How to Clean Braces

You just got your braces, and you’ve been told not to eat popcorn or sticky candy for two years. You were very careful for the past year but you still managed to get food caught in the wires. What do you do? Dr. Viren Patel of Downtown Dental shares tips on how to clean your braces if you are caught in this scenario.

You will want to take any debris out with floss or a toothbrush. Make sure you are using proper brushing and flossing techniques specialized for braces.  Here are some tips on how to brush with braces.

• Hold the brush sideways and guide your brush from tooth to tooth. Follow the natural shape of your teeth and gums.
• If you are brushing manually, make sure to brush for at least a few seconds before you move on to the next tooth. If you are using an electric toothbrush you don’t have to brush hard.
• Clean the brackets by getting the brush inside of them and clean under the wires.
• Remember to always change your toothbrush every 3-4 months.

If you have questions about braces or dental health and oral care, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.downtown-dental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Viren Patel of Downtown Dental in Chicago, IL, call 312-782-8862.

CEREC

CEREC

If you are dealing with cracked, decayed, or chipped teeth, you could benefit from CEREC, which creates inlays, onlays, full crowns, and veneers. You can get your CEREC restorations done right here at Downtown Dental LLC in Chicago, IL.

What is CEREC?

CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. It's an advanced dental CAD/CAM dentistry system that has been around for over 30 years and is backed by more than 250 scientific studies confirming it’s tried and tested tooth restoration clinical safety.

Benefits of CEREC

There are many benefits of this advanced technology with some including:

• CAD/CAM technology has been around for over 30 years.
• Outstanding design proposals that are patient-specific due to being able to analyze the complete scan.
• Simple to operate and intuitive user interface.
• Milling and grinding can be done in one machine resulting in more material variety.

How the CEREC Procedure Works

The process of a CEREC restoration is fairly simple. First, one of our Chicago CEREC dentists, Dr. Stuart Pettijohn, DDS or Dr. Gary Palsis, DDS or managing dentist, Dr. Viren Patel, DMD (Managing Dentist) removes any decay from your tooth. They then shape your tooth to prepare it for a digital picture. They spray your tooth with an extremely fine powder and take an image of it with the digital camera. Your tooth will pop up in 3D on their computer screen once the image is captured.

Our dentist designs your restoration right in front of you and mills the restoration once the design is finished. They then place your restoration. The whole procedure takes a little more than an hour.

If you have been considering CEREC restorations, give us a call at 312-782-8862 to set up your consultation and exam or visit www.downtown-dental.com

Teeth Whitening

Tooth whitening is a cosmetic dentistry procedure performed by dental professionals in order to lighten the color of the teeth. Yellowing of the teeth is natural even if the teeth are healthy. There are several types of whitening solutions available and a professional Chicago dentist such as Viren Patel, DDS can help determine which will work best for you.

About Teeth Whitening

Whitening procedures work at the outer layer of the teeth known as the enamel. Oftentimes a layer forms over the enamel known as a pellicle film. This results from certain foods or beverages, smoking or different medications. When a dentist recommended teeth whitening, they first will want to remedy any dental problems such as cracks, cavities or chips that there may be in the mouth. If the gums are unhealthy, proper treatment will be ideal too. This allows the teeth whitening agents (whatever is chosen) to focus on improving the color of the enamel without irritating any gums or teeth that are unhealthy.

During teeth whitening, a dentist will photograph the teeth so that they can monitor the progress made during these treatments. The teeth are cleaned to remove any buildup, bacteria or food. Next, the whitening process begins where a substance is applied to protect the gums. A light is used to activate the whitening gel and allows the bleaching process to happen faster. Depending on the type of whitening used, whitening can continue for up to 10 hours. To determine which teeth whitening solution is right for you, contact Downtown Dental Chicago today by calling 312-782-8862 or visit www.downtown-dental.com