Are whitening mouthwashes for real?

Over the counter whitening products are a multimillion dollar business, so it makes sense that major players like Listerine and Crest have formulated their hydrogen peroxide containing mouth rinses that claim to whiten teeth. If you can claim something that you put into a mouth can whiten the teeth, then you are going to sell product to our whitening crazed culture.

However, there are two important factors that go into determining if a product will whiten your teeth; Strength of the hydrogen peroxide and the contact time of the hydrogen peroxide on the teeth. Mouth rinses fail on fulfilling both of these criteria. The concentration of hydrogen peroxide is very low, it needs to be low, because if you swoosh and spit with a concentration strong enough to whiten your teeth in 30-60 seconds, you would burn a hole in your cheek. I am betting that the majority of people even have a difficult time with swooshing for the recommended minute.

I did have a patient tell me one time that he kept the stuff in his mouth for 15 minutes! There are easier ways to whiten you teeth :)

On the other hand, I am a fan of using hydrogen peroxide containing mouth rinses before I floss. I like the way the H2O2 bubbles around the gingival margin of the teeth capturing the plaque that is trapped between the teeth and under the gums as you floss. I also like to rinse with H2O2 containing mouthwashes before I use a tongue scraper, because as it bubbles it brings the bacteria up from the papilla of the tongue ready to be removed by the scraper.

Check out Discus Breath RX tongue scraper sold at drugstore.com and Listerine Whitening MouthWash pre-brush rinse sold pretty much everywhere.

TIger Woods Apology - Ponte Vedra, FL

Smile Stylist reports from the Marriott Sawgrass at Tiger Wood's Public Apology press conference.
See video below.



See our Tiger Woods Apology video on Youtube as well.

Bigger smile on a smaller budget

I was discussing smiles with a patient today who exclaimed that "Everyone wants a wider smile!" It is true that the world is crazy over big grins like Julia Robert's smile. It seems like the more teeth you show in your smile, the better the smile looks. When considering getting a smile makeover with porcelain veneers it is wise to go beyond the six front teeth. When smiling, everyone shows more than six teeth, some people show clear back to the last molar. So, when getting a consult for porcelain veneers there is the additional expense of not just 6 teeth, but back teeth too.

Traditionally, the way to make the smile bigger is to veneer 10 or 12 teeth making the cost too high for some people to get a smile makeover. Recently we have been advocating more of our consults to get porcelain veneers on the 6 front teeth, then use a less costly alternative to build out the smile with the back teeth called bonding. We can shape bonding material in the office to look like a porcelain veneer at a fraction of the cost of its lab fabricated counterpart. You can smile bigger on a slightly smaller budget!

Jessica Simpson's Smile

Want a flirty and youthful looking smile? Jessica Simpson epitomizes the youthful, flirty look from head to toe, or tooth. If you are looking for examples of youthful smiles in hollywood, look no further than Jessica Simpson's smile. Jessica Simpson's white teeth and tooth shapes are a great example of beautiful hollywood smiles. Traditionally a youthful smile is represented by the two front teeth being disproportionately large compared to the hight and width proportions of a more classically beautiful smile. The two centrals are more dominant in the smile and the lateral incisors, next to the central incisors, are shorter than typically seen as classically beautiful in our society. Embracing the differences in peoples smiles is what makes designing smile makeovers for patients so amazing. If you are looking for a youthful, flirty looking smile, then just think of Jessica Simpson's smile.

How to cheat for your next dental check-up

If you start to get nervous before your dental check-ups, because you have been a bad patient and skipped out on flossing as part of your daily dental routine, try these six tips before your next trip to the dentist.

Tip one, start flossing twice a day at least 2 weeks before your check-up. Vigorously flossing a couple days before your appointment does not allow enough time for the inflammation of the gums to subside. Your teeth may look a little cleaner, but the gums will still be puffy and bleed easily.

If you start flossing twice a day for 2 weeks before your next cleaning appointment you can save yourself a lecture from the dentist and hygienist.

Tip two, brush your teeth before you go to your next cleaning. Removing the loose food particles and light plaque accumulation that occurs during the day will keep you out of trouble at your cleaning and might shorten the "How to brush" instructions you get at your visit.

Tip three, you probably think you are a good brusher, but you are most likely really terrible at it. No offense. The majority of patients get the most plaque and tarter build up behind the lower front teeth and on the outsides of the upper back teeth. This is due to the activity of the salivary glands in the mouth. To do a better job at home brushing your teeth, try to brush the worst spots first. The next runner up for worst spots in the mouth is the tongue side of the bottom back teeth. If you nail these spots first, you will be looking good for your next cleaning visit.

Tip four, quit smoking. Besides all of the other negative side effects of smoking, it amplifies problems in the mouth. When the potential for gum disease exists in the mouth, the difference between a deep cleaning and a routine cleaning may be the mouths reaction to that smoke your inhaling.

Tip five, brush with a sonic tooth brush. If you want your hygienist to smile when she sees you in her dental chair, switch to a Sonic tooth brush like Philips Sonicare to remove more plaque around the gum line than manual toothbrushing. Sonic tooth brushes do a better job of removing plaque from hard to reach places between the teeth. The first place the hygienist looks to see if you have been brushing and flossing like a good patient.

Tip six, try this to stop squirming in the chair. Start brushing with a sensitivity protection toothpaste, like Sensodyne, three weeks before your cleaning. A sensitivity protection toothpaste will make your teeth less sensitive to the air and water that dentists blast at the teeth. It can also reduce sensitivity from the dental instruments.

Good luck at your next cleaning!

Teeth whitening holiday tips

Dr. Jason was recently interviewed by fashion guru Joseph Shippee of Thirsty Threads. He had some great questions answered about how to get your teeth their whitest over the holidays. The interview includes what foods to avoid and what foods to eat, as well as how to freshen up your teeth on the go. Check out Thirsty Threads for more information about teeth whitening, porcelain veneers and teeth whitening tips for the holidays.