How to Keep Your Smile White

It can seem difficult to keep your teeth nice and white; however, with a few tips and tricks, it’s actually pretty easy. At Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL, we offer professional teeth whitening to give you a head start. In addition, take some of our tips for avoiding staining.

Dark foods and drinks like blueberries, coffee, wine, and soy sauce are common stain culprits. Avoid these dark foods and drinks as much as possible to keep a white smile. We do know that it is not always possible to avoid a consuming something dark, though. So after you eat a dark food or drink something like coffee, be sure to rinse your mouth out with water afterward. It is safe to brush your teeth thirty minutes after eating or drinking. You can also try sipping dark drinks through a straw to avoid contact.

Along with avoiding stain-causers, you will want to keep good oral hygiene. Plaque can cause yellowing, darkening of teeth, and it can trap in stain-causers close to your enamel. To remove plaque, brush two or three times per day and floss once per day.

To learn more about our professional teeth whitening, be sure to contact us. To schedule an appointment with Bayberry Dental Care in our Tinley Park, IL office, call us at (708) 802-8300 or visit our website, www.bayberrydentalcare.com. 

Dental Care with Braces

While wearing braces, you want to ensure you are keeping a clean mouth so you are not increasing the risk of cavities and uneven staining. At Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL, we want all of our patients to understand how to keep great oral health. Keep reading for some tips on how to brush and floss while wearing braces.

When brushing, you need to hit all sides of your teeth as you normally would. When it comes to brushing the surfaces where the brackets are wires are attached, you will need a special brushing technique. Brush along the tops and bottoms of all the brackets. Then, take an interdental cleaning brush and brush both sides of each bracket. Look to be sure that there is no leftover plaque on the sides of the brackets.

To floss, using a threader will help you get underneath the wires easier and quicker. Floss threaders or floss with threaders attached at often found where dental supplies are sold.

Keeping a good at-home hygiene routine and coming in for your professional dental cleanings will ensure a healthy mouth after the braces come off. To schedule your cleaning and examination at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL, call us at (708) 802-8300 or visit our website, www.bayberrydentalcare.com. 

Dental Implant Details

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots that provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth. Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or all of the teeth. The goal of teeth replacement is to restore function as well as aesthetics. At Bayberry Dental Care, Dr. Kathleen Falsey will examine the area to be considered for the dental implant and make a clinical assessment of whether you are an eligible candidate.

While the primary function of dental implants is for teeth replacement, there are areas in which implants can assist other dental procedures. Due to their stability, dental implants can be used to support a removable denture and provide a more secure and comfortable fit. Dental implant surgery is usually performed under local anesthetic and therefore, no pain should be felt during the procedure. After the local anesthetic has worn off, the post-surgery discomfort will vary with each individual case.

If you have missing teeth and would like to discuss your treatment options, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

Post-Extraction Home Care

Keeping your mouth clean after an extraction is vital to a healthy and quick healing process. At Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL, we want our patients to be prepared after an extraction. Keep reading to learn about how to take care of your mouth after a tooth is extracted.

The first thing to think about after a tooth has been pulled is getting the bleeding under control. Most likely, you will have gauze in your mouth after the extraction. Keep it in your mouth and change it according to the directions provided by your dentist. In addition, keep away from activities that could promote bleeding like chewing hard food, drinking through a straw, or laying down completely flat. (Prop your head up with an extra pillow for the first night). Eat soft foods for the first day afterwards and bring in harder foods as healing progresses.

Keeping a clean mouth should also be a top priority to avoid infection. Brush your teeth twice per day and floss once, but be careful around the extraction site until healing is complete. Do not rinse your mouth vigorously, as this could promote more bleeding.

For more information on how to take care of your mouth after an extraction, visit our website, www.bayberrydentalcare.com. To set up an appointment with Bayberry Dental Care, call our Tinley Park, IL office at (708) 802-8300. 

Break Those Bad Oral Habits

If you avoid eating cold foods or drinking hot beverages because your teeth are a little tender, it may be time to reflect on your oral care habits. If you have sensitive teeth, Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS may recommend dental sealants or fluoride treatments to decrease sensitivity. Sometimes the solution is simply breaking bad habits. If you catch yourself performing any of the following habits, do your best to break them.

• You’re brushing too hard – over time, if you brush with too much force, you can wear down the protective layers of your teeth and expose the microscopic hollow tubes or canals that lead to your dental nerves. When these tubules are exposed, tooth sensitivity is a result.


• You’re eating too many acidic foods – If the pathways to your nerves are exposed, acidic foods will leave you in pain.


• You have tooth decay – If you have tooth decay, it’s easy for bacteria to accumulate in these tiny crevices, which causes acid build-up and enamel breakdown.


• You’re a tooth grinder – Grinding your teeth can wear down your enamel. This exposes the dentin and causes sensitive teeth.

If you suffer from sensitive teeth, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.

Tooth Sensitivity and What it Could Mean

Sensitive teeth can really cause some uncomfortable brushing and even eating. Summer is coming up and many of us want to enjoy refreshing drinks and frozen treats. If tooth sensitivity is bothering you, read on to find out why it could be happening. In addition, schedule an appointment with us at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL so we can make sure you do not have a cavity or an infection.

When a tooth does not have a cavity or an infection, sensitivity is often caused by worn down enamel. Worn down enamel exposes the dentin (the center) of the tooth. The dentin contains tiny tubes that lead to the center of the tooth where all the nerves are, so when these nerves are exposed, you can feel them.

To avoid wearing down your enamel, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, plaque comes off your teeth with a light touch, so do not brush very hard. Second, if you grind or clench your teeth, you may want to consider wearing a night guard. We can create a custom night guard for you.

In addition to brushing too hard, you can also be brushing too soon. The acid in our foods softens our enamel, so you should wait at least thirty minutes after eating or drinking anything but water to brush. Also, try to keep unnecessary acidic foods to a minimum and rinse after eating them.

If you have sensitive teeth, you may just need to change some habits. In other cases, it could be a sign of decay. To schedule an examination at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park, IL, call our office at (708) 802-8300 or visit our website, www.bayberrydentalcare.com. 

Show Off That Smile

With instant photo sharing taking over the internet, you always want to be camera ready. At Bayberry Dental Care we can improve your smile with cosmetic services such as teeth whitening. Using our take home whitening trays, you can whiten you have the convenience of making your pearly whites white in the comfort of your own home so that you can take that perfect selfie.  However, if there is any reason you can’t go the cosmetic route at this moment, we will provide you with these tips that will help you rock the photogenic smile you already have.

• Be natural – when it’s picture time, smile gently. That way, your face looks relaxed. Your mouth opens slightly, and your lower lip matches the curve of your upper teeth.


• Check your teeth and gums – getting your smile camera-ready sometimes calls for a little behind the scenes prep work. If your pearly whites have yellowed with age, try an over-the-counter whitening product or pay us a visit! Also, don’t forget about taking care of your gums. They play a critical role in your nice smile. So keep them in good shape by brushing, flossing, and rinsing with a mouthwash every day.


• Practice – your perfect smile may not happen overnight, but if you have a big photo event like a wedding or a graduation coming up, it doesn’t hurt to try out your grin in front of the mirror!

If you have questions about our whitening services, please give us a call. To learn about other services we provide at our practice, visit www.bayberrydentalcare.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Falsey, DDS in our Tinley Park, IL office, call Bayberry Dental Care at 708-802-8300.