Get your Smile Ready for the Holidays

The holidays will be here soon, and with them come countless parties, get togethers and pictures. Is your smile ready? If you’re looking to get your smile ready for the season, we can help. One of the easiest and quickest ways to get a dazzling, photo-ready smile is to whiten your teeth, and Dr. Eric Meyer offers both ZOOM! and BriteSmile whitening systems.

The ZOOM! and BriteSmile systems are chair-side whitening procedures that are done in our office, using a safe whitening gel combined with low-intensity light. The light activates the hydrogen peroxide in the gel, which can lighten your teeth up to 10 shades in only an hour! Unlike other whitening systems that involve multiple sessions and take-home trays, ZOOM! and BriteSmile produce results that are both drastic and quick, which makes whitening your teeth an easy way to improve your smile during this busy season.   

For the best results, patients should have their teeth cleaned prior to the whitening procedures since tartar and plaque can prevent the whitening gel from working in certain areas. By having your teeth cleaned, you are ensuing that you get an even, white smile.

To schedule an appointment in Fullerton, CA, call 714.879.7943. For more information, please visit www.fullertondental.com. 

Enamel Erosion and Fluoride

Tooth enamel is the semi-translucent, hard, outer layer of the teeth, and although it is the strongest substance in the human body, it is not impervious to everyday wear and tear or acid erosion. Tasked with protecting our teeth from the daily damage of biting and chewing, as well as from the temperature extremes of hot and cold foods, tooth enamel is important for keeping our teeth free of decay and pain. But if the enamel begins to erode, intervention is necessary for protecting your oral health.

Tooth enamel erosion can be caused by a number of factors, from drinking too many soft drinks or fruity juices to not cleaning your teeth often enough. Other contributing factors include eating lots of sour foods or candy, dry mouth, acid reflux disease, bulimia, teeth grinding, heaving drinking and even brushing teeth immediately after consuming acidic food or beverages. When the tooth enamel erodes, you may experience sensitive teeth, irregular or rough tooth edges, yellowed teeth and cupping or dents.

At our practice in Fullerton, CA, Dr. Eric Meyer recommends fluoride treatment to strengthen teeth and prevent decay. Fluoride is a mineral found naturally in our water and many of our foods and can help remineralize tooth enamel that has eroded and protect it from acid in the future. Especially important to children between the ages of 6 and 16, fluoride treatment is a common part of dentistry. The mineral can be applied as a foam, gel or varnish and is a much stronger dose than found in toothpastes and mouthwashes.

To see if fluoride can help you, schedule an appointment with Dr. Meyer by calling 714.879.7943. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

Why Water is Your Teeth’s Best Friend

If you’re one of those people who don’t drink enough water, then you should know that the clear, tasteless liquid is actually essential for achieving good health. This is because your body is between 60 to 65 percent water, and the liquid is used for a variety of bodily functions. Your body uses water to maintain its temperature, remove waste and lubricate your joints, and staying hydrated helps it function better as a whole. In addition to these benefits, water is also an important player in your oral health. Many dentists even consider water to be teeth’s best friend.

One of the many benefits that drinking water can provide our mouths is that it can help prevent bad breath. In fact, one of the most common causes of bad breath is dehydration. When there is not enough saliva in your mouth, bacteria is provided a suitable environment in which to thrive, and this can cause bad odors. By drinking water, you can cut down on these smelly bacteria.  

However, bacteria in the mouth do more than smell. The bacteria that cause bad breath are also the cause of cavities and gum disease, so drinking water can help keep your mouth healthy in addition to less smelly. Water provides a great way to keep your teeth clean between brushings since it is able to wash away foods and liquids that can damage your teeth. While it is not a replacement for brushing and flossing altogether, drinking water with your meal or afterward can wash away the acid and particles that can erode enamel and attract bacteria.

Seeing a dentist is also a vital part of a good oral hygiene routine, and in Fullerton, CA, Dr. Eric Meyer has the skill and experience to provide the care you need for optimal oral health. Call 714.879.7943 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

Food and Drinks that Stain Your Teeth

If you’re determined to keep your pearly whites actually white, then you probably already brush your teeth daily and see your dentist periodically, but brushing can often times not be enough to keep your smile bright. This is because a lot of the food and drinks we consume can stain our teeth.

The staining power of food and beverages depends on two factors, and the first is the color of the food. Intensely colored foods and beverages tend to be the worst for our teeth. If you would be worried about spilling a certain food or drink on a white tablecloth, you can bet that it has the potential to stain your teeth. The color in food comes from chromogens, which are highly pigmented molecules that have the tendency to latch onto tooth enamel. The second factor that determines staining power is a food or beverage’s acidity level. Acidic food and drinks, even those that are not brightly colored, can promote stains by eroding the dental enamel, temporarily softening teeth and making it easier for chromogens to stick.

The top teeth-staining foods and beverages that you should avoid from whiter teeth are wine, tea, soda, sports drinks, berries, sauces and sweets. To minimize staining without forgoing your favorite foods and drinks, you can try using a straw, swallowing promptly and swishing with water. This minimizes the amount of time the acidic and colorful food is in contact with your teeth.

If your still unhappy with the color of your teeth after practicing good oral hygiene, you can also come to our practice in Fullerton, CA for teeth whitening services. Dr. Eric Meyer offers both ZOOM! and BriteSmile, which can whiten your teeth up to 10 shades in only an hour. To schedule an appointment, call 714.879.7943. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

Does Your Tooth Still Hurt After a Root Canal?

If you’re still experiencing pain after a root canal, you may be wondering why. Aren’t root canals meant to take your pain away? There are many reasons why your tooth may still be hurting. It is possible that the base of your tooth root (periapical) is still slightly tender or that your pain is caused by a temporary filling that is a bit too high. In these cases, taking OTC painkillers, preferably ibuprofen, may be all you need to alleviate your pain while your root canal heals.

However, if you’ve had a root canal at our practice in Fullerton, CA and are still experiencing pain that is severe or persistent, you should call our office immediately. The dentist may need to prescribe you an antibiotic to make sure the infection does not remain, or he may need to perform retreatment.

At your follow-up appointment, Dr. Eric Meyer will want to know what type of pain you are experiencing. Is your tooth sensitive to hot and cold? Is it the tooth root that is sensitive or the gums that are over the tooth? Is it a constant ache, or does it only hurt when biting? Is there any swelling, drainage or pus? The answers to these questions will give Dr. Meyer the information he needs to diagnose your pain.

Root canals don’t always work, and there are many reasons for this, including fractures of the root, convoluted or twisted root structures and failure to protect the root canal after the procedure. If this occurs, you may need further treatment. If the root canal was successful, it should feel normal most of the time.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Meyer in Fullerton, CA, call 714.879.7943. For more information about the dentist and his services, visitwww.fullertondental.com.

Dental Implants

If you have teeth missing or are in need of an extraction due to decay, disease or injury, dental implants provide an attractive and long-lasting solution for filling the gaps in your smile. While bridges and dentures can also solve the problem of missing teeth, these alternatives either require alteration to the teeth adjacent to the gap or are not permanent fixtures in the mouth. At our office in Fullerton, CA, Dr. Eric Meyer uses dental implant restorations to help patients achieve a complete smile that they can be proud of.

The implant process can take between three to six months to complete, and the first step is to implant a titanium screw in the jawbone through an incision in the gums. This screw serves as your replacement tooth root and keeps your jaw from deteriorating or changing shape. Once the screw is in place, the gums are sutured and the bone is left to heal around the implant. This healing process is called osseointegration, and while it takes place over the next several months, you may receive a temporary crown for easier speaking and eating.

Once the jaw has healed, an abutment will be placed on top of the implant to serve as the foundation on which your permanent crown will be fixed. The tooth restoration is then custom made for your mouth and is either screwed or cemented in place so that you may enjoy a complete smile that both looks and feels natural.

To schedule an appointment with our office, call 714.879.7943. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

Intraoral Camera

Dental technology has greatly improved the diagnosis of dental issues over the years, making early treatment of decay, infection and disease possible. With advancements, such as intraoral cameras, dentists can view patients’ teeth easier and more accurately, which helps them diagnose dental issues earlier and treat them with less invasive methods. At our office in Fullerton, CA, our patients’ oral health is important to us, so we use intraoral cameras and other top-of-the-line technology to keep them smiling.

The intraoral camera is an effective tool for viewing patients’ teeth and mouth from different angles. This allows us to see the mouth from angles that were not available even a couple years ago. The camera connects to a monitor that lets us see the structures of the teeth more closely and with better accuracy than traditional methods. These digital images allow the patient and insurance companies to see what the doctor has seen, which lets you understand your oral health better and gain procedure acceptance from your insurance company more easily. In addition, by using digital intraoral cameras and digital X-rays, instead of traditional dental X-rays, your dentist can limit your exposure to radiation.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric Meyer, call 714.879.7943. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.