General Dentistry Tips Archives - Sheehan Dental Clinic in Palos Park

What to Expect During Your Visit to Sheehan Dental in Palos Park

Sheehan Dental is more than pleased to offer dental services and assistance for every age group, from toddlers to adults; we are your one-stop dental shop in Palos Park. There are three things we take very seriously at Sheehan Dental, and that is the prevention of tooth-related problems, quick and easy fixes, and education of the importance of proper dental care. From the first visit to our dental clinic in Palos Park, you will feel right at home.

It goes without saying that the dentist’s office is not everyone’s cup of tea, but we take a personal approach that helps every age of patient look at going to the dentist as something they should do more than something that they have to do. Each member of the Sheehan Dental team is available to respond to any questions and inquiries while delivering the best dental services in Palos Park. We offer a variety of services to satisfy each member of your family’s needs, keep reading to see what you can expect during your visit to Sheehan Dental!

Welcoming Environment

Going to the dentist can be scary, stressful, and unsettling, no matter the patient’s age, but being in a welcoming environment makes all the difference. At Sheehan, we provide a beautiful clinic setting in a wonderful location so that you can feel a bit at home during your treatment.

During those times when tooth pain and problems are unbearable, you can be at ease knowing that you are in a place that truly represents how much care will be put into your treatment.

Trusted Dental Team

As we mentioned before, a trip to the dentists isn’t exactly what you think as a fun day out of the house, but the important thing that we can do is make sure you and your family feel relaxed during your time with us, and that starts with our team. From the moment you arrive at the clinic, you will be welcomed by a friendly receptionist who will take down your info, and after you will be able to enjoy a cozy waiting area to make you feel comfortable.

Our highly trained dentist, dentist assistance, and dental hygienists will walk you through what they will be doing, making sure to be extra sensitive should they be treating a younger patient and adjusting to their needs and limits. Comfortability is a priority for us, so during your visit should you require anything, just let your dentist know!

Highly Trained Dentist

Dr. Sheehan has been practicing in Palos Park since 2001 and has proven to be a well-trusted dentist with extensive experience over a wide range of dental services, such as Dental Crowns, Braces, Root Canals, and Regular Dental Checkups. Dr. Sheehan is also trained in new and innovative dental treatments such as Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Veneers, and Invisalign.

At Sheehan Dental, we are always looking for better ways to provide services for each of our patients. So no matter your dental need, come into Sheehan Dental in Palos Park and see the magic from the best hands in Illinois!

Family Friendly Dentistry

One of the biggest things that you can expect at Sheehan Dental is a family-friendly environment. We welcome and provide services for the little ones while taking extra care so that they will be left wanting to come back instead of hating another trip after their treatment.

Do you know the best advantages of a family dentist? You can say goodbye to looking for multiple dentists to treat each of your kids and yourself. Our services, team, and dentist are trained in providing care and assistance for everyone.

Personal Approach

We pride ourselves on the time each member of our team takes to get to know each of our clients to ensure that they feel at ease in and out of the clinic. At Sheehan Dental, we don’t treat you like just another patient, the moment you arrive, we guarantee nothing less than kindness, respect, and professionalism. We don’t just make good first impressions; we strive to continue impressing you during every visit.

Contact Sheehan Dental Today

We hope that we gave you a clear representation of what exactly you can expect during a visit to Sheehan Dental. But don’t just take our word for it, if you are in need of dental services, do not hesitate to come and see the extra mile we go to ensure any dental issues that you may have are corrected immediately.

You can also expect to have a team available to help you with anything you need even outside of the office; all you need to do is call! We are here for you through every step of the way; For any questions, appointments, or inquiries, contact us today.

Professional Teeth Whitening Services Vs DIY

Teeth Whitening Services Vs DIY

Do you cover your mouth when you laugh or worry about the color of your teeth when you talk or eat? If so, then there are many people who feel the same as you. 70% of people are self-conscious about the appearance of their teeth, and 61% want to make a positive change to how their teeth look.

The most common change that people want to see is an improvement to the whiteness of their teeth.

If you’ve always wished that your teeth could be whiter, brighter and more radiant, then teeth whitening could be the ideal treatment for you. However, before you whiten your teeth, you have an important decision to make: should you visit your dentist for professional teeth whitening services or should you buy a DIY kit and whiten your teeth at home?

There are many differences between teeth whitening services performed at a dental clinic and DIY options; we’re going to explore some of the biggest…

Teeth Whitening Methods

Between DIY teeth whitening kits and professional teeth whitening services, you’ll discover many products and techniques for whitening.

If you head to the store for a DIY option, you’ll have the choice of whitening toothpaste, whitening trays and whitening strips. A specialist whitening toothpaste can take the place of your normal toothpaste for slight improvements to whiteness, while strips and trays must be applied/inserted multiple times until the desired results are achieved.

Visit your dentist in Palos Park for teeth whitening, to discover much more intensive treatment options. Many dentists provide two options for professional teeth whitening: supervised at-home kits and in-office treatment.

The in-office treatment typically involves the use of a specialist whitening agent and a halogen light, which speeds up the procedure. The at-home treatment is similar to DIY kits in the sense that they’re used at home, but very different in terms of customization. You’ll receive custom trays that perfectly fit your teeth, professional bleaching gel and clear instructions on how to use the products for the best results.

Teeth Whitening Duration

There’s no exact timeframe for DIY or professional teeth whitening, as how much treatment you’ll require will depend on your desired results. DIY kits can be faster, as you won’t need to pay a visit to your dentist, but at the same time, it may take much longer to achieve good results.

You should expect to pay at least one visit to the dentist for professional treatment and have to set some time aside at home to maintain the results or to use the home whitening kit.

Teeth Whitening Safety

One of the biggest cons of DIY treatment is that it’s completely down to you to follow the instructions. When used incorrectly, DIY teeth whitening can damage your gums, causing them to recede and become more sensitive.

With professional teeth whitening, you’re in a safe environment with constant monitoring. Even with the take-home kits, you have extra assurance of the safety of the product and professional instructions for its correct use.

Teeth Whitening Results

DIY kits and professional teeth whitening services will both lead to whiter teeth, but not to the same degree. You can generally expect most off-the-shelf products to make your teeth between 2x and 8x whiter. With professional treatment, you can look forward to 6x to 8x whiter teeth.

Unlike DIY treatment, the patient receives a fully customized treatment when they visit a professional. The trays used during the treatment will be custom-made to fit the unique shape of the patient’s teeth and there’s a greater level of control over the results. With custom treatment, it’s easier to achieve even results that look great and last for a long time.

Teeth Whitening Cost

A big difference between professional and DIY treatment is cost. The amazing results that professional teeth whitening can deliver come at a higher cost than DIY treatments. However, as professional treatments typically have longer lasting results, the difference in cost isn’t as great as it might look at a quick glance!

Professional Teeth Whitening Services Vs DIY: Which Is Best?

If you want fast results without spending much, then DIY teeth whitening treatment could be the best option for you. However, if you want better results with a safer procedure that’ll give you a radiant smile in just a few hours, or over the course of a few treatments, then you’re better off going down the professional route.

DIY kits simply can’t compete with the expertise, experience and professional products that your dentist in Palos Park can provide!

Whichever teeth whitening treatment you decide to have, it’s important to remember that for the best results, you should visit your dentist in Palos Park beforehand for a dental cleaning. A dental cleaning will ensure that plaque is removed so the results from whitening aren’t blotchy.

For more information about dental cleaning and teeth whitening treatment in Palos Park IL, get in touch with Sheehan Dental – your local experts in smile transformations!

Holiday Foods to Avoid that are Harmful to Your Teeth & Gums

The holiday season can be a tempting excuse to throw sensible food and drink choices out the window and indulge in some less-than-healthy treats. Decadent sweet treats and delicious savories can be all too tempting over the holidays, but some treats could be doing more harm to your teeth than you may realize!

Whether you’re partial to one too many festive sugar cookies or love to overindulge in chocolate, it’s important to think about your oral health if you want to avoid a not-so-festive trip to the dentist. Here are eight popular holiday foods that you should avoid this holiday season to keep your teeth & gums healthy:

Sugar Cookies

With ‘sugar’ in the name of this popular holiday treat, it’s unlikely to come as much of a surprise that sugar cookies are bad for your teeth and gums. Overindulging in sugar cookies over the holiday season could speed up tooth decay.

Eating sugar cookies throughout the day, or any sugary snack regularly, will continuously expose your teeth to sugar, which can cause the enamel on your teeth to dissolve. Eventually, this erosion can lead to cavities – a very unwelcome holiday surprise!

Eggnog

Packed full of sugar, dairy and alcohol, Eggnog may be a popular holiday beverage but if you drink too much your teeth certainly won’t be feeling very festive.

The high sugar content of eggnog makes it bad for your teeth, but once you factor in the alcohol content – which makes the mouth very dry, prevents saliva production and causes sugar residue to stay in the mouth – drinking too much eggnog becomes a recipe for disaster.

Not only could too much eggnog leave you with a bad case of tooth decay, but also bad breath!

Candy Canes

Candy canes, like most hard candies, are absolutely terrible for your teeth. While their small size, attractive red and white stripes and minty flavor may make them a fairly innocent looking sweet treat, candy canes are all sugar, which is never going to mean good things for your teeth and gums.

However, the worst thing about candy canes isn’t the sugar, but rather the way they’re eaten. By sucking sugar canes, you’re exposing your mouth to sugar for a long time, which greatly increases the risk of cavities. Eating a sugar cane is essentially like giving your teeth a very long sugar bath, which as you can imagine, isn’t great for oral health!

Between the high sugar content and the hardness of the candy, which can result in a chipped tooth or two, candy canes are a definite holiday treat to avoid.

Milk Chocolate

Chocolate is a holiday staple, but it could also fast track your next dental visit if you’re not careful with how much you eat. Just like with candy canes and cookies, the problem with chocolate is its sugar content, which when consumed regularly and in high quantities can cause cavities.

Consuming chocolate in the form of hot cocoa can also be damaging to your teeth and gums. Not only is the drink high in sugar but the added dairy can turn this delicious treat into a serious case of bad breath.

Dark chocolate, which is naturally lower in sugar and dairy, is much better for your teeth than the light chocolate varieties.

Dried Fruit

The sticky texture and sugar content of many different types of dried fruit make this seemingly healthy snack very problematic for your teeth. Unlike fresh fruit where the sugar is quickly washed away with saliva, dried fruit can get stuck in your teeth, where it’ll keep the bacteria in your mouth fed for a prolonged amount of time.

If you don’t rinse your mouth and brush thoroughly after eating dried fruit, then it’s a snack to avoid if you also want to avoid cavities.

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce looks much healthier than a candy cane or a bar of chocolate, but it could leave you with very unpleasant breath. That small bowl of cranberry sauce on your Thanksgiving dinner table contains artificial products and a lot of corn syrup, which feed the bacteria that causes bad breath.

With all the sugar in cranberry sauce, it’s also best to avoid the sauce to reduce the chances of tooth decay over the holidays. However, cranberry juice with no added sugar is a great holiday beverage as it helps to fight cavities!

Stuffing

You may think that stuffing is a pretty safe bet for a holiday treat that doesn’t harm your teeth, but as a sticky food that’s very starchy, stuffing can actually be quite damaging to your oral health.

The bread in some stuffing recipes can make this delectable holiday staple very unhealthy for your teeth. The starch in bread will break down into sugar as you chew it and will contribute to the development of cavities if it gets stuck in your teeth.

Caramel Popcorn

Caramel popcorn is another sticky and sugary snack that it’s better to avoid if you want your teeth and gums to stay healthy over the holidays. If the caramel gets stuck in your teeth, then it can accelerate tooth decay.

Another risk with popcorn is unpopped kernels. Biting an unpopped kernel could fracture your tooth and require an emergency trip to the dentist, which is a festive outing that nobody is going to enjoy!

Keep Your Smile Healthy with a Holiday Checkup at Sheehan Dental in Palos Park

Just because some holiday foods are bad for your teeth & gums, it doesn’t mean that you can’t treat yourself in moderation or indulge in healthier treats, like cheese, nuts and turkey. During a holiday checkup at Sheehan Dental, you can ask your dentist for advice on how to reduce the impact that harmful foods have on your teeth and how to care for your teeth and gums over the holidays.

It’s our job at Sheehan Dental to help you keep your smile looking bright and beautiful through to the New Year! For more information about routine tooth and gum exams, professional cleaning and holiday dental care in Palos Park, get in touch with Sheehan Dental today.