...yellow with age. It's a simple fact. It may start when you're a child with medications that affect the enamel. As you grow up, things you eat and drink (like wine, coffee, cola, and tea) or other factors (like smoking) cause buildup on your teeth. As you begin to age, the enamel thins and the dentin behind it becomes more opaque. All this contributes to a yellowish look to your teeth.

Fortunately, there are many ways to whiten teeth that are stained and yellowed with age. One option is bleaching, either in our office or using a kit (which we will recommend) that you take home with you. Bonding and porcelain veneers are other ways to remedy discolored teeth.

Whatever the cause of your yellowed teeth, they don't have to stay that way. If you've got a change in mind, ask us about the ways to make it happen.

Antimicrobial drugs may be the key to saving teeth from gum disease, according to recent studies. Drugs like doxycycline and chlorhexidine, delivered through oral medications or by placing the drugs directly on the affected area, have been shown to have a marked effect against the ravages of gum disease.

In the study, patients who were expected to lose teeth due to periodontal disease underwent treatment with antimicrobials such as metronidazole, doxycyline, or

chlorhexidine. In some cases, nine of every ten teeth that appeared beyond hope were saved for an extended period.

Although this is very good news, these treatments are by no means a magic bullet. The best way to defeat gum disease is by preventing it. Keeping the gum tissue surrounding the teeth clean by brushing and flossing regularly discourages bacterial gowth and the resulting effects. Still, we are excited by the results of this study, and we look forward to helping patients save their teeth.