Could you be a teeth whitening addict?

At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, we know everybody loves a bright white smile, but dentists all across the United States are becoming more and more concerned that their patients are reporting more mouth problems due to excessive whitening.

In an age—and culture—where looks matter as much as anything in life, more and more folks want to look and feel great. But there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to teeth whitening. At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, there are two primary methods of teeth whitening: in-office teeth whitening and supervised at-home teeth whitening. In-office techniques often make use of a light-activated gel application, require as little as one to two hours and can improve color by up to 8 shades. Less expensive supervised at-home methods produce results via daily sessions over one or more weeks of wearing a customized gel-filled tray appliance, and may result in about a 4 to 6 shade improvement as seen on the dentist's shade scale.

If you suspect you may have a teeth whitening addiction, we encourage you to check out this helpful article from our friends at WebMD.

Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas present: Mr. Bean goes to the dentist

Happy Monday! How about a little treat today? Here's a little classic dental humor for you to enjoy, from the bumbling yet lovable British spy, Mr. Bean. Our staff at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas loved it, and know you'll get a chuckle out of it as well. Enjoy "Mr. Bean Goes to the Dentist”!

If you have any other suggestions you think we should share with other patients, please let us know!

Ask Dr. Dunn: Which toothbrush should I use?

Dr. Jerry Dunn and our staff at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas will tell you that brushing your teeth is one of the easiest methods of cavity prevention. But which type of toothbrush should your child use? When choosing a toothbrush, look for round-ended (polished) bristles that clean while being gentle on the gums. Choose one that is specifically designed for children's smaller mouths and hands. Also, look for large handles that can help children control the toothbrush. Lastly, throw out a toothbrush after three months or sooner if the bristles are fraying. Frayed bristles have the ability to harm your gums, and are not as effective in cleaning teeth.

As far as which toothpaste is best? It doesn't matter as long as it has fluoride in it. However, for small children who tend to swallow toothpaste, do not use fluoridated toothpaste. Make sure to touch each tooth and every side of that tooth. Also, you do need to gently brush on your gums.

To learn more about choosing the right toothbrush and toothpaste for your child, we encourage you to read this helpful article from Parenthood.com. Or, you may give us a call and we'll try to answer any question you may have about keeping your child's mouth as healthy as possible!

Helping kids overcome fears of the dentist, from Dr. Jerry Dunn

Dr. Jerry Dunn knows that many kids have fear when it comes to visiting their dentist. Our team at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas found a great article on helping kids overcome fears of the dentist, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Dr. Dunn and our staff at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas excel at making children feel comfortable visiting the dentist. In fact, most of our young patients look forward to their next visit!

Has your child visited Dr. Dunn in the past six months? If not, it’s time to schedule an appointment! Have a terrific weekend!