Our office has been fortunate to offer the skills, expertise and compassion of Dr. Carolyn Demas for almost four years now.  Our patients love Dr. Carolyn’s calm and reassuring manner and her clinical sophistication.  She has allowed Family Dental Care Park Ridge to open it’s doors to you in the evening and on Saturdays providing you with great flexibility in scheduling.  Dr. Carolyn has also brought to you her certification as an Invisalign™ provider.   We are so lucky to have Dr. Carolyn Demas be a part of Family Dental Care Park Ridge.

As of this past June, it is with great pleasure that we have welcomed Dr. Matthew Demas (Dr. Carolyn’s brother) into our practice.  Dr. Matt’s empathetic demeanor is a perfect fit in our office.  He, like Dr. Carolyn, brings a level of clinical mastery that patients have come to love.  Dr. Matt’s arrival has also enhanced our scheduling flexibility to new levels.  You will find appointments available in the early morning, evening and Saturdays.  With your busy schedules, we want to make coming to the dentist to care for your oral health as easy as possible.

We are always interested in what you think.  I invite you to use this blog as a forum for sharing your thoughts and ideas.  I am very interested in hearing your suggestions as to how you think we may better serve you.  We at Family Dental Care Park Ridge are committed to you and your oral health.

I was inspired by a dear friend of mine that addressing the fear of going to the dentist might be a good idea.  After all, dental phobia is widely shared by many.  While Family Dental Care Park Ridge does not practice sedation dentistry, it has always been our policy to share with our patients the availibility of dentists that do use sedation dentistry to help control intense fear.  We find that by  making use of distraction and environmental relaxation technniques to aid our patients in their dental fears, we have patients that are better able to work through their concerns.  Patients at Family Dental Care Park Ridge are taken care of  in a soothing environment with meditative music on in the background and aromatherapy helping to create an ambiance of safety and comfort.

At least five times a day when I am working in my office,  I tell patients about the benefits of the Oral B Triumph  with SmartGuide ™ electric toothbrush system.   I am in awe of the technology that has been put into this product.  I am appreciative of Oral B’s™ willingness to listen to the consumers input, both professional and non-professional.  I am proud to tell patients that I am a huge fan of this tooth-brushing system.   I am grateful for my Oral B™ rep, Dennis, for bringing me all of the latest and greatest  information and products that Oral B™ has to offer.  I am pleased to offer the Oral B Triumph with SmartGuide™ to my patients at incredibly low pricing.

So, why then, do you suppose when on an extended vacation, I wouldn’t have my Oral B Triumph with SmartGuide™ with me?  The embarrassingly simple answer is that I forgot it.  At first, when I realized that I had only my manual toothbrush with me, I didn’t even give it a second thought.  By day two of manual toothbrushing, I was starting to go through Triumph withdrawal.  Really.

 In my daily if not monotonous spiel to my patients about the benefits of using the electric toothbrush over the manual, I always mention how incredibly clean your teeth feel….how healthy your gums feel….how fresh your mouth feels.   And while I am always completely sincere, it wasn’t until I experienced life without my Triumph that I realized just how true those statements were.  One of the cool features of the Oral B Triumph with SmartGuide™ toothbrush is a remote wireless  sensor/timer that breaks your recommended two minute brushing time into four 30 second intervals.  It makes brushing for the two minutes almost a no brainer activity.  I find that brushing manually, not only am I more acutely aware of having to pay attention to the clock to get my two minutes in, but, because my teeth don’t get that deep clean feeling, I brush even longer in a futile attempt to achieve that sensed level of clean.  Long story short….I’ve never spent so much time brushing my teeth with such disappointing results.

Lessons learned.  Two things.  Never leave home without my Oral B Triumph with SmartGuide™ electric toothbrush.  And,  it really IS the awesome toothbrush system that I have always claimed it to be.

And no, the Oral B Proctor & Gamble Company is not paying me to say this.  My primary interest is in your optimum oral health. 

I always keep a supply of Oral B Triumph with SmartGuide™ toothbrushes in stock at my office so, if you haven’t gotten one yet, please call Nancy at 847.692.6800 and we’ll help change your brushing experience.

There is no question that brushing twice a day for TWO entire minutes is a bit of a pain.  There are so many more important things that we could be doing… like sleep for instance.  The suggested time to brush our teeth is first thing in the morning and last thing before we go to bed so, if we didn’t take the time to brush our teeth, we’d have a full four extra minutes of sleep each day.  Speaking for myself, four extra minutes of sleep is very compelling.  Fortunately, the arguement as to why we SHOULD brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes  is even MORE compelling. 

Simply put, we need to remove the plaque that accumulates on our teeth and we need to remove it thoroughly.  Plaque is that sticky transparent layer of bacteria that coats our teeth and can cause decay and gum disease.  And if THAT doesn’t motivate you, if plaque isn’t removed completely, it turns into tartar (calculus) which is hardened and more damaging to your gums and more difficult to remove. 

So, now that maybe you are a little more convinced that brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes is a good thing, let me throw some criteria your way.  Yes, it’s true…….putting a glop of toothpaste on your toothbrush and putting it in your mouth haphazardly for two minutes does NOT count.  There is actually technique and method involved in this process.   

• ALWAYS use a soft toothbrush
• Hold the brush at a 45 degree angle to your tooth at the gumline
• Use small and gentle circular motions to “massage” the tooth and gums
• Focus on one tooth at a time
• Make sure to brush all surfaces of each tooth – front, back and chewing
• Use a timer – like an egg timer – set for two minutes

Now, the above recommendations are if you are using a manual toothbrush.  Here’s some fun news.  There are electric toothbrushes out there that have a built in two minute timer, sensors to warn you if you are brushing too hard, and the technology to provide the proper massaging and cleaning movements.  My personal favorite is the Oral B Triumph with Smart Guide (see our website for promotions – www.familydentalcareparkridge.com ) It takes a lot of the guess work out of brushing – you just need to place the brush on each tooth on all sides and the Triumph toothbrush does the rest of the work.  Makes your teeth feel unbelievably clean – like you’ve just been to the dentist

So, I guess we in the dental world  won’t be changing our tune – two minutes twice a day – any time soon.  But with compelling reasons and some fun technology, maybe it won’t be such a dreaded chore. 

And don’t even get me started on FLOSSING

        First of all, when I refer to teeth whitening, for the purpose of clarity, I am referring to chemical whitening or “bleaching”.  Most whitening products out there use a form of peroxide to whiten the teeth.  The  form of peroxide used in most of the products available contains Carbamide Peroxide.  You will also find kits that contain Hydrogen Peroxide.  Carbamide Peroxide is also known as Urea Hydrogen Peroxide and when it breaks down, it becomes Hydrogen Peroxide and Urea.  Carbamide Peroxide 10% will break down into Hydrogen Peroxide 3%.   This is important to know when you are choosing a whitening product because a bleach that contains 22% Carbamide Peroxide will have roughly the same effect as a bleach containing about 8% Hydrogen Peroxide.  The bleaching of the teeth takes place as the active ingredient in the bleach breaks down and allows oxygen to enter the enamel and  dentin, resulting in the lightening of the teeth.  So now you know about the chemistry that happens when you whiten your teeth in this manner. 

         Now, how do you decide which product to use since the active ingredient is essentially the same?   The products with Carbamide Peroxide can range from a 35% concentration down to kits with 20%, 15% or 10%.   How do we decide which strength is best ?  It turns out the the highest concentration is not always the best for everyone.  Typically, the products with 35% concentration of active ingredient will work faster ( you may only need to keep the trays in for 20-40 minutes a day) and the results will appear over a shorter duration of time.  However, the possibility of temporary “burns” on the gums (white spots that do burn a bit as a result of the peroxide leaching onto the gums) and tooth sensitivity are increased with the higher concentration bleach products.  The lower concentration products (10% 15%) are quite effective but you typically need to leave the tray in for a number of hours (often it is recommended to leave the trays in overnight) and it may take up to two weeks to obtain the whiteness you were looking for.  The upside is that you rarely experience those pesky temporary burns on the gums and the occurrence of sensitivity to the teeth is dramatically reduced.  Some products have incorporated fluoride and potassium nitrate into their products to decrease sensitivity and to increase the microhardness of the enamel and they do both quite effectively.   Often, if you are prone to sensitive teeth, using a desensitizing toothpaste for two weeks prior to bleaching may significantly reduce any sensitivity while bleaching.   Taking a day or two off if you experience sensitivity is an option as well. 

        It goes without saying that following your dentist’s instructions or the instructions on the kit (if you purchased on OTC product) is extremely important in the success of the whitening and the safety to your oral health.  These products are very safe overall but it is important to use them for  the recommended amount of  time to allow the enamel to “rest” a bit.  Another thing to keep in mind is that the whitening products available only whiten natural teeth – they do not lighten any fillings or crowns so, if you know that you are going to have crowns or white fillings placed, you may want to get your teeth to the whiteness level you desire with your bleaching product of choice and then have the restorations done.  But always allow at least 2 weeks of NOT bleaching before you have a resin (tooth colored) filling placed.  Bleaching does affect the bonding strength of  resins.   

         So, to recap, most whitening products available are safe and effective but it is always a good idea to be a good consumer.  Read the label.  Know the concentrations of active ingredient you are getting.  Use the product according to direction.  If you experience sensitivity, consider a weaker concentration.  If you experience gum burns, take a few days off to allow the gums to heal and then make sure you are using a lesser amount of product so that it won’t leach out over your tray. Remember to stop using bleaching products at least two weeks before you are scheduled to have a resin filling placed.  Call your dentist if you still have questions.  A  whiter smile often increases our confidence and often gives us a boost.  Used correctly, whitening your teeth is easy, safe and effective.