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Westchester NY Dentist on Keeping Your Smile Strong

Many people often and unknowingly associate old age with a poor set of teeth and oral health. However, this does not have to be the case! Chester Hill Dentistry treats many geriatric patients who have a full, natural smile still and asked them about some of their secrets. Today your Westchester NY Dentist has provided some of their tips, as well as some of our own to help our patients of all ages in growing older with their teeth.

One of the main factors that can lead to dental issues as you age is bone and tissue loss or weakening, which can be naturally occurring. These issues are most prevalent in women with menopause or with other medical conditions. To ensure strength everywhere from your teeth to your arms and more, make sure to include plenty of calcium in your diet. Even if taken in a tablet, it will increase and sustain strength- making issues like tooth loss or fracture less likely.

Medications taken for some of the above conditions and others, such as diabetes or hypertension, can also cause dental issues. Dry mouth is a most common side effect amongst these medications and can prevent saliva from doing its job. Saliva acts as a natural mouthwash for us, adding protective agents to the teeth and washing away any lingering food or beverage particles from causing harm.

No matter your age, it is important to always keep a steady at-home oral health regimen. Brush twice and floss once daily to remove any plaque that may have built up. Always make sure that your diet includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, as they will provide you with whole-body healthy vitamins and minerals needed to keep you healthy. If you have a dental appliance, such as dentures, make sure they are cleaned and taken care of daily as well. Lastly, make sure to maintain regular appointments with your Westchester NY dentist for cleanings and exams to keep on top of any looming dental issues.

Make sure you enjoy the matured, best years of your life in top-shape. Just because you have a few years under your belt does NOT mean you have to be a few teeth short.

Call your Westchester NY dentist today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about dental care as you age. We can be reached at (914) 939-2132.

Dentist Greenwich CT Talks about Tooth Discoloration

Everybody says that the foods and drinks that are the worst for you are the ones that taste the best. Sadly, this may be true for many people. These items are certain delicious, whether they’re paired with something or you’re simply enjoying it by itself, but they can cause unfortunate staining on your teeth. People can be terribly self-conscious about their smile because of the color of their teeth and your dentist Greenwich CT location wants you to know what foods to pass up on so the staining doesn’t happen to you.

Popsicles

Since it’s summertime and the heat may be unbearable, nothing sounds better than a nice, cool ice pop! But these flavor-filled treats are filled with dyes that can stain your teeth, tongue, and lips. They’re also filled with sugars that attack your teeth and can trigger sharp, sensitive pains in your teeth from the cold temperature. You’re better off just skipping out on these pops altogether.

Tomato Sauce

Paired with your favorite noodles, tomato sauce can pack a lot of delicious flavors, combined with the right herbs and spices. But the sauce is filled with highly acidic tomatoes, which can cause some tough stains. If this one meal you can’t live without, then use a light amount of the sauce and be sure to drink a lot of water to substitute the wine you may be pairing your meal with it (the wine just adds to the acidity).

Hard Candies

Many children love to eat candies like lollipops simply because it changes their tongue a different color, but the same thing happens to their teeth, as well. Just like popsicles, candies are filled with dyes that will stick around much longer than you want them to. Hard candies are also dangerous for your teeth because people are likely to bite down on them, which can crack or even break their teeth!

There are plenty of other foods and drinks that should be avoided because of the damage that it does to your teeth. A great tip for most of these is to carry around sugar free gum and drink a lot of water after each meal so the high amount of acidity is diminished as much as it can be before you’re able to brush your teeth.

Contact your dentist Greenwich CT location by calling (914) 939-2132 to schedule a consultation and save your teeth from any harmful staining foods!

Rye Brook NY Dentist on Sunnier Choices

Your Rye Brook NY dentist most likely enjoys summer just as much as you do. What we may know more about and have to treat the effects of more often though, is how a summer diet can impact the teeth. There is no doubt that we eat slightly different in summer than we do in the other months of the year, so today we will be examining how some of those choices can be detrimental, and what you can do to prevent any complications.

While the occasional BBQ can definitely be a staple of summer, we find most patients go for a lighter fare overall. Whether that is due to the amount of time in a bathing suit, or that the winter months are tending to be more “heavy hibernation food,” that is up for debate.

With that said, fun and light options such as salads, ciders, frozen coffees, sangrias, and wines are easy to prepare, easy to share and delightful to eat outside on your porch with friends. The problem with a majority of these foods and drinks is their low pH level, which can lead to the acidic erosion of the teeth, and high sugar levels. The combination of these two factors can lead to dental decay, disease, and worse over time if the proper maintenance steps are not in place.

To help battle the summer time dietary effects, there are a few things you can try. Alternate glasses of wine or other acidic/sugary beverages with glasses of water. If possible, try drinking them with a straw- so that you bypass the teeth for the most part. Also, brushing and flossing should never be neglected- but maybe wait about 45 minutes after these meals before you choose to do so. By brushing prematurely, you can be rubbing the acids into the teeth and not be allowing saliva to do its neutralizing process first.

Last, but not least, don’t forget to come see your Rye Brook NY dentist for a twice yearly cleaning and exam to keep your teeth in tip-top summer shape!

You can call our office today at (914) 939-2132 to schedule an appointment.

Westchester NY Teeth Whitening Location Wants to Improve Your Smile

Some people struggle with remembering small, but important routines without having a reminder of some kind, especially in the summer. Since children are out of school that means there’s more to do during the day when it feels like there’s not one free moment. If you choose to skip out on brushing your teeth, either in the morning or night, then you’re sacrificing your oral health, which can put you at risk for dental problems down the road. Dr. Fu at your Westchester NY Teeth Whitening location, Chester Hill Dentistry, wants you to know how to keep your smile white.

Brushing is the number one way! Skipping even one brush in the morning or night allows the bacteria from the last thing you ate or drink to linger even longer in your mouth. These bacteria are slowly breaking down your enamel and the minerals that are supposed to be protecting your teeth. Taking two minutes when you wake up and before you go to bed isn’t sacrificing a lot when you’re doing more damage by ignoring your toothbrush.

Flossing is just as important as brushing your teeth, even though it’s not taken as seriously. When you floss, you’re getting in between in the creases that your toothbrush is unable to do by itself. If you ignore flossing, then you’re allowing bacteria to stay stuck in between your teeth, which can cause cavities and further dental problem.

Watching what you eat is next. When you pick something to eat, you’re making a conscious decision for that certain food to coat the inside of your mouth. While you can make any choice you want, it’s important to remember what certain foods do to your oral hygiene. If you’re eating or drinking something acidic or sugary, it’s immediately attacking your enamel, teeth, gums, and tongue. If you want to improve this, eating crunchy fruits and vegetables like cut up apples, carrots, celery, and other snacks act as stain removers for your teeth. Some of these snacks are naturally filled with water, so they won’t dry out your mouth and cause trouble for you to produce saliva.

If you’re still not satisfied with your smile, then you can always contact Dr. Fu and consider in-office teeth whitening. You can either schedule a procedure to get it done within an hour, or you can purchase a take-home kit from the office. For more information about keeping your smile bright, contact Dr. Fu’s Westchester NY Teeth Whitening location, Chester Hill Dentistry, by calling this number (914) 939-2132.

Greenwich CT Invisalign Advantages

As a top provider of Greenwich CT Invisalign, Dr. Fu believes whole-heartedly in the power of this relatively new orthodontic tool in delivering amazing results for our patients. These clear, medically approved hardened plastic retainers move the teeth slightly, week by week, but have been moving the world of orthodontics quite quickly since their invention. Today we will be reviewing some of the ways that clear braces, such as Invisalign, have advantages over the traditional metal braces we have all known and seen for years.

The first advantage of the Invisalign system over traditional braces is the reason most patients prefer these retainers in the first place: their appearance. The mouth full of metal and bands look can be a thing of the past thanks to Invisalign, where most people, besides your doctor and yourself, may not even be able to tell you are receiving treatment. You wear the clear retainers most of the day, except while eating or drinking, so do not suffer from embarrassing mishaps such as food being stuck in the brackets either.

In relation to the makeup of the devices can also come issues of safety. In the structure of traditional metal braces, you have brackets and wires, which especially at first placement, can cause the tongue to wander and potential abrasions to result. With Invisalign systems, there is no extra pieces of material or overhang, nor room for harm caused by them. Your retainer is specifically molded to your teeth and fits you perfectly, without discomfort. In the event you need to remove your retainer for any reason- you can at any point. This flexibility is also a big benefit over braces, where only a trained professional can remove your device after treatment is complete.

Lastly, time of treatment with Invisalign is much shorter than regular braces. Where the later may take from 2 to 4 years to straighten your teeth, the former can only take a year or 2 to be effective.

For more information on orthodontic services from the top provider of Greenwich CT Invisalign, please call our office today at (914) 939-2132.

To Protect Your White Smile, Your Dentist Greenwich CT Location is Here to Help

There are well-known items to avoid your teeth from becoming stained. Coffee and smoking are two of the most popular, but there are other harmful substances that can damage the surface of your teeth and make them become that unattractive yellow color that patients do their best to steer clear of. Here are some foods and drinks that your dentist Greenwich CT location wants you to think twice about before using.

Tea

People believe that just because they avoid drinking coffee and switch to tea means that they’re off the hook, but that’s not the case. Tea is still a dark liquid, much like coffee. Many different kinds of tea have tannin in them, which is also in wine, and it is notorious for damaging the surface of your teeth. If you’re unable to avoid tea altogether, then try drinking more water in your daily regimen, while also brushing your teeth when you’re finished.

Berries

Since it’s summer and nothing feels better than a handle of fresh berries, it’s easy to pop these in your mouth for a quick snack or add them to a meal. But berries have the ability to damage your enamel, as well, since they have a large amount of color pigments within them. You’ve seen how easy they can stain clothes and other surfaces—why would your teeth be any different?

Cough Drops

Even though these are beneficial for your throat doesn’t mean you should substitute it if you have a sweet tooth. Cough drops do the same damage to your teeth that other candies do because you’re sucking out the flavors, which are sticking to your mouth and teeth. Also, make sure you don’t bite down on these! They can cause chips or cracks on your teeth, maybe without your knowledge, which can cause serious damage down the road!

If you’re wondering what other foods and drinks could be doing more damage to your mouth than you previously knew, don’t hesitate to contact your dentist Greenwich CT location at this number (914) 939-2132 to schedule an appointment today!

Get the Right White Smile from Your Cosmetic Dentist Westchester NY Location

Though people wish for whiter teeth, they believe that making an appointment is inconvenient. That’s why over-the-counter teeth whitening kits are now available—people can wear the strips on the go. Unfortunately, these kits don’t always provide what they may promise, leaving people with unsatisfied whitening and a hole in their pocket. This is why you should visit Dr. Fu at your Cosmetic Dentist Westchester NY location so he can get it done the right way!

Cosmetic dentistry like teeth whitening is relatively new, but when it was first introduced by dentists, it was made to only be performed by dentists. Some of these kits that patients can buy in the store or online aren’t always safe. They can have harmful ingredients that can damage the gums and tooth enamel. Patients don’t know the proper products for these whitening kits. If patients do choose to invest in these at home kits, dentists want them to do their research and ask questions.

Another fact to know about DIY teeth whitening is that they are certainly not cheap. They give you a certain amount of strips that have to be used day and night, and if you want to continue to keep your teeth white, you must continue buying new kits. These kits can be up to $60, but patients can invest much more into this process. Even though these are pricey, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll work better than the generic brand ones. The point of these over-the-counter kits is to be expensive, but not enough that you would choose to go to a cosmetic dentist instead of grabbing these while you’re already at the store at your convenience.

Dr. Fu is able to professionally whiten your teeth with the correct products and provide you with a smile that fits your looks and personality. If you have any other questions or concerns about teeth whitening, call this number (914) 939-2132 to contact your Cosmetic Dentist Westchester NY location.

Dentist Greenwich CT says Leave it to the Professionals

With the popularity and growth of a technology can come certain individuals who use these tools for a less “admirable” means than others. What we are referring to specifically is online DIY (do-it-yourself) videos, growing every day in popularity and helping millions worldwide, but also capable of spreading some dangerous sights and ideas. Your dentist in Greenwich CT has heard, and seen some videos online that deal with DIY dental care, and wishes today to discuss the adverse effects some of these practices can have.

A majority of these videos online deal with users putting their tooth that fell out back in with glue, repairing a chipped tooth with some substance or even using rubber bands as a form of braces. Some even get so brazen as to try and fix their dental appliances (dentures, bridges) by themselves as well. The long story short is that many of these “fixes,” while they may work in the short-term, can ultimately cause more damage in the long run.

As a result, DIY orthodontics users have had teeth fall out, revert to their previous state or get worse…and using glues or non-medically approved adherents has led to poisoning, extractions, and more negative outcomes as well.

To put this issue into perspective a bit more, just think quickly about the following:

Dental professionals, including your dentist in Greenwich CT, go to an extra four years of school past their college education, and even more to become a specialist in an area. This means that not only do most dentists you see in your lifetime have some 8-10 years of post-high school education in a specific area, but they also utilize techniques that are approved and practiced across the world, and have been for (in some cases) hundreds of years.

And although it is assumed most patients will turn to these DIY trends because of financial or dental fear reasons, our office has ways to help you overcome both. Trust in your dentist to give you the best in dental care, not some YouTube user with an account name like “HuggiePanda6”.

To schedule an appointment with your dentist in Greenwich CT, please call our office today at (914) 939-2132.

Westchester NY Dentist on Tongue Troubles

With the month of May being “National Better Hearing and Speech Month,” your Westchester NY Dentist wanted to take the opportunity to discuss the importance of the latter half of this: speech. Every day your teeth, tongue, lips, cheeks and rest of your mouth plays a huge factor in the way that you speak by combining multiple complex systems in hopes of articulating a clear result.

Sometimes, however, there are mouth related conditions, such as OMDs, Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders, that can negatively impact speech.

What are OMDs and how do they affect my speech?

OMDs correlate to the tongue’s placement in the mouth either while speaking or swallowing. It may move too far back or forward, in between the teeth during speech or rest. This can result in an outward tongue thrust and speech impediment with certain sounds (such as “ch” “sh” or “th”) that can dissipate with age, but can also stay around until corrected.

Causes of OMDs?

Although allergies, enlarged tonsils, and heredity can cause OMDs, so can some dental related issues. Chronic thumb sucking, teeth grinding and biting at other objects, especially while still young, can alter the shape of the jaw and teeth- that may lead to OMDs. These causes may also lead to other orthodontic and dental work being required as the patient ages, as well.

How are OMDs diagnosed and/or treated?

A dentist or orthodontist may be able to diagnose OMDs when the tongues continual pressure affects alignment or eruption of the teeth. Consistent airway blockage due to this behavior could also be a warning sign.

Some of the best forms of treatment are related to behavioral therapy. These means will help the patient increase strength in, coordinate with and become aware of the muscles in the mouth and tongue, helping them to speak and swallow easier.

Disorders like OMDs are just some of the ways that the mouth can affect speech and overall impact an individual’s life. Other issues such as TMJ disorders, oral cancer, saliva reproduction issues and various misalignments of the teeth can also affect speech, and be diagnosed and potentially treated with the assistance of dental professionals like your Westchester NY Dentist.

To further discuss the importance of your mouth in speech, or to schedule an appointment today, please call (914) 939-2132.