I like the sonicare better as personal preference. They both do a good job of removing plaque when used properly.

Whitening mouth washes will work to some extent if you have extrinsic stains. I prefer a mouthwash with alcohol because it will kill more bacteria.

Oral Irrigators should NOT replace flossing. They are most helpful for cleaning around orthodontic appliances and under bridge work.

The Colgate Total Advanced line is very good but you will pay a premium for them. I use a tooth paste with triclosan so take that fwiw.

Interesting but not entirely novel. There have been several attempts to imunize against S. Mutans bacteria with minimal success. S. Mutans is the biggest culprit in decay but is not the only player. I do not know of any good studies on that particular compound.

Veneers are primarily for improving esthetics. If there has been damage from decay and or neglect more involved restorations such as crowns may be needed. They are usually between $750-$1200 depending on where you live.

Hi MinRaze, can you tell me if home teeth whitening treatments will whiten a crown? Or is it just natural teeth?

Thanks very much!

Hi, also, could a badly fitted crown on one of your two front teeth cause your f's to go 'soft'!?

Basically a dentist fitted a new crown. It is just a very little bit light in colour hence my first question, but I don't think he has positioned it properly. It seems to jut forwards slightly when I look at it in profile, and when I bite down my lower teeth touch just the other front tooth (which also has a crown on it - stupid childhood accident caused the problem). It doesn't look noticeably bad from the front, but I do pronounce my f's differently and it is funny when biting down.

Am seeing dentist next week. What do you think to my issue and what would you normally be able to ask a dentist in terms of redoing it?

Thanks very much for your help!

does glycerin in toothpaste weaken your tooth enamel?

No whitening treatments will whiten a crown.

If the crown is short and you are not able to create a seal between your upper teeth and lower lip it would alter your F sounds.

No.

I read that if you don't go to a dentist regularly, you are at a higher risk of heart disease. Is this correct, and if so, why? I haven't been to a dentist in probably around 4 years, but I brush several times a day plus floss maybe 2 or 3 times a week. Does this lack of going to a dentist increase my chances of dying of heart disease?

Correlation /= causation

Do too many kids get braces nowadays?
It seems like so many do now compared to the past.

The correlation is getting harder to ignore as more studies come out. The causality is currently unkown but the prevailing theory is that the inflamitory compounds that are released into the blood stream by gingivitis and periodontal disease have a negative impact on cardiovascular health.

There is a trend these days to do ortho in 2 stages which leads to better outcomes. But it means you will see younger kids in appliances. This may be what you are noticing?

I'm interested in reading these studies, bc there is no way in hell to have a study designed to eliminate the 100s of confounding factors that contribute to heart disease and have a sample size that well yield meaningful results.

Ppl who have poor dental hygiene are also likely to take less care of their cardiovascular health.

I'm sure there are studies that prove the correlation and thus poor dental hygiene can be called a risk factor, but taking the next step and claiming it's a causative factor requires soooooo more evidence than what exists.