4 Tips to Prepare Your Child for His First Dental Visit

You want to set your child up with good dental hygiene habits that’ll last a lifetime.

The only problem is that you’re probably not that crazy about going to the dentist yourself – and chances are your child isn’t going to relish the prospect either.

With experts advising their first dental visit occurs within 6 months of the first tooth appearing, or before their first birthday, you need to prepare them early for this experience.

But never fear.

Follow our 4 tips, and you can prepare your child for their first dental visit – and make it as painless as possible for all involved!

1. The Earlier the Better

As mentioned at the outset, the earlier you take your child for the first dentist appointment, the easier it will be for everyone!

It will help your toddler to feel relaxed in the setting – it won’t be a new scary place that they first encounter when they are older and more aware of their surroundings.

Get them used to sights and smells by meeting that first year deadline.

2. Role Play First

Role play is a fantastic way to prepare for many of life’s daunting events, and going to the dentist is no different.

Get them to come equipped with their toothbrush, lie them back on a recliner and talk them through what to expect. You can even get a little mirror to show them what the dentist will do.

That way when they’re placed on the chair for the first time, there’ll be a degree of familiarity to the whole experience.

3. Don’t Talk It Up

It’s easy to subconsciously pass on our anxieties to our children and build up the event of baby’s first dental visit into a big deal in their minds.

So be careful to be nonchalant in the way you talk about it. Going to the dentist is the most natural thing in the world – and a vital part of maintaining good health.

Your relaxed approach the whole experience can help them to see that it’s not a big deal and nothing to be frightened of.

4. Start Good Habits Early

It would be a mistake to conclude that because your child’s first set of teeth will fall out anyway, they’re less important.

How you train your child to care for their teeth now will influence their habits for the rest of their lives. In preparation for your child’s first dental visit, get them into good habits.

Make teeth brushing a fun part of their daily ritual – never to be forgotten – and those baby teeth will make way for an adult set they’ll keep in tip-top condition.

How to Prepare Your Child for his First Dental Visit: The Verdict

By establishing good habits, getting in there early and making sure it seems like just a normal part of life, you’ll be able to make your child’s first dental visit a pain-free experience for all!

At Golsen Family Dentistry, we know exactly how to put your child at ease during their dental visit. Click here to schedule an appointment with us today.

source https://www.golsendental.com/4-tips-to-prepare-your-child-for-his-first-dental-visit/

The Ultimate Guide to Tackling Yellow Teeth

Do you crave white teeth and a dazzling smile?

You’re not alone! Having whiter teeth is one of the most common cosmetic desires, along with clear skin and a smaller waist.

Having white teeth is attractive because it is associated with good health. Your dental health plays a crucial role in the health of your heart. Therefore whitening the teeth through good dental hygiene is actually good for your whole body.

Let’s look at 4 steps to get rid of yellow teeth.

1. Cut Out Foods that Stain Teeth

Having fabulous teeth comes at a bit of a price.

Red wine, coffee, blueberries, and beets are all known to stain your teeth. If you want a set of pearly whites it could be best to avoid these foods altogether.

Eating an overall healthy diet will reduce plaque build up on the teeth. A general rule is that foods that are good for your overall health will be good for your teeth.

2. Brush Your Teeth Well

Brushing your teeth can sometimes feel like an annoying chore at the end of a long day.

However, brushing your teeth well is imperative to eliminating yellow teeth.

It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day for a full two minutes each time. Make sure you’re brushing every surface of the tooth. Don’t simply brush the part that people can see and then call it a day. You should be brushing the bottom, sides, and backs of all your teeth.

Brush in a circular motion and be sure to go along the gum line.

If you get bored easily and can’t stand to just stand there for two minutes, try adding in squats while your brush.

Your leg muscles and your teeth will thank you for putting in that extra effort.

3. Use Whitening Trays

Whitening trays will help brighten up your smile by bleaching the surface of your teeth.

Keep in mind that this is just a cosmetic fix and doesn’t do anything as far as cleaning your teeth.

Whitening trays will typically take 5-7 days before you notice any difference so be sure to start them ahead of any big occasion that you want whiter teeth for.

4. Use Whitening Tooth Products

There is no shortage of tooth whitening products on the market.

You can buy special toothpaste that has whitening capabilities as well as mouthwash.

Always follow a set dental routine of brushing, flossing, then mouthwash. If you keep this up every day while using whitening products you’ll notice a difference in no time.

Follow These Tips to Eliminate Yellow Teeth

If you follow these four tips you’ll be seeing a whiter smile within weeks.

Proper dental care might seem like a hassle but once you get used to it you will crave the clean mouth feeling it gives you.

Avoid high sugar foods and foods that are known to stain the teeth and if you do eat these foods be sure to brush right away.

Have questions about this article? Please contact us here.

source https://www.golsendental.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-tackling-yellow-teeth/

What Are Veneers? Here are 4 Benefits to Consider

Are you hiding your smile from the world? Do you freak out when you have to speak in public? Maybe going as far as to cover your mouth with your hand?

You should look into veneers. Tooth issues happen in life and you shouldn’t suffer from it. A veneer consultation is the first step back towards confidence.

But what are veneers? Not sure they’re for you? We’ve put together this guide to veneers and their benefits below.

What are Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are ceramic devices that hide teeth defects. These thin sheaths of medical-grade porcelain create a “new” tooth surface.

Veneers hide defects and the process is quick with no recovery time. At the first appointment, the orthodontist will make a mold of your teeth to create personalized veneers.

At the second appointment, they’ll fit the veneer over your defective tooth (or teeth) and you’ll be on your way. s

Benefits of Veneers

Veneers are less complex to apply and wear than crowns, which can easily pop off. They’re cheaper and don’t turn your mouth into a silver or gold grill.

They’re made to blend in with your natural teeth, so no one will know you got work done.

They’re Made for You

One of the best things about dental veneers is that they’re made just for you. A dentist can make you a new row of teeth or fix one problem area.

They cover things like misalignment, cracked teeth, large gaps, chips, and unsightly discoloration.

Your dentist will color match your teeth or you can combine your veneers with a teeth whitening treatment.

They Last

What are veneers going to cost you in the long run?

Thankfully, with proper treatment, porcelain veneers last up to fifteen years.

“Proper treatment” isn’t anything special or expensive, but things like

• Not chewing hard things (plastic pen caps, nails, jawbreakers)
• Actually flossing regularly
• Using soft-bristled toothbrushes
• A night-guard if you grind your teeth
• Routine Checkups
• Non-fluoride toothpaste
• Avoiding tobacco products

Basically, you treat your veneers like your existing teeth. It’s as easy as that.

They’ll Increase Your Confidence

The first thing people stop doing when they’re unhappy with their teeth? Smiling. Porcelain veneers can bring your smile back and even some happiness.

Yes, that’s right. Smiling (even if you force yourself) tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy.

Getting veneers can bring back your confidence allowing you to show the world your beautiful smile.

You Can Finance

If you don’t have dental insurance or they don’t cover aesthetic services, no worries. Our clinic works with clients to create affordable and realistic payment plans.

While any aesthetic-based medical procedure can seem expensive at first, think of it as an investment in yourself. Could you do more at work if you weren’t worried about showing your teeth?

Would you present your ideas with more pride? Being more confident in yourself can lead to a better performance and more success!

Finished Product

If you looked at random smiles off the street, you wouldn’t know who had veneers. They’re that natural and as long as you have an experienced Dentist, you can’t go wrong!

Now that you have the answer to the question, “What are veneers?” Stop in and let us help you with your smile.

source http://www.golsendental.com/what-are-veneers-here-are-4-benefits-to-consider/

How to Floss Back Teeth Properly to Keep Your Mouth Healthy

Did you know only 30% of people floss on a daily basis? Many people don’t follow this dentist recommended activity because they don’t think it’s important to their overall oral health. But the truth is, flossing is necessary to remove the bacteria and buildup that can lead to inflammation, gum disease, and even tooth loss.

Flossing is useless, however, if you don’t do it the right way. What’s the right way? Well, flossing the right way means knowing how to floss back teeth, which is a tricky thing many people fail to do.

Your Guide to Flossing

Not sure how to floss your teeth correctly? In this article, we’ll cover what you need you to know about flossing, so you can keep your smile white and bright and your teeth and gums happy and healthy.

Pick the Right Floss

The first step to flossing effectively is picking the dental floss option that’s best for you. There are many types of dental floss options available, such as nylon floss, which is stringy, and PTFE floss, which can easily glide between tight teeth. The best floss for you will depend on a variety of factors like how wide the gaps in your teeth are or if you have things like veneers or braces.

Not a fan of standard floss? Here are some popular flossing alternatives you can use:

• Hand-held flosser
• Water pick
• Soft pick
• Air flosser

The most important thing is that you pick a flosser you feel comfortable using and that matches your personal preferences.

How to Floss

To start off flossing, you should grab a piece of floss that’s between 18 to 24 inches long. Then wrap the ends of the floss around your index and middle finger to make the floss tight enough to pull up trapped food and buildup. Once the floss is ready, you use it in a back and forth, up and down motion against the sides of each tooth to properly clean them.

It doesn’t matter which tooth you start with as long as you floss every single one. When you start make sure you floss gently between the tooth and the gum line. It’s important to be gentle because if you’re not you’re more likely to hurt your gums or cause them to bleed.

What About Back Teeth?

While you can get most of the trapped plaque and bacteria by flossing your front teeth, you also need to know how to floss back teeth. If you don’t learn how to do this properly or skip it, you run the risk of bacteria sticking to the back gum pockets in your mouth, which will potentially lead to gum disease and tooth decay.

The key to flossing your back teeth is using a longer piece of floss. This provides you with the flexibility to reach the harder to reach spots. If your back teeth are tight or crowded, you may want to use PTFE floss, as it’s more durable and less likely to break when sliding between tight teeth.

Final Thoughts on How to Floss Back Teeth

Flossing your back teeth isn’t easy, so don’t feel frustrated or defeated if you don’t get a handle on it right away. Just make sure you don’t neglect your back molars because if you do you run the risk gum disease and even tooth decay. But if you floss your back teeth correctly, you can ensure you’ll have a happy and healthy smile for years to come!

Are you in need of dental help? Have further questions about flossing or oral health? Contact us now to schedule an appointment!

source http://www.golsendental.com/how-to-floss-back-teeth-properly-to-keep-your-mouth-healthy/

What To Expect During An In Office Teeth Whitening Session

What To Expect During an In Office Teeth Whitening

Even if you do all the right things to keep your teeth white, they still naturally discolor as we age. Home whitening treatments can help, but you’ll get much better results from a professional in office teeth whitening session.

Here’s what you can expect during and after the procedure.

Initial Consultation

That American Dental Association (ADA) recommends consulting with your dentist before using any whitening product. You should have your teeth professionally cleaned as part of the initial consultation. This allows for the removal of all surface stains and built-up tartar.

Once your teeth are clean, your dentist will examine your teeth and help you determine the best whitening procedure for your specific needs. Professional advice is particularly important when you have dark stains, crowns, or a lot of fillings. If your goal is to have noticeably whiter teeth after one treatment, an in office teeth whitening using a laser or special light is likely the best option.

Preparing for Treatment

When you arrive for treatment, you may receive a touch-up cleaning. A shade guide is often used to determine the initial color of your teeth. This will help document the effectiveness of the treatment after it’s done.

Professional bleaching solutions can irritate or damage the soft tissues in your mouth. The dentist will take protective steps including the use of:

• Dental dams
• Cotton rolls and gauze
• Cheek retractors

Protective eyewear and a face bib can also help avoid accidental contact with your face or eyes.

Whitening Application

Once you’re all prepared, the dentist will apply the whitening agent. If using a light or laser for activation, it will also start at this time.

The procedure typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. The dentist will likely chance out or refresh your whitener several times during the course of the procedure.

It’s possible that you may experience some teeth sensitivity. If it’s overly uncomfortable, the dentist may decide to cut your treatment short. This is not common, but it is an option if necessary.

The Final Results and Follow-Up

Immediately after your procedure is done, your teeth will actually be a bit dehydrated. This causes them to appear whiter than they actually are. As your teeth rehydrate over the next few hours, the color may darken slightly.

Despite the rehydration effect, your smile will be noticeably whiter and brighter after all is said and done. For best results, avoid smoking and drinking chromogenic agents like coffee, cola, or red wine within two hours of treatment.

Your dentist may also recommend that you follow up with an at-home tray-based bleaching product. This will help combat the rehydration effect. It also allows you to maintain optimal whitening until you’re ready for your next professional treatment.

Ready for Your In Office Teeth Whitening?

Having your teeth professionally whitened is an excellent way to boost your self-esteem.

Whether you’re ready to get started or still have some questions, we’re here to help. Contact us today by phone or email or use our convenient online form.

source http://www.golsendental.com/what-to-expect-during-an-in-office-teeth-whitening-session/

Top 7 Worst Foods for Your Teeth

Apart from keeping your teeth white and healthy, good oral hygiene also helps towards your overall health.

But even if you keep up a good oral hygiene routine, you can still dame your teeth with the foods you eat. That fur that sits on the surface and makes your mouth feel gross after you eat a candy bar? Well, that’s not the only thing to avoid.

Here are 7 of the worst foods for your teeth.

1. Sour Candies

We all know candy’s terrible for our teeth. It’s been drummed into us since we were kids.

But sour candies are the worst kind. Why? Because the sour coating is actually full of acid.

This soft, sugary, acidic mix washes over and sticks to your teeth, delivering a double-whammy of bacteria and tooth decay.

2. Citrus Fruits

While an apple a day keeps the doctor away, too many oranges, lemons or other citrus fruits might make trips to the dentist more frequent!

The citric acid in these fruits can cause your tooth enamel to be damaged and break down.

3. Sugary Soda

There are over 9 teaspoons of sugar in a regular 12oz can of Coke.

Yup, you read that right. 9 teaspoons. In 1 can. And soda’s acidic, too – even the diet stuff.

Just 1 can of sugary soda a day, over time, will have a major effect on your teeth. Sugary soda can damage and even dissolve teeth, so keep that in mind when you pick up your next glass.

4. Coffee

Aside from the staining effect of coffee on your teeth, this popular beverage also creates an acidic reaction in your mouth.

Over time, the continued exposure to this acid can lead to tooth decay. And if you add sugar or creamer to sweeten things up, it’ll make things worse.

5. White Bread

This might surprise you, but white bread breaks down into sugar in your mouth.

Now, it’s true that any carbohydrate-rich food becomes a form of sugar in your body. But white bread does that so quickly, it could eventually harm your teeth.

6. Dried Fruit

Another surprise? While dried fruit can be healthy as part of a balanced diet, the sad fact is that it’s chock full of sugar.

As we know, sugar leads to tooth decay. Plus dried fruit is chewy and sticky, so it’ll find all those sensitive little nooks and crannies, and wreak havoc.

7. Popcorn

You might be thinking that caramel or cinema-sweet popcorn are the ones to avoid. Unfortunately, the plain or salted stuff’s bad for your teeth too.

Unpopped kernels can cause tooth cracking or breakage. And the thin outer shell of the kernel, attached to the corn, can be even worse. It can get lodged between your tooth and gum and cause cavities and decay. It can even lead to bone and tooth loss. Yikes!

The Verdict on the Worst Foods for Your Teeth

Beautiful teeth make a great pearly white smile, but they also have the practical function of making eating a breeze!

Seriously though, when it comes to your teeth, you don’t know what you’ve got ’til they’re gone. Look after them, practice good oral hygiene, and keep your intake of the worst foods for your teeth to a minimum.

Do all that, and you’re sure to have a lovely bright smile for years to come.

But there are more benefits to healthy teeth than just making you look good. Check them out here.

source http://www.golsendental.com/top-7-worst-foods-for-your-teeth/

4 Tips to Help Keep Your Teeth White

Your smile is so important, that’s why 48% of people believe that a person’s smile is what leaves the biggest impression. So that means it should be equally important to you to keep your teeth white and healthy.

There’s no reason to feel ashamed of your teeth yellowing, it happens to almost everyone. But it is crucial to remember that it’s up to you and only you to do something about it.

1. Keep Your Teeth White by Reducing Yellowing Factors

One of the best ways to keep your teeth white is keeping your teeth away from things that will stain or yellow them.

What Causes Teeth Yellowing?

There are so many different things that can cause your teeth to yellow, from the things you ingest, to your general health, and even your hygiene habits. Here are some of the causes and things you might consider staying away from:

• Dark liquids- There are certain darker liquids out there that are notorious for yellowing and staining teeth. Things like red wine, dark sodas, and black coffee.
• Smoking- There are certain properties and chemicals in cigarette smoke that will cause your teeth to become more and more yellow over time.
• Lack of brushing and flossing- Yellowing teeth could be a sign that you aren’t brushing and flossing your teeth enough. Or, it could mean that you just aren’t getting them clean enough when you do.

If any of these reasons apply to you, you may want to cut them out.

2. Brush Your Teeth After Each Meal

Doing this may seem excessive, but it will make a huge difference in your teeth’s whiteness. The longer that food and beverages sit on your teeth between brushing, the longer chance it has to alter the color of your teeth.

Try carrying a travel toothbrush with you when you go out or go to work to make it easier for you to brush after each meal.

3. Brush Once a Week With Baking Soda

This is an age-old trick that you’re probably tired of hearing. However, you hear about it all the time because it works.

Add a little baking soda to your wet brush, and get brushing. Make sure that you get into all of your teeth’s cracks and crevices, and be thorough. This will provide you with the best results.

4. Make Sure You See Your Dentist Regularly

This is the most important tip, and keeping your teeth clean and healthy is crucial to your overall health. See your dentist regularly, at least every six months, and you will see a difference in your smile.

With That Being Said…

There are tons of ways to keep your teeth white, but the most valuable tip from this list is keeping your dentist visits a top priority.

Schedule a checkup today and talk to your dentist about your teeth habits and how you can start getting those teeth white and pearly! In the meantime, head on over to our blog and check out even more great information about keeping your teeth healthy and clean!

source http://www.golsendental.com/4-tips-to-help-keep-your-teeth-white/