Teeth whitening toothpastes seem to be popping up everywhere and you've got to wonder if they really work.

Whitening toothpastes, like all other toothpastes, contain mild abrasives to remove surface stains. Teeth whitening toothpastes may have additional polishing agents and special chemicals that are more effective against stains than regular toothpastes. While whitening toothpastes can make your teeth appear a little lighter, by getting rid of stains, they do not actually bleach your teeth.

Teeth whitening toothpastes are ideal for people who smoke, drink coffee and tea and eat certain foods that can stain your teeth. Teeth whitening toothpastes are also good to use after you have undergone a teeth whitening procedure to keep surface stains from building up on your teeth.

Most of your bad breath problems can be traced to poor oral hygiene. Bacteria that builds up on the back of your tongue or in between your teeth is the main culprit. These bacteria like to breed on the tongue, cavities, poorly fitting bridges or crowns and in crevices caused by gum diseases. Bad breath is also caused by foods with strong odors (such as garlic or onions), badly maintained dentures, Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products. Medical conditions like dry mouth (also called xerostomia); other diseases and illnesses like respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis, chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes, chronic acid reflux and liver or kidney problems are also reasons for Bad breath.

Bad breath can also be caused by antihistamines, nasal sprays and some anti-depressants. They can dry up your saliva, which leads to bad breath.

The most common reason for bleeding gums is a result of gingivitis where the gums are inflamed due to irritation from dental plaque bacteria. Dental plaque is formed due to poor oral hygiene. Other causes for bleeding gums could be bleeding disorders, brushing too hard, hormonal changes during pregnancy, leukemia, scurvy and vitamin- K deficiency.

Adults and children should change their toothbrush every 3 months because they become worn out and are not as effective as they once were. Exceptions to this would be if you were using an electric toothbrush, and the manufacturer states otherwise. Some electric rechargable toothbrushes have very good brush heads that only need to be changed every 6 months. If you have gum disease, you should change your toothbrush every 4 - 6 weeks because bacteria can harbor in the bristles. You should always rinse your toothbrush out with hot water after every use and change it after you have been sick.

In the vast majority of cases having a root filling procedure is not painful at all. Once your dentist has numbed your tooth using a dental anesthetic you will feel no pain.

Your tooth is more likely to suffer from a fracture than a tooth which has not been root filled. The reason for this is that a lot of the internal supporting dentine has been removed to allow the root filling to be placed. Putting a crown on your tooth is one way for your dentist to protect the tooth from fracture.

Tooth whitening is generally maintained by regular hygiene visits. It is also dependant on life style. Smoking and strongly colored food and drinks have a diminishing effect i.e. coffee, red vine, curry, etc. Professionally whitened teeth can generally be expected to last a couple of years.

Adults can have braces treatment at any time, as long as their general dental and gingival health is good. In children, the best time to correct crooked teeth is following the eruption of a full set of permanent teeth - about age 12 or 13. Because the jaws are still growing, the mouth can be more easily manipulated and the bite restructured. Early orthodontic treatment may be recommended before the pubescent age for patients who exhibit jaw growth problems, uneven dental arches, severe uneven growth of permanent teeth, speech or swallowing problems, or self-esteem problems related to their smile. For adults who need straightening but are discouraged by the thought of unattractive metal braces, the new Invisalign invisible braces treatment may be your best bet.

Implants as a solution to missing teeth has been practiced for a few decades. Dental implants can have success rates above 90% in natural bone. Having said that, success rate depends on many factors like patients own health status, healing power, bone quality, and most important of all – good oral hygiene.

The surgical placement of dental implants causes only minor discomfort similar to having a tooth removed. Post-operative discomfort is controlled with the use of prescriptions. Depending on the extent of the therapy, many persons return to work on the day of the surgery.

Wisdom teeth are molar teeth, which are the last to erupt into the mouth, usually after the age of 15 years, or even much later.

Wisdom teeth are considered impacted when they are unable to erupt into their normal functional positions, mainly due to lack of space for their eruption. Approximately 20% of the population has impacted wisdom teeth.