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Archives for June 2014

Does drinking coffee stain Invisalign?

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I am really interested in Invisalign. It seems to have a lot of benefits over ugly metal braces. But I am addicted to coffee. Will this stain my aligners? If they turn yellow or brown that defeats the whole concept of invisible braces.

– Heather in Texas

Heather,

We all know how important that morning cuppa Joe is and so if stopping isn’t an option during your Invisalign treatment, it is understandable that you are concerned about them discoloring.

The good news is that the Invisalign aligners are completely removable and really shouldn’t be worn when eating or drinking. So be sure to take them out, especially because the hot temperature could distort the aligners. Another risk of drinking with them in is that the coffee could get between the aligner and your teeth and cause staining or increased decay. So take them out, enjoy your fix, clean your teeth, then re-insert them. The answer is, yes, coffee will stain them if you drink it while wearing them.

If you accidentally forget, just remove them as soon as your remember, clean your teeth and the aligners. This will ensure your teeth and aligners remain unstained. Best of luck on your way to a beautiful straight smile. The Invisalign invisible braces boast one of the highest patient satisfaction ratings of any dental procedure.

Enjoy the straight teeth and enjoy your coffee!

This post is sponsored by York PA dentist Donald H. Currie, DMD General & Cosmetic Dentistry.

 

Will a Holistic Cosmetic Dentist Provide Safer Tooth-Whitening Options?

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I’d like to ask a cosmetic dentist about teeth whitening because I love to whiten my teeth, but I’m not keen on all the chemicals used today- I read some of them can even cause cancer.  I’ve always wanted to see a natural or holistic cosmetic dentist, but I love my current dentist, even though he leans mostly towards modern practices. I mentioned the whitening to my current doctor and, of course, he wants me to do the in-office treatment with all the garbage in it.  Will I have better luck if I switch to a holistic dentist or are there only whiteners made with harsh chemicals on the market right now?

Thanks,

Emily in Georgia

Dear Emily,

Your concern is understandable, is becoming more common and it drives a lot of people to seek out natural and holistic dentists or cosmetic dentists with a natural approach. Many products commonly used by the public are dangerous, yet still, a lot of practitioners hold fast to what they learned early on in their training, so they don’t always seek out the latest information on products and procedures.

Most tooth whitening products contain either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is stronger and tends to be the active ingredient with in-office whitening procedures and it’s also the one most often linked with cancer. However, there’s still no concrete proof that it will cause any harm and it also requires contact with soft-tissue to be absorbed. When you whiten, trays are custom-made to fit only on your teeth and not the tissue . Moreover, even the in-office systems block out your gums so it’s unlikely you’ll have much, if any, tissue contact with the whitening agent. If, by chance you did, you would feel it burning or tingling and remove it.

Take-home systems are generally made with carbamide peroxide, which is of lower-strength, but is also safer. You’ll find many natural and holistic cosmetic dentists prefer the take-home method for this reason.  If you’re not ready to switch dentists, check with your current one and see if he offers the take-home variety and verify which type of peroxide it utilizes. You can also try brushing  a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice on your teeth and allowing it to stay on for a few minutes at a time 1-2 times per week. You’ll need to rinse it off right away so the acidity of the lemon juice doesn’t damage your enamel, but most people get results over time with this method too.

This post is sponsored by York PA dentist Donald H. Currie, DMD General & Cosmetic Dentistry.