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Do You Have Sensitive Teeth? | Ottawa Dentist

If you’ve been experiencing jarring sharp pain when you eat or drink hot or even cold foods, during your oral care routine, or other times that make zero sense? You know it’s not something to ignore, but what is it? Chances are you’re experiencing sensitive teeth. Luckily this is very treatable. All it takes is a trip to the dentist.

Now for the reasons our teeth have become sensitive, and there are a variety of answers here. As we age, so do our teeth. With age the enamel on your teeth can wear, leaving your tooth roots exposed. This of course can cause those jolting pains with tempered food and drink or even if cold air hits the tooth. This is the most likely case or why you’re experiencing the tooth pain. But there can be other reasons, such as:

  • Over-brushing
  • Cracked or chipped teeth
  • Teeth grinding
  • Gum disease
  • Tooth whitening

Depending on the cause and severity of your sensitivity, you will benefit from professional treatment. There are a variety of treatments from simple solutions to oral surgery. Sensitive teeth solutions include:

  • Desensitizing toothpaste
  • Desensitizing or bonding
  • Surgical gum graft
  • Root canal

See your dentist at the first sign of sensitivity.  Often beginning problems can be easily treated.  If you wait to get treatment, you often end up with a bigger problem that is more difficult to treat.  Oftentimes sensitive teeth can be treated with a good cleaning and use of a special toothpaste. Your dental professional can help you find the ideal solution to prevent sensitive teeth from recurring.

For more information about sensitive teeth, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit www.ottawadentistryonkent.com.

Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serve patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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What to Know About a Smile Makeover | Ottawa Dentist

They say that first impressions are most important, and for many of these impressions, it begins with a smile. However, like most people, you’ve likely dreamt of having a better-looking smile – one that is straighter, and preferably, whiter. A smile that brightens a room!

So, how do we get this elusive Hollywood smile? It’s known as a smile makeover.

A smile makeover is a process whose main goal is to improve the appearance of the smile through a combination of various cosmetic dentistry treatments or procedures. The list of treatments includes, but are not limited to, dental veneers, composite bonding, tooth implants and teeth whitening. More than being a cosmetic procedure, though, a smile makeover carries a lot of functional and health benefits as well.

For example, those with malocclusions may find it hard to brush and floss their teeth, making them prone to tooth decay and gum disease. Correcting malocclusions through orthodontics can help solve that problem, as well as the other possible complications that come with malocclusion, such as speech impediments, accidental chipping and so on.

Cosmetic dental treatments alone are expensive enough, which makes it safe to say that a series of such treatments is bound to cost a lot – something that happens in a smile makeover. In fact, it would not come off as a surprise for patients to spend well over thousands of dollars just to get the smile they’ve always wanted.

Yes, a smile makeover is expensive, but as long as you see your smile as something that you’ll own and wear for the rest of your life, it should be easier for you to decide whether it is a worthy investment or not.

For more information about smile makeovers, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit www.ottawadentistryonkent.com.

Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serve patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Keeping Your Smile as Bright as Possible Between Whitening Treatments | Ottawa Dentist

Do you find that your teeth continue to yellow, despite all of your daily hygienic efforts? You are not alone. There are millions of people suffering from the same problem. And it has nothing to do with your dental habits. This happens because the outer layers of your teeth get stained over the years by consumption of beverages with caffeine, soda, wine and smoking. When these outside sources of staining are left to sit on the teeth all day until your next brushing, the dentin on your teeth becomes yellowish or darkened. The best way to help your stained discolored teeth is professional tooth whitening.

There are some of the various ways our teeth begin to get a yellow tinge. If you find that yours are caused by medications, address this with your physician. But many lifestyle habits we have are causes to stain our teeth over time:

  • Caffeine
  • Discoloration due to a health condition
  • Excessive exposure to fluoride as a child
  • Internal bleeding due to trauma
  • Natural aging- as time goes by enamel gets thinner and thinner and will get a yellowish hue
  • Smoking
  • Soda
  • Tetracycline based antibiotics used before the age of 8 years old
  • Wine

It is best to consult your dental professional for advice on keeping your teeth white, especially after a professional whitening treatment. After all, you want your bright smile to last as long as possible. Here are some simple rules to live by to try and slow the yellowing process:

  • Visit your dentist regularly for teeth cleanings
  • Rinse your mouth out with water several times throughout the day
  • Use toothpaste with whitening agents

For more information about teeth whitening, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit www.ottawadentistryonkent.com.

Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serve patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.

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Teeth Whitening for Children? | Ottawa Dentist

Are you a new parent? Is your smartphone basically a photo album of your little one? As new parents, we want to capture every second, every little development. After all, we live in a selfie world. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that teeth whitening procedures have skyrocketed over the past few years. Now, while most of those who undergo such cosmetic procedures are adults, there is an increasing number of parents showing interest in having their children’s teeth whitened. This then begs the question, is it safe to do so?

Before making such a decision, parents should know that permanent teeth will usually seem yellower than baby teeth. And this happens because baby teeth are smaller, whiter and brighter. Although, a bit yellower in tint, permanent teeth are not stained or unhealthy, but rather, they’re just naturally that way. So, if your child becomes conscious about the “yellowing” of their teeth soon after all their permanent set of teeth erupts, you’ll want to assure them that this is perfectly normal.

The best thing to do as a parent is to instill good dental hygiene habits and take him or her to the dentist regularly for checkups and professional cleaning. If you want some extra insurance, limit your child’s intake of stain-causing food items and beverages, such as soda and sugary drinks.

If you’re interested in having your child’s teeth whitening, or just made to look better, be sure to contact your child’s dentist and ask for a consultation first. They’ll be glad to give you an honest answer that will help you make the best decision for the well-being of your child.

For more information about teeth whitening, call Dr. Pliev in Ottawa, ON at 613-235-5348 or visit www.ottawadentistryonkent.com.

Dr. Konstantin Pliev proudly serve patients from Ottawa and all surrounding areas.