camacho said, many adults have spent decades of care for dental care of everyone but themselves to pay for braces for children and other procedures, and often neglect their own teeth. And it's not an uncommon sentiment among seniors that it is useless to get cosmetic surgery, for example, because they did not have much time to live anyway, he said.

Aging leads to serious dental problems, including:

        Tooth loss – up to 25 percent of people 60 and older are missing all their teeth, while several others are missing at least a few teeth. The combined years of stress and wear and tear begins to reach a critical point. For cost reasons, many say the dentist to just pull the teeth, instead of choosing the root canals, crowns, bridges or other measures. Unfortunately, this is a false economy, a missing tooth means more stress and lack of support for the other teeth and can cause a "domino effect" of tooth loss later, alignment and gum disease.

        Gum disease – A number of risk factors stimulating the elderly of gum disease – including an increased vulnerability to disease in general, the effects of diabetes, gums shrink, dry mouth and other . Gum disease affects not only the teeth but may have a deadly effect on overall health.

         Wear – Aging teeth may have serious problems with wear, as the surfaces of teeth become pitted. These pits can trap food particles and bacteria and are more difficult to keep clean. It also weakens the tooth, creating a breach that can lead to rupture. Changes in the enamel and the pulp of teeth aging also means they are more fragile and break easily. And a lower sensitivity in the nerves means that seniors can not fine chipping or breaking.

        Denture problems – apart from their shortcomings in relation to natural teeth, dentures are also subject to the conditions of aging. As time passes, the bone structure under the gums shrink, causing ill-fitting dentures that lead to pain and wound chewing, leading to poor nutrition.

        Dry mouth – Seniors may experience dry mouth, salivary glands, because of both aging and a variety of medications – antidepressants to heart and drugs against hypertension and others. Saliva is crucial for dental health because of its importance in the washing of bacteria that can cause tooth decay and gum disease.

Experts in aging encourage seniors to be active in the areas of their lives that will keep them in a young and healthy of mind, thanks to good nutrition, exercise and social activities and adequate health care. This perspective not only contributes to the quality of life – but can actually prolong life. Dr. Camacho said it is important to realize that vision of dental health. And he disagrees with the idea of ​​simply "patchwork" dentistry on the elderly.

"We often hear older patients who simply want" things patched up 'as opposed to something aesthetic, "said Camacho." They may have the idea that they are not worth it, or their families the idea that they are too old for cosmetic dentistry. This can lead to an attitude that things end. "

But cosmetic dentistry may be essential to the health of a person dying, he said:
"Improving a person's smile can bring more happiness and joy, not only by improving the efficiency chewing, but also bring joy back. They will want to smile more. "

 

To do whitening solutions that will cause your teeth temporarily sensitive. To permanently bleach the teeth, the solution must penetrate through the enamel to reach the underlying dentin. (Click here to view a schematic representation of the anatomy of a tooth.) The dentin contains microscopic tubules that allow the flow of the cell fluid between the living nerve in the middle of the tooth and the outer layer of enamel. This is the reason that the teeth are sensitive. It would be logical to assume that this process can not be good for the health of nerves, but over the years that these bleaching agents were used, no negative effects have been reported. The sensitivity is within a few days of the completion of whitening treatments, and the nerves in the teeth suffer no permanent damage. The sensitivity, while temporary, in rare cases be fatal and has been known that some patients to stop power to the bleaching treatment prematurely. 

 

What not to do bleaching 

 

Bleaching will not bleach out conveys the black, brown or white color to the teeth by caries. The teeth should be repaired before bleaching is carried out. 

 

Bleaching will not bleach out darkness conveys to the teeth by old amalgam fillings. Removing the old metal filling and replacing it with a new composite material is usually reached in this, but if the tarnish has penetrated deeply into the tooth substance, the tooth may remain permanently discolored. 

 

Bleaching is generally not to improve the appearance of fluorosis if the patient grew up in a part of the country (before the 1960s), which had a high concentration of fluoride in drinking water. This problem is even in patients who "ate" a lot of fluoride toothpaste when they were small children is widespread. 

 

Bleaching is ineffective in reducing the irregular gray horizontal lines seen in patients with tetracycline stain in their tooth structure. Tetracycline stains should be treated primarily in older patients who received tetracycline ear infections when they were infants and young children seen. Doctors these days do not know that this drug would be in the developing teeth of children causing this abnormality to be integrated. 

 

The various forms of dental bleaching 

 

Whitening toothpastes: These are over-the-counter preparations that have a low concentration of carbamide peroxide. These toothpastes will work to whiten your teeth if you are a very good brusher, brush several times a day and have a lot of patience. In the years since they have toothpaste on the market, I'm only one person, the real results with whitening toothpaste can be achieved only seen. They are very useful, but reaches for the preservation of the tooth whitening trays and strips. 

 

   

 

Bleach release disposable strips (Crest Whitestrips): These are strips of plastic, so they designed to hold the teeth. They are applied and for several hours, as described above, the subjects taken. The urea concentration in the home whitening strips is only 7% to 14% of them come during prescribed professional take-home bleaching agents in either 22% or 32%. So it takes much longer to achieve the same results with over the counter whitening strips prescribed it as a professional with bleach solutions to get into trays. The main advantages for the strips that make no impression to make trays is needed, and the stripes with no pressure on the teeth, which can increase the sensitivity of bleach. A number of my patients have tried it. Some have had good results. The main problems I have heard about the strip, that is they do not adhere very well to the lower teeth, and they are too short to bleach all the upper teeth when the patient smiles show. 

 

   

 

Professionally supervised take-home bleaching with custom trays: This type of system is only available through your dentist. The bleaching material can be purchased only on medical prescription and should be administered using the custom trays that the dentist or dental hygienist makes its for you. The agent is carbamide peroxide, and it comes in concentrations ranging from 10% to 35% with 15% for the most popular professional take-home bleaching. Thanks to the high concentration of the drug and the rapprochement with the teeth of the subjects, this system produces very good results in anywhere from several hours to several weeks of regular use. Agent is a drop in each tooth mounted dash and the shells are placed in the mouth for more than 30 minutes to an hour. The carbamide peroxide penetrates the enamel and the dentin effectively whitens teeth. 

 

Post-bleaching tooth sensitivity is a common complaint, but it is temporary and usually lasts no longer than 24 hours. The use of high concentration fluoride toothpaste (5000 ppm), as found in reduced use of prescription toothpaste Previdente effectively before and during the bleaching sensitivity. Alternatively, reducing the use of a 5000 ppm fluoride gel for 5 minutes in the rack after each bleaching session, the sensitivity. The patient may also amorphous calcium phosphate products (by GC America MI Paste) either in the trays for 3 minutes, or as a toothpaste twice daily. 

 

Professionally supervised at-home treatment has the highest satisfaction of all dental bleaching procedure with 94% who offered either very satisfied or satisfied with the results. 

 

   

 

In-office whitening (Power Bleaching): Some agencies offer a quick start bleaching process in which set a concentrated hydrogen peroxide gel to the teeth and may remain in force, while "activated" with a source of light. Treatments such as these tend to be faster, but they require a lot of time, the chairman, that means they are probably more expensive. Before the introduction of at-home tray whitening techniques, this was the only form of whitening available to the public. The tray method, the same or better results (albeit over a greater length of time) with the added benefit of the entire patient control over the degree of bleaching desired effect. You can use the shells as long as they want, and keep it around for touch ups later. 

 

   

 

A note on light or laser bleaching: in-office whitening systems use a gel with a 35% solution of hydrogen peroxide instead of carbamide peroxide with trays or strips in the take-home systems will be used. The hydrogen peroxide gel is be much stronger than the carbamide peroxide solutions in take-home systems used, and it might be of dental staff because of the potentially do damage to other oral tissues around the teeth can be applied. These strong hydrogen peroxide solutions provide a very effective tooth whitening in about two hours on your own, but to accelerate the most dentists the process by a heat or light source, by more oxygen from the gel faster than without light or heat source to pass . free The manufacturers of these solutions has succeeded in reducing the time by about an hour, or in some cases even to half an hour when the light or heat source is used to accelerate the process. On the other hand, bleaching retail lighting kits, a flashlight-like device that the tray (sold on TV, and in recent big-box stores goods) are not illuminated more effective in whitening the teeth than with the low concentration of bleach that is sold to them without the light. They are just gimmicks. Stick with the Crest White Strips or go to a dentist for the real thing. 

 

How do we do in the office bleaching trays 

 

The first step in the bleaching process includes a thorough examination, X-rays and cleaning. Diseased teeth whitening is like painting a rusty old car. The owner walks away thinking he has a new car, but soon finds out that he is not better off than before. It is not for a dentist to an aesthetic procedures, such as bleaching out in the presence of curable disease ethical! 

 

It is important to know that fillings do not bleach, including white fillings in front teeth with bleach. Therefore, if you are composite fillings in your front teeth, she was elected to after bleaching in the shadow of these panels that fit around the teeth, as they were to be replaced prior to bleaching. In practice, this is not always necessary. 

 

The second step is the molding of the upper and lower teeth so models can be fabricate from the bleaching trays. The main problem with impressions, is that people who may have a difficult time gag. The key is to put marks to ensure only breathe through the nose. When you breath through your mouth during this procedure, you have choking problems. I recommend that my patients are usually wide open by her mouth and humming will ensure that all the noise coming from the nose practice. When performing this feat, the back of the tongue blocking the throat, and because of the impression material may not continue at the neck than that of the gag reflex is suppressed. (This is really the same thing if you chewing food, why gaggers usually have no problems, is to eat are happening. You will find that chewing the food, you can hum at the same time.) 

 

Finally, you get your shells and bleaching kit, and go home and the process. The instructions vary slightly depending on the type and manufacturer of bleaching kit, but you usually wear the trays anywhere from several hours several times a day and over night as long as you want the process to keep pace.