Evanston Cosmetic Dentist Highlights Teeth Staining Foods: Part 3

WhiteningYesterday’s blog focused on whole foods that cause stains, such as beets, blueberries, and cranberries. Our final blog in the three-part staining series will focus on condiments. What would a hot dog be without ketchup? What would a salad be like without a balsamic vinaigrette? How about sushi with no soy sauce? All of these things very much enhance the foods we use them on. Evanston cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg, will fill you in on which condiments you should be careful of getting your fill of.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce offers vitamins and nutrients. Rich in lycopene, and adding a delicious tang to pizza, pasta, and countless other dishes, unfortunately, tomato-based sauces are not only acidic, but they can also stain your teeth. Would you like to know a trick to enjoying the great parts of tomato sauce without harming your teeth? Try eating some spinach, a salad, or broccoli first. Green leafy and cruciferous veggies form a protective film that will stop stains from seeping into the pores of your teeth.

Balsamic Vinegar

Vinegar is a great base for salad dressings, but its dark shade gives it a terrible penchant for staining teeth. The good news is that just like the above-mentioned tomato sauce, the lettuce that you are likely dressing with balsamic vinegar will allow for that protective barrier from the leaves of the vegetable. If you are still concerned, there are many light and clear vinegars that can dress your salad as an alternative. (more…)

Skokie Cosmetic Dentist Highlight Teeth Staining Foods: Part 2

Cranberries and juiceYesterday’s blog focused on staining beverages (and their frozen popsicle form). It makes sense that products such as colas and coffee might stain your teeth. However, there’s a big push to put forks over knives and stick to whole foods that are great for our overall health. The downside? Even natural, healthy superfoods can stain your white teeth. Skokie cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg, will highlight three healthy culprits.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is not only good for your urinary tract, but studies have even uncovered a potential cavity fighting proponent. However, the verdict is in from a cosmetic standpoint, and, alas, cranberry juice can dull your pearly whites. Any juice, in fact, that has such a concentrated, dark color can turn your teeth more of a yellow shade over time. To get a dose of cranberry without the staining, consider adding the fruit juice to sparkling water for a refreshing and tooth-friendly spritzer.

Blueberries

Those little deep purple berries have been touted as one of nature’s best sources of antioxidants. They’re delicious on oatmeal, in smoothies, and in baked goods as well. Unfortunately, just like cranberries, blueberry skins can stain your bright teeth. To keep blueberries in your eating repertoire without the stains, swish and rinse with water after you’ve eaten them. (more…)

Libertyville Dentist Highlights Teeth Staining Foods: Part 1

SodaWhen you invest in a teeth whitening treatment, you’re going to want to be careful about what you eat and drink afterwards if you want your results to last. Black coffee is one of the most obvious offenders. Unfortunately, so many of us are addicted to that morning java. Tea is thought of as a milder alternative, but your teeth don’t discriminate in terms of which warm beverage stains them more. If you can’t say no to your caffeine, consider adding milk to lighten up the color, for your teeth’s sake. The calcium and vitamin D won’t hurt, either. Your Libertyville cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg, will begin a three part blog series that will offer more tips about what foods and drinks to avoid if you want your smile to be as white as possible.

Are you a Wine or Soda Drinker? Or Both?

Red wine may be potentially good for your heart, but if you’ve ever looked in the mirror after a couple of glasses and seen a purple grin smiling back at you, you know that wine can be bad for the brightness of your teeth. Think you’re doing yourself a favor at a party by saying no to the vino, and opting for a soda pop instead? Dark sodas (even the diet varieties) are especially bad for your teeth because of their staining color coupled with the acidic nature and extreme coldness. On top of that, the sweeteners in regular soda promote cavities. Consider seltzer at your next soiree, rather than wine or cola, and you’ll be able to keep your teeth whitening results much longer lasting. (more…)

Lincolnshire Dentist Provides History of Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are a cosmetic dentistry procedure that we highlight frequently in this blog. The reason is that this treatment is one of the most versatile, helping to cover up chips, fractures, stains, crookedness, overlaps, and really any cosmetic issues. Porcelain veneers are customized and color-matched to fit your mouth, match surrounding teeth, and give you the smile of your dreams. To celebrate this amazing innovation, Dr. Brent Engelberg, your Lincolnshire cosmetic dentist, will educate you on the history of veneers.

Veneer Invention

A dentist in California by the name of Charles Pincus is the inventor of veneers. Initial trial and error was inevitable, so these first veneers were applied to the teeth using denture adhesive. Unfortunately, this resulted in a very temporary dental veneer. In fact, the bond between the shells and tooth enamel generally only lasted a few hours. This made them a very temporary solution most appropriate for actors and actresses that needed to change their appearance for a role in a film or television show. Thankfully, in 1982, researchers took Dr. Pincus’ work a step further by creating a permanent bond between veneers and teeth through the use of composite resins. They also figured out that porcelain material could be bonded to teeth directly when etched with acid. (more…)