Island Coast Dentistry Blog

Common Foods and Drinks That Stain Your Teeth

December 27, 2015

Do you want to know the secret to a whiter smile? The biggest contributors to teeth discoloration come in the form of intensely colored foods and drinks.
The same dyes found in nature and used in processed foods changes the coloring of the enamel on your teeth by exposing your teeth to dyes.

Whiten Your Smile

The best way to whiten your smile is with good daily oral hygiene routines. Twice-daily brushing, daily flossing, and professional teeth whitening procedures can help you maintain a bright smile.
But you can make the effects of teeth bleaching whitening treatments last longer by carefully monitoring your food choices and behaviors. Here are 10 everyday foods and habits that can discolor your teeth.

3 Bad Habits that Stain Your Teeth

Many preventable and avoidable bad habits can cause discoloration to your teeth. Do your best to eliminate exposure to these unhealthy products.

Smoking
Chewing tobacco
Neglecting oral hygiene

Beverages and Foods that Stain Teeth

If a food or beverage stains a white tablecloth, it could potentially stain your teeth. The presence of pigments called chromogens is responsible. Foods containing tannins enhance the stain-producing abilities of chromogens, and foods with high acid content contribute by weakening enamel and making it more vulnerable.

1. Red Wine

Red wine contains acid, chromogens, and tannins, and it is notorious for staining teeth. White wine, although it is not a colored liquid, also promotes staining.

2. Sugary Treats

Hard candies, popsicles, and gum often contain strong pigments that cause stains.

3. Sports Drinks

Acidic sports drinks soften tooth enamel, and promote staining caused by other foods.

4. Sauces

Deeply colored sauces such as tomato-based sauces, soy sauce, and curry sauce have tooth-staining potential.

5. Fruit

Brightly colored berries such as blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries easily stain teeth.

6. Soda, Cola and Pop

Cola drinks contain acid and chromogens. Light-colored carbonated drinks also promote stains because of their acidity.

7. Black Tea

Black tea is rich in tannins, and it is considered to cause staining even more aggressively than coffee. Herbal, green, and white teas are less likely to stain teeth.

4 Tips for Avoiding Teeth Stains

Many stain-causing foods offer great health benefits, so you don’t want to avoid them entirely. Moderation is key to limiting tooth discoloration due to foods and beverages. Here are a few tips to help you protect your teeth while enjoying healthy foods that can leave stains.

Swallow the food or liquid as quickly as possible; don’t let it linger inside your mouth.
Drink through a straw to minimize contact with tooth-staining beverages.
Swish your mouth with water after consuming foods that stain teeth.
Chew sugarless gum after eating or drinking.

Improve Your Smile in Naples

Dr. Jeffrey Skupny uses a variety of dental services and techniques to provide the very best results for your individual circumstances.
His artistic abilities and experience with cosmetic dentistry along with his use of the finest materials and products combine to create a healthy, natural looking, spectacular smile.
Contact our dental office in Collier County area today to learn more about the dental options available to you.
Isn’t it time to look younger and feel better? If you don’t like your smile, come see Dr. Jeffrey Skupny, conveniently located in Collier County, Florida.

Island Coast Dentistry Celebrates 5 Years in Naples!

November 12, 2015

Happy five year anniversary!
Five years ago, this month, we opened the doors to our new state-of-the-art dental practice, serving our patients with the highest quality dental care in Naples Florida.
But where does the time go? So much has happened in the last five years at Island Coast Dentistry that to write about it all would be too much to read. But a big event was the birth of Luca Skupny (pictured above) to Dr. Skupny and his wife Melissa in May of 2015.
First and foremost we are thankful to our loyal patients, our staff and online team for making our practice what it is today.
We are so proud of what we’ve done here at Island Coast Dentistry and as always, thank you to everyone that has helped make this little dream of ours a reality.
Again, thank you for choosing Island Coast Dentistry for your oral health needs and for being a part of our success! Here’s to 20 more years – and beyond!

Two Important Reasons to Visit Your Dentist Regularly

October 10, 2015

You might not realize it but regular dental checkups are not only critical for your oral health, but also for early detection and prevention of chronic health issues like gum disease and oral cancer.
During your annual checkup, Dr. Skupny will take x-rays and examine your teeth and gums for signs of deterioration or infection. Also our oral hygienists will conduct teeth cleanings and fluoride treatments to maintain and improve your oral health.

1. Preventative Care

Island Coast Dentistry, focuses on preventative care, ensuring that your smile stays healthy and looking its best. While personal hygiene like brushing and flossing is important to healthy teeth, a professional tooth cleaning is much more thorough and gets rid of plaque buildup. Island Coast Dentistry recommends a dental cleaning and a checkup every six months.
When deciding whether or not to schedule your biannual visit with Island Coast Dentistry, keep in mind that it is much easier to prevent health problems than to repair them. Poor oral hygiene can lead to several issues such as bone loss, gum disease, and infections. Island Coast Dentistry can help prevent oral hygiene problems with fluoride treatments, teeth cleanings, tooth decay prevention, and early detection of oral diseases.

2. Dental Health

During a checkup with Dr. Skupny he looks for signs of oral health problems such as gum disease or oral cancer. The early detection of gum disease is important since it is one of the leading causes of tooth loss, and it can lead to even greater health problems like heart disease and stroke. However, when caught early, gum disease can be reversed. Regular visits to Island Coast Dentistry can maintain both your oral health and overall health.
In addition to cleanings and checkups, Island Coast Dentistry also offers other dental services such as the following:

Cosmetic Dentistry
Invisalign Clear Braces
Crowns and Bridges
Teeth Whitening
Cosmetic Bonding
Porcelain Veneers

General and Cosmetic Dentist in Naples

Naples, Florida dentist Dr. Jeffrey Skupny uses a variety of dental procedures and techniques to provide the very best result for your individual circumstances.
His artistic abilities and experience with dentistry along with his use of the finest materials and products combine to create a healthy, natural looking, spectacular smile. Contact our dental office in Collier County area today to learn more about the dental options available to you.
Isn’t it time to look younger and feel better? If you don’t like your smile, come see Dr. Jeffrey Skupny, conveniently located near Bonita Springs and Marco Island in Naples, Florida.

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How Long Does a Dental Implant Procedure Take?

August 31, 2015

Single-tooth implant procedures can be used in people who are missing one or more teeth. An implant is surgically placed in an opening that your dentist makes in the jawbone. After the implant integrates (attaches) to your bone, it acts as a new “root” for the crown that will replace your missing tooth.

A crown (cap), which is made to look like a natural tooth, is attached to the implant and fills the space left in the mouth by the missing tooth.

For this procedure to work, there must be enough bone in the jaw. The bone has to be strong enough to hold and support the implant. If there is not enough bone, it may need to be added with a procedure called bone augmentation or bone grafting. In addition, natural teeth and supporting tissues near where the implant will be placed must be in good health.

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8 Reasons to Choose Dental Implants

March 17, 2015

If you have missing teeth, you may wonder what you can do to have a healthy looking smile. You might think about getting dentures or you might think about getting dental implants. For many people, the better choice is dental implants.
A typical implant consists of a titanium screw (resembling a tooth root) with a roughened or smooth surface. The majority of dental implants are made out of commercially pure titanium, which is available in four grades depending upon the amount of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and iron contained
Below are eight advantages of choosing dental implants for replacing missing teeth rather than other options.

1. You can Replace One Tooth or More

If you have just one missing tooth, you can get a single implant for that tooth. Sometimes, a bridge is a better idea. For those patients who have lost all of their teeth, dentures that are implant secured can be the best idea.

2. Implants Help with Maintaining Bone Health

When you have lost a tooth, the loss is sensed by your body and therefore it stops sending important nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium to that area. Because of this, the jaw bone starts deteriorating and can threaten your other teeth’s health. Since dental implants replaces the missing tooth’s root and crown, your body will continue to send the important nutrients there.

3. They help with Keeping Your Remaining Teeth in Good Health

When you are missing a tooth, the remaining teeth are going to drift towards that empty space. This often creates areas that are difficult to clean in which plaque builds up, increasing your chances of getting tooth decay and gum disease. The implants help with maintaining proper spacing necessary for keeping your teeth healthy and clean.

4. They will Make You Look Better

Missing teeth on children look cute. But missing teeth on an adult make you look in poor health and older. Replacing the gaps using dental implants is going to restore your cheeks and lips’ structure and lips and help you to look healthier and younger.

5. You Can Chew With Confidence

People who have missing teeth usually have poorer health since they are limited to foods that are soft. They also have trouble because they aren’t able to properly chew and therefore their body can’t absorb nutrients properly. Implants will restore your ability to chew.

6. They Help You Taste Food and Speak Naturally

Teeth have an essential role in making sounds that are needed for speaking normally. When you have missing teeth, speech often sounds lisped, slurred, or distorted in some way. With implants, you will have normal speaking function because the teeth are replaced. In regards to the ability to taste, a lot of people who get implants after wearing removable dentures find that they are tasting things a lot better. They aren’t tasting the plastic but the food.

7. They’re More Secure than Dentures

Dentures are known for sliding, clicking, needing to be refitted and replaced as time goes by, and popping out. Implants don’t slip or move. They don’t need to be readjusted, and for the most part the only thing that may need to be replaced is the crown.

8. They Eliminate Health Problems Failing Teeth Cause

Improving your oral health also can help with improving your health overall. Implants help with creating a mouth that is healthier and reducing periodontal disease. This chronic inflammatory disease and infection won’t go away on its own. If it doesn’t get better, it can result in things like diabetes, heart attacks, Alzheimer’s diseases, strokes, and other problems. With implants, your mouth’s health is improved.
Since implants imitate real teeth, they are also cared for in the same way. They can be brushed and flossed, and if you go to the dentist regularly, they can last you for a long time.

Maintenance

After placement, implants need to be cleaned (similar to natural teeth) with a Teflon instrument to remove any plaque. Because of the blood supply, care should be taken with dental floss. Implants will lose bone at a rate similar to natural teeth in the mouth.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a lot of advantages of getting dental implants when you have missing teeth. You are going to look better, you will feel better, and your life is going to be better all-around if you replace your missing teeth using implants. You won’t believe the difference it will make.

Improve Your Smile in Naples

Naples, Florida dentist Dr. Jeffrey Skupny uses a variety of dental services and techniques to provide the very best result for your individual circumstances.
His artistic abilities and experience with dentistry along with his use of the finest materials and products combine to create a healthy, natural looking, spectacular smile. Contact our Naples dental office in Collier County area today to learn more about the dental options available to you.
Isn’t it time to look younger and feel better? If you don’t like your smile, come see Dr. Jeffrey Skupny, conveniently located in Collier County, Florida.

10 Cool Things in Naples, Florida

May 7, 2014

Things to Do in Naples, Florida

Besides consulting with our patients on the best ways to maintain and improve your oral health with Cosmetic Dentistry, Invisalign, Dental Implants, Porcelain Veneers and Teeth Whitening, we are also residents who enjoy the best of Naples, Florida.

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What's an Abscessed Tooth?

January 31, 2014

Treatment of an abscessed tooth
An abscessed tooth is a pocket of pus, usually caused by some kind of infection and the spread of bacteria from the root of the tooth to the tissue just below or near the tooth.
In general, a tooth that has become abscessed is one whose underlying pulp (the tooth’s soft core) has become infected or swollen. The pulp contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue, and lies within the tooth. It extends from the crown of the tooth, to the tip of the root, in the bone of the jaws.
An abscessed tooth can be an extremely painful condition.
In some cases, antibiotics are administered in an attempt to kill an infection. If antibiotics are ineffective and an abscess is shown to be damaging the pulp or lower bony structures, a root canal procedure may be needed to remove the dead pulp and restore the tooth to a healthy state.