Baton Rouge Dentist

Does Lemon Juice Work Well to Whiten Teeth?

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Recently, I read on a website that mixing lemon juice and baking soda and rubbing it on your teeth for a couple of weeks makes them whiter. I did this a couple of days ago and earlier today, I heard that lemon juice is really bad for your teeth and decays your enamel. I’ve only done it twice. When I made the mixture, I only had it on my teeth for a minute and then brushed my teeth regularly. After discovering this information about the bad effects of this mixture, I will not be whitening my teeth this way. Do you think I caused permanent damage to my teeth?

– Jane from Louisiana

Jane,
It’s good to hear that you did follow-up research on lemon juice and teeth whitening. Lemon juice is highly acidic and if used on teeth over time, causes erosion of the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay. Citric acid found in lemon juice is a powerful agent. Did you know it can be used to scour limescale from boilers and in a higher concentration form it removes hard water stains from glass without any scrubbing motion?

Citric acid is not only found in cleaning products but also soda. This is why your dentist or dental hygienist tells you to limit your intake of soda. Those who drink soda on a daily basis are more prone to tooth decay and tooth erosion.

It’s an important thing to remember to never brush your teeth within 30 minutes after consuming liquids or foods that contain citric acid as well as ascorbic acid which is also found in sodas. Teeth are attacked by the acid which causes the enamel and underlying layer dental to erode. When you brush right away, it can accelerate the process by pushing the acid further into the tooth layers. The best thing you can do is neutralize the acid in your mouth by drinking water after consuming acidic products.

If you want to whiten your teeth, it’s best to visit your dentist and see if you are a good candidate for teeth whitening. The best, safest, and most effective way to get a brighter smile is have a dental health professional take care of you.

To learn more, visit Dr. Ryan Perry’s website, Baton Rouge Family Dentist

Does Supersmile Toothpaste Come without Fluoride?

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I was told that Supersmile toothpaste is a great professional whitening toothpaste that helps with keeping teeth white. I want to know if Supersmile toothpaste comes without fluoride?
– Shelly from Louisiana

Shelley,
Supersmile toothpaste is a great product for keeping stains off your teeth. However, there is a small amount of fluoride in all Supersmile products.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral, and it’s next to impossible to avoid ingesting it. With toothpaste, you want to bathe your teeth briefly in a small amount of fluoride to help re-mineralize early decay spots. And you want to be sure to rinse and spit out the toothpaste. Fluoride is found in natural well water, canned juices, vegetables, milk and liquid products processed with water. In small amounts it’s okay but you want to avoid ingesting toothpaste.

To sum it up, you need not worry about the fluoride in Supersmile toothpaste as you will be brushing and rinsing your teeth and not swallowing the toothpaste.

This blog brought to you by Baton Rouge Family Dentist, Dr. Ryan P.Perry

I Have Pain with White Fillings

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A couple of weeks ago, I decided to get tooth whitening and my front composite fillings replaced. I thought everything was fine because I didn’t have any pain or sensitivity to cold or hot. But then I noticed one of my front composite fillings started giving me pain in the corner when I was biting food.
I got this filling removed and replaced but I still have pain. Do I need to see a dentist again? What is going on?
– John from Louisiana

Jeremy,
Without a dentist seeing you in person, it’s hard to determine why your tooth is sensitive. However, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about.
When a patient gets white fillings, sometimes they will experience some sensitivities or slight pain. This may be because there was some irritation in the bonding process. Or, it might be that when the final polishing was done on the filling, it irritated the enamel of the tooth. A sensitivity to touch, especially minimal, is usually nothing. In fact, you generally see the pain diminish over time.

This blog brought to you by Baton Rouge family dentist, Dr. Ryan P. Perry.