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There are a lot of conflicting opinions if apples are good for your teeth or not. Seems odd that it’s even a question. How could the fruit recommended to keep the doctor away hurt you? A few years back, the Toronto Star published some negative effects of an apple on your teeth. However, we don't believe this settles the case on if an apple is bad for your teeth or not. We think it's a tricky grey area, an apple can actually help your teeth and keep them healthy- just as long as you eat it right. These are the true food villains that are bad for your teeth.

How Is An Apple Good For Your Teeth

An apple helps both your teeth and your all-around oral hygiene. Think of it as a natural toothbrush. The fruit, that's rich in fleshy fiber, helps scrub your teeth, gums, and tongue. The skin of the apple especially, which is extremely high in fiber, can scrub against your teeth and help remove stains and fight plaque.
Furthermore, Apples are great for getting rid of bad breath. That natural fiber helps remove the traces of plaque and residue that harbor in the back of your tongue and throat that create the bad breath. The acidity of the apple helps kill any bad bacteria that may cause the bad breath as well.

How Is An Apple Bad For Your Teeth

The Toronto Star claims from a study published by UK's Journal of Dentistry, that an apple's acidic structure can be harmful to your teeth. This is true; foods high in acidity can damage the dentine in your mouth. Dentine is the layer of tooth just under the enamel. The acidity of an apple can eat away at your dentine and damage your teeth.
As well, apples have high sugar content, and we all know how bad sugar can be for your teeth. Furthermore, apple juice, along with most fruit juices, is highly acidic as well and can be harmful to that dentine.

Don't Stop Eating Apples!

However, though apples can hurt your teeth, their benefits greatly outweigh the risk. Not only can apples help our teeth, they can help regulate our blood sugar, are low in calories and are a great source of dietary fiber. The negative effects of apples are easily preventable and mostly depend on your apple eating habits. If you want the good benefits of apples without the negative impact, follow these steps:
1. Eat your apple in a single sitting. Don't graze an apple. The longer the acidic elements are in your mouth, the more harm they can do.
2. Eat apples with other snacks. Munching on a piece of cheese, milk, or some bread can help neutralize the apple's acidity. Especially if its a food high in calcium.
3. When finished with an apple, swish your mouth with water. This will help release and flush away the acidic elements that are hiding between your teeth.
4. Wait about 30 minutes before brushing your teeth after eating an apple. If you brush too soon after, the sugars from the apple will scrub off your enamel. Use water to flush as much out before brushing.
If you follow these steps, apples will never be harm to you. In most cases, no food will be of harm if you follow these steps. Proper oral hygiene by brushing and flossing everyday will especially help. And, of course, a visit to your dentist for a special cleaning every six months will keep you safe from serious oral issues. Call Water Tower Dental Care today to set up an appointment.

While braces are fine for children, they are often tough for an adult to commit to. Over a year of metal, cement and wires on your teeth is not the most attractive look, and with beauty playing a major role in one's social life and career, many cannot risk the commitment to braces.

However, many people don't realize the risk they take by not straightening their teeth. Misaligned teeth provide better areas for food particles, bacteria, and plaque to hide and grow. With that the risk of gum disease greatly increases. Even with proper brushing and flossing everyday, your risk of serious infection is much higher than someone with aligned teeth.
Furthermore, misaligned teeth can wear away at the tooth's structure causing even more trouble. A deep bite (or malocclusion), crossbite, edge-to-edge bite and excessive overjet can all leave you at risk of wearing away, chipping and flattening your teeth. These are problems that cannot be easily fixed once the damage is done.

Why Invisalign Braces?

Water Tower Dental Care recommends Invisalign for adults with crooked teeth. Unlike regular, metal braces, Invisalign are practically invisible to the human eye. These clear braces are made through a 3D modeling process that fits specifically to your teeth, each set slightly straighter than the previous ones.

The patient receives a set of customized, clear, acrylic Invisalign aligners that are molded to slowly straighten your teeth to a perfect position. Each set of aligners are worn for about two weeks, at which point, the patient switches to the next set of aligners. Slowly, the teeth are moved from their crooked position to a straight and healthy smile. There is minimal discomfort and the treatment takes about one year to completely straighten the teeth. The same amount of time metal and wire braces would take.

The Invisalign Method

The Invisalign method works by applying gentle pressure to your teeth, slowly realigning them throughout a span of time. As your teeth conform to a set of aligners, the patient switches to the next set. This happens usually within a two-week period, however it can take longer depending on the severity of your teeth. We ask that our patients visit the office every two months to check that the treatment is working according to plan and if adjustments need to be made.

Invisalign Before & After

Invisalign Food Restrictions

A patient doesn't have to worry about food restrictions because Invisalign aligners can be removed at any time. This allows you to eat whatever you like. Since the aligners can be removed, it's much easier to clean your teeth and the aligners.
Most importantly, if you have a meeting or a social affair you'd like to look your best at, you can remove your aligners and smile with confidence.
If you'd like to finally stop thinking about your misaligned teeth and start smiling with confidence, call Water Tower Dental Care today to set up an appointment for a set of Invisalign aligners just for you.

Are you tired of at-home teeth-whitening remedies that promise big results but fail to deliver? Do you want guaranteed brighter, whiter teeth? It may be time to stop trying methods that don't work and start talking to Water Tower Dental Care for a teeth-whitening experience that will bring noticeable changes.

What Causes Discolored Teeth?

There are two ways your teeth can become discolored.
1. When eating and drinking, your teeth attract small amounts of the food, minerals, and microorganisms onto your teeth. This sticky build up is known as plaque. The more you eat and drink, the more plaque builds up. If plaque isn't taken care of within 24 hours (by brushing and flossing), a much harder layer forms known as tartar. While plaque can be removed with a simple cleaning, tartar is much harder to handle. This is when teeth start to discolor.
Tartar is a perfect medium for further plaque build up, discoloration, and tooth decay.

2. The second way that teeth become discolored is by loss of enamel, the protective layer on your teeth that give them their shiny, white look.
Enamel is like a “force field” for your teeth, it protects from food particles and the destructive impact of chewing and grinding. However, over time enamel can wear and crack, which allows for food particles to stain and further break down the enamel.
If proper dental care and cleaning is avoided, this enamel can break down to the point that the underlying layer, a yellowish material known as dentin is seen. If your teeth are stained from exposed dentin, you have much worse problems than a yellow mouth and will need special attention to repair and clean your teeth.

How To Treat Discolored Teeth

Some tartar build up cannot be removed by just brushing your teeth; a dental appointment is necessary. First you will want to schedule a regular cleaning to help break up and remove the top layers of tartar on your teeth. The more that can be removed, the whiter your teeth will look.
Next, because even a dental cleaning can't remove all of the staining caused by tartar and diet, you will want to schedule a teeth-whitening treatment.
Tower Dental Care uses the Zoom! treatment to brighten teeth up to 8 shades. The process is quite simple: first a special pH-balanced hydrogen peroxide solution is applied to the teeth. Then we use a low-heat light to activate the solution. The light will stimulate the gel and allow it to penetrate inside the tooth's surface. This process is repeated 3 times with 15 minute intervals.

Of course, if you aren't comfortable with sitting in the dentist's chair too long, Water Tower Dental Care offers a take-home teeth-whitening kit using custom bleaching trays and professional strength whitening gel. Similar to the Zoom! treatment, the teeth whitening gel breaks down the toughest layers of tartar to remove any discoloration on your teeth.
As mentioned before, if the teeth are discolored from the wear down of enamel, you may have bigger problems to deal with. Enamel is essential in protecting your teeth and preventing decay. If you have lost a considerable amount of enamel on any of your teeth, your dentist may recommend porcelain or resin to protect your teeth from further damages.
Whatever shape your teeth are in, if they're discolored and you want a whiter, brighter smile, Water Tower Dental Care can help. Don't hesitate to call us and set up an appointment for a cleaning. That's the best time for us to determine the next steps to making your smile memorable.

Many patients question the need for veneers if they’re worth their time and money. More so, many patients fear the dentist enough that they avoid major treatments that can help give them the perfect smile. Veneers are one of the best options for a whiter, straighter, more beautiful smile. Today we'd like to outline some of the major concerns with Veneers and help you decide if they're worth it.

Process

Believe it or not, the procedure for porcelain veneers is much simpler than one may think. There is no major, invasive surgery and the patient only experiences minimal discomfort during the procedure.
However, the process starts several visits before the final veneers are added.

1. First, the dentist composites digital images of your teeth to give an example as to what veneers would look like.
2. Once you discuss options for the look of the veneers, including shape, style, color, the dentist creates a temporary set of veneers for you to wear. Our "Wax-Up" program allows you to take home a temporary set of teeth so you can take your time to decide if the veneers are right for you or if you'd like to make adjustments. Remember, you are always in control as to what your teeth should look like, so have a strong opinion and make sure you're happy with your smile.

Once you decide on the perfect set of veneers, the dental team will make a permanent set. The veneers are placed over the teeth similar to a cap.

1. First, the dentist removes a small amount of enamel from the tooth to help make the veneer fit snuggly.
2. Then, the veneers are placed over each tooth and adhered to the tooth using a lightweight bonding solution.
3. Once all veneers are applied and straightened, the dentist uses a special heat emitting light, which bonds the veneer onto the teeth. That's all their is to it. Typically a follow up visit is required to ensure the look and fit of the veneers.

Discomfort

We avoid the word pain when it comes to veneers, because patients who receive veneers don't necessarily experience any. They may experience slight discomfort when the dentist removes a small amount of tooth enamel before applying the veneers. For that, we can administer local anesthesia. However, overall, receiving veneers is a simple procedure without invasive surgery.
After the procedure, you may experience slight discomfort during the first few weeks. Often, it takes time to get used to the adjustment and the doctor may even need to do slight reshaping of the porcelain. This again, does not cause much discomfort and is done in an appointment setting.

Time

From start to finish, the process to receive veneers can take roughly 4 to 6 weeks. From the first appointment, to receiving your temporary set, to finally adhering the porcelain veneers to the teeth. Of course, it can take longer if you have issues with your temporary set or request several changes before bonding to the final veneer.
Once the veneers are adhered to the teeth, they can last anywhere up to 10-30 years depending on use and care. Of course, any cracks, chips, discoloration, and decay need to be addressed and visits to the dentist for repair and maintenance may be necessary.

The Look

If you're hoping for a straight, brighter smile, veneers do an amazing job. They easily mask stained, oddly shaped, or crooked teeth without the need for braces or major dental reconstruction. With premium porcelain and adhering materials, the veneers look natural and are as strong as real teeth.
Water Tower Dental guarantees your satisfaction and can assure you'll leave our offices with a smile on your face. Just look at a few of our cases in our Smile Gallery.

Cost

Though costs range depending on the quality of your teeth and how many you plan to cover, veneers can cost anywhere from $1500 - $3000 a tooth depending on the offices you are in contact with. That's quite a pretty penny for a tooth. That means you need to be certain that you're happy with your decision and are confident with the dentist you choose.
We offer our "Wax-Up" program which allows you to wear a temporary set of veneers for a few weeks which replicates the final veneers. This allows for a "test drive" of the veneers and helps decide on the final shape and style.
Only you can decide if veneers are right for you. With this information at hand, it shouldn't be hard to determine if veneers are for you. If you have any more questions, contact Water Tower Dental Care, we're happy to help.