The Inside Scoop on a Whiter, Brighter Smile
If we feel good about our smile, we smile more!
Most of us would like to have a whiter smile. A whiter, brighter smile gives us a youthful appearance, provides us with confidence and and makes us feel more attractive. A bright smile can be one of our most powerful assets, in both professional and social situations. If we feel good about our smile, we smile more, and when we smile more, we receive all the aforementioned benefits!
How straight teeth play a role
Before launching into how to create a whiter smile, it is important to understand that straight teeth play a major roll in how our smile is perceived by others. Teeth are like small mirrors – they have a reflective quality to them, especially when wet. If teeth are crowded or overlapped, that light reflection is disrupted. As a result, shadows are created which gives the illusion that certain teeth appear darker and the flash of a bright, white smile is lost. In addition, if the arch form is not ideal – for example if it is narrow or “V-shaped”, a similar effect is created diminishing the “sparkle” of the smile. Dark corridors will exist in the corners of the lips because the teeth do not fully fill the mouth. Invisalign can help correct these issues by straightening the teeth and/or broadening the arches.
Teeth are like small mirrors – they have a reflective quality to them, especially when wet. If teeth are crowded or overlapped, that light reflection is disrupted.
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Stains
Now, let’s assume the teeth are straight and it is the color of the teeth that is the concern. What can be done? It is important to understand the root cause of the discoloration. There are two different types of staining of our teeth – extrinsic (on the surface of the tooth) and intrinsic (within the internal portion of the tooth). Extrinsic stains are caused by our environment – what we eat, if we smoke or chew tobacco and how well we take care of our teeth. Intrinsic staining is more complex – there can be hereditary component, an age component and certain drug interactions (tetracycline staining and fluorosis).
For starters, avoiding or minimizing particular foods and drinks can reduce the discoloration of our teeth. Examples of foods that stain teeth are tomato based sauces, curry, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, berries and beetroot. Examples of drinks that discolor teeth are tea, coffee, red wine, cola, and fruit juices. After eating or drinking one of these items, you can rinse your mouth out with water or chew gum with xylitol (which can help stimulate more saliva). Another option for the liquids is to drink them through a straw. Be sure to brush at least twice a day and floss once a day to keep your teeth as clean as possible. Also, have your teeth professional cleaned at least twice a year. As an aside, smoking not only causes unsightly discoloration of the teeth but also has been linked as a significant risk factor in periodontal disease. Even worse, chewing tobacco, another product that stains the teeth, is a leading cause of oral cancer.
If the problem is intrinsic – due to heredity or aging – there are a number of excellent solutions to help you achieve a whiter, brighter smile. Don’t be fooled by “tooth whitening” toothpaste. These toothpastes are designed to remove surface stains and they do not change the natural color of your teeth. Some of these toothpastes can be too abrasive and may actually wear away the enamel which makes the problem worse since the underlying layer (the dentin) has a yellowish cast. A good choice for younger patients (age 12 and older) is Crest Whitestrips. These strips use hydrogen peroxide to bleach the teeth to lighten them. However, as with any tooth-bleaching product, they can make the teeth sensitive if used for too long or for too many days in a row. This is an inexpensive solution but may not work on tougher intrinsic stains.
Keeping your smile white and bright
The most predictable results are obtained by going to your dentist and having bleaching trays made for “at home” whitening or doing “in house” whitening at the office for an immediate result. Impressive outcomes can be obtained with either option, but as with most cosmetic procedures, continued upkeep is necessary to keep that beautiful smile white and bright!
If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics to schedule a visit with Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. Dr. Tanner will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget.
A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!
Winning Strategies to Maintain A Perfect Smile
How long do I need to wear my retainers?
Probably the second most frequent question I get asked (besides “when am I going to be done with my treatment?”) is: How long do I need to wear my retainers?
The simple answer is another question: How long do you want to keep your teeth straight? Unfortunately (and fortunately—since it allows us to move teeth at any age), teeth and the supporting tissues respond to forces in the mouth that were and still are in effect before and after orthodontic treatment. As a result, teeth will move back to their original position post orthodontics without the support of retainers. So . . . if you stop wearing your retainers at some point in your late teens or as an adult, there is a good chance that some of your teeth will shift.
If you stop wearing your retainers at some point in your late teens or as an adult, there is a good chance that some of your teeth will shift.
The Research
Perhaps a shallow dive into the research on retention will shed a little more light as to what has been discovered about tooth movement following orthodontic treatment:
-
There is not a direct correlation between impacting wisdom teeth and the crowding of lower incisors.
-
Malocclusions that started with spacing between the teeth have just as much chance to relapse (i.e. spaces returning) as teeth that were crowded.
-
Expansion or flaring of front teeth during orthodontics showed a greater chance of relapsing after the completion of treatment
-
Unwanted tooth movement also occurs as a result of the normal aging process. These changes include the deterioration of the alignment of the anterior teeth
-
It is difficult to predict which orthodontic cases will exhibit relapse therefore every case should be treated on the basis that relapse will occur and that life-long retention is required
-
Even with the best of retention protocols, most orthodontic cases will exhibit some movement (5 to 10%) of the teeth
Minimize the shifting of teeth, maintain your beautiful smile.
Be consistent wearing your retainers on a regular basis. Start off by developing good habits just like brushing and flossing your teeth every day. Intermittent wear of retainers is not only uncomfortable (sore teeth) but also unhealthy for the supporting gums and bone. The idea is to allow your teeth to settle into their new position and for the surrounding tissues to adapt accordingly. The good news is that wearing your retainers about 8 to 10 hours per day is sufficient to keep your teeth straight (Yeah! No full time wear!!). Be sure to keep your retainers clean by brushing them daily and storing them in a case away from heat and the family dog. You don’t want your retainers to become an expensive doggie chew toy!
Retainer Choices
There are basically three different types of retainers available:
-
Thermoplastic
-
Hawley
-
Fixed
Thermoplastic
Thermoplastic retainers are similar to Invisalign aligners. They are clear retainers that fit over the teeth, provide excellent retention, and are very comfortable to wear. If you clench or grind your teeth at night, they will also serve as a night-guard however heavy bruxers will quickly grind through them. Invisalign offers its own line of thermoplastic retainers called Vivera. They can be ordered at the end of treatment and come in a set of 4. Thermoplastic retainers work best following Invisalign since they are similar to what the patient experienced with their Invisalign treatment.
Hawley Retainers
Hawley retainers are the traditional retainers that are typically delivered following the completion of orthodontic treatment with braces. They have been around for over 100 years and have stood the test of time. Hawley retainers are very durable, can be made in many different acrylic colors/patterns, and can be adjusted if teeth have moved slightly. They do make speech difficult since the upper retainer covers a good portion of the palate and feel bulky in the mouth due to their size.
Fixed Retainers
A fixed retainer is basically a wire that is bonded (glued) to the backside of your incisors. It is most commonly used in the lower arch to prevent relapse of the lower incisors. The upside of a fixed retainer is that you have retention 24/7 but it can be challenging to keep clean and requires special flossing/brushing techniques. The other downside is that a bond or part of the wire will sometimes break and a tooth may shift before the fixed retainer can be repaired.
The bottom line . . . Keep wearing your retainers! If you stopped wearing your retainers and your teeth have shifted, don’t worry — Invisalign is a great way to address post orthodontic relapse.
If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics to schedule a visit with Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. Dr. Tanner will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget.
A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!
The Straight Facts About Crowding
So, why do most of us experience crowding of our teeth at some point in our lives?
The answer to this question can be both simple and complex – intertwining evolution, heredity, and environment.
Evolution. Our teeth are catching up.
The prevalence of dental crowding in the US population is estimated at 66%. Interestingly, an analysis of human skulls from 10,000+ years ago shows almost no evidence of crowding or impacted teeth – including those pesky wisdom teeth. Why the difference between then and now? The reason for these ideal prehistoric arches is due to the diet of the cavemen.
Early humans needed powerful jaw muscles and consequently large jaws to masticate their raw food. Also, the course diet caused teeth (in their respective arches) to wear against one another thus negating crowding with age. Over the millennia, tools were introduced, hunter-gathers shifted toward an agrarian society and diets became softer. The need for powerful jaw muscles diminished and jaw size shrank – unfortunately, tooth size stayed about the same. As a result, the prevalence of crowding began to increase. This trend continues today with our modern society and our processed food.
No wonder most of us don’t have enough room for our wisdom teeth!
Genetics at work
In addition to this evolutionary trend, a large factor that plays into whether we as individuals have crowded teeth is the role of genetics. Both tooth size and jaw size are inheritable traits. Our parents contribute genetic material that influences how large our teeth will be and the size of our jaws. In the worst-case scenario, one parent passes along the gene for large teeth while the other parent passes along the gene for small jaws. The result: Lots and lots of crowding! In a situation like this, the normal complement of 32 teeth must be reduced to 24 teeth (by extracting the first bicuspids and third molars) to accommodate the remaining teeth.
Thank goodness for orthodontics!
A final factor that plays into crowding is environmental influences. This is the largest contributor to crowding and the one that we have the most control over. As children, different situations can result in early crowding or set the table for future crowding. Some examples are early loss of baby teeth without the placement of a space maintainer, an ongoing habit like thumb sucking resulting in the tipping back of lower incisors, failure to address ectopic (out of position) or impacting adult teeth, allowing baby teeth to be over-retained, and not expanding narrow arches in advance of permanent tooth eruption.
One question that always comes up in regards to crowding is the role of third molars. Especially since many of us have perfectly straight teeth until our late teens or early twenties. A significant number of studies have been done on the correlation between wisdom teeth and crowding. A systematic review of the literature published in The Scientific World Journal showed that third molars are not the culprit in lower anterior crowding. So what is going on? Over time, there are subtle changes that occur which collectively result in a breakdown of the alignment of the teeth. Most changes begin in the lower arch and ultimately show up in the upper arch since the lower arch can act as a mold or “retainer” for the upper arch. Typically what happens with age is that the lower arch narrows especially by the canines, the lower molars slowly move forward and the arch length decreases. With these movements, something has to give and it usually starts with crowding of the lower incisors.
All hope is not lost! If you are a parent of a young child, be proactive and have the dentist monitor your child’s dental development. Don’t be afraid to seek an orthodontic evaluation if you have concerns. You don’t need a referral and exams are complimentary. If you have already been through orthodontic treatment – keep wearing your retainers. Remember, it is a lifetime commitment if you want to keep your teeth straight. If you are an adult and experiencing shifting of your teeth, don’t wait – the crowding will only worsen with time.
If you have questions about the benefits of Invisalign treatment, please call Visage Orthodontics at 505-670-6145 or visit our appointment page to schedule a complimentary consultation with me, Dr. Tanner, your Santa Fe Invisalign specialist. I will review everything in detail and develop a customized treatment plan to fit your lifestyle and budget.
A confident and beautiful smile is right around the corner!