As we grow older the effects of aging begin to take their toll upon us. Our hair starts to turn gray, we begin to put a little weight on around the middle, and our hearing isn’t quite what it used to be when we were five years old and could hear the ice cream truck from a mile away.

In addition, our smile has become a little tarnished, a little yellow, and doesn’t quite have the gleam that it once had. Adding to the effect of age upon our teeth are the years we have spent drinking our coffee, smoking our cigarettes, and slurping our soft drinks.

You have decided to take matters into your own hands. Your strategy is to dye your hair, join a health club, and look into a tooth whitening system. In understanding what a tooth whitening system can do, it’s important to learn what the system is, how it works, and possible drawbacks.

The Ins and Outs of a Tooth Whitening System

A tooth whitening system is a treatment method that utilizes pliable trays and a tooth whitening gel. The trays are immersed into hot water and the flexible trays are then placed over the upper and lower rows of the teeth. Using the tongue and fingers the trays are molded over the user’s teeth. Following this step the tray’s reservoirs, located on the cheek side of the trays, are filled with the appropriate amount of the gel.

These individualized fitted mouth pieces are then placed back over the upper and lower teeth and any excess gel is removed. The individual using the tooth whitening system then retires for the evening and allows the process to work overnight. Or the tooth whitening system can be applied for a couple hours during the day.

How the Tooth Whitening System Works

The tooth whitening system utilizes a gel in which the active ingredient is carbamide peroxide. The gel is, in essence, a bleaching agent that when applied begins a chemical reaction. This reaction allows oxygen to permeate the outside of the tooth and bleach out the stains. With a one-day treatment noticeable results are evidenced. Optimum results occur within a 10 to 14 day treatment program. The integrity of the teeth is not affected.

The gel can be purchased in three strengths. A higher percentage of carbamide peroxide, within the gel will provide a stronger treatment that allows for quicker results. However, people using the stronger gels have demonstrated an increased temporary sensitivity to hot and cold foods and liquids. This sensitivity generally subsides within a couple days following the end of the entire course of treatment.

Other Issues

A tooth whitening system has been tested and is completely safe. Other than the possibility of increasing the sensitivity of the teeth to hot and cold products the system has shown no adverse effects on either the teeth or the gums. Keep in mind that the effects of the tooth whitening system are not permanent. A subsequent two-day treatment may be required within the first year.

Let us visualize a nasty accident where, thank God, you are not seriously injured other than having a few teeth broken. Tough this does not quality as a life-threatening issue; it will still need immediate attention and care. So, what happens when you loose some teeth, say, in your early 30s?

First Aid For Teeth – The Immediate Dentures

You will of course, have to visit a dentist to get his/her advice on what is to be done to replace the broken teeth. The good news is that with the modern technology available today, once the replacement is done, you will not know yourself which teeth are false and which are your natural teeth. The procedure can be so good. However, in order to replace the teeth in question, one will have to allow the gum sufficient time to heal and shrink to its original size.

For this purpose, ideally you should let the gum free, so it can shrink fast and naturally. However, keeping in view the esthetic requirement for social mixing, one would need some temporary replacement till the ultimate procedure is done. The temporary replacement is what immediate dentures are. This is a tooth or a set of teeth which are used immediately after the live teeth have been removed (voluntarily or by accident) to buy sufficient time for the gum to shrink to its original size.

The immediate dentures are the first-aid for teeth accidents. These are the first things that are fixed in the mouth to replace the real teeth so you can maintain you looks, and at the same time, allow the gum close fast enough for permanent or partial dentures implants. It would take about 6-8 months for the gum to shrink completely and provide the right opportunity to replace the lost teeth.

Sometimes, when the person does not feel comfortable with the immediate dentures, the doctor will offer mini implants. These are less uncomfortable than full implants and hence, it minimizes the trauma involved in this matter. The immediate dentures are mostly used when there are more than one tooth missing to offer immediate support and relief for the loss.

The only disadvantage that the immediate dentures has is that they maybe a wee bit too expensive. As it is, these would be discarded for the permanent dentures, once the gums shrink to their size. Hence, it would become redundant in about 6-8 months time.

If you have a cat or a dog, you will need to do many things for it to make sure that it stays healthy. Part of this includes yearly visits to the veterinarian, who will check the animal for a variety of things. The animal’s teeth will also be checked, because pet dental care is important.

About Pet Dental Care

The amount of pet dental care you cat or dog will need depends on their age, as well as their breed. For example, when it comes to dogs, certain breeds have a predisposition to rotting teeth, so it is important that those teeth be fixed.

Puppies often need to have pet dental care, because their adult teeth sometimes grow in while they still have their baby teeth. Thus, the baby teeth have to be pulled. Other pet owners sometimes go to rather extreme lengths when it comes to pet dental care, even going so far as to get their dogs braces!

Cats require less pet dental care than dogs most of the time, especially if they are indoor cats and eat dried food. However, it should be noted that a cat will have to have its teeth professionally cleaned at least once in its life to protect its health, and the same is true for dogs.

If you own a dog, you can help with the pet dental care by brushing the dog’s teeth with a special toothbrush that you can buy in pet supply stores. You can also purchase certain chew toys that help to remove tartar from the dog’s teeth. Also, there are several treats that you can give your dog that also improve the teeth.

Cats are usually most in need of pet dental care in their adult years, as a lifetime of cat food as likely created a considerable amount of tartar on their teeth. For cats, pet dental care in the from of teeth cleaning by a vet is a surgery of sorts, in that the cat has to be sedated during the procedure.

After the teeth have been cleaned and you are allowed to take the cat home, you will have to put the cat in the bathroom or another small room for the night. The cat will still be under the influence of the anesthetic, and it needs to be protected in a smaller room from injury.

Pet dental care also has a lot to do with the kind of food your pet eats. If your pet eats a lot of soft food, that will lead to faster tooth decay. Thus, it is a good idea to have your pet eat primarily dry food that indicates that it helps with tartar control. Your pet will certainly have healthy teeth if it gets the right pet dental care!