Dentistry to Enhance Life

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30 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 102
Toronto, ON M4V 3A1

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Invisalign can be your path to clearly beautiful pearly whites

May 14th, 2012

Want Straight, Healthy Teeth and a Confident Smile?

Invisalign can be your path to clearly beautiful pearly whites. Getting your teeth straightened isn't just for teenagers anymore. Like many adults, you have probably wanted to straighten your teeth. Our teeth tend to get slightly crooked over time, especially if we wore braces as kids but stopped wearing our retainer at some point. Straightening your teeth as an adult may seem to be an impossible dream, and you've got a long list of reasons why you can't do it. "I don't want metal braces at my age," or "It'll be too much trouble," or "It'll take too long," and—everyone's old favorite—"It'll be too expensive."

Dr. Friedman addresses your concerns here:

"I don't want metal braces at my age." With Invisalign, you don't wear metal braces. Instead, your teeth are straightened by wearing a series of virtually invisible plastic aligners. Almost no one can tell you've got the aligners on (unless you tell them).

"It'll be too much trouble." Treatment with Invisalign is easy. You'll receive a series of clear aligners, which you'll wear for about two weeks at a time. You wear them all the time, except when you're eating, drinking anything but water, brushing, and flossing.

"It'll take too long." We can't tell you exactly how long treatment will take. But Invisalign treatment takes, on average, about one year.

"It'll be too expensive." Invisalign treatment is often similar in cost to traditional braces. In addition, if you have orthodontic coverage, Invisalign is often covered to the same extent as traditional braces. Dr. Friedman also offers a variety of affordable payment plans. Our office will be happy to work with you on all of the insurance and financial details.

Be one of the many patients Dr.Friedman has treated who are enjoying their new smiles. Call Dr.Friedman office today at 416 482-9100 for a free consultation—don't wait another day to give yourself the gift of straight, healthy, beautiful teeth!

Ask Dr. Friedman: What's the deal with mouthwash?

January 30th, 2012

While mouthwash is not an alternative to regular brushing and flossing, it can help keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy. There are several different types of mouthwashes available, and all of them will help do different things for your smile. The most common types of mouthwashes are:

Fluoride – fluoride is the most used type of mouthwash available, and is used to strengthen the enamel of the teeth while preventing cavities and tooth decay.
Antiseptic – an antiseptic mouthwash is used to kill bacteria and germs in the mouth. Most commonly used before and after a dental surgery, antiseptic mouthwashes can also help to fight gum disease, and halitosis (chronic bad breath). Antiseptic mouthwashes can affect your sense of taste and may stain the teeth, so it is recommended that you consult your dentist before using this type of mouthwash.
Combination – a combination mouthwash is designed to help prevent tooth decay, freshen the breath, and maintain the health of your smile.
Prescription – for patients with gum disease, or any signs of gum disease, you may need a prescription mouthwash. Prescription mouthwashes, like Peridex of PerioGard, are used to treat gingivitis, and other forms of decay.

There are also many different brands of mouthwash. Some common brands include:
• Scope
• Listerine
• Act
• Crest
• Tom’s of Maine (all-natural)
• Plax (anti-plaque rinse)
• Breath Rx
• Orajel
• Targon (special mouthwash made for smokers)
• Rembrandt (whitening mouthwash)

If you are curious about which kind of mouthwash would work best for you, be sure to ask us at your next appointment. If you have a favorite mouthwash, let us know by posting a comment for others to read!

Dr. Brian Friedman and team

Ask Dr. Friedman: If I have braces, do I still need a dental checkup every 6 months?

January 27th, 2012

Thanks for the question! Yes! In fact, it's even more important that patients receiving orthodontic treatment visit our office regularly. When you're wearing braces, food may be caught in places that your toothbrush normally can't reach. This causes bacteria to build up and can lead to cavities, gingivitis and even gum disease. Believe it or not, an estimated 80 percent of American adults currently have some form of gum disease. Studies have shown a correlation between gum disease and heart disease, underscoring the importance of good oral health care. Our staff at Dr. Brian Friedman's office will work closely with your orthodontist to make sure that your teeth stay clean and healthy while you're undergoing orthodontic treatment.

If it has been more than six months since your last visit to our Toronto office, please give us a call!

The trouble with bottled water

January 16th, 2012

Our team at Dr. Brian Friedman's office know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the traditional tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

For more than 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20- to 40 percent in children who have access to fluoridated toothpaste.

Bottled water, however, which remains one of the more popular drinks in the world, may not contain any fluoride, which is known to help prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. The majority of bottled waters on the market do not contain optimal levels (0.7-1.2 ppm) of fluoride, according to our friends at the American Dental Association, or ADA. Many dental health specialists suspect bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. So if bottled water is your water of choice, be sure to check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting Dr. Friedman and our team at the office regularly.

Thanks to Invisalign, you can have a perfect smile without metal wires or brackets!

January 11th, 2012

At Dr. Brian Friedman's office, we know image is everything. For many people, the thought of having metal brackets and wires attached to their teeth for two or more years may be more than enough to delay orthodontic treatment.

If you’ve been considering straightening your teeth but are apprehensive about metal wires and brackets getting in the way of your smile, Invisalign treatment at Dr. Friedman's office may be a great solution. Invisalign, which straightens teeth through a series of clear, custom-fit removable aligners, does so in a way that is discreet and hardly noticeable.

If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment at our office, please give us a call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Friedman.

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