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From hairstyles, to clothing, tattoos to jewelry, today’s youth are making a fashion statement. But those that want to look cool with oral piercing may be looking to their dentists and physicians for help afterwards.

Common symptoms after oral piercing include pain, swelling, infection, an increased flow of saliva and injuries to the gum tissue. If a blood vessel was in the path of the needle during the piercing, severe and difficult-to-control bleeding can result. For some, chipped or cracked teeth, blood poisoning or even blood clots can occur. For many, the swelling of the tongue is a common side effect. And in extreme cases, a severely swollen tongue can actually close off the airway and prevent breathing.

Unfortunately, many young people with oral piercings don’t realize that these alarming side effects could happen to them. So, skip the mouth jewelry and let your healthy smile make your fashion statement.

http://www.ada.org/public/topics/piercing.asp

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I always felt that the best way to enhance my smile was through whiter teeth. Now my thought has been confirmed by a recent survey from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. The survey asked interviewees, what they would most like to improve about their smile, and most people said they wanted whiter and brighter teeth.

If you feel you need to make your smile whiter and brighter, there are two options open to you.
• You can visit your dentist, where a one time teeth whitening gel will be applied to your teeth to make them brighter.

• Alternately, you can get your teeth whitened at home using a consumer kit or consumer products. This is a relatively affordable option, if you are willing to put up with the time involved. At home whitening may involve wearing a custom-fitted mouth tray of teeth whitening gel for a few hours each day. On average, you may need to wear mouth trays for a couple of weeks.

According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the safest way to do it at home is under the supervision of your dentist. Your dentist can help you with selecting the whiteners, proper fitting mouth trays and comfortable solutions.

So what are the best brands? Most review sites are offering a list of top brands and fail to compare their relative merits, leaving you guessing about the effectiveness of each brand. Consumerresearch.com, however, is more helpful, having selected their best choices, going by the number of positive reviews received from top review sites:

• Crest Whitestrips Premium containing 10 percent peroxide receives the most praise. It has to be worn twice daily for 30 minutes each for over a week.

• Crest Whitestrips Classic comes next, and is more affordable. It contains 6 percent peroxide and needs to be worn twice a day for 30 minutes each for over two weeks. The lower concentration of peroxide makes the whitening process is longer. It is also gentler on your mouth.

• Listerine Whitening Quick Dissolving Strips are the best choice of whitening if you have sensitive teeth. Their peroxide content is estimated to be less than 5 percent. They have to be worn twice a day for 10 minutes until they dissolve.

• The Runners Up: The runners up for the over the counter teeth whitening products category listed in order of the number of positive reviews they received include:
o Aquafresh White Trays
o Crest Whitestrips Daily Multicare
o Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal
o Crest Whitestrips Pro Effects
o Go Smile Advanced Formula B1
o Crest Whitestrips Supreme

One point to remember: Research shows that people tend to overuse teeth-whitening products. So it is best to consult your dentist before you begin using teeth whiteners at home.

Good luck with that bright white smile!

http://www.freedentistfinder.com

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If you have known all along that if you go to the dentist, your children will too, a new study shows you’re right. Children learn by example. The latest study by the National Health Interview confirms this: 86% of children whose parents visited a dentist, did so as well. Of course, this also means that parents who go to their dentist are more likely to take their kids in for a dental exam. Not only is setting a good example for your children important for their dental health, but additional studies have found that delayed dental care for children may effect their overall development, and learning abilities.

This recent study was conducted by the National Health Interview Study, and is based on more than 6,000 children between the ages 2 to 17, and their parents. 77 percent of children surveyed and 64 percent of their parents had seen a dentist within the past 12 months. By contrast only 63 percent of the children whose parents had not visited a dentist within the previous year had had a dental exam.

The point from this exercise, according to Inyang Isong, M.D., the author of the study, a pediatrician and Research Fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, is that promoting of oral health in children needs to target their parents as well. So the bottom line is this: Your child’s oral health depends more upon you and your actions and decisions than you may have previously thought.

Some parents have delayed their dental care due to cost. Around 27 percent of the children’s dental visits were also delayed due lack of funds. If you are short of funds, ask your dentist about a payment plan, or consult with your City, or County Social Services Department to see if there are free clinics in your area. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that the child should be taken to the dentist by their first birthday. After the first visit, your dentist may be more specific, tailoring the frequency of visits to best suit your child’s needs.

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