Dental

Whiter and brighter teeth can make your smile look radiant and drastically better. Professional at-office whitening treatments can give better results than at-home solutions. If you are considering teeth whitening Albuquerque, here are some important questions to ask your dentist Albuquerque.

How is the whitening done?

Teeth whitening can be done in many ways. The most common is the use of active ingredients and devices that hold the whitening agent to the teeth. Heat, light, or a combination of the two could be used along with them. Newer techniques that allow whitening in an hour or two, in a single visit, may also be used. Knowing the kind of whitening procedure used can give you an idea about the time you need to get brighter teeth as well as the cost incurred towards the same.

How long will the procedure take?

Depending on the kind of whitening method used, the entire treatment can take multiple sittings or get completed in a few hours. Whitening using UV lights can give immediate results, but typically need to be followed up with trays in subsequent visits. The zoom whitening method offers brilliant results in one to two hours. Knowing this is especially helpful if you want to whiten your teeth before a specific event or date, when you will need to plan your treatment well in advance. Another factor that affects the duration of the treatment is the degree of stains on your teeth. The more severe they are, the longer it could take for the results to show.  Your doctor, during the prior assessment, should be able to give you a fair idea about how the stains can affect your treatment duration, and how well they can be removed.

Is the treatment safe?

Most procedures are typically safe and do not pose health concerns. But it is important to assess the risks before starting, especially if you have certain health conditions, are pregnant, or are allergic to certain ingredients. Also, if you have gum disease or tooth decay, whitening can make your teeth feel uncomfortable or affect the tooth structure. Discussing such concerns beforehand with your doctor is extremely important for a safe and hassle-free tooth whitening experience.

How white will the teeth be?

Typically, the more concentrated the active ingredients, the whiter your teeth. However, using large amounts or very high concentrations can damage the teeth structure. Also, brilliant white teeth do not look natural on all complexions. As a rule of thumb, the right shade of white is one that matches your eyes. Before you whiten your teeth, discuss the shade options with your dentist and see that they match your expectations so that you have an idea about the results beforehand. Your doctor should be able to guide you on how far you can stretch it and what the best-matched should would be.

Will the teeth feel sensitive?

Sensitivity in the teeth is pretty common after a whitening procedure and generally lasts for 12 to 36 hours. This is because the teeth become temporarily dehydrated and unable to insulate nerve endings from varying temperatures. If you are worried about sensitive teeth, your dentist who offers teeth whitening in Albuquerque can help you with solutions or treatments that reduce the same without affecting the results of the whitening process.

Will other dental work be affected?

Dental work like caps and veneers, when they are placed in your mouth, are made to match the shade of the existing teeth. During whitening, the solution or active ingredients only causes a chemical reaction with natural enamel. Materials like resin or porcelain, which the implants are made with, are not usually affected. As a result, the natural teeth look whiter. Your dentist can give you an idea about the degree to which the caps or veneers will be affected and if they will need replacement post the whitening process so that your smile looks as natural and beautiful as possible.

What after-care is required? At-office teeth whitening in Albuquerque often needs to be followed up with at-home care. This varies depending on the kind of whitening treatment done and the nature of stains on your teeth. Your dentist will not only guide you on the right kind of products to use afterward but also draw up custom plans or routine post-treatment visits that help maintain the results achieved using the whitening procedure.

You do not think about your TMJ (temporomandibular joints) much, but use them a lot of times. The joints connect the jawbone to your skull and your TMJ works each time you swallow, chew and talk. Disorders occur when something goes wrong with your jaw muscles and jaw joints. TMJ cause debilitating to mild symptoms like.

• Headaches

• Pain in the neck, jaw, face, and ear

• Popping, grating or clicking sounds in the jaw when you close or opens your mouth

• Pain while chewing

• Locking of the jaw joint

Let us now discuss some of the common causes of TMJ pain

• Stress

• Improper biting

• Bruxism or excessive teeth grinding

• Excessive gum chewing

• Trauma to the jaw or mouth

• Arthritis

For instance, people with sleep apnea and fibromyalgia experience a higher incidence of TMJ pain. American Dental Association prescribes that it is best to start with simple TMJ Mclean pain treatment approaches and advance to complex treatments.

Home Treatment

For minor flare-ups, put ice on your jaw if the injury is more recent and acute (from excessive grinding and trauma). You can apply a moist, warm compress for releasing your muscles. From any counter, you can buy non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications to get relief. During a flare-up, give jaw enough rest by avoiding any arduous chewing. Cut your food into small pieces. You can try some soft foods like beans and grains, fish, cottage cheese, yogurt, scrambled eggs, cooked vegetables and fruits, and soup.

Massage

If you are exercising and stretching the joint, massaging becomes a natural fit. Most of them get relief from simple day end massages either done by a partner or solo. TMJ Association provides a recommendation that opens your mouth and starts rubbing the muscles by ears near your TMJ several times a day. On the sore areas, place the forefingers and swirl them around by pressing in gentle motion until your muscle relaxes. Repeat the technique by closing your mouth. Put your clean forefinger in your mouth until you can feel the sore muscles inside. Now press firmly and massage all the sides reaching as close to the joints you can. The final step is to massage the muscles on the side of your neck. These muscles do not directly control the jaw but if you massage them it helps in reducing the tension that contributes to jaw pain.

Stress Management Procedures

One of the crucial parts of TMJ McLean pain treatment is to reduce your stress. People hold a lot of tension in their jaws and with continued stress leads to high damage rates. There are techniques that one can practice regularly. For controlling your stress, try incorporating any of them into your routine.

• Acupuncture

• Tai chi

• Meditation

• Essential oils for relaxation and focus

• Yoga

• Biofeedback

Managing stress need not have to be a complex process. You can simply sit and focus on your breath for ten deep and full breaths multiple times a day that will help in relieving tension around the jaw.

TMJ dental devices and mouth guards

For many TMJ sufferers, the go-to treatment is with dental devices like splints and mouth guards which is a custom-fitted guard that needs to worn over the teeth. This type of procedure works best in moderate cases but for a shorter duration. Stabilization splints are widely used for TMJ disorders but studies show that their effects have been inconclusive. If you are using, use it for a short duration only and should not cause any permanent changes in y our bite. If a splint affects your bite or increases or causes pain, stop using and consult your healthcare provider. A well-balanced bite allows pitting less pressure on the jaw and helps to stop grinding your teeth during the night. Due to this reason, dentists recommend splints or short-term guards, braces for correcting alignment and Invisalign braces for adults.

Injections

Nowadays many are opting for injections to manage moderate to severe TMJ pain. Botox injections are used for treating migraine pain and provide relief to underlying muscle spasms that cause TMJ pain. Some TMJ McLean specialists use corticosteroid injections into the joint for reducing inflammation.