Author: Karen Girard

If you brush your teeth, floss and use mouth wash on a regular basis then you are on the right track to maintaining a healthy smile. While you may be practicing great oral hygiene, you could be doing a couple things that negatively impact your smile.

Toothbrush with Hard Bristles

Your gums can actually recede if you use a brush that is too hard. In fact, you can also have abrasion damage to the tooth root surface. Use a soft-bristled brush or a multi-tufted brush.

Brushing Aggressively

Although you may have the correct toothbrush, brushing your teeth too aggressively can irritate the gums. You can easily break up plaque on the teeth with some gentle whisking! Also, avoid brushing too often as brushing twice a day is sufficient.

Biting Your Nails

Nail biting is one of the most common habits and this is typically done when people feel nervous or anxious. Try to avoid biting your nails as this can wear down teeth, leading to fractures and chips.

Grinding and Clenching

When patients clench their jaws or grind their teeth, they are using an intense force which causes looseness, jaw pain and fractured teeth. A night guard is the best way to prevent grinding in your sleep.

Physical Activity without a Mouth Guard

Whether you’re playing football, soccer, baseball or any other sport, it’s crucial to wear your mouth guard to reduce the risk of broken or loose teeth.

Contact the dentists at Lindner Dental to schedule a routine cleaning! If you forgot to wear your mouth guard and fractured your teeth, we provide dental services for sports related injuries.

Whitening your teeth can be achieved in two ways – bleaching the teeth or non-bleaching whitening products. When using bleach, both intrinsic and extrinsic stains will be removed. On the other hand, non-bleaching products use physical or chemical action to remove surface stains.  Whitening toothpastes are one of the most common methods of teeth whitening, but they only remove surface stains.

Most whitening toothpastes can be purchased over the counter and several have the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance. These specific whitening toothpastes contain chemical and polishing agents which helps fight surface stains. When used in excess, the abrasives in the whitening toothpastes can wear down the enamel. It’s advised that patients with cosmetic composite fillings should avoid using these products as the finish or glaze can be lost.

Realistically, whitening toothpastes only remain on your teeth for a few seconds which isn’t long enough to really impact your pearly whites. If whitening toothpastes wear away too much enamel, the dentin underneath is exposed. In short, whitening strips and dental bleaching procedures are the most effective way to sufficiently whiten teeth.

Are you ready for a whiter smile? Contact Lindner Dental at 603.944.9196 for more information. We offer a wide array of services including Invisalign, Pediatric Dentistry, Infant Dental Care and more!

Invented in the late 1930s, the manual toothbrush has revolutionized the way we maintain our oral hygiene. Over the last few decades, updates have been established to enhance the toothbrush’s functionality and overall effectiveness. In the late ‘90s, the electric toothbrush grabbed a lot of attention, but is it really more effective than the traditional style brush?

Manual Toothbrush           

Pros

• Brushing only takes two minutes of your time
• There is an endless selection including soft bristles, smaller heads, special prints for children, etc.
• No batteries or outlets needed, making it easy to travel with
• Free at the dentist and inexpensive over-the-counter

Cons

• More vigorous scrubbing than electric toothbrushes
• You have to estimate how long you have been brushing your teeth

Electric Toothbrush

Pros

• The electric toothbrush does the work for you
• Electric toothbrushes remove more plaque
• Children prefer using this product as it tickles the teeth and is less work
• Most of these toothbrushes come with a built-in timer

Cons

• The battery needs to be charged or replaced
• Costs significantly more than traditional toothbrushes
• Traveling can be an issue because you need to carry around a charger
• Electric toothbrushes break much easier

Your teeth will remain healthy as long as you maintain regular brushing with either a manual or electric toothbrush. Call Lindner Dental at 603.944.9196 to help select a toothbrush that is right for you!

Tooth contouring and reshaping is a recommended procedure for those with a healthy smile and who diligently practice oral hygiene. Within a few months, you can significantly improve your smile through dental implants, but for those in need of minor adjustments, in one short visit you can experience tooth contouring and reshaping.

The Right Candidate

Ideal patients for this procedure include those with crooked, chipped or irregularly shaped teeth. While these are only minor problems, they can affect your self-esteem. Through the process of tooth contouring and reshaping, teeth can be altered in length, shape or position. Once completed, patients may notice that contouring and reshaping improved their bite.

How the Procedure Works

Once X-rays have been conducted to evaluate the size and location of the teeth, the dentists at Lindner Dental will discuss the entire process before moving forward.

This pain-free process includes the removal of a small amount of enamel with a dental drill, allowing the dentist to shape the teeth so they properly align with neighboring teeth. It is most commonly used on highly visible teeth that have trivial, yet evident cosmetic flaws.

If you are still unsure if this is the right procedure for you, contact Lindner Dental for questions regarding the tooth contouring and reshaping technique. Our team will be able to check the condition of your teeth and determine if this procedure will provide you with your desired outcome. Feel free to give us a call today at 603.624.3900 to schedule a consultation.