Monthly Archives: February 2016

Tips for a whiter smile

Your teeth can make or break your overall appearance. A beautiful smile can make you attractive. It radiates self-confidence and poise. While a smile can make you appear inviting, a great smile conveys an engaging and warm personality, which excites every person you meet. Here are eight simple tips to restore the beauty and maintain the pearly white texture of your teeth.

  1. Create an illusion of your lipstick’s color.

Sorry, guys. This first tip is for the ladies. The hue of your lipstick can give off an optical illusion. If you use a light red or medium coral color, it will make your teeth glow in pallor. Lighter shades of red are likely to bring out a yellowish hue in your teeth.

  1. Brush your teeth first thing in the morning and before you hit the sack at night.

Ideally, you need to brush your teeth after every meal. However, like most people who lead very hectic schedules, that thing may seem difficult to comply. Understandably so. Thus, experts advise that you should brush your teeth twice a day, at these two crucial times: right after you get out of bed in the morning and before you get into bed at night.

Saliva dries up at night. Without saliva, there’s nothing to fend off the cavity-causing bacteria and plaque. By brushing before going to bed, you will be cleaning these undesirable elements off your teeth and gums. Bacteria and plaque will build up as you sleep; thus, it’s equally important to brush your teeth in the morning.

  1. Learn to floss without using a mirror.

Practice flossing even with your eyes closed. It’s important that you learn to floss without using a mirror as a visual guide so you can quickly adapt to whatever environment you’re in. With practice, you’ll be able to floss while in your car during a traffic stop or while sitting at your desk in your free time.

  1. Don’t forget to gargle mouthwash.

Stay fresh and keep your breath minty with mouthwash. Pick one that’s alcohol-free. Alcohol tends to dry out your mouth, making it prone to bacterial incursion and plaque buildup.

  1. Experiment with baking soda.

Did you know you can use baking soda to remove the stains on your teeth? For just once a week, you can use this as an alternative to regular toothpaste. Using baking soda every day might cause your gums and other sensitive tissues in your mouth to feel raw.

  1. Apple cider vinegar has incredible whitening effects on your teeth.

You can do this during morning right before you brush your teeth. The vinegar as a stain-removing effect as well as bacteria-killing properties.

  1. Don’t forget to brush your tongue too.

Get a tongue scraper to remove the bacteria and plaque on your tongue. If that’s not available, you can still use your toothbrush to banish the undesirable elements.

  1. Change your toothbrush every 2 or 3 months.

Make sure you get a new one every 2 or 3 months. If you’re regularly using your toothbrush, it will become less efficient at removing the plaque and bacteria beyond 2 or 3 months.

These tips for a whiter smile will only go so far. If they’re not enough, and you still want whiter, more beautiful teeth, get in touch with Alpenglow Dental Office. Contact us at (801) 878-1700 to schedule an appointment.

 

Affordable Dental Care in SLC

Do you know what a dental abscess is? It’s an infection usually occurring in the mouth, jaw, throat or face. It starts out as a tooth cavity, arising from poor oral health, which, in turn, results from failure to observe proper dental hygiene and timely oral care. A dental abscess can be very painful as the tissues become inflamed due to the spread of bacteria into the gums, throat, tongue, and jaw.

Signs of tissue inflammation may include an accumulation of pus at the infection site. As more discharge is collected, it will become increasingly painful. To relieve the pain, the affected tissue has to be drained of the pus.

This oral infection may become life-threatening if the tissue is swelling looks to block the airways and cause difficulty in breathing. A dental abscess can also cause nausea, fever, vomiting, and excessive sweating. If you’re experiencing this oral problem, seek help immediately. For affordable dental care in SLC (Salt Lake City), come to Alpenglow Dental Office. We’re here to help you.

What are the Causes of Dental Abscess?

dental abscess photo

Dental Abscess Photo by Spider.Dog

Like many causes of dental problems, a dental abscess results from bacterial infection. The growth of bacteria from a cavity or tooth decay triggers infection of the sensitive tissues and delicate bones in the neck, jaw, or face. Immediate, appropriate dental treatment will suppress further bacteria growth, which contributes to the development of a dental abscess.

One of the leading causes of bacterial buildup is poor dental hygiene. If you want to avoid this oral condition, you need to brush and floss often. Don’t forget to see your dentist regularly too; at least, once in every six months. Smoking and alcohol consumption also contributes to the formation of plaque on teeth that leads to a dental abscess. Your diet and medication, if you’re taking any, can also play a role in causing the infection. As the bacterial infestation on your teeth increases, it may spread to the gums and delicate tissues in the mouth.

Signs of Dental Abscess

A dental abscess is painful. It involves some swelling and appears red in color on the face and mouth. In its advanced forms, symptoms may include vomiting, fever, chills, and nausea. It is reported that some patients experience diarrhea too.

Other common symptoms of a dental abscess include dental cavities and gum inflammation. The affected areas may feel tender to the touch. There may be likely pus present in the infected portions. Some patients also suffer from difficulty in opening their mouths; difficulty in swallowing and, in worse cases, problems in breathing has also been reported.

Seek Dental Care

If you believe you have a dental abscess, reach out to a dentist as soon as possible. You need to have it evaluated and treated before it gets worst. Don’t wait for the infection to worsen and cause intense, unmanageable pain Why wait for nausea, chills, and fever to set in? Seek immediate care before the intolerable pain and other symptoms come.

When you need affordable dental care in SLC, come to Alpenglow Dental Office. We treat a broad range of dental problems using state-of-the-art technology and comprehensive treatments to ensure your optimal oral health.

To schedule an appointment, please give us a call at (801) 878-1700.