Teeth Whitening Dentist

Dazzling Smiles in Only One Visit with Professional Whitening
You’ve seen advertisements in magazines and on TV, and may have been truly impressed with the results of power whitening. Come into our office to have the same brilliant, white teeth! No longer do you have to be unhappy because of dark stains on your teeth that you thought were permanent. In just one visit, our dentists can give you the dazzling smile that you deserve!

We also offer another affordable whitening method. We make custom whitening trays in our own lab with a procedure you finish at home. With the supplies and instructions we give you, within 1 – 14 days you will see results that will make you want to smile even more! This is a safe as well as effective technique.

Extreme Whitening with the KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching™ System






With today’s dental advancements, we can produce attractive results even with severely stained teeth. Teeth can be tarnished from certain medication, such as the antibiotic tetracycline.
Dr. Bielawski stays informed of all the latest dental practices, and she is very pleased to offer patients with extreme tooth discoloration the strength of KöR Whitening Deep Bleaching System as a whitening method. Dr. Bielawski is among the first in our area to offer this technique to patients. You will be nothing short of amazed that even the worst stains will turn to a dazzling white. If you have only had disappointments in the past, you will be extremely pleased with the results of this treatment.


Other Teeth Whitening Systems Have These Problems:

• Results fade quickly.
• Teeth get very sensitive.
• Results are unpredictable and very often fall short of expectations.
• You need to give up (or severely limit) the use of coffee and wine.

KöR Solves These Problems:

• You won’t have to give up your coffee or red wine and with simple periodic at-home maintenance, your teeth will still stay white FOREVER.
• KöR typically has very little, and often no tooth sensitivity.
• KöR is SO EFFECTIVE it is the ONLY whitening system recognized to significantly whiten even tetracycline-stained teeth.
• KöR’s thin, form-fitting trays are worn at night while you sleep, taking the hassle out of finding time in your busy schedule to whiten your teeth.
• KöR is 100% safe with decades of research and millions of whitening cases.
• KöR can be used by anyone from ages 14 – 90.

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com  

Tooth Cavities

Tooth cavities aren't uncommon - but with the right dental health know-how, you can help prevent them. It all starts with proper brushing, daily flossing, and fluoride. Get the details right here.

What Causes Tooth Cavities?
Cavities are holes in the teeth resulting from acid attack. They generally start in the enamel, but can spread to the softer inner layer of the tooth. Tooth cavities are caused by decay that can occur when foods containing carbohydrates become trapped between teeth, and are not completely removed with brushing and flossing. Bacteria living in the mouth digest these foods, generating acidic byproducts that can eat away at tooth enamel.

Help Prevent Tooth Cavities
Fluoride, which is found in most public drinking supplies, some mouth rinses, and Crest toothpastes, helps prevent tooth cavities by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the remineralization process. Check with your dental professional to see if your drinking water is fluoridated. If it isn't, he or she may recommend that you use high concentration fluoride treatments.

To help strengthen weak spots in tooth enamel, and help prevent the early stages of tooth decay, brush regularly with a fluoridated toothpaste, floss daily, and visit your dental office regularly for professional cleanings.

Above article from: Crest.com

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com 

What is Plaque?

Plaque is a sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria that is constantly forming on the tooth surface. Saliva, food and fluids combine to produce these deposits that collect where the teeth and gums meet. Plaque buildup is the primary factor in periodontal (gum) disease, including gingivitis.

How to Get Rid of Plaque

To help prevent plaque buildup, be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day with an anti-plaque toothpaste such as Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste for around the clock protection against plaque buildup, and floss once a day.

Adding a mouth rinse such as Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Rinse to your routine can help against plaque buildup, without the burning sensation of alcohol. Eating well-balanced meals and brushing after snacks will reduce the formation of plaque. Visit your dental office regularly for oral exams and cleanings, during which your dental professional will scrape away any accumulated plaque with a special instrument.

Above article from: Crest.com

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com 

Sports Safety: Avoiding Tooth and Mouth Injuries

A few years ago, a dental newsletter published what seemed like an unusual story. A boy snagged his teeth on a basketball net while doing a slam-dunk.
A freakish accident? Not quite. After the article appeared, nearly 40 dentists wrote in with their own stories. They all told of would-be Michael Jordans who sacrificed their front teeth in pursuit of the perfect dunk.
In older children and adults, sports injuries are common. Dentists estimate that between 13% and 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports.
About 80% of all dental injuries affect at least one of the front teeth. Damage to the tongue or cheek is common, too.
Basic Protection
Even if a tooth has been knocked out, it often can be saved if you get to a dentist quickly enough. Minor chips and cracks can be repaired. Dentists use tooth-colored materials that are nearly as strong as the original tooth. However, even "minor" injuries can cause serious and costly damage. If you enjoy sports or other high-risk activities, protect yourself. The use of mouth guards among football players, for example, is believed to prevent about 200,000 mouth injuries a year.
Depending on the sport, two types of protection are available:

• Helmets- A helmet is a must for activities that involve speed or impact. These include football, hockey, skating and bike riding. The helmet should fit correctly. It should also be appropriate for the sport you are playing.
• Mouth guards - Wearing a mouth guard is one of the best ways to prevent injury to your teeth, tongue and lips. A custom-fit mouth guard from your dentist is recommended. This type of mouth guard usually fits better than a ready-made one (found in sporting-goods stores). That means it may protect your teeth better.

If a custom-fit mouth guard isn't an option, try a "boil-and-bite" mouth guard. You can buy one in a sporting-goods store. You place the mouth guard in boiling water. Once the plastic is soft (but not too hot), you bite down on the mouth guard and mold the softened plastic around your teeth. If the mouth guard doesn't fit comfortably the first time, you can reheat it and do it again.

©2002-2013 Aetna, Inc. All rights reserved.
09/25/2013

The above article is from: Colgate.com

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com 

Tooth Anatomy

What Are the Different Parts of a Tooth?

• Crown- the top part of the tooth, and the only part you can normally see. The shape of the crown determines the tooth's function. For example, front teeth are sharp and chisel-shaped for cutting, while molars have flat surfaces for grinding.
• Gumline- where the tooth and the gums meet. Without proper brushing and flossing, plaque and tartar can build up at the gumline, leading to gingivitis and gum disease.
• Root- the part of the tooth that is embedded in bone. The root makes up about two-thirds of the tooth and holds the tooth in place.
• Enamel- the outermost layer of the tooth. Enamel is the hardest, most mineralized tissue in the body - yet it can be damaged by decay if teeth are not cared for properly.
• Dentin- the layer of the tooth under the enamel. If decay is able to progress its way through the enamel, it next attacks the dentin - where millions of tiny tubes lead directly to the dental pulp.
• Pulp- the soft tissue found in the center of all teeth, where the nerve tissue and blood vessels are. If tooth decay reaches the pulp, you usually feel pain.

What Are the Different Types of Teeth?
Every tooth has a specific job or function (use the dental arch in this section to locate and identify each type of tooth):

• Incisors- the sharp, chisel-shaped front teeth (four upper, four lower) used for cutting food.
• Canines- sometimes called cuspids, these teeth are shaped like points (cusps) and are used for tearing food.
• Premolars- these teeth have two pointed cusps on their biting surface and are sometimes referred to as bicuspids. The premolars are for crushing and tearing.
• Molars- used for grinding, these teeth have several cusps on the biting surface

The above article is from: Colgate.com

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com 

White Dental Fillings

No Mercury! No Metals! No Kidding!

For many years, the standard filling material was the metallic silver-mercury amalgam. Although many practices still use it, we do not. We offer modern restorations that match the shade of your tooth and bond tightly to the healthy tooth structure. These fillings add strength to a tooth and reduce the chances of additional decay. Many people don’t like the appearance of a dark plug in their teeth, which is often very noticeable and not aesthetically pleasing. Also, metal does not bond well to the tooth, so amalgam fillings eventually allow decay to set in under the filling. We bring our patients the latest and best filling materials to provide unnoticeable restorations that restore a tooth to full functionality and lessen the chance of cavities. 

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com 

Tooth Decay and Sensitivity

What Causes Tooth Enamel Damage?

What happens when tooth enamel is damaged? The exposed part underneath becomes vulnerable to decay. Cavities aren't the only problem.

Teeth with damaged enamel can become sensitive to extreme temperatures. Suddenly, eating ice cream or sipping hot coffee can be painful or unpleasant.

 

Above article from: WebMD.com/oral-health

Lifetime Family Dentistry
Elena Bielawski, DDS, FICOI, FMIII
66 Maple Avenue
Collinsville, CT 06019
(860) 605-2075
LifetimeFamilyDentistryCT.com