With summer right around the corner, here are some tips to help keep your teeth happy and healthy.

The swimming pool

It is important to brush your teeth after swimming in a chlorinated pool. Some swimming pools have extra high chlorine levels that can weaken your teeth.

Stay hydrated

We don’t think too much about saliva and that’s probably okay, but it’s an important defense against decay and bad breath. Staying hydrated helps to prevent teeth decay and protects your gums.

Guard your mouth

Summer is the time for outdoor sports and you can protect your teeth, cheeks, gums and lips with a low-cost mouth guard. It could save you from a knocked out or chipped tooth, and it will prevent you from grinding your teeth during the big game.

Smile

There are lots of reasons to smile all summer long. Evidence suggests that smiling reduces stress and helps your heart. So show those teeth! Brush twice a day, floss daily and smile big. You’ll feel better when you do.

Pacific dental group wish everyone has a wonderful summer, don’t forgot to bring your smile all the time !

­Dairy products, like ice cream, can be a good source of calcium. Unfortunately, most ice creams are made with a lot of sugar, one of the leading causes of tooth decay.  When buying ice cream, we suggest buying sugar-free or low-sugar ice cream. However, if your child wants the ice cream full of sugar, there are a few ways to minimize the impact the sugar has on teeth.

1. Brush teeth after eating ice cream or rinse with water or mouth wash. This will help get some of the sticky sugars off the enamel.
2. Avoid ice creams with extras like caramel or syrup.
3. Eat ice cream at the end of a meal.

As weather starts to heat up, there are many ways to beat the heat: spending time by a pool, relaxing in your air-conditioned home or enjoying cold snacks. While cold snacks may be refreshing for the summer, Pacific dental group want its patients to know some summer snacks may not be the best for your oral health. Also, learn how you can help offset the damage.

Blazing heat, sweaty bodies and dehydration all indicate the arrival of summer. With the temperature rising every passing day, it is essential to pay heed to our health or else one can suffer serious consequences.

1. Mango

The king of fruits is an absolute delight during the summer and is available at almost every stall. It doesn’t just have a distinctive flavor and smell, but also contains a number of vitamins and Nutrient.

2. Papaya

This delectable tropical fruit can be used ripe, unripe or dried. Its various medical advantages have made it mainstream in all parts of the world.

3. Watermelon

Talk about summers and the first fruit to come to anyone’s mind is watermelon. They are the brand ambassadors of summer and are the most demanded fruits of the season.

4. Plums

These soft, round-shaped fruits are small but are a powerhouse of nutrients. They consist of dietary fibers, sorbitol, which are great relievers of constipation and digestive problems.

5. Litchi

The litchi is a glorious fruit and comes to us just in time for summer, together with the king of fruit – mango, which perhaps explains why it has to play second fiddle all the time.

Summer is here, Pacific dental group wish you can add these summer fruits in your regular diet and make the most of their essential nutrients.

Teeth whitening results are subjective, varying considerably from person to person. Many are immediately delighted with their outcome, while others may be disappointed. Before you embark on any whitening treatment, ask your dentist for a realistic idea of the results you are likely to achieve and how long it should take to achieve them.

Teeth whitening treatments are considered to be safe when procedures are followed as directed. However, there are certain risks associated with bleaching that you should be aware of:

• Sensitivity:Bleaching can cause a temporary increase in sensitivity to temperature, pressure and touch. This is likeliest to occur during in-office whitening, where higher-concentration bleach is used. Some individuals experience spontaneous shooting pains (“zingers”) down the middle of their front teeth. Individuals at greatest risk for whitening sensitivity are those with gum recession, significant cracks in their teeth or leakage resulting from faulty restorations. It has also been reported that redheads, including those with no other risk factors, are at particular risk for tooth sensitivity and zingers. Whitening sensitivity lasts no longer than a day or two, but in some cases may persist up to a month. Some dentists recommend a toothpaste containing potassium nitrate for sensitive teeth.
• Gum irritation:Over half of those who use peroxide whiteners experience some degree of gum irritation resulting from the bleach concentration or from contact with the trays. Such irritation typically lasts up to several days, dissipating after bleaching has stopped or the peroxide concentration lowered.
• Technicolor teeth:Restorations such as bonding, dental, crowns or veneers are not affected by bleach and therefore maintain their default color while the surrounding teeth are whitened. This results in what is frequently called “technicolor teeth.”

Find your professional dental office to help whitening your teeth. Pacific dental group always care and provide professional dental services to every customers. Keep in mind that whitening results are not permanent, meaning that if you want to maintain your whitened smile, you will need to continue getting treatments as the effects wane.

Source from consumer guide to dentistry

According to the FDA, the term “bleaching” is permitted to be used only when the teeth can be whitened beyond their natural color. This applies strictly to products that contain bleach — typically hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.

The term “whitening” on the other hand, refers to restoring a tooth’s surface color by removing dirt and debris. So technically speaking, any product that is used to clean the teeth (like a toothpaste) is considered a whitener. Of course, the term whitening sounds better than bleaching, so it is more frequently used — even when describing products that contain bleach.

The bleach preference for in-office whitening, where time is limited, is powerful and fast-acting hydrogen peroxide. When used in bleaching teeth, hydrogen peroxide concentrations range from approximately nine percent to 40 percent.

By contrast, the bleach of preference for at-home teeth whitening is slower acting carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. Carbamide peroxide has about a third of the strength of hydrogen peroxide. This means that a 15 percent solution of carbamide peroxide is the rough equivalent of a five percent solution of hydrogen peroxide.

Pacific dental group remind you that whitening toothpastes may remove minor stains. They do not actually change the overall color of your teeth. If your tooth has darkened after a root canal, bleaching the enamel won’t help. Your dentist can apply a bleaching material to the inside of the tooth, or you may consider a crown or veneer. However, bleaching will not lighten some stains, such as tetracycline stains. In this case, your dentist may recommend covering the discolored areas. This also may be useful when the tooth is chipped or badly damaged.

Source from Colgate.

Age: There is a direct correlation between tooth color and age. Over the years, teeth darken as a result of wear and tear and stain accumulation. Teenagers will likely experience immediate, dramatic results from whitening. In the twenties, as the teeth begin to show a yellow cast, whitening may require a little more effort. By the forties, the yellow gives way to brown and more maintenance may be called for. By the fifties, the teeth have absorbed a host of stubborn stains which can prove difficult (but not impossible) to remove.

Starting color: We are all equipped with an inborn tooth color that ranges from yellow-brownish to greenish-grey, and intensifies over time. Yellow-brown is generally more responsive to bleaching than green-grey.

Translucency and thinness: These are also genetic traits that become more pronounced with age. While all teeth show some translucency, those that are opaque and thick have an advantage: they appear lighter in color, show more sparkle and are responsive to bleaching. Teeth that are thinner and more transparent – most notably the front teeth – have less of the pigment that is necessary for bleaching. According to cosmetic dentists, transparency is the only condition that cannot be corrected by any form of teeth whitening.

Eating habits: The habitual consumption of red wine, coffee, tea, cola, carrots, oranges and other deeply-colored beverages and foods causes considerable staining over the years. In addition, acidic foods such as citrus fruits and vinegar contribute to enamel erosion. As a result, the surface becomes more transparent and more of the yellow-colored dentin shows through.

Smoking habits: Nicotine leaves brownish deposits which slowly soak into the tooth structure and cause intrinsic discoloration.

Drugs / chemicals: Tetracycline usage during tooth formation produces dark grey or brown ribbon stains which are very difficult to remove. Excessive consumption of fluoride causes fluorosis and associated areas of white mottling.

Grinding: Most frequently caused by stress, teeth grinding gnashing, bruxing, etc.) can add to micro-cracking in the teeth and can cause the biting edges to darken.

Trauma: Falls and other injuries can produce sizable cracks in the teeth, which collect large amounts of stains and debris.

Brushing your teeth after every meal will help to prevent some stains. Pacific dental group recommend that you rinse your mouth with water after having wine, coffee or other drinks or foods that can stain your teeth. Regular cleanings by a dental hygienist also will help to remove surface stains.

Health concerns about fat and cholesterol, among other reasons, have prompted many people to become vegetarians. While a vegetarian diet can have great overall health benefits, vegetarians need to be aware of how this lifestyle choice can affect their oral health. By eliminating certain food groups, vegetarians can risk missing out on some key nutrients that are essential for good oral health.

Should vegetarians be concerned about oral health?

Some adult vegetarians are knowledgeable about nutrition and maintain healthy diets by consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes to get the nutrients they need. But according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an adult eating a vegetarian diet for a prolonged period of time can be at increased risk for periodontal (gum) disease from a lack of vitamin D and calcium.

A lack of vitamin D and calcium can cause teeth to soften over time, which makes them more susceptible to tooth decay and periodontal disease. However, vitamin D is produced naturally in the body with sun exposure, so deficiencies are rare. Deficiencies in calcium are more common but can be easily remedied with the proper diet.

The potential for nutritional deficiencies is greatest among children and teenagers who decide to become vegetarians without knowing enough about their nutritional needs. Also, some vegetarians – especially vegans, who do not consume any food of animal origin – are at risk for nutritional deficiencies in vitamin B2 and vitamin B12 as well as calcium and vitamin D, according to the AGD.

Pacific dental group says that balcanced diet is the key for everyone. A healthy diet and good oral health care habits are the best defense against problems with gums and teeth. Eating a balanced variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes will help vegetarians — and anyone — achieve a healthy, well-rounded diet and a healthy smile.

Keep supplies handy

Heading out on a long road trip? Keep floss, a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste in the glove compartment. They’ll be easily accessible when you want to clean your teeth at a rest stop after snacking

Skip the travel cases

Travel cases for toothbrushes seem like a great idea. They help prevent the bristles from touching surfaces that could transfer bacteria, right? Actually, the moist environment can encourage bacterial growth. The travel case and let your toothbrush air-dry before putting it away.

Choose carry-on

Hopping on a plane? Keep a small tube of toothpaste in a quart- size sealable plastic bag, along with your toothbrush and floss.

Each container can have up to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) of liquid or gel. Carrying your dental supplies with you is better than stowing them in your check-in luggage, because it lets you brush your teeth during the flight and any layovers you might have.

Visit the dentist before you leave

Don’t leave home with a toothache. If you’re experiencing any pain, make an appointment with your dentist before you leave. The last thing you need is a dental emergency far from home.

If you have fillings or have had other restorative treatment, ask your dentist to check your mouth before you fly. Air trapped in your teeth can expand or contract at extreme altitudes, causing pain, inflammation and even loose fillings, crowns or dentures. This condition, called “tooth squeeze” or barodontalgia, can also occur while scuba diving.

Stick to your routine

Most important: Don’t stray from your oral health routine. You may be on vacation, but plaque and harmful bacteria aren’t. Stick to brushing twice and flossing once a day to keep your teeth cavity-free.

Pacific dental group remind that, vacation is the perfect time to kick back and forget about your responsibilities. But don’t let your dental health fall by the wayside. Follow these tips to stay on top of your oral health wherever you go.