Get a Bright Smile for Summer!

Spring is here and summer is right on its heels! If you've been working hard for a a stronger, healthier, more confident body to show off this summer, make sure you don't leave out your smile! Having a bright, white smile with strong teeth and healthy gums can make those summer vacation photos pop even more. If you're looking for a way to improve your smile this season, then today's blog from our team at Access Dental and Dentures is for you. Keep reading to learn how you can create, and protect, the smile of your dreams!

Staining Foods & Drinks

There are some foods and beverages that have a naturally higher ability to stain teeth. If it's going to stain the carpet when you spill, it will probably also stain your teeth. Red wine, coffee, some teas, dark fruit, soda, candy, and others can all cause discoloration on your teeth. As your teeth are exposed to these over and over again, they become more dull and yellow over time. That's why it's best to either avoid these foods and drinks or to be sure and rinse them off of your teeth with plenty of water. It can also be a good idea to brush your teeth after eating or drinking them. But be careful! If you brush your teeth right after consuming something acidic, you could be harming your teeth even more. Instead, rinse with water and brush your teeth 30 minutes to an hour later. 

Good Dental Habits

You can't really expect to have healthy, white teeth if you don't properly take care of them. That's one of the reasons it is so important to brush your teeth twice a day, floss daily, drink plenty of water, and visit the dentist for your regular checkups. If you aren't following these key health habits, then your teeth could suffer. Food particles may sit on your teeth for too long causing bacteria to grow, plaque to build up, and tartar to form. This is all very damaging to the structure of your teeth and can cause decay and even infection. 

Teeth Whitening

Sometimes you do your best to avoid food & beverages that cause stains and do everything necessary to keep you teeth healthy, but you still end up with dull or yellowed teeth. At Access Dental and Dentures, we understand how frustrating and embarrassing this can be. A professional whitening could be the perfect solution for you! We provide custom trays that you take home with you to use until you reach your ideal shade of white. That way you get to control the whiteness while being able to safely use professional-grade whitener. Give us a call to learn all about it! 1-877-DENTIST

Best Dentist in Southern Missouri

Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in the Springfield area. We also have the best dentist offices in Rolla, Osage Beach, and Mountain Grove. If you are looking to improve your smile for the summer, give us a call and we can help! Schedule a regular checkup with us or ask for a consultation about getting your teeth professionally whitened. We are here for you! 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Common Causes of Stains, and How to Treat!

Stained teeth can be unsightly and embarrassing! If you are struggling with teeth stains, then Access Dental and Dentures is here for you. We have the best dental services in Southern Missouri and we would love to help you fight stains and gain confidence with a bright, happy smile. Keep reading to learn how to avoid stains and how we can help!

How to Prevent Stains

Other than avoiding these items completely, which can be difficult, Access Dental has some great tips to help keep your teeth brighter and healthier! If you do eat or drink something acidic or stain-causing, drink a full glass of water afterward. This can help rinse away the stain causing materials and fortify your teeth with fluoride from the water. Using a straw is another great way to help limit stains, as it keeps the stain-causing beverage away from your teeth.

Your Daily Coffee

Coffee is a fairly acidic drink and can cause dark stains. Most of us have had a little mishap with coffee and had to face the stained consequences. Imagine what drinking coffee every day could do to your teeth over time. If you drink your coffee with milk, it could lessen the resulting stains somewhat because milk is more basic and can help reduce the acidic content of the beverage. Milk also has a high calcium content which can help strengthen teeth. Just make sure you aren't using a creamer with high sugar content. This will actually weaken your teeth, making them more susceptible to stains.

Red & White Wines

Red wine contains tannins that can stain teeth. We know that red wine is a powerful stain-causing agent to clothes and tablecloths, so it makes sense that it can also cause dark stains on our teeth. White wine is not necessarily safe, however. While it isn't darkly pigmented, it does have a high acidic content that can damage teeth and lead to discoloration. 

Sodas

It's not just darkly-colored sodas that can stain teeth. Soda, in general, contains a huge amount of sugar and acid that erode enamel. Without this protective covering, your teeth are much more susceptible to stains setting in at a deep level.

Acidic Foods

Not all acidic food cause stains, but the high acid content in them can wear away your enamel, making teeth weaker and more susceptible to stains. Foods that are high in acid content and also stain causing are particularly harmful. One example would be tomato sauce. Tomatoes contain a lot of acid and also can cause significant stains due to their pigmentation. 

Hard Candies

Candies that contain a lot of artificial dyes can be harmful. If it stains your tongue, it can also stain your teeth. Chew-able candy still isn't healthy for your teeth, but hard candies are typically held in your mouth for longer periods of time. This extended contact with your teeth gives the sugars and dye more time to cause damage.

Dark Berries

Berries are full of flavor and can help give the rest of your body an immune boost. However, it can also cause lasting stains on your teeth due to the dark pigments that they contain. If pieces are stuck or left behind, they can continue to cause even darker stains as they sit there.

Visit the Dentist Regularly

If your teeth are looking yellow or dull and you want to have a more confident, white smile, contact Access Dental and Dentures! We are the the best dentist in the Springfield area, and we would love to help you. Whether you need to get on a regular cleaning schedule or want to talk about custom, professional whitening services, Access Dental can help! Give us a call to get started. 

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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Like us on Facebook

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Stained Teeth - What to Avoid and How to Fight It!

There are a lot of ways to help keep your mouth healthy and happy. It's important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly as part of your dental care routine. But there are also a few extra tips you can follow to improve your oral health, like avoiding or limiting items that can stain your teeth. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri and we have the inside tips on how to help protect your teeth from stains. Read on to learn more! 

Dark Berries

Berries are full of flavor and can help give the rest of your body an immune boost. However, it can also cause lasting stains on your teeth due to the dark pigments that they contain. If pieces are stuck or left behind, they can continue to cause even darker stains as they sit there. 

Acidic Foods

Not all acidic food cause stains, but the high acid content in them can wear away your enamel, making teeth weaker and more susceptible to stains. Foods that are high in acid content and also stain causing are particularly harmful. One example would be tomato sauce. Tomatoes contain a lot of acid and also can cause significant stains due to their pigmentation. 

Hard Candies

Candies that contain a lot of artificial dyes can be harmful. If it stains your tongue, it can also stain your teeth. Chew-able candy still isn't healthy for your teeth, but hard candies are typically held in your mouth for longer periods of time. This extended contact with your teeth gives the sugars and dye more time to cause damage. 

Your Daily Coffee

Coffee is a fairly acidic drink and can cause dark stains. Most of us have had a little mishap with coffee and had to face the stained consequences. Imagine what drinking coffee every day could do to your teeth over time. If you drink your coffee with milk, it could lessen the resulting stains somewhat because milk is more basic and can help reduce the acidic content of the beverage. Milk also has a high calcium content which can help strengthen teeth. Just make sure you aren't using a creamer with high sugar content. This will actually weaken your teeth, making them more susceptible to stains.

Red & White Wines

Red wine contains tannins that can stain teeth. We know that red wine is a powerful stain-causing agent to clothes and tablecloths, so it makes sense that it can also cause dark stains on our teeth. White wine is not necessarily safe, however. While it isn't darkly pigmented, it does have a high acidic content that can damage teeth and lead to discoloration. 

Sodas

It's not just darkly-colored sodas that can stain teeth. Soda, in general, contains a huge amount of sugar and acid that erode enamel. Without this protective covering, your teeth are much more susceptible to stains setting in at a deep level.

How to Prevent Stains

Other than avoiding these items completely, which can be difficult, Access Dental has some great tips to help keep your teeth brighter and healthier! If you do eat or drink something acidic or stain-causing, drink a full glass of water afterward. This can help rinse away the stain causing materials and fortify your teeth with fluoride from the water. Using a straw is another great way to help limit stains, as it keeps the stain-causing beverage away from your teeth.

Your Missouri Dentist

Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in the Springfield area. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy, bright smile, contact us to set up an appointment! We can help by checking your oral health and making a plan to help improve it. We also have great, convenient whitening services that you can use at home for complete and safe teeth whitening. We can't wait to work with you!

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Visit our Website
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

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Foods & Beverages That Can Stain Your Teeth

Last week we discussed the dangers of over-whitening your teeth and the benefits of letting the experts at our Southern Missouri dentist offices whiten your teeth professionally. This week our Access Dental & Dentures blog is taking a look at the many foods and beverages that can cause the stains on your teeth in the first place. 

Coffee & Tea
Teeth naturally absorb liquids that you put into your body. The darker the beverage, the more likely it is to leave stains behind on your teeth. The effects of coffee can be lightened slightly by adding some milk to it, plus you get a bit of added calcium. The tannins in tea, especially the basic black variety, might even be more likely to stain teeth than coffee. Green and white teas can still stain your teeth, but not as much as the darker types.

Wine & Dark Juices
Red wine is full of tannins that stain teeth also. In this case, you might assume white wine would be a better choice, but in reality, the acid it contains can lead to tooth discoloration. The drink doesn't have to be alcoholic to cause staining. Grape and cranberry juices are also culprits with lots of acid and dark coloring. 

Carbonated Beverages
It's not just the dark coloring of sodas and energy drinks that lead to stains on your teeth. The artificial sugar and acid in them can erode enamel, setting the stage for stains to happen. That means even the lighter colored varieties are damaging to your teeth.

Sauces
Anything that can cause stains on a tablecloth, the carpet, or your clothing can also stain your teeth. Dark sauces, like tomato, curry, or soy sauce, are very likely to stain your teeth, especially if you eat them often. Balsamic vinegar, while a healthy alternative to many dressings for salads, is another sauce that is dark, acidic, and naturally sticks to your teeth.

Fruits & Berries
Vibrantly colored fruits, like blueberries and blackberries, are leading causes of stains on teeth, much like the dark fruit juices mentioned above. The rich pigments stain and the stickiness of the fruits make them stay on your teeth longer than some other foods. 

Popsicles & Hard Candy
Anything that stains your tongue is staining your teeth too. Popsicles and hard candies are kept inside your mouth longer than many other foods you eat, giving more time for the staining to set in. Also, the sugar these foods contain weaken your teeth, making them more susceptible to discoloration.

Ways To Avoid The Stains
Obviously, the best way to avoid having these foods stain your teeth is to avoid eating them. You don't have to cut them out of your diet entirely, but you may want to cut back on the amount you enjoy.

Some other ways to lessen the chance for lingering stains is to drink water while you are eating these foods to help wash away some of the particles that may get left behind. After eating, be sure to rinse your mouth out with water to hold you over until you can brush your teeth. Also using a straw to drink beverages that cause stains can help much of the liquid from having to touch your teeth at all.

The longer you can keep stains away from your teeth, the less you will have to worry about whitening them. When you do need that service, Access Dental & Dentures is here to help. With a little knowledge, a good dental care routine, and regular checkups at one of our dental offices in Missouri, you can keep your smile bright and white for many years to come.

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

Like us on Facebook
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Springfield Office          Rolla Office             Osage Beach Office

(417) 501-1048              (573) 426-5447          (573) 348-1466         

1701 West Sunshine        416 S. Bishop Ave.   4320 Osage Beach Pkwy

Springfield, MO 65807   Rolla, MO 65401      Osage Beach, MO. 65065

Mountain Grove Office              Aurora Office

(417) 926-1160                             (417) 308-3534

921-A N. Main                             1402 S. Elliott

Mountain Grove, MO 65711       Aurora, MO 65605