If you’re reading this article, chances are that you’ve just understood the importance of flossing and want to pick this good habit, right? Kudos to you! Flossing is essential to maintain good oral health and hygiene since it removes plaque from the areas of your teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach.

Dentists all over the world recommend flossing twice every day to keep a healthy set of teeth and decrease your risks of developing gum disease.

But how should you floss? It’s just a thread, right? How are you supposed to slide it up into your narrow teeth gaps? What’s the motion to follow while flossing? The answers to these questions and more are coming up in the following section!

1. Hold it right

First things first! If you have to floss properly, you have to hold it properly. Take out about 10-15 inches of dental floss. Wrap the dental floss around your index finger on both hands and leave a 4-inch gap in between.

Then put both your thumbs on the gap, leaving 2 inches of floss in between your thumbs. This is the length of the floss that you’ll use to clean your teeth and your thumbs will help in guiding the floss across your teeth.

2. Slide it up

The next step, of course, is to slide the dental floss up between your teeth. Slide all the way up and gently slide beneath the gum line. Yes, it’s not dangerous!

3. Move it horizontally

You don’t move the dental floss up and down. The correct way to move the dental floss is horizontal movement. Use your thumbs to press the floss in and move it like a saw.

4. Move from one tooth to the next

Make sure you’re sliding underneath the gum line on either side of each tooth. Keep flossing each tooth until you hear a squeaking sound.

And that’s how you should floss every day for at least two full minutes, twice! You might encounter some problems while flossing. If you notice your gums bleeding while flossing, it is a sign of gum infection. Get immediate gum disease treatment in Cypress TX from the best dentist open near you today. This is to prevent this infection from advancing into gum disease.

If your dental floss keeps wearing out, this is a sign of concern too and you must consult your dentist. However, after 2-4 days, you’re likely to see these problems away!

To start with, teeth whitening at the dentist’s clinic is not unaffordable! Yes, it’s a little bit more expensive, but by the end of this article, you’d know why it’s worth it!

No one’s pearly whites can be pearly forever! Over the years, the food and beverages that you’ve had have stained your teeth from within and thus, brushing and flossing would never be enough to whiten your teeth. But how do teeth get stained from within? That brings us to the first fact about teeth whitening!

1. There are pores in your teeth

Yes, like a sponge! There are pores in your teeth that gradually absorb the colors of the foods and beverages that you have. This is how they get stained from within.

Teeth whitening is done with the help of a bleaching agent that widens these pores, penetrates your teeth and removes the stains from within. Most often, this bleaching agent is hydrogen peroxide.

2. Your teeth become a little more sensitive after whitening

But only temporarily! When the pores in your teeth are widened, the dentin beneath is a little more exposed. The dentin covers the pulp which harbors sensory nerve endings. Thus, when the dentin gets more exposed, you experience a little more teeth sensitivity.

However, the pores begin to relax automatically once the effect of the bleaching agent subsides, so does your teeth sensitivity!

3. You cannot whiten an artificial tooth

Crowns, implants, dentures, and veneers cannot be whitened with the traditional teeth whitening process. The bleaching agent only works on natural teeth.

4. In-office teeth whitening produces better and faster results 

At a dental clinic, your teeth can be whitened up to numerous shades higher, only within an hour or two. At-home whitening kits usually take months to produce the results that professional whitening produces in a matter of a few hours! As per WebMD,

The most dramatic results — teeth generally get three to eight shades brighter — usually take several 30- to 60-minute in-office visits. Some dentists use techniques that can be done in a single 2-hour appointment (e.g. the Zoom system).

5. Whitening is not ideal for kids 

Generally, kids don’t need whitening at all, since their teeth have barely been stained. However, sometimes kids may get discolored teeth due to medications, poor oral hygiene, and other reasons (those sugary candies)! The fact is, most pediatric dentists do not recommend teeth whitening to kids. The American Dental Association (ADA) says:

“The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry discourages full-arch cosmetic bleaching for children with mixed dentition because it can result in a mismatched dental appearance when the permanent dentition erupts.”

6. Whitening is safe 

There are no side effects associated with teeth whitening in adults. It does not harm your teeth at all! The bleaching agent only removes the stains from your teeth and the process is non-abrasive for the most part.

Moreover, many dentists prefer giving you a fluoride treatment after whitening, which does more good than harm to your teeth.

7. UV whitening is not really effective!

You’ve heard a lot about teeth whitening with UV rays, haven’t you? The fact is, this process does help your teeth to get a brighter shade in a short period. However, this whitening is temporary.

As for that matter, teeth whitening itself does not last for more than a year, but whitening with UV rays doesn’t last even that long! Moreover, UV rays are known to cause cancer. So why would you take the risk, anyway?

Remember, a professional teeth whitening session is a better place to invest in than at-home whitening kits. Dentists have the expertise of knowing what would suit your needs the best and how to get that done. If you’re looking for a teeth whitening dentist in Cypress TX, click here.

Over 3 million people in the U.S alone have dental implants, and the number is increasing by 500,000 every year. In Cypress, TX alone, thousands of dental implants are reported each year.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants consist of an artificial root that is usually made of titanium, with a crown that is fitted on top of it, resembling a natural tooth!

Why get dental implants?

Dental implants could be an alternative to lost teeth, badly decayed or infected teeth or even broken teeth. Preventing bone loss and oral defects in adjacent teeth are a few of the many reasons why dentists recommend dental implants.

Do dental implants hurt?

Yes, and no! The surgery would obviously not hurt you since you’d be given local or general anesthesia to help you relax during the process. However, there would be some residual pain after the surgery. Thankfully, most patients have said that the pain during the healing phase is only as much as that of tooth extractions. Painkillers like Ibuprofen are enough to get rid of such pain!

What are the types?

Based on the surgical technique, there are two common types of dental implants: Endosteal and Periosteal. 

Endosteal implants are those in which the root of the implant is implanted directly into the jawbone, just like the root of a natural tooth. This makes the implant strong, firm and durable.

Periosteal implants, on the other hand, are for patients who do not have enough jawbone to support the implants. In this case, the implant is below the gums, but above the jawbone.

If your dentist deems necessary, he may suggest other surgeries like sinus lift, bone augmentation or bone graft, to achieve enough bone to perform an endosteal implant.

Based on the type of material used, implants can be categorized into titanium and zirconia implants.

Titanium implants are the most common type. They come in two parts: the crown and the root, and gives the dentist enough control over the surgery to perfectly place and fit the implant. They are strong and durable and are known to last for decades. However, some patients are allergic to the metallic nature, and thus, go for zirconia implants.

Zirconia implants are known for their aesthetics. They are of ceramic nature and emit a bright and natural white color, that perfectly resembles a beautiful natural tooth. However, they come in one piece and hence, do not give the dentist enough control over the positioning and fit of the implant. Furthermore, these implants have not been in the market for long enough to prove their durability.

Which type is cheaper? 

Generally, titanium implants are cheaper than zirconia implants. However, dental implants are expensive restorative dentistry procedures. You’d hardly find any significant cost deductions when it comes to dental implants since the materials for the implants remain the same.