Cosmetic Dentist - Salem Oregon | 810 Liberty St NE | Salem, OR 97301 | 503-364-9222
Posts for: March, 2010
Here is a recent interview of me in Bizymoms.com magazine. They are asking me questions about tooth whitening...............
http://www.bizymoms.com/salem/dentists/salem-tooth-whitening.php
Here is a copy of the interview........
An Interview with Dr. William D. Payne on Tooth Whitening
Dr. William D. Payne is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Tooth Whitening.
Q. What is tooth whitening?
A. Everybody loves a bright white smile, and there are a variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the look of yours.
Many people are satisfied with the sparkle they get from brushing twice daily with a fluoride-containing toothpaste, cleaning between their teeth once a day and the regular cleanings at your dentist' s office. If you decide you would like to go beyond this to make your smile look brighter, you should investigate all of your options.
You can take several approaches to whiten your smile:
1) In-office bleaching;
2) At-home bleaching;
3) Whitening toothpastes
Q. Who may benefit from teeth whitening?
A. Anyone who wants whiter teeth
Q. Who are not recommended to undergo teeth whitening?
A. People who have temperature sensitive teeth may not want to whiten their teeth because one side effect of whitening can be increased temperature sensitivity. There are some products that can help with the sensitivity - but you would really need to talk to your dentist to figure out if it is right for you. Also people who are sensitve to the whitening products may not be able to whiten their teeth.
Q. What does tooth whitening involve?
A. What is in-office bleaching?
If you are a candidate for bleaching, your dentist may suggest a procedure that can be done in his or her office.
This procedure is called chairside bleaching and may require more than one office visit. Each visit may take from 30 minutes to one hour.
During chairside bleaching, the dentist will apply either a protective gel to your gums or a rubber shield to protect the oral soft tissues. A bleaching agent is then applied to the teeth, and a special light may be used to enhance the action of the agent. Lasers have been used during tooth whitening procedures to enhance the action of the whitening agent.
Q. What are at-home procedures and products?
A. There are several types of products available for use at home, which can either be dispensed by your dentist or purchased over-the-counter.
Bleaching solutions. These products contain peroxide(s), which actually bleach the tooth enamel. These products typically rely on percent carbamide peroxide as the bleaching agent, carbamide peroxide comes in several different concentrations (10%, 16%, 22%).
Peroxide-containing whiteners typically come in a gel and are placed in a mouthguard. Usage regimens vary. Some products are used for about twice a day for 2 weeks, and others are intended for overnight use for 1-2 weeks. If you obtain the bleaching solution from your dentist, he or she can make a custom-fitted mouthguard for you that will fit your teeth precisely. Currently, only dentist-dispensed home-use 10% carbamide peroxide tray-applied gels carry the ADA Seal.
You also may want to speak with your dentist should any side effects become bothersome. For example, teeth can become sensitive during the period when you are using the bleaching solution. In many cases, this sensitivity is temporary and should lessen once the treatment is finished. Some people also experience soft tissue irritations either from a tray that doesn't fit properly or from solution that may come in contact with the tissues. If you have concerns about such side effects, you should discuss them with your dentist.
Toothpastes. All toothpastes help remove surface stain through the action of mild abrasives. "Whitening"
toothpastes in the ADA Seal of Acceptance program have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Unlike bleaches, these ADA Accepted products do not alter the intrinsic color of teeth.
Q. How long does this take?
A. It can take a couple of hours to a few weeks depending on the type of whitening you choose.
Q. How much does tooth whitening cost?
A. Anywhere from $200 - $900 depending on the type of treatment you choose.
Q. What are the side effects?
A. The main side effect is temperature sensitivity. It will go away when you are done bleaching. Some people have no sensitivity at all and others can have severe sensitivity.
Dr. William D. Payne
What is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) happens when the soft tissue in a person's throat repeatedly collapses and blocks the airway during sleep.
This causes some reductions and complete pauses in breathing typically last between 10 and 30 seconds, but can persist for one minute or longer. These pauses can happen hundreds of times a night, that can cause reductions in blood oxygen levels.
The brain alerts the body to its lack of oxygen, causing a brief arousal from sleep that restores normal breathing. The result is a fragmented quality of sleep that often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness.
Most people with OSA snore loudly and frequently, with periods of silence when airflow is reduced or blocked. They then make choking, snorting or gasping sounds when their airway reopens.
How Does Oral Appliance Therapy Work?
Custom made oral appliances reposition the tongue and lower jaw forward during sleep to maintain an open airway. Dentists trained in dental sleep medicine know how to select, fabricate, fit, and adjust these devices, which look like mouth guards, to help patients breathe freely during sleep.
Follow-up visits and post-adjustment sleep studies help dentists determine if oral appliance therapy is effectively treating their patients' sleep apnea.
Dentists are not permitted to diagnose sleep apnea. Diagnosis should be done at an accredited sleep center (www.sleepcenters.org).
Who should use an oral appliance?
Oral Appliance Therapy is indicated for mild to moderate OSA patients if they prefer it to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), or if they cannot tolerate CPAP, or they are unable to use positional therapy or weight loss to control their apnea.
Oral appliances are also recommended for severe OSA patients if they cannot tolerate CPAP. Patients with severe OSA should always try CPAP before considering oral appliance therapy. Patients with severe OSA usually need combination therapy.