11 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,July 8,2021 insidehalton.com ADVERTORIALNICE TO MEET YOU By Dr. Vineet Bhandari *Statistics shared were correct at the time of writing and serve to emphasize the many considerations related to teeth whitening options. The TruThAbouT TeeThWhiTening Dr. Bhandari would like to invite you to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for teeth whitening in our family - oriented dental office. Your smile creates an immediate impact on people you meet. A bright smile gives the impression of confidence, youth, vitality and happiness. We perceive a white smile to be a healthy smile. With the latest technological advances in dentistry, you can achieve that bright, radiant smile that can last for a lifetime Factors of Discoloured Teeth There are many different ways teeth become discoloured and lose their vibrancy. The main causes are genetics, smoking, certain foods and beverages, as well as antibiotics Other factors that change the internal colour of teeth are high levels of fluoride, tetracycline, tooth decay, fillings, root canals and trauma. Rest assured, all these types of discolourations can be reversed and significantly improved with professional in-office whitening. Over the Counter Products There are a variety of different dental whitening products available out in the retail market now. They contain weaker whitening agents than what you would get from a dentist. A gel can be placed in a mouthpiece or you can get strips that stick to your teeth. Over the counter mouthpieces are ill-fitting, which causes the gel solution to leak out, and become diluted. The strips only go on the front surfaces of the teeth and will only whiten the area covered. Both these products are inexpensive compared to what the dentist has to offer and are readily available to the consumer. The results are minimal, only achieving 1-3 shades whiter and sensitivity to teeth can be a problem without supervision. Whitening toothpastes contain certain abrasives that remove some stains on the enamel surface. They do not actually change the overall colour of teeth. Other treatment options such as whitening mouthwashes and light sources are just a gimmick and show no results. Take Home Whitening The take home whitening system is provided by some dentists. These systems will often use 9-22% carbamide peroxide gels that contain fillers and are not as strong as the in-office hydrogen peroxide gel. It is a little less expensive than in office whitening, but you have to be very compliant with this time consuming process. Molds of your teeth are taken to fabricate custom fitted trays. Gel solutions are chosen to place into the trays that best suit your lifestyle and tolerance to possible sensitivity. You are instructed to wear the mouth tray daily with the gel solution for several hours. It may take 2-6 weeks to achieve the desired results. It is a little cheaper to go this route, but there are many disadvantages to this take home procedure. If you miss one day of treatment, the time frame of completion will be extended. The dentist is not able to monitor the success of this treatment, as you are completing it at home. Due to the length of weeks this process takes, sensitivity of your teeth will be a problem. You have to be a dedicated and patient individual to pursue the take home whitening system. In-Office whitening The safest and most effective whitening is a Dentist supervised in-office whitening. It involves the controlled use of a 35% hydrogen peroxide gel, Before you proceed with in-office whitening, a thorough cleaning is required, all decay fixed and gums are rendered healthy. Our whitening package includes custom-filled mouth trays and whitening gel that are done in the comfort of your own home. As a result, in-office whitening only has to be done once and the results are maintained by you for years to come. Before and after photos are taken to document whitening results. Impressions are taken of your teeth to fabricate custom mouth trays. A barrier is placed around the mouth and gums before the whitening gel solution is applied. The in-office whitening procedure takes approximately 2 hours from start to finish. During this time you can lay back, relax and watch your favourite T.V. Show or listen to music. Use of daily desensitizing toothpaste can drastically reduce sensitivity that may arise from the whitening process. There are also in-office desensitizing agents that can be applied to your teeth before or after the whitening procedure if needed. The advantages of receiving in-office whitening is you will get 6-8 shades whiter. It is completed in 2 hours and you leave the office with white teeth. Less sensitivity, if any, will occur. The only disadvantage of office whitening is cost but it is definitely worth a lifetime of a whiter, brighter smile. BHanDari DenTal 2525 Old Bronte Rd. Suite 470, Oakville 289-813-8239 | www.bhandaridental.com www.concretetrimmings.com CONCRETE FREE ESTIMATES 905-844-5518 1-888-944-5518 uality At Its Best! Call Fernando 1-888-944-5518 www 1-888-944-5518 • DRIVEWAYS • FRENCH CURBS • PATIOS • STEPS • WALKWAYS • GARAGE FLOORS ExposEd aggrEgatE (pebble) Halton police are again warning of the dangers of unregulated street drugs noting that during the month of June there were 32 overdoses in the region, including three that were fatal. Jennifer Hartman of Halton Police Corporate Communications said the vast majority of these inci- dents, 18, took place in Oak- ville while eight occurred in Burlington, four in Mil- ton and two in George- town. Two of the fatalities oc- curred in Burlington, with the third taking place in Oakville. "Fentanyl is believed to have been a factor in one- third of the drug poison- ings we attended in June, including the three fatali- ties," said Hartman. "Pur- ple fentanyl is likely to have contributed to two deaths, and blue fentanyl is likely to have contributed to the third death." Hartman said it is worth pointing out that bystand- ers administered naloxone at five of these recent inci- dents, before police and/or paramedics arrived on the scene. "This is positive news, and we continue to encour- age people who use drugs to use the buddy system, use one at a time, to start at a small dose, to use slowly, and to have naloxone on hand at all times," said Hartman. So far in 2021 Halton po- lice have attended approxi- mately 167 suspected opioid and non-opioid drug poisonings. Thirty-one of these vic- tims did not survive. "Every drug poisoning fatality is preventable," said Hartman. Halton police have also pointed out that in 2020 their officers responded to 240 suspected drug poison- ings in the region and didn't charge a single vic- tim or bystander with sim- ple possession at any of those incidents as per the Good Samaritan Law. Police are asking those who are with someone ex- periencing an overdose not to run, but rather call 911, give naloxone and stay with the victim until help arrives. Naloxone is a drug that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose and can keep a person alive until emergency services arrive. For information on where naloxone kits can be picked up visit https:// www.halton.ca/For-Resi- dents/Public-Health/Sub- stance-Use/Opioids. HALTON SEES ANOTHER SPIKE IN OVERDOSES DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com Southern Georgian Bay OPP seized a quantity of purple fentanyl after executing a search warrant at a Yeo Street residence in Penetanguishene on Oct. 22. OPP photo NEWS