Beauty and Personal Grooming

The holidays are considered the most wonderful time of the year for a season that is filled with festive decor and sugary treats. Although most people pay close attention to their waistline with what they eat, the holiday foods consumed can also stain your teeth and cause them to become yellow. To prevent discoloration and protect your natural shade, there are a few foods to skip this Christmas.

If you are a smoker and need to have a tooth pulled, you are likely wondering whether you’ll be able to smoke after the procedure. The truth is that smoking immediately after a tooth extractions is extremely risky and delays your healing process. You will be encouraged to wait at least 72 hours after your tooth has been pulled.

Buck teeth are present if two or more of an individual’s front teeth extend so far out that they cover the lower lip. They are often the result of genetics, thumb sucking, tongue thrusting, or the overuse of a pacifier. Children and adults may develop this severe overbite and feel embarrassed about their smile, especially if they are overtly conscious of their so called "rabbit teeth". Ashamed of your buck teeth?

Dental implant surgery is done to replace missing tooth or teeth. Dental implants are metal posts or frames, usually made of titanium, that are surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath your gums and are used to support artificial tooth. Once in place, the dentist will be able to to mount replacement teeth onto them. The benefits of implants is that dentures mounted on them won't slip or shift in the mouth which is an extremely helpful advantage over ordinary dentures when eating and speaking. They also feel and look more natural. Also read 5 dental implant myths .

Do you wish you had a nicer smile? Do you look in the mirror and wish your teeth were a little whiter or a little straighter? Or maybe you just don’t have confidence showing your smile when you’re around other people.  Whatever the case, you’re not alone. A lot of people struggle with their smile and put it away as a result. (Read the post Girl worried about her ugly smile .) However, you don’t have to live like this. With a few changes you can easily improve your smile and become more confident in showing it. Here are a few things to try that will hopefully yield you some great results.

While there are several differences between dentists and orthodontists, it’s important to understand what sets them apart. Although both dentists and orthodontists graduate from dental school, only orthodontists further their education to become specialists in straightening teeth. Since orthodontics is such a specialized field and requires the utmost precision and knowledge, only the top 5 percent of dental school graduates are considered for an orthodontic residency. Believe it or not, there are some top-rated orthodontic residency programs that only accept five out of hundreds of doctors.

Activated charcoal at home teeth whitening has become immensely popular these days. Social media is replete with images and videos of people brushing their teeth with charcoal to get whiter, brighter teeth. Activated charcoal is a finely milled powder made of coconut shells, coals, sawdust and then processed under high heat to remove its impurities and make it highly porous. These small pores increases the adsorption capacity of activated carbon  and makes it highly efficient in trapping unwanted substances. Pic Credits: Wikipedia

Chewing gum is perhaps one of the oldest candies in the world. There is some evidence of pre-historic people chewing clumps of tree resin or tree sap. Ancient Greeks, Mayans, early American colonialists - were all into some kind of gum chewing. In today's time, most of us chew gum just for the heck of it or simply to sweeten our breath. However, chewing gum does much more than to just freshen breath. Health benefits of the humble chewing gum are multifarious. Below I've listed some uses of chewing gum .

We have such grandiose plans for improving our health and well-being and making our lives easier and better; but most of the time these plans are hardly implemented and we continue with our old  monotonous habits as before. Why is it so? The problem with most of us is we tend to think in terms of big things, whether it is about losing enormous amount of weight or following a strict diet plan. We often neglect little things of life; those little changes and hygiene habits that can make a lot of difference to our health if we incorporate them in our daily routine.

Nothing can dampen a smile quite as quickly as having a few missing teeth. The lack of confidence from having gaps where pearly whites should be is enough to make people avoid taking photos entirely. Though with advances in modern cosmetic dentistry making replacements easier and cheaper to obtain, finding excuses to put off procedures to fix your smile are becoming harder than before.

Over time, your teeth are going to stain. It is inevitable and natural, although certain things contribute more to staining that others. Fortunately, there are effective toothpastes available to whiten your teeth, and they are not just gimmicks. The five toothpastes below have similarities and stark differences, and they are pretty much guaranteed to whiten your teeth.

For many people, a smile that has imperfections can make it difficult to enjoy a fulfilling life due to insecurities that are related to cracked, stained, or crooked teeth. When you feel embarrassed about your smile, it can affect every area of your life. When considering cosmetic dentistry, there are a few ways that improving your teeth can have a positive impact on your self-confidence.

The dentist phobia comes with many names: dentophobia, odontophobia, dentist anxiety and many more. This is the reason why roughly 8% of all Americans avoid their regular visit to the dentist (WebMd). However, regular dental control and necessary interventions are essential for having and keeping healthy teeth. On the other hand, it is very important to mind what you eat to keep those bad germs away from your teeth. There are some bad and some good foods for your teeth and here are the most important ones.

School is back in session, and millions of American teenagers are using the occasion to express themselves through fashion. For some pre-teen fashionistas, their dreams of being an icon among peers are temporarily derailed by having braces. Others have decided to embrace their orthodontia to make it part of their signature look. Whether they want to hide their braces or flaunt them, orthodontists have more options available than ever to help every patient be comfortable with his or her appearance.

Good oral hygiene ensures good health. And the best way to achieve this is to brush your teeth twice a day. Flossing is also as important as brushing to dislodge the impurities stuck in between the teeth. Along with brushing and flossing, cleaning your tongue is also highly necessary; it helps get rid of the white deposit that is a breeding ground for bacteria and other microbes. Rinsing your mouth really well after you eat is also crucial and you should never forget this habit. Following all these habits will also keep bad breath away. Now bad breath / halitosis is not just due to bad oral hygiene, it could also be a symptom of some other disease. Do read up on the various posts on bad breath ( Bad breath? Take these tests , Home remedies for bad breath ) and how to tackle it.  

After years of giving people half smiles and hesitating to give a broad one, I finally decided to get some adult braces. It took a few years for me to maintain this, but it was all worth it. Now, I can confidently smile. Maybe you’re saving up for them or you’re still in the stage of wondering whether you should get braces. If so, then I hope my experience can help you in making your decision. Sonrisa. Artwork credit: Martin Garrido

Gum surgery has never been a fun ordeal. No one likes the idea, but when they need it, there is no fighting the inevitable. During the actual surgical process , there is not much someone can do but sit and wait, but there are several things they can do beforehand to make the post-surgery a little more bearable.

As you were going through pictures from the holidays, you noticed that one of the kids, or maybe even yourself, displayed a crooked tooth or entire row in the family photos. While you might be tempted to let this problem linger, a straight smile provides more than simply aesthetic appeal.

The majority of people will develop wisdom teeth, and many of these people will find that these teeth don't grow in straight or erupt fully. Crooked wisdom teeth can result in impactions, abscesses, and chipped or broken molars, but even ones that seem to grow in without incident can pose major challenges to oral health and dental hygiene.

There are many natural steps that you can take to keep your teeth white or get them back to being white. Going to a dentist for cleanings is always recommended, but at home, remember there are plenty of things you can do that are natural and quick to make those visits a lot less painful.