Derby Dental Blog

Some people have naturally white teeth. Years ago, I was a member of a fitness boot camp that had the audacity to hire trainers who were distractingly good-looking. One of them had a smile so pure and white that I couldn’t help but be nosy and ask him how I, too, could achieve such a blinding smile. He just laughed, ran a hand through his short brown hair, and said, “I don’t do anything. My teeth are naturally this white. I mean, I used bleach strips once like ten years ago.” And with that, he shed his tank top and did a slo-mo Baywatch run around the track. Or at least that’s the scenario my brain created.

Not all of us are fortunate enough to have naturally white teeth–and that’s okay! That’s why the populace has created a million and one options for whitening. We discussed a few at-home treatments in our last blog post, but today we’re going to talk about KöR, one of the best whitening systems on the market, and why we think it’s THE way to go for a long-lasting white smile.

Why KöR?

Derby Dental is a provider of the KöR Whitening System because it doesn’t rely on anything super high-tech or gimmicky, like lights or lasers, or big plastic cheek retractors–it’s just really solid science and chemical engineering that delivers great results. The process also doesn’t cause as much sensitivity as other whitening methods and the results are practically permanent!

What makes KöR different?

Like many other whitening systems, KöR involves a peroxide gel that is applied to the teeth. The big difference is that KöR whitening gels are under constant refrigeration from the time they are manufactured. This is a big deal because bleaching gels can degrade in room temperature environments (not to mention in a warehouse where the temperatures can get very warm). This means that by the time you bring home your whitening gel, it may be way less effective. Bleaching syringes and whitening strips don’t come cheap, so why waste money on something that only kind of works? KöR’s refrigeration ensures that your gel is 100% effective.

What’s the process like?

KöR is both an in-office and at-home process and can be altered depending on the difficulty of your case. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

1. In-office: Take impressions for your custom trays
2. In-office: Jumpstart conditioning with 13% Dual-Activated, Tri-Barrel Hydremide Peroxide gel in your fancy new trays
3. At-home: Nighttime whitening for 3-4 weeks (more severe cases may need to bleach for up to 8 weeks)
4. In-office: Whitening session with 34% Dual-Activated, Tri-Barrel Hydremide Peroxide gel
5. At-home: Periodic maintenance (this ensures long-lasting results)

Key points to keep in mind

• Always get your teeth professionally cleaned before starting a whitening regimen! It will be way more effective if you have a nice shiny slate to work with.
• If you have dental work like crowns and fillings, they do not change color and will not bleach with the rest of your teeth. For example, if you have a crown on your front tooth and want to do a whitening regimen, you would need to replace your crown (after whitening is completed) to match the new bleach shade.
• Sensitivity is also completely normal. The KöR system has a fantastic desensitizer that helps combat sensitivity

KöR produces incredible results for achieving the smile you’ve always wanted to steal from your ex-fitness trainer. Call the office to learn more or to set up an appointment to achieve those #WhiteningGoals.

1. Green Juice

I watched a documentary on getting skinny by “juicing” and “eating less”–so I bought a juicer. I had heard that green juice, made with kale and spinach, was supposed to be really good for you (it’s also the grossest kind you can make, go figure). It wasn’t long before I noticed dark staining behind my bottom front teeth. Pulverized greens actually release more pigment that can cause staining. It was a great reason to quit juicing and go back to my burger diet.

2. Coffee & Tea

I can’t fathom a day where I don’t drink at least two cups of coffee in the morning. According to the Crest website, it’s actually the tannins in coffee and tea that are responsible for staining. Tannins are a naturally occurring chemical compound found mostly in plants, barks, leaves, and fruit skins. Unfortunately, adding milk to your coffee or tea does not minimize the staining as it doesn’t change the amount of tannins.

3. Tomato Sauces

This one is kind of a double whammy. Tomato sauce is pretty pigmented which can give your teeth a yellowish hue. They are also very acidic which means that they can erode your enamel and expose pores. Acid can also “roughen” up your enamel which makes it easier for more colorful gunk to stick to your teeth.

4. Red Wine

Same as with the tannins in coffee and tea. Opt for the occasional white wine or do it like my old Aunt Cassie: drink your red wine from a box with a straw.

5. Berries

There’s nothing I like better than a mixed berry pie. Or mixed berry anything, really. Berries are like tomatoes in that you have to watch out for the acidity as well as the pigment.

6. Turmeric

Turmeric is a delightful and delicious root spice used in a lot of eastern cuisines. It’s also bright yellow and known for staining everything. Countertops, fingers, plates, clothes, etc. I once had a temporary crown that was stained canary yellow after eating dinner at an Indian restaurant!

7. Soy Sauce & Sriracha

Both are pigmented and delicious. I lumped these together because I add them to almost all of my meals. They’re like two peas and a pod or a wink and a nod.

8. Dark Balsamic Vinegar

Dark balsamic will throw their heavy pigment on your teeth without thinking twice. When cooked on low to make a syrup, the vinegar, which is of course acidic, becomes like a sticky magnet to your teeth.

9. Colas/Sodas/Pops

Compounds in dark colas can do a number on your white teeth but the acidity also plays a part. It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking RC Cola or Sprite, the acidity will still fizzle away your enamel and leave it susceptible to staining. Fun fact: Did you know that the recipe for Coca Cola was never patented? If they patented it, they would have make their recipe public.

10. Tobacco Use

I know, I know, not a food. But I think it’s so important to continue mentioning that smoking or chewing tobacco are so detrimental to your oral health. Smoking has long been known to deposit a sticky, tar-like gunk on the surface of your teeth and requires some diligent scrubbing on your hygienist’s part to get it removed. Who wants to kiss that?!

Think of your teeth as a white t-shirt when it comes to staining or discoloration: anything that will stain a white shirt will likely also stain those chompers.

Already done some damage and can’t cut out the coke-a-cola. No worries! We got you 🙂 Check out our blog about at home whitening options or ask us about our KOR whitening treatment! :)

There are a million reasons to smile once the weather gets warmer and all of them will be recorded on your insta-feed. Whether you find yourself pool-side at Deep Eddy, at local swimming hole, on a patio for happy hour, or at Zilker for a picnic in the park, one thing is for certain, someone will be snappin a pic.

Now you may be thinking to yourself, am I ready for this? Is my smile this camera ready? Can I handle all this extra exposure? Am I about to get insta-famous this summer?

While we can’t necessarily promise you fame and fortune, we can advise you on a few tips and tricks to get your smile celebrity status ready.

You may be tempted to look into at-home whitening options before jumping into the dentist’s chair–and there’s nothing wrong with that! There are tons of whitening strips, toothpaste, and lights available almost everywhere you shop. There’s also a lot of recipes for teeth whitening home remedies online.

Let’s break down some of these options:

Crest Whitestrips:

Crest Whitestrips are available in most grocery stores and are one of the few over-the-counter bleaching products that are ADA approved. They consist of an upper and lower plastic strip that have tiny peroxide-filled bubbles on them that “pop” when pressed against your teeth. They are usually worn for 30 minutes at a time. If they feel too slippery, try drying your teeth off before putting on the strips.

TIP ALERT! Definitely make sure to wipe any peroxide gel off your gums immediately after applying the strips. It can burn!

LED Whitening Kits:

LED-Light Whitening kits are the new kid on the block. They consist of a fancy mouth light and trays with either carbamide peroxide gel or hydrogen peroxide gel. The idea is that once you have the gel trays in your mouth, the blue light just helps speed up the whitening process. There seem to be a lot of options for these lights and at many price points. Make sure to do plenty of research before going towards the light.

Whitening Toothpaste:

Almost every brand of toothpaste has a version that claims to whiten your teeth to match Bob Ross’s Titanium White paint. Some of these can really help curb staining between teeth cleanings. Just watch out for abrasiveness. A lot of whitening toothpaste rely on a pumice-effect to scrub stains. The bad part is, they sometimes remove some of your enamel as well. This can either lead to more staining or even yellower looking teeth as the naturally yellow dentin (the layer of the tooth under your enamel) begins to show.

Homeopathic/Pinterest Methods

I’m going to stop you right here and redirect you to an older blog we did that talked about the harm in using Pinterest-approved whitening techniques, including charcoal and acidic foods. As we mentioned with the toothpaste, abrasives like charcoal and baking soda may help you achieve a whiter smile but it’s actually doing more damage in the long run as it removes your enamel. Acids, like those found in lemons and strawberries (which are two of Pinterest’s favorite whitening ingredients), will also cause irreversible damage to the enamel.

What whitening options does Dr. Whitehouse offer?

Dr. Whitehouse is a provider of the KöR Whitening system which has been touted as one of the most effective whitening systems available.

It works by utilizing a combination of in-office and at-home treatments with fully potent peroxide bleaching gels. As with most bleaching systems, some sensitivity is normal. Fluoride is the best remedy for senspost-whitening sensitivity, which you can find in lower doses in your toothpastes or extra strength at our office.

Luckily, the KoR whitening system includes an anti-sensitivity agent included in the whitening kit that can be used at home, and REALLY works!!

Happy Summer, ya’ll. Smile bright!

No matter if you work at a cool new startup downtown, live in Rosedale or Pflugerville, or have been working for years at Dell, one thing is certain: your dentist is in a great location at the corner of Far West and Mopac.

The Northwest Hills area is pretty easy to get to from almost anywhere in Austin (barring traffic) and we have tons of delicious lunch spots nearby if you’re trying to grab a bite and get your teeth cleaned on your lunch break. (Seriously, the Boulevard Bar & Grill, Biderman’s Deli, Saffron–I could go on and on about food!) But we’re not here to talk about food or our great location…

we’re going to discuss your most burning question, the question 85% of our patients ask us:

Where the heck can I park?!

Y’all, I hear you. On the days we don’t start until 10a.m. we’re practically parking over at Wendy’s and taking a shuttle. There seem to be a large number of spots on the lot but most of them are reserved or say “Contract Parking Only”. Where does that leave you?

You’re a responsible person who left work with just enough time to get to the office for your mid-morning appointment but now you feel like a dolt because you just spent five minutes circling and now you’re late for your appointment and you’re frustrated and probably mumbling such profanities under your breath that even George Carlin would tell you to tone it down.

I know it may be tempting to park anywhere and take your chances, but please be aware that property management seems to have a whole fleet of grackles watching over the parking lot just waiting to nark on you. Management is cracking down on reserved, 30-minute, and 2-hour visitor parking and will not hesitate to tow. They’ve already had two cars towed so far!

We definitely know the frustration of not being able to find a place to park and want to find a solution. We’re in talks with the building property managers to get some designated parking spots for our patients. Until then, here are some tips for finding a spot and keeping your cool:

1. Snag an early morning appointment. The parking lots usually don’t fill up until about 9 a.m.
2. Wind your way up to the 5th floor of the garage
3. Add a buffer to your travel time in case you find yourself waiting for a spot

Location is so important, especially in Austin where traffic rules our lives. We’re glad we’re in a central location, close to the major roadways, an HEB and tons of food… and we’re glad we can provide a 5-star dental experience no matter where you’re coming from. We hope to get our parking up to 5 star standards soon!

My dentist said I needed a crown and I was like, “I know, right?”

That’s a really common joke in the dental world. Almost like when an item at a store is missing a price tag–the cashier braces himself with a forced smile for the inevitable, “Well, it must be free then!” Silly mom jokes aside, let’s talk about that crown (or cap, as some call it). Dr. Whitehouse said you needed one but no one is calling you their Royal Highness, so what led us here?

A Super Brief Overview of Crowns

Typically, the need for a crown is caused by two main things: decay and fractures. Once a tooth has been affected by severe decay and/or fractures, a crown is recommended to preserve the structural integrity of the tooth. To do that, the doc has to remove all the decay and broken bits and then has to build a mini foundation that the crown will adhere to. The permanent fancy porcelain crown is fabricated in a lab (right here in Austin!) so while that’s getting made, the doc has to leave you with something temporary to hold the space–this is a temporary crown (or temp if you’re in the biz).

Temporary crowns are made out of an acrylic material and enable most of the normal functions of a regular tooth or crown. Since getting a crown is kind of like a mini surgery and the material of a temp crown isn’t totally heat/cold proof, sensitivity is normal. Cold sensitivity is more common but if the heat makes you jump out of your seat, we need to know. The gums are most likely to be the cause of irritation and can be alleviated with warm salt water rinses.

What to Do and What Not to Do

Stash away your almonds, granola bars, gum, taffy, or anything really crunchy, sticky, or chewy until you get your permanent crown. Also, keep the flossing extremely gentle around the crown and slide the floss between the teeth instead of popping it in and out.. No Water Pik or hydro-flossing on your temp. Your temporary crown is, well, temporary and it can pop off. If that happens, it’s not a huge deal. Call the office and we’ll get it back on.

The number one rule is to brush your teeth. Keep brushing (always and forever). Not brushing can lead to excessive bleeding and plaque buildup, which can compromise the delivery of your permanent crown.

When to Alert the Office

While sensitivity is normal, pain from pressure is not. You should be able to chew fairly normally with your temporary crown, so if you find yourself chewing on the other side of your mouth due to discomfort, let us know; this may just require a bit of an adjustment.  Throbbing, aching pain that progresses should also warrant a phone call to the office.

Are straight teeth really important?

Just this past weekend, a very dramatic friend of mine was lying gloomily over a purple chaise longue, waving a tissue and lamenting that she had chipped a lower front tooth while eating chips and queso. Was her enamel weak? Was she taking poor care of her teeth? Does Kerbey have better queso than TacoDeli? Why was this happening to her, she yammered.

While there are many reasons that teeth become chipped or fractured, I’d bet the farm that her chip was caused by misaligned teeth and not by poor home care. In fact, misaligned or crooked teeth can cause tons of issues ranging from unhealthy gums to sleep apnea and even TMJ problems.

Are straight teeth really important? You bet.

Having straight teeth is more than a cosmetic goal; it is like an insurance policy for the lower half of your head. (Let’s face it, that’s my favorite part of the head. It’s what I use to eat all that queso). If your teeth don’t meet properly with your mouth closed or if one side of your mouth touches together before the other side while biting, you may be at risk for damaging your jaw joints (TMJ). If you’ve ever been a teeth grinder or clencher, you know that can come with some nasty headaches!

There’s more to straight teeth than just aiding in the prevention of chipped teeth and uncomfortable jaw pain. It can also save you money in the long run. The better aligned your teeth are, the easier they are to keep clean. Overlapping or crowded teeth can hoard gunk in hard-to-reach places–even with regular brushing and flossing. If bacteria isn’t getting cleaned out, it’s going to unpack its little fanny pack and relax in an adirondack chair right there in your mouth.

It might invite some friends over, too. And when those friends hang out, they get rowdy. You may end up with cavities and red, swollen gums–an early warning sign of gum disease that can then lead to tooth loss.

Speaking of people who may be missing teeth, you may have noticed kids as young as 7 or 8 with braces. Even baby teeth may need a little help getting in the right position to promote proper jaw growth as well as aiding in the proper eruption of permanent teeth. “Phase 1” braces, as they are often called, help to correct dentition problems that appear early in childhood development. For example, overcrowding, overbites, underbites, and narrow palate space can all be addressed with Phase 1 braces while the jaw is still growing.

If you’ve blasted through this blog and read it with the same amount of attention and fervor you gave the manual for the alarm clock you bought in 1998, it probably means you missed the big points about straightening the ol’ chompers. So I’ll list some #hotpoints.

1. Reduce the risk of chipping/fracturing teeth while chewing
2. Bring stability to your bite and reduce grinding/clenching jaw discomfort
3. Improve your ability to keep your mouth clean and your current restorations in good shape
4. Gain confidence. Having a straight smile is great for your health but it also feels pretty darn good to show it off, too!

So, If you’re in the same boat (or chaise longue) as my friend and concerned about any of the aforementioned problems, get off your keister and do something about it! I gave my friend a swift shake to the shoulders and told her to make an appointment. Clear aligner therapy like Invisalign, traditional braces, and lingual braces are all options to look into–but one size does not fit all so make sure you consult with Dr. Whitehouse or your dental provider to see what option is best for you.