Having sensitive teeth can mean experiencing pain and sharp stinging when eating or drinking anything excessively hot, cold or acidic.  Sensitivity can be caused from receding gums, the wearing down of your enamel (from acidic foods or brushing too hard), and having cavities.  It is also known to be a common symptom felt during pregnancy, particularly in the early stages.  Continue reading for more information on why teeth can be sensitive when pregnant.

Oral health is important as you grow older, and especially during pregnancy.  Experiencing sensitivity is likely due to changes in your hormonal balances, as well as increased blood flow throughout your body.  You may find it difficult to eat even the softest of foods.  Some doctors recommend using toothpastes geared towards those with tooth sensitivity, such as Sensodyne.  It may also be beneficial to see a dentist if this pain and discomfort lasts.

Try using TalkLocal to locate a dentist near you. TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable dentists in your neighborhood, within minutes.  All you need to do is enter in your specific problems/symptoms, location and availability and TalkLocal will contact multiple specialists who will then call you directly, ready to help.  Save time, stress and pain from searching through phonebooks and directories for the right, most affordable dentist, and let TalkLocal find one for you!

As restorative and cosmetic dentistry becomes increasingly common, you now have even more options to create a brilliant smile.  One of the more popular options is to use dental veneers which can be used restore chipped and discolored teeth. What are porcelain veneers, you ask? Read on to learn more.

Veneers are thin dental-shells that are made to cover the front surface of your teeth to improve your smile.  Veneers are usually made of porcelain or some composite material so that they can resist stains and also match the sheen of your regular teeth.  Most of the time, they’re used to cover up discolored teeth, chipped teeth, and irregular shaped teeth with gaps or bulges.  You’ll need to talk with your dentist to discuss your veneer options and material choices.

How are they installed?

The veneer installation process first begins with a diagnosis; your dentist will examine your teeth and find the appropriate procedure for restoring your teeth.  If you choose to continue with the veneer installation, the dentist will then most likely grind your teeth down approximately half a millimeter for the veneer and then take an impression.  This impression will be sent off to a dental lab to create your veneers in approximately 2 weeks.

After the veneers are created, the dentist will prepare your teeth by cleaning and etching your teeth, making it rougher so that the veneers will strongly bond to your teeth.  The dentist will then install the veneers on your teeth using a special cement and then evaluate your bite, making sure that the veneers are correctly positioned and that you aren’t experiencing any discomfort.  You’ll be able to choose the shade and sheen of the porcelain veneer during this process, customizing it completely to your preferences.

If you’re looking to have custom porcelain veneers installed soon, use TalkLocal to find a high quality local dentist in no time!  This free service connects you with only the highest quality dentists in the area so you know you’ll be getting quality veneer work.

Should gums bleed when flossing?

Your gums are a very important part of your oral health.  The gum tissue in your mouth keeps your teeth in place and stops them from wiggling around.  You should take care to properly brush your gums along with your teeth so that they stay healthy and do not decay.  Sometimes when you floss, your teeth and your gums will begin to bleed. This could be the result of a few things, some serious and some not so serious. So, should gums bleed when flossing?  Keep reading to learn more.

Reasons why they bleed:

–  Your gums haven’t been flossed in a while

–  They are oversensitive

–  Gum disease (Periodontal disease)

When your gums are bleeding during flossing it could be a simple issue.  If you haven’t flossed in a while or your gums are very sensitive they will bleed very easily.  When you stimulate them too much, it can become painful and cause bleeding.  This is not too big of a deal.  You should just continue to brush and floss your gums and eventually they will strengthen up and stop bleeding.  If this does not happen and the bleeding continues or gets worse, you may have a more serious problem such as gum disease.

Periodontal disease is a much more serious problem.  It is the breakdown and decay of your gum tissue.  This sickness can attack people of any age.  The main factor is how you care for your teeth, so don’t think that just because you are young you can’t have gum disease.  If you suspect that you have gum disease, see you dentist immediately.

What to do:

–  Brush your teeth for 2 whole minutes and make sure you hit your gums too

–  Floss regularly aka every night

–  Use mouth wash

–  See a dentist if problems persist

If you continue to have problems with your gums bleeding you should seek professional help.  Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local dentists within minutes.  Simply input your problem, location and availability, and you should receive a call from someone who can help you almost immediately.

A dental sealant is a plastic coating that is applied to the fissures and pits in the teeth to prevent tooth decay.  Dental sealants have been used for over 30 years, and are most often placed on the molars or premolars that face a higher risk of decay.  The sealant blocks harmful particles from penetrating the teeth.  The benefits of dental sealants are obvious; they protect your most at-risk teeth from tooth decay (like cavities) and make it easier to clean up food and bacteria that gets stuck to your teeth.

Benefits of dental sealants

You may be wondering why you need a dental sealant.  After all, dentists used to only recommend brushing at least twice daily and flossing; nothing about dental sealants.  Well, we’re here to tell you those dentists of your past were wrong.  Getting a dental sealant is a great idea if you or your dentist believes you are at risk of tooth decay.  Whereas a dental filling can cost a lot of money and cause discomfort, a dental sealant is a preventative measure to ensure your teeth stay protected.  Additionally, dental sealants cost about $25 to $50 per tooth and can last up to 10 years.  Cavity fillings can cost you up to $200 for a single filling.  Essentially, dental sealants are cheaper, more effective, and less painful.  Of course, you will still need to brush and floss to maintain your teeth, but a dental sealant can make your job significantly easier for you.

Side effects and drawbacks

Now that you know the benefits of dental sealants, we’re going to go over the known side effects and potential drawbacks of them.  The procedure itself does not hurt, and you can eat almost immediately after your appointment.  However, there have been studies into the side effects of these plastic sealants, though nothing has been conclusive.  Some of the sealants contain bisphenol-A, a plastic used to seal the teeth and may be damaging.  At the very minimum, this binding agent will wear off in time meaning you are very slowly ingesting this plastic over the course of 10 or so years.  Again, nothing conclusive has been found or else dental sealants wouldn’t be approved by the FDA, but it is something to bear in mind as you make your decision.

Dental sealants are only one part of a person’s complete dental care.  Brushing twice or more daily, flossing, eating the right foods, and regular dental care are all significant parts of complete dental care.  By following this plan, you can ensure your teeth look and feel healthy for years to come.  If you have read through this and believe you need a dental sealant, consider using TalkLocal to find a top-quality dentist in your area.  TalkLocal is a free service that connects you with the best professionals in just a few minutes.  All you need to do isenter in your specific problems, location and availability, and TalkLocal will contact multiple dentists who will then call you directly, ready to help.  Save time, stress and pain from searching for the right, most affordable dentist, and let TalkLocal do it for you.

Your teeth are exposed to the world every day. A person’s smile can be the first feature we notice when meeting someone new, and it is often involved in making that “first impression.” Growing up, we all heard the prized directions to brush and floss twice a day, both in the morning and at night to retain a perfect, white smile. Though, whether it is a result of your eating, smoking or brushing habits, you may find your teeth to be a yellowish shade. This might cause you to ask yourself “why are my teeth yellow?” Read on to learn more about causes and solutions to yellow teeth.

What causes yellow teeth?

Naturally, teeth have a layer of protection called enamel, which helps to keep your teeth white and shiny. If you smoke, drink too much coffee or soda, eat a lot of sugary or acidic foods, or fail to brush, floss and use mouthwash enough, this can cause the dentin to wear away, resulting in the yellowing of your teeth. These refer to situations of extrinsic (or external) staining. There is also something called intrinsic (or internal) staining on the insides of your teeth, which may be a result of medicines that you took when you were a young child, excessive consumption of fluoride, or even trauma that can cause bleeding on the inside of your teeth.

Yellowing may also be caused by your genetics and/or age. As bad as this may sound, you may simply have yellower teeth than others because of your particular genetic makeup. In addition, as you get older, your enamel may wear down therefore making it easier to stain your teeth yellow through diet, smoking, or lack of dental hygiene.

What can you do about it?

The solutions for whitening your teeth are quite simple. If you smoke, drink a lot of coffee or acidic substances, or eat a lot of candy or other sugary foods, either cut down on the intake or quit altogether. You can also improve your dental hygiene by brushing more often (if you don’t already brush twice a day), flossing , and getting your teeth cleaned by a dentist regularly. You can also try using teeth-whitening toothpastes or strips purchased either over-the-counter or prescribed by your dentist.

If none of these remedies are taking effect, you may want to see a dentist for other options. If you need to find one in your area, try using TalkLocal. TalkLocal is a FREE service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable dentists in your neighborhood, within minutes. Simply enter in your problem, availability and location and TalkLocal will contact multiple specialists, who will then call YOU directly, ready to help.

Every toddler goes through that dark period where he or she is beginning to sprout their first teeth.  This process, known as teething, can start as early as three months and can last till your toddler is three.  Teething is painful for toddlers, though the level of pain that a baby can handle will be different for each.  Continue reading for more information on the teething process, as well as some toddler teething symptoms to look for.

Toddler teething symptoms

During this period of teething, your toddler will likely act very differently, being more irritable, eating less, and just being a general pain.  This is because your baby’s gums are becoming swollen and aching due to the upcoming teeth causing pressure and pain in the gums.  Additional symptoms include gums that seem swollen and tender, rashes along your babies cheeks or chin (caused by drooling), the rubbing of gums or ears, drooling, biting, or chewing things that help your toddler with its pain, and general unhappiness and irritability.

Like mentioned, your baby’s gums will be sore as the teeth work their way to the surface of the gums.  The gum may appear swollen and bulging, meaning your toddler is likely feeling the pressure and discomfort from the tooth.  At this point, you can help your baby relieve the pain by giving him something cold to chew on.  A clean, cool, damp towel is something that babies seem to love.  Cold teething rings (as long as they are sturdy and will not break) are also recommended.

Another sign your baby may be teething is changes in his sleeping patterns.  Pressure from the gums may cause your baby to wake up in the middle of the night or during a nap.  When woken up, some babies need comforting before they fall back asleep, so be sure to have a way of monitoring this.

Don’t worry though, there are ways to help your toddler with teething.  Besides giving your baby something cold and chewy to bite down on, offering your baby cold foods such as yogurt or applesauce can help numb the pain a little bit.  There are also medicines and topical teething gels that can help (check with a doctor first).  To keep rashes away from your baby’s skin, you can use a soft cloth to remove drool and a mild moisturizer to soothe the skin.

If you believe your toddler is going through teething and prefer professional help, consider using TalkLocal to find a top-quality dentist in your area.  Within minutes, you will be connected to multiple dentists willing to help.

A small hole in your front tooth can be a frightening situation. You may be wondering if it can be fixed and if others will notice it. You don’t have to worry – there are solutions to make it look as good as before! Before fixing the hole, however, you should locate what caused it in the first place so you can discontinue the harmful practice.

Possible Causes for a Small Hole in Front Tooth:

How to fix it

Schedule an appointment with your dentist and get the hole checked out as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the larger the hole will be — which will be more expensive to fill. If it gets too bad, the dentist may have to remove it. Hopefully, you have not reached the point where extraction is the only option left. The dentist has a great solution to fix small holes that are discovered early. There are tooth-colored and white fillings that can be used to fill in the hole and make it look similar to the surrounding teeth.

Brush your teeth and floss regularly to keep further cavities from springing up. In addition, regular cleanings from a dentist may be worth the money to keep cavities from forming in the future.

Find Help

Check out TalkLocal. You will be directed to professionals right in your neighborhood that can help you! Within minutes of requesting help, you will have up to three professionals call you. Try it out!

Teeth have a hard, durable outer enamel and a soft tissue on the inside. There are few options available besides pulling the teeth out once the decay breaks through the enamel and infects the tissue. Go to regular dental checkups to maintain your oral health and to avoid this kind of a disaster.

How Do I Know If I Need a Root Canal?

Check the state of your teeth by doing these three tests yourself:

1. Does you teeth/tooth hurt at random times, including the times when you are not using them (other than eating, talking, making oral movements)?

2. Does it hurt when you apply pressure to them (clenching teeth, chewing food, etc.)?

3. Does drinking cold liquid change the feelings to the teeth?

If you are able to feel the cold drink on the other teeth but not on the set of the affected teeth, the chances are that you need a root canal done. If you feel pain on pressure only, the chances are that you need a root canal as well.

Other indicators for root canal include a hole (black spot) in a tooth and a stinging feeling on the affected tooth that indicates infected nerves. The surest way to identify a breach and an infection through the enamel is to take an x-ray and actually locate the breach.

Do not be afraid of getting a root canal done. In most experiences, people say that it is not that different from getting a filling done. Dentists will use a needle to inject an anesthetic that will dull away the pain, too. If you are afraid of needles, ask them to use gas instead or find a dentist that does gas treatments.

As for the duration of the treatment, it varies per specific case. Most root canal treatments are done in one visit to the dentist. The reason for variations in treatment time  is the variation of the extent of the inflection and/or the fact that some teeth have more roots than others.

Additional Help

If you feel like you need professional help on figuring out if you need root canals, TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts in this case, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.

Are braces worth it for adults?  There are both pros and cons to getting braces at an older age.  Ultimately, you will have to make the decision about whether or not it is worth it depending on your specific situation.

Talk to your dentist

The first step is talking to your dentist.  If do not have a dentist you can use to TalkLocal to be connected to multiple highly rated dentists in your area today.  If your dentist believes that braces may be an option for you, they can put you in touch with an orthodontist.

Consult with an orthodontist

Consultations with an orthodontist are typically free, so you can get opinion from multiple orthodontists before making your decision.  Make sure that you go to a qualified professional, you want to make sure that you have quality advice before making a major decision like getting braces.  Additionally, “cheap” alternatives to braces, such as the “Six Month Smile” can often have negative effects that a dental practitioner may not know about or tell you.

Decision-making factors

The main things to consider when deciding whether or not you should get adult braces are health, aesthetics, comfort, and cost.  Crooked teeth can cause serious health problems, and they will be harder to brush as you get older and your dexterity wanes.  If you are considering braces for health reasons it may be worth it, especially if your orthodontist says your are at risk for health problems.  If you are only considering braces for aesthetics it may not be, (unless your teeth are very bad.)

Braces are expensive, a nuisance, and sometimes painful.  Although braces will eventually lead you to have a more beautiful smile, having metal in your mouth for 1-2 years is not exactly attractive.  There is an option called invisalign, which are clear braces, but they are much more expensive.  The decision depends on you, your financial situation, and your lifestyle.  Do you think the potential long term benefits are worth the short term financial cost and annoyance?  If so, then get braces.  If not, then don’t.

Feeling pain or discomfort when breathing in or drinking/eating something cold can prove that you have sensitive teeth.  It can also mean that you have a cavity, or have a nerve that is exposed near your gum line that exacerbates the pain felt by cool air/food.  If your teeth are sensitive when you’re breathing in, check out this article.

Tooth sensitivity is very common, and in many cases, it can be helped by simply using toothpaste specifically formulated for sensitive teeth.  In other cases, it may mean something more serious, like a cavity/exposed nerve as mentioned above, gum recession, or even gum disease.

Sensitivity can also be induced as the enamel and protective layering on your teeth becomes worn down and your roots become exposed.  Overzealous or vigorous brushing can scrape away this enamel, and often leads to sensitivity.  Eating and drinking foods and drinks with high amounts of acidity can also damage your enamel and cause tooth erosion.

If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity and find that using special toothpaste is not helping, it may be a good idea to see a dentist.  Try using TalkLocal to find one.  TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable dentists in your neighborhood, within minutes.  All you need to do is enter in your specific problems/symptoms, location and availability, and TalkLocal will contact multiple dentists who will then call you directly, ready to help.  Save time, stress and pain from searching for the right, most affordable dentist, and let TalkLocal do it for you!