Tag Archives: Oral care

Cleaning Your Teeth Without Brushing | Indianapolis Dentist

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Keeping your mouth clean may be an easy task to do on a daily, but there are times when your toothbrush may not be readily available. Maybe you’ve forgotten to pack it in your bag, maybe you just need a quick cleaning whilst out and about. Know that there are alternatives to cleaning your mouth in a jam. Just keep in mind, these are suggestions when you’re in a pinch – your daily dental routine needs to include a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss.

Rinse with mouthwash. Keeping a travel-sized bottle of mouthwash handy is a great way to clean your mouth and leave your breath smelling fresh. Remember, if you are using Listerine, dilute with water at a 1:1 ratio.

Use floss. Many dentists say flossing is more important than brushing in tooth decay prevention because it removes bacteria and food. Once complete, rinse and you’re done.

Shower your smile. When you’re in the shower, treat it like a water pick system. The warm water is perfect for rinsing debris. Use your finger to clean individual teeth.

Chewing gum. Chew a piece of sugar-free gum for a minute in order to remove food, plaque and bacteria from teeth. Not only does it clean your teeth, but also produces saliva.

Green tea. Green tea contains polyphenol antioxidant compounds that reduce plaque and fight gum disease. It’s easy – drink the tea or use it as mouthwash for a deeper clean.

Munch on veggies. Fibrous vegetables pull double duty on your smile. Crunchy foods like apples, carrots and celery not only clean your teeth as you chew, but vitamin C and A help build strong teeth.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

As You Begin Adjusting to Dentures | Indianapolis Dentist

Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Health, general dentistry, General Health, Oral Care, Oral Health, Smile Makeover, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No one likes change – but for some, dentures are an inevitable one. And you are going to need some time to adjust to your new smile. Your mouth will be sore because your gums are still getting used to the dentures, but that pain will begin to subside after a few weeks. Luckily, there are several dental remedies available to help ease the discomfort and pain while your mouth adjusts. The following is a list of pain relievers that can help make this adjustment a whole lot smoother:

Topical gel or cream. One of the quickest ways to relieve gum pain is to apply a topical gel or cream. Millions of teething babies can’t be wrong.

Saltwater rinse. For the easiest way to reduce inflamed gums pain, remove the dentures, mix ½ to 1 tsp. of salt with a glass of warm water and rinse for about 30 seconds.

Aloe vera. If you find your gums feel a bit irritated, rub some aloe vera on the area to soothe them.

Massage. A quick, gentle massage to your gums will also help when in a pinch.

Over-the-counter pain relievers. Everyone has some type of headache relief available. If you find your gums are beginning to give you headaches, try taking some ibuprofen.

Denture adhesive. Loose dentures will begin to move and disturb other areas of your teeth. Try using a denture adhesive to help them stay in place.

One final tip as you adjust to your new smile: taking out your dentures at night will help alleviate some of the pain you experience. But if you think your dentures aren’t the right fit, contact your dentist as soon as possible for an adjustment.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Sleep Apnea Will Ruin Your Sleep | Indianapolis Dentist

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Getting a good night’s sleep is very important to all of us. Not only does it refresh our outlook on the day ahead, but it’s also our bodies time to heal itself in order to be able to handle another day. And while it’s common to have a bad night every so often, there are some that have a difficult time to get that well-needed sleep. The interesting thing is, we generally don’t realize we have a sleep issue – we just feel sleepy the next morning. It’s our significant others that notice our sleep issues because they’re likely affected by your sleep patterns. If you find that this is becoming more of an issue in your life, it’s time to make a dental appointment because you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder where you have one or more pauses when breathing or shallow breaths while you’re asleep. The pauses in breathing can last from a few seconds to minutes and can occur thirty times or more an hour. While this occurs, your diaphragm and chest muscles are working hard to try to open your obstructed airway and pull oxygen into your lungs. Sleep apnea can be dangerous due to the decrease in oxygen flow to your vital organs and can cause irregular heart rhythms.

In order to properly diagnosed sleep apnea, your doctors will have to perform a physical exam and take your medical and sleep history. Here are a few of the signs of sleep apnea to look out for:

  • Headaches when you wake up
  • Trouble keeping focused
  • Feeling depressed, irritable or having mood swings
  • Waking up frequently to go to the restroom
  • Dry mouth or sore throat when you wake up

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Brighten Your Smile at Home | Indianapolis Dentist

Cosmetic Dentistry, general dentistry, General Health, Oral Care, Oral Health, Smile Makeover, Teeth Whitening, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
teeth whitening

The more brilliant your teeth, the better your smile looks. The problem with white teeth really lies in the degree you take your oral hygiene. You can brush & floss every day, but your teeth may not keep its natural sheen. Teeth whitening sessions, but that can get pricey. Over-the-counter versions is another route, but what if there was a way to do it without going the chemical route? Here are six easy ways to DIY your smile back to the pearly white scene you’re used to:

First, there is old reliable – hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Just drop a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into a little bit of baking soda makes a paste. Apply it as you would regular toothpaste.

These next couple take natural to a whole new level – fruit. Grab a couple strawberries, add about a teaspoon of baking soda & rub the paste on your teeth for 5-7 minutes. Or peel a ripe banana and rub a piece along the inside of your teeth for two minutes.

If you have some apple cider vinegar in your pantry, dilute it with some water (3 parts water, 1 part vinegar) and mix it with an all-natural toothpaste, you’ve made yourself a pretty efficient tooth whitening solution. If you have coconut oil, swish it around in your mouth for 20 minutes.

Lastly, there’s activated charcoal. The porous nature of the charcoal turns out that it can also be fantastic at binding to bacteria before it can leave stains on teeth. Mix with a little bit of water, gently apply it to your teeth, leave to set in your mouth for two minutes, then rinse.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Maintaining Your Dental Equipment | Indianapolis Dentist

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When we have a project to do, we need tools in order to get it done. And the better our tools are, the easier it is to not only complete the task, but to do the best job possible. The same can be said about our dental tools. In order to maintain a healthy smile, it is important to have good tools. Because we use a toothbrush to remove food debris and bacteria from our teeth, it requires proper care in order to be effective. Here are some tips to keeping your toothbrush doing its job properly.

To minimize bacteria, the toothbrush must be kept clean. It should be washed thoroughly with tap water after each use to remove food particles and leftover toothpaste. When stored, keeping it upright will allow excess water to drain from the bristles, less likely to grow bacteria. If you need to store it in a closed container (for example, when traveling), try to dry it using a clean towel beforehand.

From time to time, sanitize your toothbrush with antibacterial mouthwash. You can even toss it in the dishwasher to kill bacteria. There are also professional sterilizers that utilize ultraviolet light to sanitize toothbrushes available on the market.

The average toothbrush should last 3-4 months, but if it shows signs of wear it needs to be replaced. Bristles that are frayed, loose, or falling out, or any cracking plastic are all replacement signs. Even if the toothbrush is in good condition, you should consider replacing your toothbrush after you’ve been ill. Continuing to use a toothbrush after you’ve been sick will continue introducing bacteria into your system, making you more susceptible to further illness and dental issues.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Remedies to a Dental Abscess | Indianapolis Dentist

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Dental issues can be some of the most painful we can get, especially when you can’t get a dental appointment. The aching, throbbing pain that can develop from a dental abscess is a dental emergency that cannot be overlooked. Treatment for an abscessed tooth focuses on clearing up the infection and relieving pain. But how is it treated? Depending on your particular case, treatment options include:

Draining the abscess. Your dentist will make a small cut in the abscess to drain the pus. They’ll follow up by cleaning the area with a saline solution.

A root canal procedure. A root canal involves drilling into the affected tooth to drain the abscess and remove any infected pulp. Next, your dentist will fill and seal the pulp chamber, which holds pulp, and the root canal.

Tooth extraction. If your tooth is too damaged, your dentist might remove it before draining the abscess. Your dentist may pull the tooth if it can’t be saved and then drain the abscess.

Antibiotics. If the infection has spread beyond the abscessed area or you have a weakened immune system, your dentist might prescribe oral antibiotics to help clear the infection.

Removal of foreign object. If your abscess is caused by a foreign object in your gums, your dentist will remove it. They’ll finish up by cleaning the area with a saline solution.

Because tooth pain can happen out of the blue, you may not be able to get in to see your dental professional right away. Don’t worry – take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) to help with the pain. Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water may also help until you can get into the dental chair.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

How Does a Patient Know What Will Look Good in Cosmetic Dentistry? | Indianapolis Dentist

Cosmetic Dentistry, dental implants, Dental Implants, general dentistry, implant dentistry, porcelain veneers, porcelain veneers, Restorative Dentistry, Smile Makeover, Teeth, Veneers, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For a patient, it is a big decision to have cosmetic dentistry done to enhance his or her smile. It can take years off the face, increase confidence and improve the overall oral health of the patient. But it is not inexpensive. How does a patient decide to move forward? It can be very risky to believe that the dentist has the same taste in what the patient think looks good. We all have preferences, and maybe there are some ideas that the patient doesn’t have words to describe. What if the patient has a photograph of a smile from a magazine that she likes and she wants that look for her smile? Clinical parameters might dictate certain aspects of the restorations that don’t allow for the design that the patient has in mind. So many things can be difficult to communicate in dentistry, because the patient doesn’t have the dental knowledge or vocabulary to rely on. And before/after pictures of other people don’t do much for the patient’s imagination because it is another person’s face!

Here’s an idea!  Why not use cosmetic imaging with Envision A Smile? By taking photographs of the patient’s face, smile and side view, the new smile can be designed with all things considered: the clinical parameters, the patients desires, and the practitioners desires. Voila! Now, the patient can relax because she knows that the dentist knows and understands what she likes.  The approximate shade of the teeth can be shown in different levels of brightness and small changes like the shape of the incisal (biting) edge of the front teeth. And the patient can go home with photos of the proposed treatment.  THIS is how a patient can decide if cosmetic dentistry is for them! Now it is only down to the cost of treatment and with the photos in hand, she already knows she wants it.

Envision A Smile helps the patient and the dentist because communication is everything, and pictures are worth a thousand words. Once the treatment is accepted by the patient, the dentist takes molds to send to the laboratory along with Envision A Smile’s imaged views so the lab can follow the design. Although it would be impossible for the final outcome to be ‘exactly the same as the imaged views’ (because the photos are only 2 dimensional) the outcome will be very much the same as the imaged views.

Envision A Smile offers a cosmetic imaging software or a service for imaging.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Why Are You Leaving Your Baby Tooth Under Your Pillow? | Indianapolis Dentist

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One of the first rites of passage as a child is losing your first tooth. Not only is it fun to wiggle it around, but tiny humans missing a tooth are officially turning into big kids. The bonus is learning that you tuck it under your pillow for a special surprise from the Tooth Fairy.

But where did this tiny dental nymph come from? Some believe that the story begins with a fairy living under a tree’s roots near a riverbank. One of her favorite things to do was to collect the little objects people lost that washed up on the shore. These tiny treasures were not only toys, but she could also feel the memories associated with it.

The one treasure she always wanted but never washed ashore was a child’s tooth. To her, there was nothing happier than a child about to lose their first tooth and she wanted one very badly.

One day, a little girl found our little fairy while playing with her friends. When the fairy noticed she had a loose tooth, she asked if she could have it. The little girl said yes and that she would put it under her pillow as soon as it fell out.

The fairy couldn’t wait for the little girl’s gift, but then she thought, “Oh, no! She’s going to give me her tooth. I need a gift in return!” So, she rummages through her trinkets and finds a coin.

The next morning, the little girl wakes up and finds the coin gift left by the little fairy, so she tells her friends at school to try it and thus, the Tooth Fairy was created. Happy National Tooth Fairy Day!

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Tips to Drinking Red Wine Without Staining Your Teeth | Indianapolis Dentist

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If you’re a red wine drinker, you know that a purple-tinged smile is a real thing. Because of its dark pigments, it is easy to seep into the porous material that makes up our teeth. This is why our teeth begin to tinge after a while if our dental hygiene isn’t very good. Coffee is the same thing – in fact, any dark foods or beverages will eventually begin to dye our smiles. But it doesn’t need to be a permanent situation. There are plenty of whitening treatment options available, both over-the-counter and in-office variations, like ZOOM! whitening.

While no home remedies are as effective as professional whitening, these tips, along with keeping up with your regular dental checkups and cleaning, can help you reduce keep your smile as bright as possible in between professional cleanings.

Before you drink that wine, brush your teeth. If your teeth are free from plaque and tartar, it is more difficult for stains to adhere to your teeth. By using an enamel-strengthening toothpaste and mouthwash, you begin to build up stain resistance.

If you notice that your lips and teeth are beginning to get that red wine hue, wipe your teeth with a cloth napkin. The sooner you wipe, the less time the wine has to set into your teeth. Another trick is a quick rinse with water after each glass. Ultimately, a good brushing with provide the best results.

Something that goes hand in hand with wine is cheese. Thankfully, cheese is a great way to stave off tooth stains. Cheese contains calcium, which strengthens your teeth and closes those tiny micro-pores that makes staining so easy.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

When Eating Healthy Goes Rogue | Indianapolis Dentist

Bad Breath, Dental Health, general dentistry, General Health, Gum Chewing, Oral Care, Oral Health, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As we approach our brand-new year, we gear up for loads of life improvements, and many of them focus on our health. But finding the right diet to fit our lifestyle is a tough quest. Not all diets are alike and it’s important to find the right one in order to be effective and keep us on pace to achieving our new year’s goals. But what if your diet is giving you side effects? To be specific, what if your diet was giving you bad breath?

By eliminating all sugar and most carbs, and eating foods high in fat and protein, your body becomes a fat-burning machine. However, by getting your energy from fat and protein rather than carbs, one of the common byproducts is intolerable breath. But why?

The popular ketogenic diet, and most other low carb eating plans all rely on getting your daily calories mostly from fat and protein, and very little from carbohydrates. If you keep your carb intake to less than 30 grams per day, your body eventually enters a metabolic state of ketosis. Instead of breaking down carbohydrates to create glucose for energy, your body instead breaks down stored fat, which release ketones in the body. They are also released in your breath, creating a distinct odor that some keto enthusiasts describe as rotten fruit, or even metallic. 

Unfortunately, that also means ketosis breath can’t be extinguished with the typical handful of mints and swig of mouthwash. Natural remedies to try are drinking extra water, or chewing on fresh mint leaves, cloves, or fennel seeds, or grab a sugar-free gum made with xylitol.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile.  Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.