A Teeth Whitening History from Your Livonia Dentist

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Beautiful smileTeeth whitening has become one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures today, yet having a bright smile wasn’t always simple as it is now. Roughly 4,000 years ago the ancient Egyptians began the teeth whitening trend as way to showcase their wealth. With a paste made of wine vinegar and ground pumice stone, the Egyptians used small tree branches (or frayed sticks) to place the whitening solution onto their teeth—the wealthiest citizens had the whitest teeth.

The ancient Romans also had their hand at teeth whitening, although their method utilized urine. Thankfully, this method ended when people discovered that the whitening properties in urine came from its naturally-present ammonia.

Lastly, in the 18th Century barbers were also the local dentists. Their solution was to file teeth with a metal tool paired with nitric acid to brighten teeth. However, this method was too harsh for the enamel and weakened the tooth’s structure. Lucky for us, modern dental bleaching benefits smiles without any damage. With the help of Dr. James Stewart, your Livonia dentist, whitening treatments can significantly improve the appearance of your smile.

Teeth Whitening Treatments Today

Dr. Stewart offers many teeth whitening solutions in his Livonia-based practice. With at-home and in-office options brightening your smile has never been easier. For at-home whitening, the dentist can prescribe the DayWhite or NightWhite systems to bleach your teeth at any time. However, if you’re more comfortable with having the dentist complete the whitening procedure, Zoom! Whitening can remove stains just as effectively in an hour’s time. By combining a specialized ultraviolet light with a whitening gel, your teeth can shine up to ten shades brighter.

Whiten Your Smile with Your Livonia Dentist

Your smile can have a new look and feel with the help of your Livonia dentist and teeth whitening. During the initial consultation, he can provide a detailed overview of the procedure and answer any of your questions. To schedule an appointment, call our office at (734) 425-4400. Also visit our website to view services, testimonials, and print patient forms. We look forward to treating patients from Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and surrounding areas.

filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry

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Transform Your Smile with Porcelain Veneers from Your Livonia Dentist

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Smiling woman

Do you want to significantly improve the appearance of your smile? You can with Dr. James Stewart in his Livonia-based practice. His office offers porcelain veneers to transform any smile into a beautiful one. Veneers can erase dental imperfections that cause patients to feel self-conscious about their smiles. This permanent solution creates dental uniformity and healthier-looking teeth for just about anyone. At your Livonia dentist, you can have the smile you’ve been seeking.

What Do Porcelain Veneers Do?

Porcelain veneers is great way to change your smile relatively fast. These thin, custom-made porcelain shells fit perfectly onto your teeth. The porcelain material mimics the translucent qualities of your teeth and provides a virtually indistinguishable restoration. With a simple preparation process to create a smooth surface for bonding, veneers can fix a number of dental flaws, including:

  • Severe stains from tetracycline
  • Worn down teeth from grinding or clenching
  • Chipped or broken teeth
  • Misshaped, uneven or gapped teeth

Additionally, as an alternative Dr. Stewart offers composite resin veneers. Though less invasive than a porcelain veneer, composite resin tends to stain easily, whereas porcelain is quite stain-resistant.

How Long Does the Porcelain Veneer Process Take?

Typically, just two visits can transform your smile. During the first visit, the dentist will prepare your teeth, take impressions, and outfits you with temporary veneers while a highly-skilled ceramist at a dental lab creates a permanent set. At the second visit, Dr. Stewart removes the temporaries and permanently bonds the newly-formed porcelain veneers to your prepared teeth for a total rejuvenation of your smile. The results appear natural and hide virtually any imperfection that existed before the procedure took place.

New Smiles from Dr. Stewart

Your smile can have a new look and feel with the help of Dr. Stewart and porcelain veneers. During the initial consultation, he can provide a detailed overview of the procedure and answer any of your questions. To schedule an appointment, call our office at (734) 425-4400. Also visit our website to view services, testimonials, and print patient forms. We look forward to treating patients from Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and surrounding areas.

filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry

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Snoring: Your Partner’s Perspective, According to Your Livonia Dentist

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SnoringSnoring may seem like a nighttime nuisance, yet it’s typically the sign of a greater issue. Snoring can cause sleep interruptions to both the person experiencing the snoring and anyone within earshot of the sound—typically a spouse or partner. More often than not, the snorer is unaware of the nighttime tendency. Therefore, your Livonia dentist wants to share a few simple tips to help reduce snoring and improve everyone’s overall sleep.

How to Sleep When They’re Snoring

While snoring does affect the snorer, listening to it can also cause disruptions to sleep. If your loved one snores, here are a few recommendations to improve sleep for all.

  • Tell the snorer to visit the dentist. Snoring is often linked to sleep apnea. Though the sound can cause you to wake throughout the night, the underlying problem can go beyond just a noise. Suggest making an appointment with your Livonia dentist, who is trained in treating obstructive sleep apnea.
  • Roll over. Snoring is typically made worse when a person sleeps on his or her back—side sleeping opens the airway, which helps separate the tissues in the throat that vibrate when people snore. Try placing a couple of pillows next to your snorer or tape a tennis ball to his shirt to discourage rolling over.
  • Make tea. Chamomile, mint, black, green, and white teas prepared with honey and lemon helps relieve snoring by acting as decongestant. Before you and your partner head to bed, share a pot of tea.
  • Join a gym together. Weight loss, no matter how much, is definitely beneficial. However, it also helps reduce the size of the neck, reducing the potential for vibrations that cause snoring.
  • Limit your after-dinner cocktails. Many people enjoy a drink before bed, but this could worsen your snoring. Alcohol relaxes muscles, so they become apt to block the airway.

Dr. James Stewart Offers Snoring Solutions

If you have a hard time living with your partner’s snoring, suggest that he or she visit Dr. Stewart. There, you can both learn which treatments prove most effective. To schedule an appointment, call our Livonia office at (734) 425-4400. You can also visit our website to view a full listing of our services, testimonials, and print patient forms. We look forward to treating patients from Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and surrounding areas

filed under: About Sleep

Livonia Dentist Explains Snoring During Late-Term Pregnancy

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Sleeping pregnant womanThe journey of pregnancy is beautiful and unique and millions of women worldwide experience the joy of pregnancy everyday. Feeling the baby move and watching your little one develop through a series of ultrasounds creates indescribable feelings of excitement and anticipation. That being said, the growing baby bump doesn’t always make the miracle of life the easiest task to handle. Alongside occasional heartburn and back pain, you may have trouble sleeping due to snoring during the third trimester of pregnancy. Though this is completely normal, Dr. Stewart provides some insight on reasons why this happens and how to treat symptoms.

What Causes Snoring in Pregnancy?

Though not every woman will experience snoring while pregnant, being prepared for possibility doesn’t hurt. Usually, late-term pregnancy snoring stems from:

  • Swollen nasal passages affected by the elevated levels of estrogen which causes the mucous membranes in your nostrils to expand, allowing snoring to occur. These membranes also widen from the increase of throughout pregnancy.
  • Congestion from allergies or a cold can contribute to snoring.
  • Large amounts of pregnancy weight gain generally creates breathing difficulties. Try to maintaining a healthy weight while pregnant by having mindful eating habits and doing pregnant appropriate exercises.
  • Pregnancy induced sleep apnea. This condition doesn’t occur frequently amongst pregnant women, however, if your partner or spouse notices an interruption in your nighttime breathing, visit a doctor for treatment recommendations.

How to Resolve this New Development

A few simple solutions may relieve pregnancy snoring and allow a better night’s sleep.

  • Side sleeping and head elevation
  • No alcohol consumption or tobacco use, as this relaxes muscles and restricts the airway, respectively. Additionally, those habits hinder the baby’s development.
  • Gaining only the recommended amount of pregnancy weight.

Livonia Dentist Provides Snoring Solutions

Pregnancy can bring many unexpected surprises, and snoring counts as one of them. Dr. Stewart can recommend ways to improving nighttime snoring during pregnancy. To schedule an appointment, call our office at (734) 425-4400. Also visit our website to view services, testimonials, and print patient forms. We look forward to treating patients from Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Northville, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, and surrounding areas

filed under: About Sleep, Sleep Apnea

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Surprising Foods that Can Ease Snoring with Your Livonia Dentist

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Honey and Tea Ease SnoringThe main culprit in snoring is inflammation and congestion in your nasal passages and throat. Swelling in your throat tissues paired with mucous build-up make it nearly impossible to breathe at night. This swelling creates overcrowding, and allows the tissues in your throat to vibrate. Snoring treatments range from Breathe-Right strips to surgical options to correct deviated septums. Weight loss, limiting your alcohol intake before bedtime, and sleeping on your side have also been known to reduce snoring. However, since the majority of snoring is attributed to inflammation, eating natural, anti-inflammatory foods is a simple, effective solution. Your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, recommends the following foods to naturally treat your snoring. (more…)

filed under: About Sleep

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Livonia Dentist: Top 4 Foods Sleep Apnea Sufferers Should Avoid

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Healthy FoodsFor many years, sleep apnea sufferers didn’t have many remedies for their condition other than CPAP machines and mouth guards. Now, several studies have revealed that simple lifestyle solutions that can help alleviate sleep apnea severity, such as losing some weight, quitting smoking, and drinking alcohol a little less. Finally, after continued research, there’s proof that certain foods—typically ones loaded with unhealthy fats—also contribute to your sleep apnea symptoms. Your Livonia dentist, Dr. Stewart, recommends consuming less of these items for a sound night’s sleep. (more…)

filed under: About Sleep, Healthy Living, Nutrition, Sleep Apnea

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Control Your Sleep Apnea Naturally, Suggests Livonia Dentist

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Relaxed WomanIn our last post, we discussed how avoiding certain foods, like high fat dairy and red meat, can help ease the symptoms associated with sleep apnea. Today, we look at other natural ways to alleviate the severity of sleep apnea symptoms.

Sleep is a precious thing. It’s your body’s way to press the refresh button after an entire day of nonstop movement, and most people look forward to bedtime. Unfortunately, a truly restful night’s sleep is hard to come by for the millions of Americans suffering from sleep apnea. This sleep disorder disrupts your sleep cycle countless times a night, which results in daytime fatigue and irritability. If you believe that you may have sleep apnea, a visit to Dr. James Stewart, your Livonia dentist, is your first step on the path to wellness. (more…)

filed under: About Sleep, Healthy Living, Sleep Apnea

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Teeth Whitening Myths Debunked by Your Livonia Dentist

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Teeth Whitening SmileEveryone wants whiter teeth because it gives your face a healthy glow, yet, not everyone knows all the truths about teeth whitening. Before you commit to any whitening regimen, you need to know some of the most common misconceptions about whitening your smile. With a few helpful tips from your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, you can make an informed decision about teeth whitening before you begin. (more…)

filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry

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Earlier Cavity Detection with Your Livonia Dentist

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Everything's okayDuring every routine dental visit, a few things happen: an exam, a cleaning, and x-rays, if you’re due to have them done. The exam gives your dentist a chance to look for any abnormalities like weak spots in the enamel, gum swelling or bleeding, and sensitivity. The dental explorer ( that metal probe used during a dental exam) helps the dentist analyze the teeth that need more attention. The only problem with this method is that the dentist only knows what he or she can see. If they can’t see it, then a small problem like demineralization will continue to worsen until it’s a full-blow cavity. There is way to receive earlier detection of potential oral issues. An innovative tooth decay detection device called DIAGNOdent offers Dr. James Stewart, your Livonia dentist, a way to explore your teeth from the inside and pinpoint decay at a much earlier stage. (more…)

filed under: Dental Technology, Family Dentistry, Oral Health, Preventive Dentistry

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Livonia Dentist Answers Questions About Family Dental Care

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smiling family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Livonia dentist, Dr. James Stewart, strives to provide our patients with quality family dental care. Whether your family members require routine checkups or extensive dental work, Dr. Stewart has the education and experience necessary to help transform their smiles. We offer state-of-the-art general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. In today’s blog, Dr. Stewart answers a few common questions patients often pose regarding our approach to family dentistry.

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filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Implants, Family Dentistry, General, Gum Health, Oral Cancer, Preventive Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry, TMJ

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