Periodontal Care

Stroll through any drug store, and you’ll find numerous over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening products. How do these differ from what’s used at the dentist’s office—and which is better? Isn’t it just easier to whiten your teeth at home?

The Main Difference Between OTC and Professional Teeth Whitening

There are many types of OTC teeth whitening products available, including strips, gels, toothpaste, and bleach kits. While some of these products are pretty good, they all have a much lower concentration of the whitening agent than what’s used at the dentist’s office. You’ll also be applying it to your teeth over a shorter period of time. Essentially, you’ll see less of a change in the appearance of your smile, and it will take much longer.

At Enamel Dentistry, we use a higher-concentrated bleaching gel, which allows us to whiten your teeth by 5-10 shades in a single office visit. It’s much more effective than OTC whiteners! OTC bleaching gels can cause sensitivity and discomfort; we use custom trays and monitor you the entire time to make sure you have a comfortable experience throughout the entire process.

In addition, some OTC whitening products contain charcoal or other substances that can damage your enamel!

What About Convenience?

OTC whiteners are certainly convenient—you just need to grab one off the shelf and use it at home. Believe it or not, professional teeth cleaning can be just as convenient! At Enamel Dentistry, you don’t have to sit in the dentist’s chair to get a whiter, brighter smile. Although that’s certainly an option, we also offer custom take-home whitening kits. While still more effective than OTC products, they’re designed to give you gentler, more gradual treatment than what you’d get with our in-office whitening. This is perfect for patients who’d like a more natural whitening process or don’t have the time for in-office appointments.

Want to learn more about our professional teeth whitening or schedule an appointment? Contact your closest Enamel Dentistry location today!

Have you ever been looking at tubes of toothpaste at the supermarket and asked yourself how they work? Have you wondered if there is a difference between common types of “whitening” toothpaste? In this article from Enamel Dentistry, we’ll be taking a look at how tooth whitening toothpaste works, and how it can help you keep your pearly whites bright and beautiful. 

Whitening Toothpaste Contains Mild Abrasives to Remove Stains

Just about all kinds of toothpaste contain some sort of mild abrasive, as this helps remove plaque and polish your teeth. However, whitening toothpastes usually have a higher level of abrasive particles. Baking soda is often used, as is silica, dicalcium phosphate, and a number of other abrasives.

These abrasives are usually formulated specifically to be softer than your enamel. This ensures that they do not wear down your teeth, but they can still be used to buff away surface stains caused by plaque buildup, and keep your teeth looking bright and beautiful. 

Some Whitening Toothpaste Contains Peroxide for Enhanced Whitening Power

All toothpastes with abrasives can whiten your teeth to an extent, but for more whitening power, you’ll want to choose a toothpaste that contains peroxide such as hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.

These are the same compounds used in professional whitening treatments. Peroxide is very volatile, and it breaks the bonds that hold stains onto your teeth upon contact. This “bleaches” the stains away, and restores the natural white color of your enamel.

If you want the best whitening results, you should choose a toothpaste that contains hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. Repeated use of the toothpaste according to its usage instructions can actually reverse minor teeth stains and yellowing. You can also use whitening toothpaste to keep your teeth white after you have had them professionally whitened.

Choose ADA-Approved Whitening Toothpaste for the Best Results (and Stay Safe!) 

It’s important to make sure that you don’t overuse whitening toothpastes. While some are formulated for everyday use, others are intended to be used only once per day, or on some other treatment schedule. Follow the directions on the tube or packaging to make sure you don’t damage your natural enamel due to overusing the whitening toothpaste.  

You should also choose an ADA-approved whitening toothpaste. These toothpastes have been tested and approved by the American Dental Association, so they are generally accepted as being safe to use. 

Avoid non-ADA approved “whitening” toothpastes, such as charcoal toothpaste. Charcoal is extremely abrasive. Because of this, it can eliminate some surface stains on your teeth, but it also may permanently wear down your enamel. 

To keep your teeth bright and healthy, stick to ADA-approved products with mild, tested abrasives and hydrogen/carbamide peroxide. 

Got Stained Teeth? Whitening Toothpaste May Not Be Enough! 

Whitening toothpaste is great for minor stains and for maintaining a bright smile. But if you have heavy stains due to tobacco use, frequently drinking coffee, tea, or wine, or due to any other issue, whitening toothpaste alone may not be enough. Professional help from a cosmetic dentist may be required. 

Professional teeth whitening in Austin from Enamel Dentistry is the best way to restore your smile if you have heavy stains. To learn more, contact us and schedule a cosmetic consultation today!

If you have a persistent or severe toothache, this may indicate that you have an infected tooth. If this is the case, it’s critical to come in for an emergency appointment to get a root canal and restore your tooth. 

Enamel Dentistry offers emergency care and expert root canal therapy, and we want to make sure that our patients are informed about the signs and symptoms of infected teeth. Here are a few things to keep in mind about emergency dental care and root canal therapy in Austin:   

Emergency Dentists Are Fully Qualified To Perform Root Canals

If you’re wondering whether an emergency dentist can do a root canal, the answer is “yes!” All dentists are trained to provide root canal therapy during their time at dental school. Any qualified emergency dentist at Enamel Dentistry is fully capable of performing a root canal.

In fact, an emergency dentist is often the best choice for a root canal. Instead of waiting for an appointment with a specialized endodontist, you can get help immediately. The sooner you get a root canal, the more likely it is that you will be able to save your tooth. 

The Signs And Symptoms Of An Infected Tooth

Here are a few of the signs and symptoms of a tooth infection:

• A prolonged toothache that lasts several days and won’t go away
• Pain that radiates from the tooth to your jaw bone, neck or ear
• Discoloration of the affected tooth or nearby gums
• Swelling of the gums near the affected tooth
• Sensitivity to heat, cold and the pressure of biting or chewing
• Swelling in your cheek or face

If you notice one or more of these symptoms, your tooth may be infected. When you come in for emergency care, we will assess your smile and offer a diagnosis. If your tooth is infected, we will remove the source of your infection and save your tooth. During treatment, one of our dentists will open up the tooth, remove the decayed material from the inside, disinfect it, then fill and restore it to ensure that your tooth is protected from further decay and damage.

An Infected Tooth Is A Dental Emergency – Get Same-Day Care From Enamel Dentistry 

A tooth infection certainly qualifies as a dental emergency, and it’s important to get help as soon as you can to make sure you can save your damaged tooth. At Enamel Dentistry, we offer same-day emergency dentistry in our offices throughout Austin.

With same-day care, you can reduce your risk of further complications and get relief from the pain and discomfort of your infected tooth. If you need an emergency root canal, take a look at our locations and contact the Enamel Dentistry office nearest to you for a same-day emergency appointment.