TTC_04_10_19_Vol.15-No.24.p1-12

April 10 - April 16, 2019 www.TheTownCommon.com Page 9
Health & Wellness
BY J. PETER ST. CLAIR, DMD
In this age of reality TV and
other unrealistic propaganda,
many people, including
teenagers, are making changes
to improve their appearance.
And for teenagers, physical
appearance is an important
element of peer pressure.
When it comes to the desire
for whiter teeth however, age
does play a role.
Whether teeth whitening is
done by a dentist or with overthe-counter
products, no one
under the age of 14 should be
whitening their teeth. Even
though all the permanent
teeth may be in by this age,
teeth are still developing.
Once the permanent teeth
have erupted into the mouth,
called active eruption, you
may notice that the teeth
look short. It takes time for
the gum tissue to recede,
called passive eruption, and
the teeth to get to their final
size.
In some people, this passive
eruption doesn’t completely
happen and the teeth still
look short. Sometimes this
A recent newspaper story told of
two senior women who were coaxed
into an experiment e-filing their taxes
on their cellphone and tablet.
E-filing apparently is becoming
more and more popular, as 126
million people e-filed for the past tax
year, and 85 million of those received
faster direct deposit refunds because
of it.
Would I do this, e-file on a
handheld electronic device? No, I
would not.
Brighter Smiles...
AGE BEFORE BEAUTY
is referred to as a “gummy”
smile. There are many reasons
for showing excess gum tissue
and the solutions for that
are a subject for a different
column.
However, if teeth are
bleached prior to this passive
eruption completely taking
place, the teeth can end up
being two-toned. Although
this can usually be corrected,
it is best to wait until the
entire eruption process
is completed. Once an
adolescent has reached 15 or
16, if a parent and their child
decide that they would like
the teeth to be whiter, they
can discuss the options with
their dentist.
There are many different
ways to whiten the teeth.
Some of the over-the-counter
products will work to some
degree. They work especially
well on young teeth or
those that are more yellow.
However, the safest and most
effective way to whiten the
teeth, especially teeth that are
older or greyer, is under the
supervision of a dentist.
Many people will Google
products they can buy over
the internet to whiten their
teeth. If you have ever done
this, you know there are many
products that are sold with
the addition of an ultraviolet
Senior Scene
Filing Your Taxes on a Cellphone
In all honesty, I did e-file once
years ago, sending my information
directly to the Internal Revenue
Service with the push of a computer
keyboard button. It was the only time
in all these years that something went
wrong, and the IRS didn’t receive all
the numbers. Some months later
I received mail from them saying I
owed additional taxes. Once I ran
the numbers again and called them
on the phone, it was clear that one
entry never made it across the wires.
After I sent the paper version of the
tax return, all was well, but it caused
grief and took time to sort out. Now
I only send paper versions done on
a computer where I’m more certain
of the security software, hardwired to
the wall.
light. Clinical studies show
that this type of bleaching
is no more effective than
traditional whitening with
trays and gel. The light may
cause more dehydration in
the teeth which will produce
an appearance that the teeth
are lighter, but this is usually
not sustainable.
My experience is that
professional tray bleaching
with properly made trays and
proper technique is the most
effective. Some patients will
be able to achieve dramatic
results in only a week of
daily bleaching. Others may
require longer periods of time
to achieve the desired result.
Advances in methods and
materials with the whitening
process have come a long way.
There are predictable ways to
lighten even the darkest teeth.
There is nothing wrong with
wanting lighter teeth.
Dr. St. Clair maintains
a private dental practice in
Rowley and Newburyport
dedicated to health-centered
family dentistry. If there are
certain topics you would like to
see written about or questions
you have please email them to
him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.
com. You can view all
previously written columns
at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.
com/blog.
The specific reasons I won’t use a
handheld electronic device to file my
taxes are these: 1) Handheld devices
usually don’t have adequate security
software installed on them, and if
installed, it’s not familiar to the user.
2) If the device is hooked up via a
home WiFi, the router connection
might not be encrypted. If you don’t
know the difference between WEP
and WPA/WPA2, ask someone for
help with your router to make sure
you’re not on WEP, which can be
cracked by someone walking by
outside.
We seniors are targets in so many
instances already. Beware giving
identity thieves another way to access
your personal information.
(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
Dr. Laura anne Potvin, P.C.
oPtoMetriStS
EYE CARE
FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
Dr. nYLa LaMBert
Dr. KatHLeen Horn
Dr. CatHLeen DouCette
NOw LOCATED AT
939 SALEM ST., GROvELAND
978-374-8991
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