Dental blog - Stourbridge | Stourbridge West Midlands

How Long Does Teeth Whitening Take?

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Dr Philip McDermott

how long does teeth whitening take

One of the questions many people ask is how long does teeth whitening take, throughout this article we will look at this plus many other questions related to the whitening process.

Teeth get discolored due to many reasons over an extended period of time. Poor oral hygiene i.e., regular brushing and flossing, is one reason. But even regular brushing and flossing may not save your teeth from getting yellow over some time.

Other factors that cause discoloring of teeth frequently include tobacco consumption, liquor, certain types of foods with the ability to stain your teeth (like red wine, coffee and tea), and eating regularly, gastric acid, and genetic effects. And if your teeth got pale once, they will likely get discolored again in the future, needing many teeth whitening. Apart from the expense, how much of your precious time will that take? Teeth whitening is of three types, and each takes different times and offers different results and, of course, different expenses.

Conventional Whitening Schemes

Historically people have been conscious about the brightness of their teeth. Many whitening techniques and whitening kits have been used over the ages, and some are still in use in various parts of the world. These include brushing with biological material like a peal of the walnut tree, miswaak (cutting of a green branch of some medicinal trees like neem), charcoal, or soda or special oils (oil pulling).

Currently, many kinds of toothpaste based on these are also available in the market. These are cheap and are used as part of the brushing routine. Hence, they demand no extra time consumption. The results, of course, are slow and demand regularity.

Chemical Whitening

Much faster results are obtained by using new chemical products. The active agent almost invariably is the hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching gel used almost all whitening treatments and tends to bleach any tissue it comes in contact with. Thus, it can bleach your gums also.

The time required for teeth whitening and the resulting whitening effect depend on (1) the extent of staining to be removed (2) the strength of the chemical and (3) the time your teeth are exposed to it. There are three usual methods of chemical whitening.

At-Home Whitening– Over the counter products are available, which contain gels having carbamide peroxide. This chemical release hydrogen peroxide, which works on the teeth surfaces. The gel is applied in trays, which are pulled over the teeth and worn for some time.

How much time should you wear these trays for? As long as possible for as many days as possible, typically a minimum of 2 hours per day but often overnight. The first time you should wear the trays for about an hour only. If no untoward effects are noticed, you can gradually increase the wearing time which can extend to overnight also. The process will typically go on for two to four weeks.

Dentist Supervised at Home Whitening– Off the shelf home whitening products use gel trays with a universal size that everyone must wear. Such trays will not fit properly. There will be chances of a spillover of the gel and discoloring of your gums. A rather weak chemical must be used. To overcome this, your dentist can have a custom tray made for your teeth and give you a gel, which is stronger and faster. Still, you are advised to wear these trays along as possible even overnight. The advantage is that your gums will be safer, and you will wear them for fewer days.

In–Office Whitening– In-office whitening is the ultimate in teeth whitening. The dentist takes expert care to protect gums by applying a protective coating before applying the whitening chemical. The dentist can use a much stronger chemical safely and the time taken for whitening is much shorter, typically 30 minutes.

Usually, a few visits only are necessary each of which may extend over one to two hours. In some cases, the chemical action is expedited by laser treatment. That is often referred to as laser whitening. The “zoom” whitening is also offered by some offices, which completes the whitening process in two to three hours in a single day.

what are the risks of tooth whitening

The whitening process, especially the in-office procedure, is a safe procedure. However, some people may feel sensitivity for a few days. You may also feel mild irritation of your gums, which will wear off soon.

Tagged with: Teeth whitening
Posted in Cosmetic dentistry

My Gums Bleed When I Clean my Teeth, is this a Problem

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Dr Philip McDermott

Gums bleed when teeth cleaned

Do you notice a blood a bit of red or pink when you spit out the toothpaste after brushing? Or do find that your dental floss contains blood after you finish cleaning your teeth? If the answer to the above questions is a yes, then chances are that you are suffering from an underlying dental or medical problem. Although a very small amount of blood may not be any reason to be alarmed, if your gums bleed every time you brush your teeth, then it is a matter you must not take lightly.

Why Gums Bleed During Brushing?

You might wonder as to why your gums are bleeding in the first place? Here are some of the situations which can cause gum bleeding:

Gum Inflammation – The primary reason behind gum bleeding is gum inflammation, which is caused by the buildup of plaque and tartar deposits on the teeth and around the gums. Harmful bacteria which cause teeth cavities and periodontal disease find plaque and tartar deposits as ideal places for growth and breeding. When the bacteria grow in number, they utilize sugars from the plaque and tartar and release harmful metabolic products which result in an inflammation of the gums. This condition is clinically visible in the form of swollen, red and bleeding gums.
Medical Conditions and Medications– some chronic medical conditions such as kidney problems, vitamin C deficiency, and diabetes can also result in gum inflammation, which manifests in the form of bleeding while brushing or flossing. Furthermore, certain medications can also cause gum bleeding.
Hormonal Changes – some women also observe that their gums become sensitive and swollen during pregnancy, and they tend to bleed while brushing or flossing. Similarly, some women may have gum bleeding during menstruation.

Is it Normal?

As discussed earlier, occasional minor bleeding from gums while brushing or flossing is not something to be worried about. However, if you feel that your gums bleed every time your brush, then it is a cause for concern as it may be an indication of a more serious underlying medical or dental problems.

How to Stop Gum Bleeding

If you are also suffering from gum bleeding, then the following measures can help you get rid of it.

Oral Hygiene Maintenance – since poor oral hygiene is the most common cause of gum problems and bleeding, maintaining your oral hygiene through regular brushing and flossing can help you get rid of the inflammation.
Professional Teeth Cleaning – when plaque and tartar deposits have formed on the teeth, it’s virtually impossible to remove them through brushing or flossing. The only option available now to remove them is professional teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning involves the use of ultrasonic scaling instruments which remove the plaque and tartar deposits from the teeth. The cleaned teeth are then polished at the end of the procedure to slow down chances of re-attachment of plaque and tartar.
Eating Healthy Diet – eating tooth-friendly foods can go a long way in ensuring that you maintain pearly white teeth and healthy, pink gums throughout life.
Visit your GP – if the above-mentioned measures do not prove successful in treating the gum inflammation, then your gum problem might be because of an underlying medical problem. Moreover, certain medications for high blood pressure or seizures can also cause gum inflammation. Visit your GP so that an in-depth evaluation of the underlying cause can be made.

Frequent bleeding from your gums, either during eating or brushing, is a serious condition. Fortunately, it can be avoided by ensuring that you look after your teeth and visit your dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleaning. Simply follow these measures and you won’t have to see blood when you spit your toothpaste out after brushing!

Do I Need to Have a Dental Cleaning?

Before we discuss why teeth cleaning is important for everyone, let us understand what is meant by professional teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning is a dental procedure in which your dentist or dental hygienist will use special dental instruments to remove plaque and tartar debris form your teeth.

Many people feel that since they brush their teeth regularly, they don’t need to undergo professional cleaning. This assumption is not correct! While these people may not have to undergo teeth cleaning as frequently, but that would still have to get their teeth professional cleaned as recommended by their dentists.

Why Dental Cleanings are Necessary

When we eat our food, some of the food particles tend to adhere to our teeth. If these adhered food particles are not removed, they become safe havens for the growth and replication of bacteria which cause teeth cavities and gum inflammation.

Normally, brushing and flossing are good measures to remove these food deposits from tooth surfaces which can be easily accessed by the toothbrush or the dental floss. Unfortunately, regular oral hygiene measures such as flossing and brushing are unable to clean the tight spaces between adjacent teeth, and the back which are difficult to clean completely. As a result, bacterial start utilizing the plaque deposits on the teeth for their growth, and in turn, they release harmful toxins which cause inflammation of gums and periodontal infection.

If the condition is not corrected timely, the toxins released by the bacteria start destroying the fibers which attach the teeth with the gums and the jawbone. Ultimately, spaces, or “pockets” start to form between the teeth and the gums. With further disease progression, the toxins destroy the jawbone, making the teeth mobile in their sockets. If you continue to ignore the situation and don’t seek dental treatment, these teeth will eventually fall off!

But all this can be avoided with professional dental cleanings. During the cleaning procedure, your dentist will use an ultrasonic scaler, which vibrates at a very high frequency to remove plaque and tartar deposits on your teeth. If the periodontal problems are treated in their early stages, the chances of complete recovery are very high. Therefore, it is important that you visit your dentist regularly for checkups so that the plaque and tartar deposits are removed timely before they can cause periodontal inflammation.

How Often Do I Need to have my Teeth Cleaned?

Moreover, it is not necessary for everyone to undergo teeth cleaning twice a year. In fact, according to the latest recommendations of the American Dental Association (ADA), dentists will decide the frequency of teeth cleanings necessary according to the oral health status of the patients. While patients who are prone to having gum problems may need to undergo teeth cleanings twice a year, healthy individuals may only need to have their teeth cleaned once in a year.

Professional teeth cleaning is a safe and effective preventive treatment, which ensures that you retain sparkling white teeth and healthy gums throughout life. Furthermore, getting your teeth professionally cleaned has other advantages as well. In addition to preventing gum infections, teeth cleanings also help you in saving your hard-earned money, which would otherwise have been spent on restorative treatment. In addition, you will also save yourself from the inconvenience of undergoing lengthy procedures.

After all, we all know that prevention is always better than cure.

Tagged with: bleeding gums, dental hygiene
Posted in Dental health

Abscess on a Tooth; Everything you Need to Know

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Dr Philip McDermott

An abscess is a collection which can form inside an infected tooth, around inflamed gums or inside the jawbone. When an abscess appears around a tooth, it is known as a periodontal abscess.

What Causes an Abscess on A Tooth?

The primary reason for the development of a tooth abscess is poor oral hygiene. However, some of the situations which can increase the risk of development of a tooth abscess include:

Teeth Cavities – long-standing teeth cavities increase the chances of penetration of the harmful bacteria deeper within the tooth structure, thereby leading to the formation of an abscess.
Gum Disease – when there is prolonged adherence of the plaque and tartar on the teeth, the harmful bacteria result in an inflammation of the gums and the periodontal tissues, ultimately leading to an infection.
Tooth Injury – when a tooth becomes fractured or cracked due to an injury, there are chances that the underlying pulp tissue may become exposed to the oral environment. If this happens, the harmful bacteria result in an inflammation of the pulp tissue. If the condition is not treated timely, the infection may extend into the gums and periodontal tissues, resulting in a pus-filled swelling around the infected tooth.

What are the Symptoms of a Tooth Abscess?

The most common and obvious sign of a tooth abscess is swelling. However, if you’re suffering from some or all of the following symptoms, then there are chances that you are having an abscess on a tooth:

Pain – the pain may be continuous, or it may be felt whenever you eat or drink something. In advanced stages, the pain associated with a dental abscess may not be relieved with a painkiller.
Swelling – the swelling becomes visible due to the formation of pus around the tooth and the gums. Sometimes, pus can be seen oozing out of the swelling when you brush your teeth or press the inflamed gums.
Bad Taste and Odor – the bad taste and foul odor are due to the presence of pus inside the oral cavity.
Fever – severe infection inside or around the tooth can also result in high-grade fever.
Lose Tooth – the affected tooth may appear mobile due to long-standing periodontal disease.

How is a Tooth Abscess Treated?

The treatment of a tooth abscess involves elimination of the underlying cause. Some of the measures undertaken by dentists to treat an abscess include:

Professional Teeth Cleaning – this procedure involves the use of an ultrasonic scaler which is used for removing the plaque and tartar deposits from the teeth. This helps in reducing the symptoms, and in minimizing future chances of development of an abscess.
Root Canal Treatment – this is the ultimate solution to save an abscessed tooth from extraction. A root canal procedure involves using a special instrument to remove the inflamed pulp from the infected tooth.
Surgical Drainage of the Infection – if required, your dentist may also surgically drain the pus to reduce the symptoms.
Antibiotic Therapy – in case of severe infection, your dentist may also prescribe antibiotics which are helpful in accelerating the healing process.

Once the infection has been completely treated, the affected tooth is restored with a suitable filling material. In case the tooth receives heavy chewing forces, then it must be reinforced with a crown to prevent chances of fracture.

A dental abscess is undoubtedly a painful condition, which can be easily prevented. Simply maintain optimal oral hygiene through regular brushing and flossing, and frequent dental visits, and you won’t have to worry about gum problems, teeth cavities or tooth abscesses anymore.

Tagged with: tooth abscess
Posted in Dental health

What Causes a Dry Mouth?

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Dr Philip McDermott

We all know that water is essential for the survival and normal functioning of our body. But did you also know that the saliva, which is largely composed of water is also essential for our dental health? Our oral cavities are constantly being bathed with the saliva, which not only provides a cleansing effect on the teeth, but it also provides an antibacterial and digestive function.

What is Dry Mouth?

Under normal conditions, saliva is being constantly made inside the oral cavity by the salivary glands. However, there are certain conditions in which the oral cavity does not make enough saliva to perform all the essential functions. As a result, the mouth becomes dry and creates problems during speech and eating. This condition is known as dry mouth, scientifically known as xerostomia.

What are the Causes of a Dry Mouth?

A dry mouth can be caused due to a variety of reasons:

Dehydration – this is one of the most common causes of transient xerostomia. Conditions which excessive water loss from the body such as sweating, diarrhea, blood loss or vomiting can lead to a dry mouth.
Lifestyle Habits – excessive smoking or chewing of tobacco tends to damage the salivary glands. This results in reduced production and release of saliva into the oral cavity.
Nerve Damage – traumatic injury of the head or the face may result in damage to the nerves which supply the salivary glands, resulting in decreased salivary flow.
A side effect of Medical Treatments – damage to the salivary glands during radiotherapy or chemotherapy for cancer treatment can also cause dry mouth.
Side Effect of Medical Conditions – dry mouth can also be a side effect of various medical conditions like the HIV/AIDS and other autoimmune diseases, Sjögren Syndrome, Anemia, Cystic Fibrosis, Hypertension, Diabetes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Side Effect of Medications – certain medications such as those used to treat hypertension, epilepsy, anxiety, asthma, depression, and anxiety have also been known to cause xerostomia. However, in most cases, the dry mouth caused by them is transient and the condition goes away as soon as the medication is discontinued or replaced with another one. As well as causing a dry mouth sometimes these medications can also cause dry eyes.

Is Dry Mouth Dangerous for My Dental Health?

The persistent state of having a dry mouth can be dangerous for your oral health in many ways:

Teeth Cavities – when there is insufficient salivary production or release, the teeth do not benefit from the cleansing action of the saliva. As a result, plaque and tartar deposits form on the teeth and promote the formation of cavities.
Gum and Periodontal Problems – reduced salivary flow can also lead to the development of tooth decay and gum disease which cram progress into the more severe periodontal problems due to the adherence of plaque and tartar deposits.
Increased Chances of Dental Infections – saliva provides a protective and antibacterial action inside the oral cavity. When its production is reduced, the oral cavity becomes more vulnerable to the development of infections.

The first step in treating dry mouth is to talk to your dentist so that the underlying problem can be diagnosed.

Something you might want to try

Anything which stimulates saliva production. Sucking on sugar free sweets or chew sugar free gum.

A dry mouth can often cause a burning sensation due to the saliva glands which don’t work properly. If you can get your mouth wet by stimulating saliva production this may help this uncomfortable sensation.

Generally, dry mouth sensation goes away as soon as the underlying problem is removed. In addition, maintenance of optimal oral hygiene and increasing water intake to minimize the chances of dehydration also help in preventing xerostomia.

Tagged with: Dry mouth
Posted in Dental anxiety

Finding an emergency dentist near me-a guide to urgent dental care

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Dr Philip McDermott

How to find an emergency dentist near me

Finding an emergency dentist in an urgent situation can often be stressful. This guide is to help you understand the difference between a routine dental appointment and dental emergency and to help you find a dentist near you which may be able to help.

There are a range of websites which can help with finding an emergency dentist near you including the NHS Emergency dentists. The best way to ensure you have access to an emergency dentist is to ensure you are registered at a local dental practice at all times, this then makes finding treatment in urgent situations much quicker and easier, however the links above should help you in your search.

What is a dental emergency?

A dental emergency is any time where you:

Are in extreme dental pain.
Have severe dental bleeding.
Have chipped tooth and are in extreme pain.
Have chipped tooth and you have blood coming from the tooth itself (not necessarily around the tooth).
Have sudden and painful swelling in and around your jaw or tooth.

Typically you will not need to see an emergency dentist if:

You have chipped the tooth and there is no severe pain or bleeding.
A dental crown has come loose and you don’t have extreme pain.
You have knocked a tooth and you have been minor bleeding from around the tooth socket. If you have severe bleeding and/or bleeding from the chipped tooth itself then this is an emergency.

If any of the above are true then you should make an appointment with your dentist at the earliest convenience.

Common dental emergencies

Common dental emergencies include things such as:

Severe tooth trauma where a tooth has been avulsed (knocked out).
A dental abscess which appeared suddenly, this can either be on the gum (which you will see) or at the base of the tooth (which you may not see but will definitely feel).
Extreme pain on biting, this can sometimes be linked to a cracked tooth or infection.
Painful inflammation around an individual to.

A good rule of thumb for a dental emergency is:

Is there excessive pain?
Is there excessive blood?

If the answer to either question above is yes, then emergency dental care should usually be sought.

How to manage a dental emergency –

Practical urgent dental care advice

Managing sudden tooth loss

If you have lost tooth by trauma there are a few things to bear in mind:

Stay calm.
Attempt to stop the bleeding by getting the patient to bite down gently on some sterile gauze. Biting down on a used teabag can also help as the tannin in the tea has been shown to help control bleeding.
Ensure the head is tipped forwards so that any excess blood drained out of the mouth and is not swallowed.
If the tooth that has been knocked out this whole pick it up by the Crown (the part of the tooth which you can see).
If the knocked out tooth is whole and you are able to see which way round it goes then gently place it back into the socket if possible.
Place the knocked out tooth into a clean plastic bag and fill with milk if available.
Contact an emergency dentist or take the patient to your local accident and emergency department.

Managing extreme pain

If the dental emergency is due to severe pain then over the counter painkillers may help. You may also find that a cold pack applied on the outside of your cheek around where the pain is can help manage pain if it is localised to one particular area.

Rinsing with warm salt water can also help alleviate dental pain.

Cloves have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which can help manage sudden tooth pain and gum infections. Soaking a small cotton ball with clove oil and applying to the affected area may help.

How does the dentist treat emergencies?

A dentist will always undertake emergency dental treatment to treat the pain and bleeding first, after this it can move on to restorative treatments, depending upon what the initial problem was.

Tooth loss or extraction can be treated with a dental bridge or dental implant.
Loss of a dental crown can be replaced either with a new crown or have the old crown fitted again.
A dental abscess can be treated with root canal treatments.

Your dentist will also give medication such as antibiotics to treat any infection.

If you’re looking for an emergency dental practice or dentist in Stourbridge then please contact Dr Phil McDermott, your local friendly dentist; details of emergency appointments are always available on the practice answerphone even outside of normal working hours .

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