Frequently Asked Questions for Your Dentist
Answers to Questions our Patients Ask
Sometimes patients can feel overwhelmed with the experience of visiting their Dentist and may forget to ask all the questions that they had been thinking about before they entered the clinic.
In this Dentist FAQ we hope to answer many of those forgotten questions and a few others you may not have thought of yet.
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, you are welcome to email us with it or ask during your next visit and we’ll happily talk you through an answer that’s personalised for your situation.
Information About Getting Whiter Teeth
Yes you can whiten your teeth at home.
At-home teeth whitening systems available from your dentist have customised whitening trays that you fill with an “active” gel yourself. Depending on the level of staining on your teeth, the recommended length of time your dentist prescribes you leave the trays in your mouth and the amount of whitening you want to achieve will determine for how long you have to go through this process.
An at-home whitening kit from your dentist will be created for you with custom-fitted whitening trays moulded for you, with concentrated, professional-strength teeth whitening gel. This tooth whitening gel is used daily to provide a gradual whitening solution.
To get the right independent assessment of how well teeth whitening could work on your own teeth, and any safety precautions you may need to take, visit out Teeth Whitening Treatments page or call us at one of our clinics.
Dentists are often asked the question of how well home teeth whitening works and whether one method is better than another.
To start with, any form of whitening does not make your teeth pure white; this would look strange and unnatural.
With home teeth whitening, the change in whiteness is subtle. Though most people will see a noticeable difference between upper teeth that have been whitened and lower teeth that have not.
There is some research that points to home teeth whitening being slightly more effective for younger people.
Make sure that you’re not adding to the problem and avoid things that will yellow your teeth.
If you need an independent assessment on how well teeth whitening could work on your own teeth, visit out Teeth Whitening Treatments page or call us at one of our clinics.
Teeth whitening makes teeth appear whiter, stain-free and makes the smile more aesthetically pleasing and is one of the safest and most popular procedures in dentistry.
Hydrogen peroxide (in the active gel) is actually produced naturally in the body in small amounts.
It’s effects on the body have been studied for many years and considered safe when used exactly as instructed.
When home whitening is carried out according to your dentist’s instructions, it is a safe, simple treatment.
It’s important to bear in mind however that no matter what treatment you use, there’s a chance your gums will be sensitive to the chemicals used in teeth whitening, particularly if you already have sensitive teeth.
There’s also a chance of burns to gums and some of the whitening kits used at home can harm tooth enamel.
To get the right independent assessment of how well teeth whitening could work on your own teeth, and any safety precautions you may need to take, visit out Teeth Whitening Treatments page or call us at one of our clinics.
Teeth Bleaching can Lighten and Brighten Your Smile
A sparkling white smile appeals to many as a sign of good health and youthful beauty. Having attractive teeth can also give your self confidence a boost.
Unfortunately our teeth don’t always look as white as we’d like them to, or is the fashion of the day.
Sometimes the foods and drinks we like cause staining and discolouration. Smoking is another culprit, as is the age old unavoidable act of ageing, which can cause your teeth to yellow. It happens to almost everyone eventually.
But that doesn’t mean you have to accept it.
Options such as teeth bleaching or teeth whitening is a relatively inexpensive way to enhance a faded smile.
In-Clinic Teeth Whitening
You’ve probably seen many over-the-counter products that claim to whiten teeth to varying degrees.
But the strongest and fastest acting whitening solutions are only available in your dentist’s office. These solutions can whiten teeth 3-8 shades in a single hour and can last from 6 months to 2 years.
First your dentist will protect your gums and, if necessary, the roots of your teeth to ensure your safety.
Then a professional-strength bleaching solution is applied.
Often a special light or laser will be used to make the bleach work faster.
Another way to whiten your teeth is with a take-home kit prescribed by your dentist.
First your dentist makes moulds of your teeth. Then, thin plastic mouth trays are created to fit your teeth, exactly allowing you to apply the bleaching gel.
In order to see the desired results, you need to stick with your dentist’s prescribed course of treatment.
While this process takes longer, it can also be very effective and less expensive than an in-clinic whitening option.
There are a few things you need to know before whitening your teeth.
Potential side effects include tooth sensitivity or gum irritation which are usually minor and clear up in a short time.
Your dentist can tell you if you’re likely to develop sensitivity based on the condition of your teeth and gums. Be aware that tooth sensitivity or gum irritation can become more serious if you use over-the-counter ill-fitting trays or if the bleach is applied by untrained personnel.
Keep in mind that teeth whitening will not affect existing crowns, veneers or fillings.
Teeth whitening is not permanent, although it is possible to slow the fading process by avoiding foods and habits that cause staining – and by doing a minor touch-up every so often.
Most importantly, studies have found teeth whitening is safe when used exactly as directed.
Teeth whitening is today considered by patients to be the most popular and cost-effective way to dramatically enhance you smile.
If you’re considering teeth whitening, talk to your dentist. Together you can come up with the best plan to return your smile to it’s better, brighter days that minimise any risks and damage.
Fill in the form on this page to contact Dental Care Professional for a Free Teeth Whitening Consultation today.
Yes, at-home teeth whitening can be just as effective as in-dental clinic whitening, and is better for patients that have extremely sensitive teeth.
For some patients their best choice for teeth whitening will be an at-home whitening kit provided by their dentist. One that has properly moulded mouth trays and professional active gel solutions. This is because the amount of staining on their teeth needs a lot of attention, or because of teeth sensitivity.
The at-home option allows you to get a lovely white smile by regularly applying the tooth bleach and whitening treatments in a way that causes the least amount of sensation to your teeth.
To get a professional opinion and advice on which approach will be best for you, call Dental Care Professionals for an obligation-free Teeth Whitening Consultation. During your consultation ask all your questions and get professional advice about your unique situation. Call Dental Care Professionals on 8232 3280.
Whitening toothpastes contain ingredients that help remove stains on the surface of your teeth by containing a gentle abrasive. This means that they lightly polish the surface and so are unable to change the natural tooth colour.
Many of the whitening toothpastes you can buy also contain phosphate compounds which are included because they reduce the formation of calculus/tartar which keeps the tooth surface clean. This doesn’t directly whiten your teeth, but it helps to reduce staining.
The cleaning ingredients/detergents in these toothpastes help to remove loosely attached surface stains but are not able to change the colour of your teeth.
There is No physical or chemical way that products that use abrasion can (influence chromogenic) change the colour of your teeth. Stains which can be organic or inorganic in nature usually occur within the enamel or dentine of teeth, and since abrasion happens entirely on the surface of your tooth, this method of whitening is limited in the results that can be achieved.
Internal stains are normally treated using oxygen-releasing chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide or chlorites. These chemicals can penetrate deep into the tooth to create a bleaching effect.
There are a few different ways in which these chemicals can be used for teeth whitening –
- Paint on: The treatment is a liquid that you paint on to your teeth and can be done as an at-home treatment.
- Adhesives: These are sticky strips that you stick on to your teeth, one tooth at a time and left in place overnight.
- Nightguard bleaching: This treatment uses a special gel that you put into a mouthguard style tray which you put in your mouth and wear for several hours.
- Power bleaching: A professional treatment done in your dentist’s clinic. A gel is applied to your teeth and then activated using high intensity lights, lasers or ozone.
When staining is deep within the structure of the tooth, there are a few of ways to improve the colour of your teeth.
In some cases replacing old fillings can improve the look of your front teeth, in particular. However, when teeth are heavily stained, veneers or crowns can be a better treatment solution, as they can be colour selected and also remedy any other faults you’d like to improve the look of and still have a natural looking smile.
See the results Dental Care Professional patients have gotten with Veneers to help with whitening.
Teeth Whitening Systems are specially formulated step-by-step processes for whitening your teeth that can be done in the comfort of your home or done professionally by your dentist in their clinic.
Each System has it’s own unique combination of things to do and apply to your teeth to get whiter teeth. They can also be special purpose and only be suitable for patients with certain types of teeth or particular dental health conditions.
There are a number of recognised brands in Teeth Whitening Systems and your dentist may be able to advise you on the risks and benefits of each one for your situation.
There are a lot of great options for whitening your teeth but if you suffer from sensitive teeth, then sometimes these procedures can make your teeth and gums extremely sore.
After using a whitening treatment, there are options to reduce the increased teeth sensitivity the treatment causes, especially whitening methods that have bleach as part of their formulation.
use a toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth, before and after using tooth whitening agents. These types of toothpastes have ingredients such as potassium nitrate, which is very effective for reducing sensitivity in teeth and gums irrespective of what has caused the teeth sensitivity.
Chewing sugar-free gum helps distract you from the temporary pain of tooth sensitivity. Scientists have discovered that chewing gum produces more saliva, which hydrates the mouth and reduces the pain and discomfort of sensitive teeth.
If you experience increased sensitivity after a whitening procedure, then give your mouth a break. Avoid teeth whitening treatments for a while to give the mouth a chance to recover from the irritation you are experiencing from the teeth whitening agents. Giving your teeth a chance to “settle down” means that it may take a little longer than you might want to get white teeth, but it will reduce the sensitive teeth pain.
Monitor how often you’re using your “at home” treatments (such as a whitening pen, strip or a mouth tray) to see if you’re doing it too regularly for your teeth. Getting your sensitive teeth whitened at the dentist’s surgery is usually more comfortable for people with sensitive teeth, as your dentist will ask you about the condition of your teeth before teeth whitening treatments begin so they can monitor and adjust the treatment accordingly.
Having sensitive teeth doesn’t mean you can’t get your teeth whitened. It just means you have to be aware that you are likely to have a pain reaction if you do have sensitive teeth and to make sure you manage the process appropriately.
If you’re one of those people who have more than usual tooth sensitivity, then we’d recommend you speak to your dentist before you start any form of teeth whitening. They will be able to advise you for your special situation.
Minor complications can occur on rare occasions and are highlighted by gum irritation and heightened cold sensitivity in the enamel of teeth. If this occurs you must stop using the kit and talk to your dentist as soon as you can.
If a whitening treatment isn’t performed correctly, you could risk injury or uneven results. If the bleaching agent comes into contact with your gums or other soft tissues in your mouth, there may be a risk of chemical burns.
That’s why it’s important to at least consult a dental professional about any whitening product before using it.
It is also a good idea to talk first with your dentist to see if all your teeth will be likely to whiten evenly.
There are certain types of staining your teeth can get that do not respond to bleaching, for example certain types of antibiotic drugs (like tetracycline) that may have been used during childhood that won’t be whitened.
At-home whitening kits from Dental Care Professionals contain professional whitening ingredients and trays that are specially formulated for you, unlike those available off-the-shelf from your chemist or local supermarket.
To get the right independent assessment of how well teeth whitening could work on your own teeth, and any safety precautions you may need to take, visit out Teeth Whitening Treatments page or call us at one of our clinics.
Generally, at home teeth whitening is safe however, like any chemical process, if a whitening treatment isn’t performed correctly, you could risk injury or uneven results.
If the bleaching agent comes into contact with your gums or other soft tissues in your mouth, there may be a risk of chemical burns. That’s why it’s important to at least consult a dental professional about any whitening product before using it.
Some people find that their teeth and gums feel irritated and more sensitive and experience a heightened cold sensitivity in the enamel of their teeth for a few days after teeth whitening. Your dentist can advise you on possible complications and side effects and what to expect.
Generally, it’s best for pregnant women and new mothers to avoid teeth whitening – chemicals from the treatment can enter the placenta and breast milk.
There are certain types of staining your teeth can get that do not respond to bleaching, for example certain types of antibiotic drugs (like tetracycline) that may have been used during childhood that won’t be whitened.
At-home whitening kits from Dental Care Professionals contain professional whitening ingredients and trays that are specially formulated for you, unlike those available off-the-shelf from your chemist or local supermarket.
To get the right independent assessment of how well teeth whitening could work on your own teeth, and any safety precautions you may need to take, visit out Teeth Whitening Treatments page or call us at one of our clinics.
What is a Teeth Whitening System?
Teeth Whitening Systems are specially formulated step-by-step processes for whitening your teeth that can be done in the comfort of your home or done professionally by your dentist in their clinic.
Each System has it’s own unique combination of things to do and apply to your teeth to get whiter teeth. They can also be special purpose and only be suitable for patients with certain types of teeth or particular dental health conditions.
There are a number of recognised brands in Teeth Whitening Systems and your dentist may be able to advise you on the risks and benefits of each one for your situation.
ZOOM!® is one of the most popular tooth whitening treatments available from your dentist. This in-dental office teeth whitening solution can only be administered by a qualified professional dentist.
Commonly known as Zoom whitening, the process takes a 90-minute appointment at your dentists office. You attend your dentist’s practice for the teeth bleaching session and leave with a whiter, brighter smile – with teeth up to six shades lighter!
The Zoom teeth whitening process is very simple. We prepare your gums and lips, then paint the special Zoom teeth whitening gel onto your teeth. Then we shine a special laser onto the gel-coated teeth. We repeat this process three times.
When you are done, you see an immediate and dramatic difference in the brightness of your smile.
Promotional video for ZOOM Whitening
Your tooth enamel is naturally white and shiny, however as the enamel becomes thinner, to becomes more transparent and the inner layers of your teeth begin to show through. In this case it’s the dentin that is showing through and your dentin is naturally more yellow in colour that the enamel that covers it.
Sadly as we age the enamel layer of our teeth naturally becomes thinner. This is the main reason why as we get older our teeth begin to look increasingly yellow.
There is a long list of different types of problem foods and drinks that will cause teeth yellowing. Here we list the worst offenders.
1. Black Tea
You can think about how spilling black tea on your white shirt or tablecloth can easily cause a stain that’s difficult to wash out, as doing the same thing to your teeth.
The tannins in black tea are notorious for causing discolouration, especially teeth yellowing. What many people don’t realise, is that you can create an even bigger problem if you combine your tasty cup of tea with any of the other problem foods and drinks too. The tannins almost enhance the staining process by making it easy for other compounds to stick to the surface of the tooth enamel.
2. Soft Drinks, Sodas & Sports Drinks
Soft drinks and sodas not only contain a lot of acidic sugar, they often have citric and phosphoric acids that wear through tooth enamel.
The urban legend about Coke Cola being able to dissolve a tooth left over night has now been scientifically proven to be false. What instead was found is that tooth staining after just one night was visibly noticeable and after a week the tooth was completely black. That means you don’t get small sensitive teeth, but you will definitely discolour your teeth.
Sports drinks are the newest problem fluid that we are consuming in big volumes and unfortunately some of them have even higher levels of the acids that damage your tooth enamel than soft drinks.
3. Boiled Lollies & Lollipops
Hard lollies like boiled lollies and lollipops are a serious problem when it comes to discolouring and damaging your tooth enamel, not just because of their high sugar content, but because of the long amount of time they are in your mouth.
The longer these sugary treats are in your mouth the more damage they can do to your teeth. A great way to understand just how much staining power these sweets have is to check out the colour of your tongue when you have them. When your tongue is stained you can be sure that your teeth are getting a good dose of discolouration too.
4. Wine
Just like black tea, wine is full of tannins. To be clear both white wine and red wine contain teeth staining tannins, so thinking your out of danger if you stick to white wine is actually untrue.
You can think of wine as being like a primer for your teeth; so whatever else you consume while or after drinking wine is more likely to stain your teeth than if you didn’t drink the wine
5. Curry, Sauces & Condiments
Highly pigmented seasonings such as curries, mustard, saffron, soy sauce, chilli and tomato sauce are able to coat your tooth’s enamel and when left for too long start the staining process. The acidic nature of these items adds to the problem by thinning your enamel, so your teeth are under attack from two sides.
Interestingly, there is some emerging evidence that by eating salad greens or steamed vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower before you have sauces or condiments you coat your teeth with a protective layer that reduces staining.
6. Vegetables, Fruits & Fruit Juices
Brightly coloured vegetables and fruits like beetroot, pomegranate, cherries, red grapes, currants, cranberry and most berries will stain and discolour your teeth.
Amazingly, the fruit and vegetable world contains foods that have the opposite affect. For example, cucumbers, cauliflower, apples, pears and guavas all increase saliva production to naturally flush away stains; and pineapple is a natural stain remover.
While nowhere near as bad as soft drinks, sports drinks and sodas, commercially made fruit juices are little bottles of teeth yellowing fluid. The more brightly coloured they are the more staining potential they have.
Some of the foods and drinks in the list of things that cause discolouration are actually healthy for you, so you’ll still want to have them.
Believe it or not, the best way to reduce your risk of yellowing teeth caused by staining is to simply rinse your mouth with ordinary tap water after you’ve consumed any of these problem foods and drinks.
Taking a big sip of water and swirling it around your mouth will wash away the staining compounds and acids that cause the damage as well as promote saliva production, which is your body’s natural defence against enamel wearing.
There is no correct shade of white for teeth; tooth enamel is made up of a mix of yellow, red and grey colours. That means tooth colour varies within your mouth and from person to person.
Part of the natural aging process is for teeth to yellow and darken, and if you decide to lighten them, you may need touch up treatments from time to time.
Celebrities have teeth which are unrealistically white as part of their image, and often this is because they have had porcelain veneers or crowns; in photos, their teeth may even be digitally whitened.
Achieving these extreme shades of white by bleaching may be impossible. It will certainly involve excessive use of a product, well outside the manufacturers recommendations. The rule of thumb, as you age, is that your teeth never be whiter than your eyes.
Extrinsic stains, what we know as surface stains are superficial stains on the surface of the tooth.
Common surface stains are dental plaque and calculus, tars (in tobacco), tannins (in tea or coffee), coloured foods such as soy sauce, soft drinks, and even the ingredients in some mouth rinses; mouth rinses are not supposed to be used more often than is recommended.
Internal stains (often called intrinsic stains) are colours and pigments that have been incorporated into the internal structure of the tooth. This colour incorporation can occur as the tooth is developing, or after, when the teeth are fully formed and in the mouth.
There are some fifty conditions that can cause developmental colour incorporation in childhood which include illness and fevers; antibiotics, such as Tetracycline; childhood medical conditions that affect blood and/or liver; excessively high fluoride levels from swallowing toothpaste (which can lead to white marks forming on the teeth).
When the teeth are already in place in the mouth, the most common causes of discolouration are the yellowing of aging, a grey tinge caused by corrosion from amalgam restorations (fillings), tooth decay, and damage to the tooth from an injury, or root canal work, or the normal decay process.
Your dentist is better able to select the most appropriate treatment options for your teeth discolouration, if the cause is known.
Not all over-the-counter teeth-whitening products are effective against all types of discolouration, and your dentist can advise you if one of a variety of professional lightening or whitening treatments can manage the problem; or if veneers or crowns or other more extensive cosmetic procedures are needed.
There are some tooth shade changes, for example excessive white patches from fluoride intake, that can be treated using methods other than whitening to return tooth enamel to its normal colour.
Your dentist can also give you advice on the improvement you can expect and the duration of the treatment; a dental shade guide will be used to document the original tooth shade before starting a whitening treatment, and you will be able to see before and after results.
There are various ways to whiten your teeth, beginning with whitening toothpastes that can remove surface stains as they occur from red wine to coffee to smoking and ending with light activated teeth whitening techniques conducted at the dentist’s which can produce dramatic improvements.
Teeth whitening techniques work either through bleaching or non-bleaching methods.
Teeth bleaching changes the natural tooth colour with bleaches that contain, most often, hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide in concentrations of between 10 to 20 per cent. These bleaches remove both surface and deep stains on you teeth.
You can whiten your teeth at home with teeth bleaching products you can buy in a chemist. These products vary from a boil and bite tray that helps immerse the teeth in the bleach, to a whitening gel you can apply with a brush or whitening strips you stick to your teeth.
The next step up from at home bleaching is to get a custom mouthpiece moulded by your dentist, which you either wear for a couple of hours a day or overnight for a prescribed period (usually two weeks). As with all bleaching approaches, the stains will likely reappear. When you notice the stains beginning to appear again you simply use the mouthpiece for a night or two to get the stains off.
With the latest in dental treatments there is a “deluxe” option that is done at the dentist’s surgery where a light activated whitening session produces dramatically whiter teeth. After a year or so of eating and drinking, the teeth will become discoloured again and you will have to repeat the procedure. This approach is the most effective if suitable for your teeth, but also the most expensive.
Non-bleaching teeth whitening methods use physical action to remove stains. You may be surprised to know that whitening toothpastes fall into this category. These whitening toothpastes have polishing agents (abrasives) that lift/scrub the stains from teeth.
The professional cleaning performed by your dentist also uses polishing and abrasion to remove most staining caused by tobacco and food.
For serious discolouration you might consider veneers or composite bonding to achieve a pleasing result. These treatment options are more invasive and may not be reversible. Consult your dentist to find the best approach for you.
Information About Visiting Your Dentist
Many patients are reluctant to have xrays because of the risks associated with radiation exposure; it’s also the reason why many dentists only choose to get x-rays when absolutely essential in your diagnosis or treatment.
X-rays provide your dentist with additional important information about the condition of your teeth and will reveal any hidden decay, problems with the roots of your teeth or issues with your jaw and your facial bones. Things that they can’t get to view any other way without serious undertakings that are very costly to you.
If you are in doubt about the need for x-rays, ask your dentist to explain why they want or need them. You may also want to ask if there is any other alternative to having x-rays; that way you can make a fully informed decision.
X-rays are like visible light rays and will cast a shadow when they are blocked by a solid object, but because x-rays are stronger than visible light rays they can pass deeper and through objects.
When an x-ray is taken of a human body, the rays are blocked or absorbed differently by the different parts of our anatomy. Things like metal implants will appear bright white on an x-ray because they absorb a high percentage of the x-ray. While your bones appear light grey because the rays can pass through more easily and your muscles show up as darker grey because even more of the ray passes straight through. Areas of your body with air are black because the rays pass through without being blocked.
Just like when you flick the switch to turn on a light in a dark room so you can see, the rays from an x-ray machine are only on when the person taking your x-ray switches the machine on. That means once the x-ray machine is turned off there are no more x-rays or radiation coming from the machine.
The precautions take by your dentist by placing a lead apron over your body plus the protection of your body mean that your baby is well protected in the womb. The risks are lowered further with dental x-rays because of the very focused way in which the x-ray machine used by dentists emits it’s beam – in a directly focused small area of your jaw.
While the risk is considered negligible, there is a natural reluctance with most health care practitioners, particularly dentists, to xray pregnant women. It would usually only be considered in the case of an emergency when the advantage to the mother’s health is outweighed by any potential risk to your baby.
Yes. There are several good reasons why you’d want to reschedule your dentist appointment when you are sick.
- Even when you’re starting to feel better, you can still be contagious to others. By making sure you are fully recovered, you are preventing the spread of your cold, flu or virus to others. Something your dentist will be glad you’ve considered.
- When you are sick your body is more vulnerable to sensations of pain. So no matter how gentle your dentist is, any small amount of discomfort is going to feel a whole lot more painful to you.
- Being sick is a time when your body needs as much rest as possible to help you to recover. Having any type of treatment that your body will have to recover from is going to jeopardise your overall recovery. Whether the treatment is a dental check-up, getting a filing or getting your teeth whitened. Your body needs to have strong immunity so that it can fight swelling, inflammation as well as infection.
Imagine for a moment what life might be like if you didn’t have any teeth at all or just a few teeth.
The first thing you’d miss is being able to laugh without worrying about showing your teeth, next you’d discover that you have a weird whistling lisp and your speech sounds horrible. To top it all off your face shape would change completely as your cheeks slump inwards and your lips get slack without those lovely teeth you used to have giving you a pretty profile. That’s just for starters; ever thought what it might be like not being able to eat all your favourite foods and how without teeth you can’t chew properly and what that might mean the next time you’re visiting a restroom?
Life without teeth is pretty grim when you get down to it. So, what has this to do with seeing a dentist regularly?
Many of the things that can go wrong with your teeth, that might mean you need to have expensive dental work or lose teeth altogether, are difficult to detect just looking in the mirror while you’re brushing your teeth each day.
Somethings that can go wrong are even difficult for a dentist (who is trained and an expert in teeth) to diagnose without seeing you regularly.
A List of a Few Reasons Why Your Dentist Wants to See You Regularly
1. To check that you are flossing and brushing your teeth properly.
Most things that can go wrong with your teeth are avoidable if you do these two simple things correctly as often as recommended by your dentist for you.
2. To keep track of suspicious looking conditions.
The condition may be nothing or something very nasty if left untreated, either way your dentist wants you to know early if there is a problem so you have lots of treatment options to choose from.
3. To ensure hormonal changes that can weaken your teeth are being monitored and tracked.
Changes in the health of your mouth due to hormonal issues can be very fast, so your dentist wants to be on top of your situation before anything terrible happens and you start loosing teeth.
4. To monitor the damage you’re doing by grinding your teeth due to stress and anxiety.
Stressful lifestyles do lots of damage to your teeth; so your dentist wants to check that the damage you’re doing is managed and minimised.
5. To keep an eye on older dental work and monitor it for signs of failure.
At some point some of the dental work you’ve had done in the past may need to be restored or replaced; your dentist wants you to have lots of early warning if that’s going to happen to you.
6. To look for unexpected signs of damage to your teeth.
Taking up a new activity which increases your consumption of sugary sports drinks or recovery gels, or other types of lifestyle changes, can create unexpected dental problems that your dentist would want you to know about and have fixed quickly to minimise the extent of the damage.
7. To give you confidence that everything is alright with your teeth.
Anyone with teeth sensitivity or sore gums who knows that these conditions can mask the discomfort from other more serious problems understands how comforting it is to have your dentist tell you that everything is still looking good.
Your dentist will begin by anaesthetising the area around your tooth. Making the gum tissue that surrounds the tooth being removed numb.
Unfortunately, there is still no way to give you a “local” anesthetic other than via injection. So your dentist will inject the anesthetic into multiple close together points around your tooth.
Usually your dentist will use very fine injection needles which will reduce the pain. There will always been a sharp pricking sensation that may hurt but it doesn’t always cause pain. In fact some patients don’t have pain at all.
Your dentist will wait with you for a short period, for the numbing sensation to take effect. The numbness will make you feel tingly where the injections were inserted and for some people it feels like their mouth and lips a hugely swollen. They aren’t!
Next comes the part where your tooth gets pulled out.
Below the surface into the gum and bone, your tooth has a root.
Like a carrot has fluffy green leaves above the soil and the orange root vegetable part is below ground in the soil. Your tooth has a hard white bit above the gum and a softer fleshy root below the gum.
Just like when you pull a carrot out of the ground by gently rocking it back and forth; to loosen the soil around it before you can easily pull it out of the soil. Your dentist will need to do the same with your tooth.
The root part of the tooth is firmly planted in bone (its socket), and tightly held in place. So the socket needs to be temporarily ever so slightly expanded so that the tooth can be separated before it is pulled out.
For you this will feel like a strong rocking pressure as your dentist wiggles your tooth (with a dental tool that might remind you of a set of pliers!).
Unlike when you were a child loosing your baby teeth. When you wiggled your teeth to help them fall out there may have been aching or pain. When your dentist is wiggling your tooth you will feel nothing, because your mouth is numb.
Your dentist will continue to rock the tooth until your tooth is loose and free to come out. Once it is loose your dentist will lift the tooth out.
Next your dentist will clean up and close the tooth extraction site.
They will make sure to remove any tissue that could cause an infection. Followed by some “irrigation” of the socket. Basically they wash out the socket to ensure it is clean.
If your dentist is concerned about bleeding, they may place something in the socket to promote blood clotting.
Next they’ll use their finger and apply pressure to the socket. This is to re-compress the socket, making it smaller again.
Your dentist may give you an ice pack to put on your face to reduce swelling. Though it’s not needed for all patients.
Now that your tooth is removed, your dentist will take you through the post-procedure care instructions you’ll need to follow at home.
Some people feel a little unsteady or dizzy after getting a tooth pulled. That’s OK. You’ve just been through something out of the ordinary.
This is by no means a bad idea but the risk of problems developing with your teeth varies at different times of your life.
- When permanent teeth first come through, they are more vulnerable to decay so children six to eight years old need regular check ups.
- During the teenage years the teeth are less vulnerable but when the wisdom teeth come through in the early twenties, risks for problems with your teeth increase again.
- As you get older, gums shrink and having a clear, on-going assessment of your teeth and gums is a very good idea.
If you have a hygiene routine that involves brushing twice a day and regularly using dental floss means you can probably leave that visit to the dentist to once a year. People with a higher risk of dental disease like smokers or people with a particularly sweet tooth, will find it helpful to visit the dentist up to every three or four months.
Even if you aren’t experiencing any pain in your mouth, once a year is still a good idea because cavities don’t begin to hurt until they have become very large.
Most people who have had fillings put in didn’t realise the cavity was there until the dentist found them at a check up.
Gum disease also doesn’t tend to hurt either so by the time a tooth has come loose then there’s not so much a dentist can do to save it.
Oral cancer sometimes hurts and sometimes it doesn’t. If you haven’t seen a dentist in a long time then it’s an excellent idea to have a thorough examination and a set of dental x-rays taken just to make sure you haven’t got any problems that you haven’t noticed yet.
Not only have you had a dental procedure that you were nervous about which made your heart race, but you’ve probably still got that anesthetic making your mouth feel weird.
So take your time, stay seated in the chair until you’re confident you can get up safely. Let the staff know you’re feeling unsteady. They fully expect that some patients require more time and attention after procedures than others. You and your safety are paramount. Let them help you and recognise that it is temporary and you’ll recover soon.
Depending on the amount of build-up the dentist discovers on your teeth. Your dentist will use different tools. They will also have different processes for cleaning your teeth too.
There are a number of specialised dental instruments to gently remove build up without harming your teeth. Let’s go through the ones your dentist might use so that you can be familiar and know what to expect at your next check-up.
An ultrasonic scaler uses vibrations to dislodge larger pieces of tartar/calculus deposits loose. At the same time as vibrating it sprays a mist of water. This washes away the debris to stop it re-sticking to your teeth and keeps the area from heating up and being uncomfortable.
This dental instrument often makes a humming or high pitched whistling sound. That sounds very loud to you as the sound gets amplified by being inside your mouth. In the same way an electric toothbrush sounds really loud to you when it’s inside your mouth when brushing your teeth.
The ultrasonic scaler has a curved hook rounded tip that is passed over and around the teeth. These tips look sharp but are not. Their purpose is to knock calculus deposits loose.
There is nothing to panic about if it feels like your dentist is taking a long time in one particular spot.
In tricky spots to brush your teeth you may develop larger deposits that have hardened. It may take your dentist a little longer to dislodge these build-ups than in other areas
Once the larger pieces of calculus have been removed, your dentist will switch to using hand instruments. Those long slender metal pencil like tools.
The dental instruments used for cleaning teeth are called scalers, picks or curettes.
These dental instruments are shaped and designed to scrape off smaller build-ups and run across the tooth surface to locate small deposits. Scaler and curettes are curved and dangerously pointy looking. Their purpose is to remove calculus by carefully scraping build-up off your teeth with gentle to moderate pressure.
Once all the surface build-up is removed from your teeth. It is time for your dentist to decide whether to give your teeth a polish.
Your teeth may be polished to remove fine layers of plaque or small traces of calculus debris.
Your dentist may polish some or all of your teeth depending on what they see after cleaning your teeth.
Traditionally, polishing was a standard part of your check-up dental clean, however it is not an essential part of the process. In most patients it has little therapeutic value and so you may never have your teeth polished.
If your dentist does need to polish one or some of your teeth. They will use a slow speed drill, except the drill bit is replaced with a very soft rubber cup. They fill the rubber cup with a special tooth polishing paste called Prophylaxis paste (or prophy for short). Prophy paste tastes like mint flavoured mud and feels like gritty toothpaste.
Once the rubber cup on the end of the dentist hand-piece is filled, your dentist will start it up and then selectively place the spinning rubber cup on the surfaces of your teeth they want to polish. It may sound like a drill, but it is definitely not a drill!
The result you get from having your teeth polished is a smooth glossy feeling when you run your tongue across your teeth.
The simple answer to this is Infection Control.
Your dentist and their staff come into some pretty infectious particles when they’re working in a patient’s mouth. From simple cold or flu viruses, to blood-borne diseases and general infectious tissues which may become airborne from drilling or cleaning teeth.
These are the types of transmittable infections that they are protecting themselves from. As well as making sure that they are not responsible for transferring biological materials from one patient to the next.
By covering their nose and mouth, your dentist makes sure that they don’t inhale anything dangerous.
Wearing gloves is another form of Infection Control that Dentists use, to protect themselves as well as patients.
Your dentist’s hands have to work in a pretty small area that’s quite cramped. So it’s hard for them to avoid getting saliva, blood or other biological materials on their hands.
From your hands, it’s easy to contaminate others. Even with a simple handshake.
By covering their hands, your Dentist is able to protect you from infectious particles that they may have come into contact with from an earlier patient they treated.
Yes. There are several good reasons why you’d want to reschedule your dentist appointment when you are sick.
- Even when you’re starting to feel better, you can still be contagious to others. By making sure you are fully recovered, you are preventing the spread of your cold, flu or virus to others. Something your dentist will be glad you’ve considered.
- When you are sick your body is more vulnerable to sensations of pain. So no matter how gentle your dentist is, any small amount of discomfort is going to feel a whole lot more painful to you.
- Being sick is a time when your body needs as much rest as possible to help you to recover. Having any type of treatment that your body will have to recover from is going to jeopardise your overall recovery. Whether the treatment is a dental check-up, getting a filing or getting your teeth whitened. Your body needs to have strong immunity so that it can fight swelling, inflammation as well as infection.
Your dental records are a combination of different types of information. There are written descriptive records, photographic records and charts.
The descriptive records are much like what you see your GP typing up when you have an appointment with your doctor. They are readable and understandable to most people, even if they contain a bit of dental jargon and even a little notation shorthand. These notes are often updated during or after every visit.
The photographic records are things like scans and x-rays. You can take a look at these yourself and if you have some experience in interpreting radiological images you could probably work out what they show.
The charts are a sort of dentistry only form of record. Your dentist has this odd tooth chart diagram that they use (using coloured markings on teeth). It’s a visual way for them to track what they see happening as well as to record what they’ve done to repair your teeth. To the untrained eye the chart looks like coloured squiggles on teeth, to your dentist it has lots of important information and lots of meaning.
Experiences in the past, including when you were a child can, cause all sorts of anxiety for patients when it comes to dentistry. Often these experiences become wildly distorted over time and then reinforced negatively by scare stories from others and the media.
Firstly, talk openly about your fear with your dentist, dental nurse and hygienist so that they can accommodate your situation and do what is necessary to eliminate anything that might add to your anxiety. Often one good dental appointment where there has been no pain or triggers that remind you of your earlier bad experience can help you get a better feeling when it comes to visiting your dentist.
One of the things that you may not be aware of is how much technology and new science has been developed in dentistry to reduce pain and the length of time needed for treatments. Even over the course of a single year many new dental materials and techniques are introduced that make dental treatments ever simpler and less painful.
That means listening to stories from friends and family about their horror visits to the dentist are pointless. Those treatments are already long outdated and aren’t used any more because there are now safer and pain-free treatments that are used instead.
Avoiding your dentist because of your fear is actually dangerous, because it means that you’re missing out on getting information and advice that would stop you from needing intensive treatments. In fact overcoming your reluctance to go to the dentist for regular check-ups would mean that you could get help to avoid needing any of the horrible treatments you imagine you need.
Dentists know that many people have terrible fear about going to the dentist, so by speaking with them they’ll be able to make suggestions on other ways to help you over come the anxiety you feel… and there are some very unusual and interesting alternatives they can recommend.
Some Osteoporosis medications containing anti-resorptive agents, such as bisphosphonate, which are used for patients in the prevention of bone fractures, have been reportedly associated with osteonecrosis of the jaw. This is a non-healing condition which can lead to severe loss and damage to the jaw bone.
Please note that most identified cases of osteonecrosis have been diagnosed after dental treatments involving tooth extractions.
At this point in time, there are several attributing factors that are thought to increase your risks of complications if you are taking osteoporosis medications –
- Age: Those aged 65 and over are generally vulnerable to infections and can be slower to heal.
- Periodontal Disease: From Gingivitis (the infection of your gums) to comprehensive disease of the structures around the teeth, including your gums, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone.
- Smoking: Restricted blood flow to the gums and mouth means reduced healing capacity.
- Diabetes: On-going health conditions that require regular medication intervention often have flow on effects related to oral health.
- Denture Wearers: The oral environment may be more susceptible to injury or infection.
If you are taking osteoporosis medications of any type, it’s important for you to advise your dentist before any treatments so that any risks can be discussed fully with you and alternative treatment options can be considered.
For getting your teeth straightened with orthodontics, or newer teeth straightening systems like Invisalign, age is not the main factor. What is most important is how healthy your teeth, gums and the supporting bone is in your mouth.
In some cases, even where a person has had some bone loss about the teeth they have still been able to have successful orthodontic treatment to straighten their smile. In these sensitive cases treatment is likely to be slower and carefully monitored to ensure that gum tissues remain health and damage to underlying bone is minimised.
The one factor that can prevent a person from having orthodontic treatments is a the prolonged and frequent use of bone density medications. In these situations careful examination and specialist consultants with an Orthodontist will be required to determine the harm and risk factors.
Information About Looking After Your Teeth
The best way to brush your teeth is to hold the toothbrush at an angle of 45 degrees, with the bristles aimed at your gum line. The tiny area between the teeth and the gum is a great spot for bacteria and plaque to accumulate, so it is important to brush this area well.
When the brush is at the correct angle, it’s just a gentle little jiggle back and forth, brushing only one or two teeth at a time. There is a fine line between brushing too hard and not brushing hard enough.
The aim of brushing is for the bristles to penetrate the gap between the teeth to remove the soft plaque and prevent its build-up.
Brushing requires a system. Brush all the teeth in order, brushing inside and outside. You will find it easier if you can see what you are doing – brush your teeth in front of a mirror.
You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. Always use the right brushing technique; using poor brushing techniques can damage the teeth and gums
Flossing has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of gum disease.
You would ideally floss your teeth every day; if possible, before you brush your teeth. If you eat out, take some floss with you, take a trip to the bathroom, and clean the gap between your teeth where bacteria grow and plaque builds.
The key to flossing is in the way you hold the floss. Take a decent length and wrap the floss tightly around the middle finger of each hand; it should be locked onto each finger. Use a gentle sawing motion against the side of each tooth, moving the floss backward and forward. If this is tricky for you, talk to your dentist and get him to give you a practical demonstration. Your dentist will suggest the best oral hygiene methods for you, and will show you how to use them.
Some companies make small flossing aids.
There are times when your gums may bleed or become sore after brushing and flossing. This is not a cause for panic because sometimes we may brush a little too hard and push the gum down slightly; or, if we haven’t used floss on a regular basis, your gums may become inflamed and will bleed more easily.
If the bleeding persists, see your dentist.
A toothbrush with a small head and soft bristles is usually best, and an electric toothbrush is especially good if you find a proper brushing technique is difficult to get a handle on.
Select a toothpaste that contains fluoride which will combine with minerals in your saliva to toughen your tooth enamel and help prevent decay.
There are some agencies that will assert that fluoride is bad for you. Your Dentist will say No, and here’s why…
Over the last 70 years a number of scientifically-based large-scale population studies have concluded that fluoride is excellent at preventing tooth decay and has little or minimal adverse impact on human health.
In fact, water fluoridation is supported by the World Health Organisation (World Health Assembly, 1978), the Australian Dental Association, the Australian Medical Association and the National Health Medical and Research Council.
75% of Australia is currently fluoridated through it’s water supply and it is evident when you watch reality TV how beneficial it has been for Australian’s when you see the smiles and teeth of people from other less fortunate countries.
Interestingly, Dentists in Australia have noted a trend towards increased dental disease and tooth decay since the popularity of drinking bottled water began (bottled water is not fluoridated).
To find out more about the scientific evidence that disputes claims about the danger of fluoride, visit the ‘I Like My Teeth’ website to sort the fact from fiction in the fluoride is dangerous debate.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring ion that comes from Fluorine.
The benefits of Fluoride where discovered when research was done into why it was that people who had naturally fluoridated water were found to have much healthier and stronger teeth than everyone else.
Since this early discovery there have been over 30,000 studies into the effects and safety of fluoride and no evidence has ever been found been found that water fluoridation causes any health side effects.
The reason your Dentist likes fluoride is because it has been shown to reduce the number of cavities a person will develop over their lifetime by around half, by making your tooth enamel resistant to the acid plaque bacteria produce.
What do I need to know about Fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in all sources of water, including the ocean.
Extensive international research has discovered that fluoride repairs the teeth during the early stages of tooth decay so that the decay is unable to either form or progress.
Fluoride is absorbed into the enamel of your teeth and replenishes the lost phosphorous and calcium that keep your teeth strong and hard. The process of fluoride being absorbed into the enamel is called “remineralisation” and prevents dissolution (thinning or dissolving) of the tooth enamel.
Most parts of Australia (except for a couple of exceptions where they have high levels of fluoride occurring naturally in their water supply), adds fluoride to community supplies of drinking water.
Fluoride, more than any other method of preventing tooth decay, has noticeably reduced the rate of cavities in populations right around the world (without exception). After decades of research, the only symptom related to fluoride is when too much fluoride is ingested. It leads to the appearance of ultra white spotting on the surface of the teeth, called Fluorosis or fluoride specks. Otherwise fluoride is safe for consumption.
Between the fluoride in tap water and the fluoride found in the majority of toothpaste’s available in Australia, only those who drink bottled water or water from spring sources are likely to need extra fluoride as part of their oral hygiene regime.
If you do want to add extra cavity protection for your adult teeth, then you can rinse daily with a fluoride mouth rinse. This will give you a small extra fluoride boost for stronger teeth.
If you’re still worried that you’re not getting enough fluoride for healthy teeth, then consult your Dentist. If you’re at high risk or your teeth need a little more fluoride than they’re getting right now, your Dentist can prescribe fluoride tablets. You can think of fluoride tablets as being like other health supplements (like calcium or vitamin C) that you can get naturally from the things you eat or drink, but sometimes you may need an extra boost.
If you happen to live in one of the few places in Australia that doesn’t add fluoride to the drinking water, like Cairns, then an extra fluoride supplement can be a good idea too.
Yes. Whether you choose to drink fluoride free water (bottled or ion filtered water) or not, applying fluoride to the surface of your teeth even for the short time that you are brushing your teeth is helping your tooth enamel.
The Australia Dental Association recommends the use of fluoride toothpastes and its use as follows:
Need for Fluoride | Age | ||
From first tooth to 17 months old | From 18 months to 5 years old | Over 6 years old | |
Your water supply optimally fluoridated | Teeth to be cleaned without toothpaste | Use a pea-sized amount of child strength toothpaste and clean your teeth twice daily. | Use adult strength toothpaste and clean your teeth twice daily<./td> |
Natural water supply is fluoridated at or close to optimal levels | Teeth to be cleaned without toothpaste | Use a pea-sized amount of child strength toothpaste and clean twice daily. | Use adult strength toothpaste to clean your teeth twice a day. |
You have been assessed as being high risk for dental diseases | Follow your Dentist’s advice, which may include using child strength toothpaste. | Follow your Dentist’s advice, which may include using adult strength toothpaste. | Your Dentist may advise you to brush your teeth more often with adult strength toothpaste. |
Your water supply is not optimally fluoridated. | Your Dentist may suggest additional forms of fluoride be considered. | Your Dentist may advise that adult strength toothpaste or other topical forms of fluoride be used. | Follow Your Dentist’s advice, which may include gels or foams be used. |
Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime. Whether you call it Periodontal Disease, Pyorrhea, or just Gum Disease, it is a major cause of tooth loss in our population. But gum disease is largely preventable.
Your gums are called the supporting tissues of your teeth, and actually consist of what can be seen in the mouth, as well as the bone, the root surface and the ligament that connects the teeth to the bone.
Gum disease is a form of infection in the supporting tissues of your teeth and because it is often painless most people are unaware that they have it.
Bacteria is the cause of most gum disease; which form a ‘plaque’ on and around your teeth, especially around the gum line. Plaque is sticky and colourless. There are other bacteria, that thrive deep in the ‘pocket’; the gap between the gum and the tooth.
One of the major risk factors for developing gum disease is smoking. Other contributing factors are conditions such as diabetes, stress, pregnancy and a variety of medications.
One of the most common types of gum disease is called Gingivitis which is caused by an infection affecting the surface tissues . This can develop and become pyorrhea (now called Periodontitis) which affects the deeper supporting tissues.
With appropriate care, the effects of Gingivitis are mostly reversible, unless the Gingivitis has progressed to periodontitis. This causes permanent damage to the ligament and bone that supports and holds the teeth. If a pocket develops between the gum and the tooth, the infection now has a protected environment for more bacteria and the condition becomes worse. Periodontitis can cause abscesses and tooth loss if untreated.
Yes. With appropriate care, to which most cases respond well to oral hygiene therapy. However, the more advanced the disease, the more difficult it is to treat. Make sure you have pay regular visits to your dentist to check for the possible presence of gum disease.
To manage gum disease, the level of bacteria in the mouth must be reduced a level which is manageable by the body’s own defence mechanism.
To avoid periodontitis/gum disease, follow these simple steps:
- Apply the very best home care methods.
- Professional cleaning by your dentist who can remove the plaque and calculus/tartar.
- Regular dental review.
- Removing risk factors such as smoking.
Because gum disease causes permanent damage in some cases, the aim of treatment is to control the bacteria. This is a daily, lifetime activity.
Your dentist is trained in managing gum disease and will probably refer you to a dental hygienist for a daily management plan. If your dentist feels your condition needs more care, you will be referred to a Periodontist.
Prevention is better than cure. See your dentist regularly, because gum disease can be prevented by good oral hygiene and early intervention.
Smoking does lead to gum disease by affecting the attachment of bone and soft tissue to your teeth, and it appears that smoking interferes with the normal function of gum tissue cells. This makes smokers more likely to suffer from infections, and there is some evidence that smoking impairs blood flow to the gums. Impaired blood flow, caused by the nicotine in tobacco smoke, will slow down the healing process of any gum infection or wound.
Smoking has a serious effect on the mouth, the main damage being to the gums and lining of the mouth. Smokers are 5 times more likely to develop oral cancer than non-smokers and invariably suffer from some form of gum disease.
Smoking also stains the teeth and has a profound effect on the saliva, causing the formation of the ‘mucous’ form of saliva. The nicotine causes a reduction in the acid-buffering capacity of the saliva which is why some heavy smokers suffer with tooth decay even if their dental hygiene is good.
In a non-smoker, infected gums are red, puffy and bleed easily when they are brushed. But smokers’ gums are pale and thin and do not bleed easily. In the meantime, chemicals in the smoke combined with plaque bacteria continue to damage the gums and bone. Most of the deterioration is deep and out of sight. Unfortunately, there are only a few early warning signs.
If you smoke, the chances of you getting gum disease are increased six-fold. The accumulation of plaque and calculus at the base of the tooth which leads to bacterial infection of the gums becomes difficult to treat as the body’s ability to fight the bacteria is hampered by the impaired blood flow.
Slight infections around the edges of the gums are common and easily treated, but smoking may cause them to become more serious. Plaque and tobacco are a dangerous combination. X-rays of the jaw frequently show bone shrinking away from the roots of the teeth.
Smokers often have reduced sensation in their mouth, and although flossing and careful brushing slows deterioration, it becomes more and more difficult to remove the plaque at gum level.
Yes. Smokers are six times more likely to have serious gum/periodontal disease, which is a deep-seated form of gum disease involving the gum and the bone and membrane holding the teeth in place. When these supports are damaged, the teeth are less stable and move easily. Ultimately they will become loose and require extraction.
The following is an overall list of dental problems caused by smoking:
- Bad breath
- Tooth discolouration
- Inflammation of the salivary gland openings on the roof of the mouth
- Increased build up of plaque and tartar on the teeth
- Increased loss of bone within the jaw
- Increased risk of leukoplakia, white patches inside the mouth
- Increased risk of developing gum disease, a leading cause of tooth loss
- Delayed healing process following tooth extraction, periodontal treatment, or oral surgery
- Lower success rate of dental implant procedures
- Increased risk of developing oral cancer
If you are still smoking, after hearing, seeing and reading everything that tells you to quit, you probably want to know if you can protect your teeth and your mouth from the effects of smoking. The answer is – no.
However, there are a couple of thing you can do to protect your oral health:
- Have a regular half yearly check-up with a dentist.
- Give up smoking. You can maintain a healthy mouth and keep your teeth for a lifetime when you stop smoking. In just 3 -5 years after stopping smoking you can halve the chance of getting oral cancer and it gets less and less with time.
For the sake of your teeth and the rest of your body, find a way to quit.
Talk to your your dentist for more.
Dental Floss is what is called an interdental cleaner. That means it is specifically designed to clean the tight spaces between your teeth and in those gaps at the base of your teeth tight up to your gums.
Your toothbrush is too big to reach into these tricky spaces, so floss was invented to solve that problem, helping you remove the plaque and bits of food that can lodge in these places.
Even the smallest amount of plaque or food particles that can get trapped between your teeth can lead to oral health problems. In fact, medical research has found that the bacteria that flourish in an unhealthy mouth can harm the rest of your body too. Leading to more serious health concerns such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness.
Regular flossing to remove plaque (the sticky soft build up that forms on your teeth, before it hardens into tartar), gives you better oral hygiene which leads to shorter check-up appointments with your dentist.
While using dental floss is awkward and something most people would rather not have to do. In the long run, flossing your teeth means cleaner feeling teeth, fresher smelling breath, a lower chance of decay, healthier gums and generally a healthier you.
Teeth grinding is also called bruxism.
If you experience of these complaints, you might be grinding your teeth-
- a rhythmic contraction of the jaw muscles,
- make a grinding sound at night,
- have tight or painful jaw muscles,
- you temporomandibular joint clicks,
- you suffer from occasional swelling on the side of the jaw,
- or notice damaged teeth, broken fillings or injured gums,
The solution for teeth grinding is to get a professionally made night guard that you wear when you are sleeping to prevent your teeth from scraping against each other.
While you are asleep is when most teeth grinding occurs. Which is why a night guard is the most common way for your dentist to treat your condition.
The way that teeth grinding tends to happen when you’re unconscious is one of the more frustrating parts of this condition. It’s hard to stop doing something when you’re asleep and don’t even know you’re doing it.
There are quite a few theories about what causes teeth grinding. Usually your dentist will ask you a lot of lifestyle related questions to find out what is the most likely cause for you.
Some researchers say that teeth grinding is a habit; while others suggest that it is due to emotional states such as anxiety, frustration and anger.
Teeth grinding can also be caused by a malocclusion, which is when the jaw doesn’t line up correctly and the body is simply trying to line the jaw and teeth up during sleep.
Bruxism can also be a symptom of a rare disease of the nerves in the facial muscles.
Other causes could be a side effect of some anti-depressive medications such as Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac. Some recreational drugs such as ecstasy and amphetamines have also been suspected of causing teeth grinding.
Anxiety, smoking, drinking alcohol or coffee and sleep disorders are all believed to contribute to teeth grinding. Scientifically there isn’t hard evidence to support any single cause, even though 70% of people who clench and grind their teeth are shown to have significant lifestyle stress factors.
Bruxism can begin at any age and can also be the cause of headaches.
People who grind their teeth are three times more likely to suffer from headaches.
The muscle tightness caused by the repetitive activity of teeth grinding can cause stiffness in the neck and shoulders. It has also been known to cause ear pain.
The grinding causes teeth to suffer abnormal wear, which leads to fractures of the teeth and can lead to loss of teeth through extreme damage.
If you are concerned about teeth grinding, let your dentist evaluate your situation and develop a personalised treatment plan, which may include making a teeth guard for wearing when sleeping.
You may also want to think about some form of lifestyle behaviour changes to give yourself less stress and more relaxation.
While bleeding gums are common, it is not OK.
When you have healthy gums they will not bleed, so bleeding gums mean that you have an infection or inflammation of some type.
There are several different possibilities why your gums may be bleeding:
You have traumatised the area with excessive or harsh treatment
The wrong type of toothbrush or being too aggressive with brushing technique can be a factor here. Also, if you’ve just been to the dentist to have your teeth cleaned your gums may be inflamed from the process temporarily. A knock to the mouth that causes swelling (even if you are wearing a mouthguard) will also make your gums inflamed and vulnerable for a while afterwards.
You have an inflammation caused by bacteria
If you have bacteria on the surface of tooth that isn’t being cleared away with tooth brushing or the right oral hygiene habits, this will cause inflammation of the neighbouring gums to cause bleeding. This type of inflammation is called Gingivitis and can be treated easily and prevented by using the right cleaning techniques.
You have other health issues
Certain serious medical conditions or medications you take as part of treatment will cause your gums to bleed.
It is difficult to detect which of these things is most likely the cause of your bleeding gums. Even if you are taking medications, it’s still possible for the cause of your bleeding gums to be something else. So getting a diagnosis from your dentist is the best way to confirm that you are making the right changes to stop the bleeding.
Having the right oral hygiene habits for your particular genetics and lifestyle are one of the best ways of preventing bleeding gums.
If you’re at the point where you now having bleeding gums, and if the bleeding goes on for more than 2 days, it’s time to make an appointment to see your dentist. A check-up appointment will allow them to diagnose what is going on and why. They will also be able to give you help with an oral health program for you that will keep your gums and teeth healthy.
If you’ve got pain as well as bleeding gums you definitely need to see your dentist. Make a call now.
All dentists will give you the same advice:
- Brush your teeth at least twice daily with the right type of brush and using a toothpaste that contains fluoride.
- Use dental floss to clean between your teeth to remove any food caught there, and also scrape the tooth surface of smaller debris that can lie on the tooth surface.
- Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups so that they can keep an eye on any trouble spots and refresh you on your cleaning techniques.
- Being choosy about the things you eat and drink – for example sticky sweet foods mean extra attention is needed for your daily dental hygiene routine.
Other things that help in preventing tooth decay are:
Drinking fluoridated water
Bottled water doesn’t have fluoride, which means that your teeth are missing out on the tooth strengthening benefits of fluoride when you drink it instead of tap water (in Australia).
Using fluoride supplements
Even if you’re getting fluoride from water and your toothpaste, your particular genetics may mean that you are naturally more vulnerable to tooth decay so, need to take or use supplemental fluoride.
Getting pit and fissure sealant
Your dentist is able to apply a protective coating on the chewing surfaces of your back teeth that seals the pits and grooves of these teeth so that nothing harmful can happen. This treatment is completely pain-free.
The following things can also help prevent tooth decay in some people:
- Flushing out your mouth with mouth rinse containing fluoride
- Antibacterial mouth rinse swished about in your mouth
- Chewing gum high in Xylitol
- Have a 4-hour recovery break in between eating sugary foods
- Rinsing out your mouth as sooner after drinking or eating something sweet as you can
- Eat fewer meals per day and cut back on snacking
For preventing as many dental problems as possible, it is important to have a great oral hygiene routine. The basics you need to be focused on are – proper flossing and good technique brushing your teeth..
If you use the proper techniques for brushing and flossing your teeth you will go along way toward preserving your beautiful smile long into the future.
When flossing between your teeth make sure to rub the dental floss against all sides of each tooth. Proceed slowly, one tooth at a time taking care to be thorough.
A waxed floss will help you if the gaps between your teeth is tight. Regular floss is helpful for getting sticky particles off the surface of your teeth. Scented/flavoured floss is good if you have sensitive taste buds and/or the smell or taste of food particles that are removed whilst flossing causes you to gag.
As well as how you take care when cleaning your teeth, you need to keep your tooth brush and other oral hygiene equipment you use clean.
The storage of your toothbrush between brushings should be in an upright position to minimise its contact with any bathroom surfaces and to make sure it dries thoroughly. Before storing your brush make sure you rinse it very thoroughly.
Closed containers are not advisable for storing toothbrushes because they increase the chance of bacterial growth on the brush.
Replace your old toothbrush with a new one about every three months or sooner if you see noticeable wear and tear like fraying of the bristles. Some modern toothbrushes also have fading bristle colours to help you detect when to start using a new toothbrush.
DCP Tip
As with brushing, flossing should be done gently. Improper flossing can injure your gums.
How To Floss
- Break off about 40 cm of floss, and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the other hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes used.
- Hold the floss tightly (without any slack) between your two hands, with about an inch of floss between them. Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle sawing motion.
- When the floss reaches the gumline, curve it into a C-shape against the tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth until you feel resistance.
- Hold the floss against the tooth. Gently scrape the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum.
- Repeat this technique on all of your teeth, including the teeth in back.
- Finish up with a good mouth rinse to help eliminate harmful bacteria and reduce the amount of plaque that may accumulate on your teeth.
Great dental hygiene will also help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease, the primary causes of unpleasant breath (halitosis).
You should brush your teeth at least twice each day. When brushing use a very short back-and-forth motion while holding the toothbrush at a slight angle to your teeth. Avoid scrubbing too vigorously as it may cause gum irritation.
Make sure you brush both the outside and inside of each tooth as well as the chewing surface of your teeth
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits your mouth comfortably. A fluoride toothpaste will also help prevent cavities.
If you have difficulties brushing due to arthritis or other issues then you may consider getting a battery-operated toothbrush or an electric toothbrush to make the process easier and ensure you are effective in cleaning your teeth.
More advanced techniques for brushing your teeth, include developing a circular brushing motion of the bristles on the teeth and finishing the motion with a gentle flick away from your teeth so that the bristles can flick away food particles in the area between teeth. Ask your dentist or dental hygienist to demonstrate and help you with advanced brushing techniques.
The modern day nylon bristled toothbrush was invented by Dupont de Nemours in 1938.
The first mass produced toothbrush inventor was William Addis in England, in about 1780. The business that grew from his invention still exists today as Wisdom Toothbrushes.
The earliest known method for cleaning your teeth was with natural materials – everything from sticks, to bones, feathers and porcupine quills have been recorded as being used to clean teeth.
In Babylonia in 3500BC “chew sticks” were recovered from excavated sites. A chew stick was basically a thin aromatic twig with a frayed end that was rubbed against the teeth to freshen breath and a pointed end used as a toothpick.
During the Tang Dynasty, in China, the bristle brush for cleaning teeth was invented. This was a small brush made with hog neck hairs or boar bristles, attached to a bone handle. Over time these small toothbrushes became more decorative and refined, but remained a hand-crafted item.
Yes. Sticking to your recommended regular checkups means your dentist is able to look for signs of oral cancer in your mouth with every visit. As with every other type of cancer, there is more that can be done to minimise the risks when oral cancer is detected early.
You can also help your dentist by letting them know if/when you notice any unusual colour changes anywhere in your mouth. It might be extra redness or white areas that seem new.
You also want to tell your dentist if you get any strange or abnormal growths in your mouth or sores that won’t heal. Areas of numbness or pain, and problems with chewing or swallowing, the feeling that something is caught in the throat, can also be early indicators that your Dentist needs to investigate for oral cancer.
Oral cancers are usually found on or under the tongue. They can also occur on any of the soft tissues of the mouth (gums, cheeks and lips) and on the soft palate (the back of the roof of the mouth).
The majority of cases of oral cancer are linked to cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption. People who both smoke and drink heavily run the highest risk of getting oral cancer.
The risks of having oral cancer also increase with age and most often occur in people over the age of 40.
Individuals who are infected with HPV (a sexually transmitted infection – Human Papilloma Virus) have been found to be high risk for a particular subset of oral cancer.
Excessive sun exposure can cause cancer of the lip, while a diet low in fruits and vegetables have also be found to play a role in being vulnerable to developing oral cancers.
Yes, there are two basic types of mouthguards – there are the custom made ones your dentist will make for you, or do-it-yourself mouthguards you can by in your supermarket or local pharmacy.
The ones made by your dentist are made to fit your mouth precisely, including every curve of each tooth and the gum line edges. Because these mouthguards are so closely fitting they give you the best protection against injuries to the teeth and jaw when worn during sports activities.
The do-it-yourself mouthguards are something you buy from a pharmacy and need to be boiled to soften and then shaped to fit you. Usually they are poor fitting and can be very uncomfortable to wear and your dentist would advise against using these as a protective device when playing sport, as their poor fit can cause additional damage in some situations.
If you play any form of active sport, your dentist will advise you to wear a mouthguard. They are considered to be a useful padding (just like a helmet when you’re riding a bicycle) in preventing irreversible damage that can occur in collision accidents during sports. Even small amounts of contact where the teeth are unprotected can create fractures that don’t heal in teeth.
A mouthguard reduces your risk of jaw bone damage and fractures that can occur when there’s bodily contact in some sports; particularly contact sports.
Dentists recommend wearing a mouthguard for any sport where there is any chance of a knock to the head or face.
- Boxing
- Football
- Rugby
- Martial Arts
- Basketball
- Hockey
- Water Polo
- Soccer
- Horse riding
- Snowboarding
- Cricket
- Trampolining
- In-line skating
- Water Skiing
- Lacrosse
- Netball
- Baseball
- Softball
- Squash
- BMX bike riding
- Skateboarding
- Ski Jumping
- Gridiron
- Wrestling
- Pole Vaulting
Your dentist will advise you to wear your mouthguard during training sessions as well as in competition, as they mostly see injuries that have occurred during training sessions, especially in children, who tend to be a lot more enthusiastic.
Clean your mouthguard after every time you wear it. Dental plaque that can accumulate on your teeth will build up on your sports mouthguard too if not regularly cleaned.
At a minimum, rinse your guard with cool water after wearing it, and take the time to scrub it with some toothpaste and your toothbrush.
Ensure your mouthguard dries properly before storing it away in it’s case to prevent bacteria from breeding on it.
From time to time, consider soaking your mouthguard in a cleaning solution. Denture cleaner and mouthwash can also be used to freshen your mouthguard.
Yes. There are several ways you can ruin your sports mouthguard by not cleaning it properly.
Using hot water will change the shape and fit of your mouthguard, so when you are cleaning it use room temperature water and cleaning solutions recommended by your dentist for a thorough clean.
You can also ruin your mouthguard by not rinsing it after each time you wear it. Your mouthguard may become stained and infected with bacteria.
Your mouthguard is supposed to protect your teeth, so making sure that you clean it properly will ensure that it continues to do that job for you well.
Yes. Even though you’ll be under the care of an Orthodontist, seeing your Dentist for your regular check-ups is important.
Depending on how your teeth and gums respond to the appliances being used for your teeth straightening, your dentist will be able to help you adjust your cleaning and dental hygiene regime to suit.
The last thing you want is to have beautiful straight teeth that suddenly have lots of decay to be dealt with!
Information About Dentistry for Children
Each child is different so dentists advise that the first appointment be six months after your child’s first baby teeth have come up. This is usually when they are around three years old.
In this first visit the dentist is checking to see that their development (mouth, gums and teeth) is normal and detect any potential problems that can be managed before serious conditions occur.
It’s easy to think of baby teeth as being a trial run and it not mattering if they are healthy or fall out because of decay.
However baby teeth are very important to your child’s healthy development and from a dentists perspective should be looked after as well as you do with your permanent adult teeth.
The first and most important role of baby teeth is to support the normal growth and development of your jawbone (and later your adult teeth). Disfiguration or poor development of your jaw can have serious impact on the look and structure of your face as well as what your smile looks like when your adult teeth are forming.
Your baby teeth are also important in preserving space in your mouth and jaw for your adult teeth to grow into. If the space isn’t reserved, the adult teeth will push their way through and misalign other teeth in the process.
Believe it or not, our teeth help us with pronunciation when we speak. So, having healthy baby teeth helps with your child’s speech development and avoids issues with speech impediments.
When children get to kindergarten, pre-school or primary school age and among other children, their sense of self-image expands rapidly. Children who have bad teeth at this age have been found to develop problems with negative self-image that may not be alleviated even after healthy new permanent teeth appear.
When should baby teeth appear?
It is usual for the first baby tooth to erupt when your child is between 6 – 9 months. Once teeth appear, you can help your child develop great dental hygiene habits by routinely cleaning their teeth for them until they are old enough to learn how to brush their own teeth.
When your child is still very young, you can use a soft cloth that you gently wipe or rub over the teeth and gums. Later a soft bristled brush can be used.
By you setting the example and showing that this is something grown up and not so awful (even fun) to do, your children will follow your example.
If you are enthusiastic about brushing your teeth, your children will also be enthusiastic. Children want to do the things their parents do. If your children see you brushing your teeth and displaying good dental habits, they will copy.
There are a few quirky ways you can make cleaning teeth fun for your kids. For example you might use Plaque Disclosing Tablets/Solution when cleaning your teeth as a kind of competitive game.
Plaque Disclosing products (either in tablet or solution form) are used to make the plaque and food particles on your teeth change to a bright colour to make it more visible. These products are made of harmless vegetable dyes that stain the plaque a bright color, so that you can see where the plaque is.
Often children don’t understand why something that’s invisible needs you to brush your teeth. By making the problem something magically appear so that they can see why they need to brush their teeth gives them a reason they can understand for having to brush their teeth.
Setting you kids the aim of getting rid of every little bit of discoloured bit on their teeth, gives them a challenge to over come.
Starting the relationship between your children and dentist from a young age also helps. When your Dentist becomes another adult who will encourage them to brush their teeth they will pay greater attention to you too.
Your Dentist will also have other creative ways to get your kids into the healthy habit of tooth brushing.
Many modern toothpastes, and/or tooth polishes, however, can damage young teeth because they contain harsh abrasives for teeth whitening and these can wear away young tooth enamel.
When looking for a toothpaste for your children to use make sure to pick one that is formulated for children, contains fluoride and without whitening abrasives.
If you are concerned with fluoride consumption (and the white marks on the teeth/fluorosis it can cause), teach your children to spit out the toothpaste foam rather than swallowing it.
For very young children you can purchase toothpastes without fluoride and use very small quantities of the toothpaste. A ‘pea’ sized amount of toothpaste is often recommended when kids are very young.
If you can see the permanent tooth coming through and trying to push the baby tooth out of the way, it is a good idea to see your dentist. They will examine your child’s mouth and may take x-rays to work out whether the baby tooth is going to damage the adult tooth or cause problems with alignment.
Your dentist may recommend that the baby tooth be extracted to help the permanent tooth come through into the right position and without unnecessary contact with the baby tooth.
Usually children usually lose their first baby tooth around age 5 or 6 years. However the timing can vary widely from one child to the next.
As baby teeth get ready to fall out, the developing adult teeth cause the roots of the baby teeth to dissolve. This is why children can wiggle the baby teeth loose with their tongues or fingers.
By the time the permanent tooth is ready to erupt, there is often only a little amount of tissue holding the baby tooth in place. That means, if your child wants you to pull out a loose baby tooth, they can by grasping it firmly with a clean tissue use a quick twisting motion to remove it.
If there is bleeding after the tooth has been removed, use a clean face washer or washcloth and apply gentle pressure to the site and the bleeding will stop.
Even from as young as four years of age, flossing once a day will remove plaque and food particles that aren’t able to be removed with brushing alone.
In families where teeth are highly susceptible to decay (or they have problems with plaque build up under the gum line) is hereditary, starting great dental habits early will help your child reduce their risks and avoid some of the unpleasant cleaning and dental treatments you have had to go through.
Teething is the term used for when a child’s first new teeth break through the gums. Children don’t necessarily experience difficulties when teething although some do experience irritability, discomfort and increased drooling.
There are some home remedies that can help during this time such as giving the child something to chew on like a damp washer and also massaging the child’s gums with a finger if they seem to be fretting.
There are teething rings for children that can help. Teething rings work the same as the washer by giving the child something to chew while the teeth break through the gums.
Teething gels, which can be bought from the chemist over the counter, can be helpful but you have to be careful not to over use them. As is the case with all medications, particularly for children, the instructions should be read and followed.
If your child is really in distress, an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen can be used.
If your child is experiencing high fevers and/or diarrhoea, these symptoms are not associated with teething and can indicate an ear infection or a systemic problem. Make an appointment to see your doctor if your child is showing these symptoms.
Within six months of the eruption of your child’s first tooth but no later than a year old, you should go to the dentist for a check up. This might seem early but many children today have tooth decay by the age of three.
You can help your child by beginning a brushing routine with your child as soon as the first tooth comes through, because they’ll need those teeth until their adult teeth come through.
If you’re unsure or want assistance with helping your child with developing good oral hygiene habits, your dentist can help or you may want to seek assistance from a Dental Hygienist. Hygienists are familiar with the best ways to help you and your child get into a great routine that will protect your baby teeth.
Information About Dental Treatments
Whether they are called dental crowns, dental caps or tooth caps, damaged, broken or worn down teeth are covered by a crown, as a way to strengthen the teeth and improve the cosmetic appearance. Your dentist will make moulds of your which are then sent to a dental laboratory where the crown/s are made.
Dental crowns are made from a wide range of materials, including ceramics, porcelain, gold or a combination of metals which have been fused to a porcelain shell.
The all-ceramic or all-porcelain crowns have a natural look and are indistinguishable from natural teeth.
Some of the reasons you may require a crown are:
- Teeth grinding: if you grind your teeth, and your diet is poor as well, your teeth will erode to the point at which a crown may be the only treatment option.
- Accident or injury: an accident may have resulted in a broken or badly chipped tooth which can be repaired with a crown.
- Aesthetic: some patients choose to have a crown for cosmetic reasons.
- Root canal surgery: if you have had this treatment a crown may be necessary to strengthen the tooth.
- Significant fracture: a seriously fractured tooth that cannot be repaired by composite bonding probably requires a crown.
- Large filling: a crown is a way to offer extra protection after a large filling.
- Severe decay: a crown may be the only answer to this type of decay because the strength of the tooth may be seriously compromised.
A crown is more complicated than a filling. The materials used in creating a crown and the associated laboratory fees make them more expensive.
Your dentist will require two or three visits to reduce the size of the existing tooth and make a mould. Your dentist will fit a temporary crown and finally, the permanent crown will be secured in place.
Porcelain crowns are made from dental porcelain that is shaped to replicate the appearance of a natural tooth.
Porcelain crowns are strong and resilient; although they do age just likely your regular teeth and can need repairs or replacement if they become too damaged with time.
The porcelain crown often replaces a whole external section of a tooth all the way down to the level of the gum.
Crowns, in general, are a great way to fix a damaged tooth since they can recreate not only the form but also the function of the damaged tooth.
Porcelain Crowns can also be used to create a better aesthetic appearance to a slightly damaged tooth the owner might want to look more regular. In the case of teeth grinding, a porcelain crown can bring back some of the length of your teeth that has been lost due to grinding your teeth.
Crowns return teeth back to their original function while creating a natural-looking appearance. Porcelain crowns are used when teeth have been damaged by a traumatic event, where there is severe erosion of the enamel or where decay has destroyed a lot of the original tooth. They are also an option for those who grind their teeth to the point that the very structure of the tooth has been destabilised.
Porcelain crowns are thicker than veneers and the extra thickness leads to a stronger structure. Crowns are secured to the tooth by using a resin, which is light-sensitive, and placing it between the original tooth and the crown. A special curing light then hardens the resin and binds the crown to the original tooth.
There are some downsides to porcelain crowns. It will take some time for the crown to be made in a laboratory so a provisional or temporary crown is fitted until the permanent one has been made. Another downside is that some people may develop sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures after the crowns are completed. Also, although durable, crowns don’t have the flexibility of natural teeth so not all foods can be successfully chewed. If the crowns have been fitted to correct the wear and damage caused by teeth grinding, a mouth guard for use during sleep will have to be fitted so that the porcelain won’t be exposed to excessive pressure.
Despite these few downsides, crowns tend to be the best option in the situations described above. Porcelain crowns don’t require any special maintenance besides the routine you use with natural teeth which is using non-abrasive toothpaste and the regular use of dental tape.
In addition to a Porcelain Crown, your dentist may need to add an Inlay or Onlay.
A cosmetic dental inlay can be used to fill in the gaps in the grooves of the cusp of a tooth (that’s the top bumpy surface of your back teeth).
A cosmetic dental onlay is put within the grooves and over the cusps of the tooth (put over the top of the bumpy surface of your back teeth).
Both onlays and inlays can replace old fillings and people find that they look better than older fillings because they match a tooth’s natural colour.
Cosmetic inlays and onlays last a long time, are very durable and can strengthen the very structure of the tooth.
Onlays are also referred to as partial crowns and an inlay is more like a filling since it is within the points on the chewing surface of a tooth and can be impossible to tell apart from your other natural teeth.
A dental bridge is a replacement for missing teeth. If you have lost any teeth, you may have been left with a series of unsightly gaps. If the gaps are not filled with replacement teeth then there is a risk of bone loss ( ‘bone resorption’), which can impact your facial appearance.
A bridge acts as an anchor for two crowns and consists of a false tooth called a ‘pontic’ which sits between the two crowns. The ‘pontic’ is inserted into the gap made by the missing tooth, and is flanked on either side by the two crowns. The crowns fit over your natural teeth on either side of the gap. The two anchoring teeth are called ‘abutment teeth’.
The ‘pontic’ can be made from porcelain, gold, alloy or any combination of these materials.
A bridge can prevent bone loss, gum disease or decay caused by the presence of food debris in the gap created by the missing tooth, and it will relieve pressure on the teeth either side of the gap.
An enamel-bonded bridge uses a metal or porcelain framework to attach the artificial teeth which is then resin bonded to the supporting teeth.
If you stick to a healthy oral regime, such as brushing twice a day, flossing and regular check ups, your bridge can last for up to 15 years.
A dental bridge can give you a natural looking appearance as well as resolving any ‘bite’ problems that you may have. But be aware, it can cause your teeth to feel a bit sensitive for the first few weeks after it has been fitted.
Your dentist will discuss this form of treatment with you as well as assessing your suitability for crowns or bridgework.
Yes. Many of the new modern dental procedures allow people to change the shape their teeth for cosmetic reasons and not just because they have problems like decay or broken teeth.
What treatment options are there for changing the shape of my teeth?
There are several different treatment options that can be used to help you get the look and shape for your teeth that you prefer. Whether you’d like your teeth to be a little longer, have smaller spaces between your teeth or to repair and cover up chips.
Dental Bonding
The first option is Dental Bonding, this is where a hard-wearing and lasting tooth coloured resin is put on top of the tooth (or teeth) and then set using a special light. This setting process bonds (glues) the resin to the tooth.
With Dental Bonding, your teeth can be reshaped to make them longer, if your teeth are short or wider if there are gaps between your teeth..
Dental Crowns
Another option is to have Dental Crowns, sometimes also know as Caps. A crown is a tooth shaped object that is partially hollow inside that is cemented in place and encases the tooth. Once treatment is complete it is only the crown that is visible; your tooth is completed covered right up into the gum line.
Dental Veneers
Veneers, either composite resin or porcelain laminates, are another form of Cap. Veneers are wafer thin and custom made shells that cover your tooth – usually only applied to your front visible teeth. Veneers are bonded to your teeth and can be made to alter the shape of your teeth and the look of your smile.
Dental Recontouring
The last option, is something that can not be reversed or undone and it is Recontouring (also called reshaping, Odontoplasty, Enameloplasty, stripping, or slenderizing). With this treatment, small amounts of the tooth enamel are removed (with grinding or chizelling) to change the length, shape, or surface of the teeth. It is a permanent procedure which is why many people choose one of the other options where ever possible.
Dental amalgam safety has been reviewed extensively for a number of years and the World Health Organization (WHO), in its Consensus Statement on Dental Amalgam wrote: “Amalgam restorations are safe and cost-effective… The risk of adverse side-effects is very low for all types of restorative materials, including amalgam and all resin-based materials.” Similar conclusions were reached by the USPHS, the European Commission, the National Board of Health and Welfare in Sweden, the New Zealand Ministry of Health, Health Canada and the province of Quebec. For that reason, the ADA sees no positive gain in replacing amalgam fillings for any reason other than aesthetic ones
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) holds that amalgam is not harmful. Investigation continues but there is no evidence that shows amalgams cause harm to patients.
That said, your dentist will likely use white fillings in your front teeth and with the help of technology, scientists have now developed a strong white filling material for back teeth too. Why? Because of the public demand for fillings in visible areas to be tooth-coloured.
It’s interesting to note that In 1983-4, amalgam was used in 68% of all fillings in Australia, but by the late 1990’s this had reduced to less than 30% (NHMRC 1999).
Every year, thousands of people in Australia have amalgam fillings; dental amalgam is inexpensive, strong and can last a lifetime. Amalgam is actually an alloy (a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements) of silver, tin, copper and mercury.
If you develop tooth decay (dental caries) your dentist will probably choose a filling as an option to treat the tooth; and depending on its location, the filling may well be amalgam.
Dental fillings are used to fill in the middle or outer surface of a tooth and may be a composite resin, silver amalgam or the very popular porcelain filling.
Another option is a dental crown or ‘cap’; it fits over the eroded part of a tooth and can be made from porcelain or gold.
Sometimes, a tooth is so badly decayed the only course of action might be an extraction. It sounds drastic but it can help prevent the spread of infection. Your dentist may advise you to replace the tooth being removed with a dental implant.
Root canal surgery is another treatment for severe tooth decay. It sounds extreme but fortunately, dental technology has advanced to such a level, it is a lot less painful than it used to be.
Yet another treatment is the use of dental sealants, which can be applied to the grooves or ‘fissures’ within your teeth and will help to protect them. This is more of a preventative treatment than one for solving a problem of tooth decay.
If left untreated, tooth decay can cause complications such as gingivitis and periodontal gum disease, abscesses and require teeth extractions.
Tooth decay is preventible. Use the accepted dental precautions such as brushing and flossing as part of your dental routine and nip the problem in it’s bud.
Specialising in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities, orthodontics is a branch of dentistry that deals with problems relating to your ‘bite’ or ‘malocclusion’. If your teeth are crooked or misaligned or if your mouth is overcrowded by your teeth, you need some form of corrective device; an appliance, such as braces, to move the teeth and/or jaws into an ideal position. Your own dentist will refer you to an orthodontist.
Nowadays, the ugly-looking wire/metal braces worn by children and teenagers have been replaced by many different types of braces which are both comfortable and visually appealing. Some of the new braces include Invisalign and Fastbraces.
Many more adults and young people who have problems with their ‘bite’ or have crooked teeth or an overcrowded mouth are choosing to have their dentist refer them to an orthodontist who can correct the problem. Although, success is still more likely in a child or teenager than in an adult.
In a child or pre-teen, teeth are still growing and they are therefore more responsive to the treatment of braces than an adult. The corrective process just takes a little longer in an adult than in a child.
Your dentist will recommend orthodontic treatment if you have problems with your ‘bite’, your teeth are crooked or misshapen or you find it difficult to chew your food, and you will be provided with a diagnosis and a treatment plan.
Treatment starts with the initial diagnosis by the orthodontist who will take x-rays and an ‘impression’ of your teeth to provide a precise idea of the correction needed.
The impression, of your teeth is used to create a plaster a cast which is the blueprint of your brace.
There are two stages to the treatment:
- The fitting of a brace
- The retainer
To fit the brace, the orthodontist applies a special material to your teeth which secures each brace bracket to each tooth; the brackets are fastened to your teeth using dental cement. An archwire is threaded between the brackets and secured via metal or coloured rubber bands.
At carefully measured intervals, usually every 4 – 6 weeks, the orthodontist will adjust the brace, helping the teeth move into the right position.
Invisible braces are becoming more and more popular, especially with adults, because they are made of a clear transparent material which is almost invisible to the naked eye.
A brace is to be worn for a set period of time, which is determined by how much your teeth need to be moved to make them straight. Once this has passed the braces will be replaced by a ‘retainer’. Often, a retainer will be an acrylic plate with metal hooks attached. The plate fits into your palate and the hooks attach to your teeth.
You can remove the retainer when necessary and your orthodontist will advise how long you have to wear the retainer. You will also receive instructions on how to care for you retainer.
For getting your teeth straightened with orthodontics, or newer teeth straightening systems like Invisalign, age is not the main factor. What is most important is how healthy your teeth, gums and the supporting bone is in your mouth.
In some cases, even where a person has had some bone loss about the teeth they have still been able to have successful orthodontic treatment to straighten their smile. In these sensitive cases treatment is likely to be slower and carefully monitored to ensure that gum tissues remain health and damage to underlying bone is minimised.
The one factor that can prevent a person from having orthodontic treatments is a the prolonged and frequent use of bone density medications. In these situations careful examination and specialist consultants with an Orthodontist will be required to determine the harm and risk factors.
This is a relatively new approach to teeth straightening that has been popularised by Hollywood celebrities. Often called invisible braces, the Invisalign teeth straighten system makes use of a series of transparent, clear retainers (you can think of a retainer as being like a snug fitting mouth guard).
The way it works, is that each of the retainers moves your teeth a tiny amount, as your teeth settle into their new position and become stable, you move on to the next retainer, until your teeth have been positioned to exactly where you want them to be.
The Invisalign system is best suited to adults where the teeth are all fully formed.
Unfortunately, the Invisalign is not able to address all teeth straightening situations, so you’ll need to consult your dentist or orthodontist to find out if this option is available for your situation.
If, for whatever reason, you are unlucky enough to have lost all or some of your teeth, you will need dentures to replace them; you may have a full denture (replacing all the teeth), or a partial denture (replacing some of your teeth). You usually only remove your dentures for cleaning.
Dentures are not to be confused with a crown or bridge. Full dentures and partial dentures are plates the wearer can remove and replace as they choose. A bridge or a crown cannot be removed – it is cemented in place.
As with all dental procedures, have your dentist do a thorough dental check-up. Full dentures, need an examination of the mouth and a health assessment of the gums.
You will have a check-up at your dentist’s, that includes a full examination of your teeth, gums and other soft tissues of your mouth, for a partial denture. X-rays will be taken to make sure the teeth are healthy, and strong enough to support a denture.
This is followed by teeth impressions, bite records, some trial wax insertions and finally, the insertion and instructions.
Your natural teeth were not designed to support a denture, although some removable dentures rely on help from your natural teeth to keep them in. There may be some type of modification of your natural teeth needed to improve the wearability and life of your denture.
There are some removable dentures that are made to be inserted immediately after the removal of teeth (or a tooth); they are called ‘immediate dentures’, and replace a single tooth or many teeth. Your dentist will perform all the steps necessary for immediate dentures; and these are what you want.
If you have chosen to be fitted with a conventional denture, you may have to wait for 6 to 8 weeks until your mouth has fully healed.
Every 6 months you should have a partial denture and a natural teeth check-up. For a full denture, have a check-up every 1 – 2 years, unless you start having gum problems and then visit your dentist immediately.
Relining will involve an additional fee, but it’s cheaper than a new set of dentures and you will probably be much happier with a better fit.
Natural changes in the mouth will cause dentures to lose their fit.
Avoid chewing gum or biting your nails when you have dentures; grinding your teeth is something else to avoid.
See your dentist every year or two years in case relining is necessary; even losing weight can cause the need of a denture reline.
The extractions and the fitting of the immediate denture, are followed by rapid bone shrinkage, and your denture will need the fitting surface relined once the shrinking has slowed. The relining will be done from 3 to 6 months after the immediate denture has been fitted.
Relining will involve an additional fee, but it’s cheaper than a new set of dentures and you will probably be much happier with a better fit.
Natural changes in the mouth will cause dentures to lose their fit.
Avoid chewing gum or biting your nails when you have dentures; grinding your teeth is something else to avoid.
See your dentist every year or two years in case relining is necessary; even losing weight can cause the need of a denture reline.
Dental Hygienists are trained to work with patients to help them with their dental care and oral health. They clean teeth, examine you for things like gingivitis and provide other preventative dental care treatments. Dental Hygienists also help patients with dental education to give them ways of improving as well as maintaining good oral health.
Dental Hygienists are registered practitioners who perform dental clinical procedures that prevent dental disease. They work under the supervision and prescription of your dentist, and may treat you with out your dentist being present.
Events in our lives can change many things that impact on our overall health, including what’s happening in our mouths. Put simply, your mouth changes, your saliva changes and just because things have been OK with your teeth and plaque in the past doesn’t mean that they’ll stay that way forever.
With your busy life and extra stress from time to time, it’s understandable that your brushing and flossing routine might slip a little. When this happens stuff can build up without you even noticing. Your Hygienist works at removing plaque and helping restore gum health, so the gums heal tight up against your teeth. It’s their ability to clean thoroughly that helps you prevent more serious problems that are expensive to treat.
During treatment with air abrasion, your dentist uses an instrument that works like a mini sandblaster. This is used to spray/sandblast away decay, remove old composite materials during stroation as well as remove some discolouration or superficial staining.
During treatment, a very fine stream of particles is aimed at the problem area of the tooth. The particle stream (usually silica or aluminium oxide, may also be a baking soda mixture) is pointed toward the tooth surface and high pressure sprayed using compressed air. As these particles strike the tooth they blast away staining and other surface debris or in the case of damage, any decay. All the abrasive particles and other matter are then removed using suction.
What are the advantages of Air Abrasion?
Compared with drilling, the advantages of Air Abrasion are:
- There is no heat, pressure, or vibration caused by air abrasion.
- In some cases there is no need for anaesthesia to be used during treatment.
- More of the healthy tooth tissue can be preserved as compared to drilling.
- It reduces the risk of fracturing and chipping the tooth during treatment.
- The procedure is relatively simple and it is best suited for removing decay in small cavities on the surface of a tooth.
What are the disadvantages of Air Abrasion?
- It is not necessarily a guaranteed pain free procedure. The high pressure air stream combined with the abrasive particles can cause sensitivity and in some cases even intense pain.
- When used as part of a treatment procedure you may require longer appointments, as it can take longer than drilling.
- In the cases where hard enamel needs to be removed from the tooth, Air abrasion can not be used.
- There are many treatments for which it is unsuitable, such as for the preparation of your teeth for crowns, onlays and inlays. Your dentist will also likely strongly advise against it’s use for deep cavities (those close to the tooth’s pulp).
What is drill less dentistry?
Drill-less dentistry is performing treatments on your teeth without the use of a drill.
Right now that mostly means ‘Air Abrasion’ (sometimes also called microabrasion), which is being offered by some dentists.
Veneers are thin, tooth-coloured porcelain or glass/plastic layers fixed onto the front of your teeth that can be a suitable option if you have teeth with gaps, that are stained, discoloured, broken or chipped, crowded-in or crooked, oddly-shaped or badly-aligned.
There are two types of veneers; Porcelain Veneers and Composite Resin Veneers.
Porcelain veneers are made and bonded to your teeth. Resin veneers are put directly on your teeth. Both are designed to cover the front side of your teeth. Both are intended to fit your mouth and your smile to look natural. Caring for veneers is the same as cleaning natural teeth.
There is more information about Veneers in the treatment section here on the website.
The obvious benefit of porcelain veneers is their appearance. As they are individually sculpted to every unique mouth, it makes them almost impossible to tell apart from a natural tooth. Unlike natural teeth, however, porcelain veneers resist tea, coffee and cigarette smoke stains due to the material they are made from.
Another advantage of veneers is that, unlike crowns, the original tooth remains largely intact. There is a minimal amount of alteration to your tooth to fit the porcelain veneer. If your teeth have been resisting other whitening treatments then veneers can be the solution to have bright white teeth again. Veneers can also fix minor twists in the teeth, overlaps between teeth and small gaps between the teeth.
On the downside, of veneers is due to the amount of natural tooth enamel that is taken off, getting veneers is not a reversible procedure. Adjustments can be made or new veneers made for the teeth but you will never be able to return to the original condition of the teeth. Another downside is the amount of time required in the laboratory to prepare them that can be as long as week before they are ready to be attached to the teeth.
Porcelain veneers will probably create sensitivity to hot and cold but that will disappear in a few days. Also, although very strong, veneers are also quite brittle so you have to avoid excessive stress on the veneers such as biting your fingernails, chewing ice or opening containers with your teeth.
Maintaining veneers is quite straightforward since you treat them the same as you treat natural teeth with brushing using a non-abrasive toothpaste and using dental floss. If you grind your teeth you will have to have your dentist make you a guard to wear while you are sleeping so you don’t grind the veneers away.
If you do decide to get porcelain veneers, getting them cleaned by your dentist regularly is important. Veneers have to be periodically polished with special non-abrasive paste. At the same appointment the dentist can identify any signs of possible failure of the veneers.
In the best case scenario, when you have good oral hygiene and your case is simple, it can take as few as two visits to your dentist to perform the treatment and place your dental implants.
This is however, only an estimated number of visits based on all conditions being excellent for the treatment. Usually because people are all unique, and circumstances can be very different from person to person, the actual number of appointments and how much time is needed for recovery or for the dental technician to do their work, varies greatly.
Dental implants have a surgical component to the procedure, so it’s worth considering being open to the idea that this isn’t something you want to rush. Just like you’d give yourself time to heal, recuperate and recover after other types of minor surgery; it can be less stressful for you if you allow plenty of time for this too.
When you’re considering your treatment options for dental implants speak with your dentist about what is mostly likely going to be your situation.
How long your implants will last depends on your oral hygiene routine and overall health. When both are good, your dental implants can last up to 15 years.
People with inherited dental issues may need the assistance of regular oral hygiene appointments with a Dental Hygienist to help you keep on top of things with your oral health.
Individuals on regular medications will need to speak to your dentist about your situation to find out how your health and pharmaceutical regime may impact on the longevity of dental implants.
When a tooth is cracked it exposes the dentine (this inside of a tooth) which consists of small tubes filled with fluid that connect to the nerve pulp. When you apply and release pressure on a cracked tooth what you are doing is making the fluid in the small tubes within your tooth move. It’s this movement that causes pressure to be applied to the nerve and it’s this that triggers the shooting pain or dull throbbing sensationsM.
It depends on where in your mouth your teeth are as to the likely causes of a crack. For example your front teeth can get a fracture from a knock (even something small like knocking them with the edge of a cup or glass), an accident (in a vehicle, from a fall or in a collision with another team player in a sports match) or from biting something you shouldn’t – this includes using your teeth to open stubborn food packaging, containers and bottles.
Your back teeth can also be cracked or fractured with knocks and accidents, however they’re more likely to crack by applying lots of pressure with your jaws; like suddenly slamming your jaw shut. It’s the main reason your dentist wants you to wear a mouthguard when you’re playing sport, no matter how young you are.
There is a condition called ‘Cracked Tooth Syndrome’ which is caused by grinding, gritting and clenching your teeth. Over time this extreme constant pressure causes teeth to weaken and fracture. For many people the first they know that they have a problem is when a sore or sensitive tooth has no externally visible damage and the dentist finds other signs of wearing.
People who clench and grind their teeth in their sleep, commonly develop ‘Cracked Tooth Syndrome’ because they are applying much greater force on their teeth than they could tolerate if they were awake.
Unlike the bones in your body that can heal themselves if they break or are fractured, your teeth when cracked never heal. There are ways to manage the pain from a cracked tooth as well as treatment options your dentist can give you if the pain becomes impossible to live with.
Depending on the direction and how sever the crack in your tooth is, your dentist may be able to fill the crack with composite resin (white filling) to hold the tooth together and prevent the crack from worsening. This will give you pain relief as well.
Where the crack is vertical and runs deeply into the dentine, you may need to remove the tooth and replaced it with an implant or bridgework. In some cases where the cracked part of the tooth can be removed cleanly a crown can be an option.
In some cases where the nerve has been severely damaged a root canal might be an option and would save your tooth and relieve you of the pain.
The term root canal describes the process of cleaning the canals that comprise the tooth’s root.
A root canal treatment is a procedure that enables the patient to keep a tooth that otherwise would have to be taken out. This kind of treatment is necessary when the pulp tissue (nerve) inside the tooth has become diseased and irreversibly damaged. During a root canal the dentist makes an opening in the top and cleans the necrotic (dead) or diseased tissue and bacteria inside the root of the tooth. The space left after cleaning is filled with an inert filling material in order to prevent future leakage of bacteria into the void from saliva. After the cleaning and filling of the tooth has been finished, the dentist will put in a new filling or crown the tooth.
The need for a root canal is caused by trauma to the tooth, dental caries (tooth decay) and coronal cracks.
A root canal will take a couple of visits to the dentist to complete. First of all you need an x-ray to locate the source of the problem. A local anaesthesia is given to the tooth undergoing the root canal procedure, an opening is made and the pulp of the tooth is removed. This part is called a pulpectomy. Finally the filling is applied to the tooth and sealed.
Although famously believed to be a very painful procedure, a root canal is not any more painful than getting a filling in your tooth. With modern tools and approaches to dentistry, this procedure need not be the nightmare you imagine it to be and keeping a tooth is infinitely preferable to loosing a tooth.
Inside your teeth is soft tissue containing nerves called the dental pulp, or tooth pulp. When the pulp is unable to heal itself from an injury or a disease, it’s removal can save the tooth.
Things like a crack or fracture, even a deep cavity in a tooth are common causes of pulp damage or pulp death. It’s often just the simple exposure of bacteria in your saliva to the pulp which can cause an infection in the dental pulp, and once infected it’s easy for the infection to spread to surround teeth and tissues.
To save the tooth with the problem and to prevent the spread of the problem to other areas in your mouth, your dentist will recommend root canal treatment.
The length of time varies depending on your oral health – particularly the gums and tissues around the treated tooth. If you have good supply to your gums so that the root gets nourishment then it’s possible for your root canal treated tooth to last a lifetime.
Aesthetic Dentistry sometimes also called Cosmetic Dentistry are the treatments and procedures people choose that improve the appearance of their teeth and smile. These may give the person a subtle change to improve some small aspect of their smile they don’t like, like repairing a chipped tooth or a major restoration where the individuals entire smile is changed.
Often the improvements the person gets are deeper than just changing the cosmetic appearance of their teeth, they can positively impact oral health, improve jaw or muscle alignment (such as when braces are used to change your bite and teeth positions) as well as giving individuals back confidence where it may have been lost.
Discovering what the right procedures are for you, will need you to consult your Dentist. The condition of your teeth right now and what result you want to achieve help your dentist to diagnose what can be done for you and determine the treatments that will work best for you.
When you consult your dentist you’ll want to ask a few questions of your own to help you decide which of the options you’re presented with will fit in with your lifestyle.
Questions to ask your Dentist
- What will the changes look like?
- How many appointments will I need for each treatment?
- What should I expect to experience with each treatment?
- How long will it take before all the treatments are done?
- Can I do this over a longer time, or does it need to be done altogether and quickly?
- What will I need to do to maintain my dental work once it’s complete?
Dentists have various types of specialist skills and sometimes you may want to consult someone other than your regular family dentist. When this is the case, there are a number of different things that you can ask the dentist to share with you before you make any decisions.
Before and After Dental Treatment Photos
Dentists that work in the field of aesthetics and cosmetic dentistry will have a gallery or photo album of before and after dental treatment photos that you can view to see the results they’ve achieved for other patients. This will give you an idea of whether the dentist is able to get the types of results you’re hoping for and fits with your needs.
References
Letters of reference from other dentists, patients or other specialists give you a sense of the quality of care the dentist you’re considering provides.
Proof of Continuing Education
In dentistry there are many new developments in treatments, materials and techniques that help in giving you a wider choice of options for achieving the results you want. Making sure the dentist you are considering is actively continuing their education ensures that they are up-to-date with the latest in clinical aesthetic dentistry.
Today, with social media it’s easy to check up a dentist (on a website like LinkedIn) to see whether your dentist is interested in their education.
Check out the Dental Care Professionals dentists on LinkedIn: Dr George Atsikbasis, Dr Alan Fassina and Dr Cathryn Gill.
It is possible for some fillings to be repaired when they fracture. Even when the tooth around a filling fractures there are some situations where it can be repaired. For your filling to be repaired there must be no tooth decay present.
Fillings are a way for teeth that have been damaged by tooth decay to be preserved and rebuilt so that you can keep what’s health of your remaining tooth and have use of it.
The material used to fill the hole and rebuild your tooth will deteriorate over time and bits break loose or become faulty. Whether the filling is repaired or replaced will depend on whether tooth decay has occurred by the loss of parts of the filling.
While you may prefer to have the filling repaired because it will take less time and cost you less, this will only be a possible treatment option if you consult your dentist as soon as you notice the damage in your filling.
Although the binding material used for amalgam fillings is mercury, getting a traditional metal filling poses no identifiable threat to health.
Amalgams have been used in dentistry for over a century; so any problems with the mercury in fillings would have surfaced long ago. While this is no guarantee of safety. There have also been a range of medical studies conducted over the years in which there have been no clearly observed adverse health problems.
Every time a foreign substance is added to the body for a therapeutic reason, there will be an element of risk. That’s why there are warnings on packages for our medications including headache tablets, surgeons want to know about any allergies you have before an operation and cosmetics have label warnings.
With regards to amalgams and mercury, dentists are exposed to the substance far more often than someone with this type of filling and there have never been any clinically demonstrable effects to dental professionals.
The benefits of amalgam fillings are clearly apparent – such as the strength of the filling and the reasonable cost to the patient. The dental profession continues to put in place procedures that even further reduce any risks to patients.
There are some people who can be sensitive to the various components in amalgam but this is no more unusual than allergies to other chemical substances or foods.
Your filling will be replaced if it falls out completely.
To make sure that you avoid needing a bigger filling, you must be absolutely thorough with your tooth brushing and oral hygiene until you can see your dentist to have a new filling put in.
Information About Dental Treatments
While your teeth may appear to be strong rock-like objects in your mouth, they are in fact multi-layered living human tissues. Dental Pulp is the soft tissue deep inside your teeth that extends from the top most part of your tooth (the crown) right through down to the tip of the root that goes into your jaw bone.
The dental pulp is made up of connective tissues through which blood and lymphatic fluids flow plus contains the nerves that cause toothache when there is something wrong a tooth.
The Dental Pulp is important because it behaves like an alarm system; letting you know when there is something wrong by first becoming sensitive (to temperatures or pressure) and if left unattended by sending pain signals as the harm or damage increases or isn’t repaired.
For the last decade scientists have been researching the different types of regenerative properties different parts of the human body and discovered that the stem cells within Dental Pulp are ideal for tissue reconstruction and can be safely cryopreserved, have a long lifespan and are able to build adult bone.
These clever stem cells are also proving able to be used in situations where they can be grafted into tissues and then will exert anti-inflammatory behaviours.
If you experience toothache pain or swelling from an infection in the Dental Pulp of a tooth, it’s generally accepted that right now there are no oral medications that will cure the infection. This is why your Dentist will need to remove the source of the infection through a dental procedure.
The risk of a Dental Pulp infection spreading into the jawbone surround the tooth is a real danger to your overall health. Specifically any risk of infection in your jawbone can result in a flow on effect of damage to your sinuses; ear pain, eye pain and neuralgia. Death of the actual tooth is also a likely outcome and if this happens you’ll get a darkening/black tooth.
Without nerves and the pulp, your tooth is still useful and able to perform all the things it used to do, just without being able to sense hot and cold.
Tooth decay, also called cavities, is an area of the tooth where the hardened outer surface has been permanently damaged, creating small holes.
At Dental Care Professionals we see tooth decay far to often when it can be avoided with easy good dental habits. Here is some basic information about cavities and how they can be treated and, best of all, prevented:
There are lots of potential contributing causes of tooth decay, including the failure to properly clean your teeth, eating or drinking an excess of sugary foods and beverages, or the level of bacteria in your mouth.
All age groups are at risk of developing cavities including adults, teenagers, younger children and even infants. Anyone who has teeth has the potential to develop cavities.
Unlike other parts of the body, that are at greater risk depending on your age, your teeth are vulnerable to damage right from the moment they erupt (push through your gums) as an infant.
If a cavity has formed on one of your teeth and it is allowed to go untreated then it will progressively get worse and harm the deeper layers of the tooth. Eventually this will lead to infection and also pain in the form of a toothache.
If you continue to ignore it after the pain of a toothache starts, you may end up with an infection in the gums, surrounding teeth and jaw. Depending on when you finally get treatment will depend on the amount of difficult and expensive to perform treatments you will need to have done.
In the very early stages of cavity formation you may not notice any symptoms at all. That is one reason why regular visits to your dentist are very important.
When a cavity has progressed some of the symptoms that may reveal its presence include sensitivity in the area of the tooth and/or an aching pain at the tooth location. At first you may just notice this pain or sensitivity when you drink or eat something that is quite cold or hot, or when you bite down.
It is common for people to swap to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth because they don’t realise that the sensitivity is due to tooth decay. Only a dentist examining your teeth will be able to correctly diagnose why your teeth are sensitive.
If you feel any tooth pain or discomfort, even if very mild, it is important to see your dentist so that you can avoid the progression of tooth decay and protect your teeth from further harm.
By treating your cavities before they become more significant problems you have a much better chance of avoiding the need for more extensive treatment.
Of course if you have already noticed a physical symptom of a cavity then some damage has already been done, so the best way to avoid this is regular dental check-ups and good dental hygiene including brushing and flossing.
Dry mouth is a condition caused by a reduced flow of saliva produced in your mouth. There are certain types of medications, as well as, smoking and chewing tobacco that can cause dry mouth.
Dry mouth is particularly uncomfortable because we need saliva to help control bacteria, aid with digestion and help food to be swallowed after we’ve chewed it.
The technical term for dry mouth is Xerostomia and it causes difficult bad breath, because there isn’t enough saliva to give you a good balanced environment in the mouth for bacteria. Basically without a balanced bacterial environment less oxygen is in your mouth so the bacteria produces lots of smelly sulphur.
Here are a few simple things you can do that will give you relief when you’re suffering from dry mouth.
- Keep you mouth moist by sipping cool unsweetened drinks.
- Keep the air around you moist with a humidifier especially at night while you’re sleeping.
- Stimulate saliva with sugar-free gum and sugar-free sweets or mints.
- Avoid things that dry your mouth like tea, coffee, acidic fruit juices, alcohol or smoking.
- Avoid things that can damage your mouth such as hard crunch foods or salty, spicy foods.
- Add extra moisture to the things you eat with sauces, gravy, oils and toppings.
- Add extra foods to your meals that contain a lot of fluid such as fruits, steam vegetables, yoghurt or even mayonnaise.
Your Dentist, Doctor or local Pharmacist are a great source for other tips and professional advice on other ways to make your life easier when you have dry mouth.
What do I do if my tooth is knocked out?
Your tooth can be replanted if you act quickly.
The first thing to do is to clean the tooth if it is dirty. Clean the tooth with milk not water. If you don’t have milk, put your lost tooth in your mouth and use your saliva to clean it.
Make sure you only hold your lost tooth by the crown (the part that normally shows in your mouth), avoid touching the roots (the part that are normally hidden in your gums) as they are very sensitive and damage can ruin your chances of replanting.
If you can act fast enough and put the tooth back in place without pain, then your next step is to get yourself to a dentist to make sure the best possible healing and survival.
Sometimes it’s just not possible to replant the tooth yourself. In this case, you need to get in to see a dentist within the next 30 minutes to ensure the best possible outcome. When your in this situation you’ll need to transport the tooth safely either by wrapping it in plastic cling wrap, in a container with milk or by tucking it gently inside your cheek.
As mentioned at the beginning – time is critical and you must get to a dentist quickly.
While not as urgent as knocking a tooth out completely, breaking a tooth still needs some early treatment to help you get a better result when you do get to see your dentist.
First clean the area around your broken tooth with lukewarm water. Doing this over some sort of basin or container will help you catch the debris and bits of tooth as you clean. Collect and keep the broken bits of your tooth – in some circumstances they can be bonded back onto teeth.
If the incident that caused the broken tooth results in facial injury add a cold compress to your face next to the injured tooth to minimise swelling. This will help dental and emergency room staff with assessing your injury and treatment options.
Seek professional dental assistance as soon as is practical.
First try to remove what’s stuck by gliding dental floss between the teeth and flicking the stuck matter out. Carefully slide the floss in being careful to avoid cutting or inflaming your gums.
If you’re unable to get dental floss between your teeth or you simply can’t flick out what’s stuck; get assistance from a dentist. They are able to more closely see what and how it is stuck; making it easier for them to remove it without damage or pain to you.
Mouth sores are wounds or areas of soreness in your mouth.
Sores in the mouth can be caused by viral, fungal or bacterial infections, an ill-fitting denture, loose orthodontic wire or a sharp edge from a filling or broken tooth.
Here are some common mouth sores and other infections to look out for –
Mouth Sores – Burning Mouth Syndrome
Burning mouth is a syndrome, which creates a burning sensation in the mouth, palate, tongue, gums, throat and the inside of cheeks.
What causes this syndrome is not yet clearly understood. Some suspected causes are dry mouth, oral thrush, hormone changes, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, some medications, anxiety or depression.
Unfortunately the syndrome can go on for months or even years without any relief.
Treatment for this condition usually includes certain prescription medications and changes in your lifestyle; such as avoiding tobacco, alcohol or acidic and spicy foods.
Mouth Sores – Candidiasis
Candidiasis is also known as thrush. Thrush is caused by an overgrowth of yeast but in this case it occurs in the mouth.
The symptoms for oral thrush include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, white spots on the tongue or inside the mouth and cheilosis (which is cracking at the corners of the mouth).
This condition is caused by a fungus and takes hold when your immune system is weak. Some medications and antibiotics can encourage the development of this infection by altering the balance of bacteria in the mouth.
Oral thrush is treated with prescribed anti-fungal medication, which can clear it up reasonably quickly. Early diagnosis is key to a quick recovery.
Mouth Sores – Canker Sores
Canker sores – the cause of which is unknown, but trauma to the mouth is suspected.
Canker sores develop as small white or yellow centred lesions with a red border. They form on the tongue, lips, inside the check and gum line.
These kinds of sores are not contagious.
Other things that are thought to cause canker sores, are vitamin B deficiency, food sensitivities, hormonal shifts or spicy, acidic or salty foods.
Canker sores tend to heal themselves without treatment after a couple of weeks.
If they are very painful, you can get a topical anaesthetic from your local pharmacist as an over the counter treatment; your chemist may also suggest a antimicrobial mouth wash, which can also provide some relief.
Mouth Sores – Oral Cancer
Most mouth sores and infections can be easily treated but in the rare instance of oral cancer, you need to look out for a white or reddish patch in the mouth or a thickening or lump in the skin or lining of the mouth.
Other symptoms of mouth cancer can be loose teeth, swollen tongue or jaw pain, a sore throat or difficulty chewing and swallowing.
See your dentist for a thorough diagnosis for any kind of mouth sore so you can take the correct steps to treat it. Early detection of any form of cancer can save a life.
Your gums turning white are an early warning sign that there is something unhealthy going on in your mouth.
There are a number of different causes for gums turning white and to be 100% sure that you know which one you may have, it’s best to visit your Dentist for a checkup.
One of the most common causes for gums turning white is food and other debris collecting along the gum line where they contact with your teeth. This then causes bacteria and infection of the gums and they turn white. When the white discolouration is limited to this part of the gums, it’s likely that this is what is going on for you.
You’ll be relieved to know that you can stop gums turning white and return then to a healthy pink colour with improved brushing and flossing. Paying a little more attention to your oral hygiene every day can solve the problem quickly.
If the white areas in your mouth are flat and with gentle scraping come off (be careful, you may cause bleeding if you scrape too firmly). Particularly if the white areas are on the roof of your mouth or the insides of your cheeks where the tissue is softest.
The most common cause for these symptoms is a fungal infection; thrush.
However it may also be a condition called Leukoplakia; which is a condition that can be an early indicator for cancer. Due to the seriousness of Leukoplakia it is best that you seek a professional diagnosis to ensure that treatment can begin as quickly as possible. Even if it turns out to only be thrush, early treatment will prevent unpleasant symptoms from developing further.
Can soft drink really harm my teeth?
Large volumes and frequent drinking of soft drinks is one of the major risk factors that cause dental decay.
For example, one can of lemonade such as Mountain Dew has eleven teaspoons of sugar in it and is highly acidic. If you challenged yourself to eat those 11 teaspoons of sugar chances are you’d have a syrupy feeling mouth and sticky teeth afterwards, something that you’re not aware of when you’re drinking it.
The biggest threat to your teeth with soft drinks is the acidity, which can dissolve your tooth enamel. You may have seen that Colgate 70’s ad with Mrs Marsh showing kids how Fluoride gets into your tooth by putting a stick of chalk into liquid. This is exactly what’s happening with the acid in soft drinks to your teeth too.
Then when you combine the acid with sugar you’re creating the perfect environment for bacteria in your mouth and over your teeth which cause decay.
Sadly, diet carbonated drinks aren’t going to save your teeth either. Just because they don’t have sugar, doesn’t mean that they aren’t acidic, in fact most diet sodas are about the same acidity as sugar sweetened soft drinks.
If you want to drink soft drinks, consider drinking them quickly and with food – a meal or snack. You may want to also think about washing your mouth out afterwards with water to reduce the amount of sugar and acid that is left on the tooth surface.
Watch the Mrs Marsh Colgate Fluoriguard Ad
Yes, teeth are alive! It may seem hard to believe but it is true.
When you were born, you had no teeth. That’s because they hadn’t been formed yet. Your teeth needed time to be born and grow within your jaw bone.
First you had baby teeth. These came out and were replaced with your adult teeth, which grew to be much bigger and stronger.
Often people think that teeth are not alive, because of the hard outside enamel of the tooth. However inside that enamel outer shell is a complex structure that is very much alive.
There are a number of layers/structures that make up a tooth.
Tooth Enamel
This is a protective outer coating on the visible white part of a tooth you see sticking out of the gums. The enamel is actually a translucent protective layer consisting of calcium phosphate and can be treated with fluoride. The enamel protects the living layers within.
Dentin
Just under the enamel layer of your tooth is dentin. This is a hard living tissue and makes up the majority of a tooth’s structure. Dentin looks a lot like bone and contains thousands of microscopic tubules. Dentin is alive.
Cementum
Like the enamel which protects the dentin of a tooth. Cementum a softer substance than enamel surrounds the roots of teeth to protect them from harm. Cementum provides stability and the attaching fibres needed to anchor teeth into the jawbone.
Roots
This is the two-thirds of your tooth, hidden under your gums. All teeth have roots to anchor your teeth into your jawbone so they remain stably positioned. The roots of your teeth are covered with a thin layer of bone, and are inserted into sockets in the bone of the jaw. Roots are structured to withstand the force and pressure of biting and chewing food.
Pulp
Different types of teeth have different root structures. Some teeth have one root others have three or four. The inside of each root of your teeth has a hollow chamber called a pulp canal. The pulp canal is very sensitive and provides each tooth with blood flow and nutrients that are important for keeping the tooth alive.
If you need proof that your teeth are alive, remember back to the last time you had a toothache. That sensation of pain is only possible because of the living tissue and nerves that exist in your teeth.
Third molars, are the back teeth that come through late in your teens and also known as wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth do often become impacted (grow into position incorrectly) due to a lack of space in the dental arch. Other reasons wisdom teeth become impacted are because of overlying gum or bone or the placement of another tooth close by.
If a wisdom tooth does become impacted it can be very painful and lead to an infection. The worst-case scenario is that impacted wisdom teeth can be associated with the growth of cysts or even tumours. You will need to seek advise and help from a dentist if this happens.
If a wisdom tooth does make it through, it might crowd or damage other teeth or even the roots of adjacent teeth. When crowding occurs you may be advised by your dentist to have the third molars removed to stop them from pushing all your other teeth out of alignment and causing other serious dental problems.
As the wisdom teeth grow their roots become longer and more embedded in the jaw, which make they more difficult to take out. As a result this is why it is recommended that wisdom teeth be removed when the roots are one-third to two-thirds formed. This is usually around the ages of 17 to 20 years old. After this time the roots are fully-grown and the teeth are much more difficult to remove.
Even if your wisdom teeth are not causing any pain, it’s worth going to the dentist and getting an x-ray to establish whether removal of the wisdom teeth is recommended for you.
Having wisdom teeth pulled will cause swelling and some pain afterwards. Sometimes there can be some bleeding. Be careful not to disturb the blood clot protecting the wound. This means you will have to avoid solid food, alcohol, coffee, warm drinks in general, and soft drinks for a few days after the extraction. Brushing your teeth is not advised on the first day of recovery.
The recovery time after having your wisdom teeth out is usually three to four days after the procedure, but can vary based on your own body’s ability to heal quickly.
Take it easy for a few days after getting your third molars out and you can take painkillers from the chemist or get pain relief prescribed for you. The swelling will reduce if you put an ice pack on your jaw. The use of an ice pack will also help relive discomfort.
If you notice any unusual symptoms, contact your dentist in case of the occurrence of infection.
Yes. Mostly dental decay and cavities won’t start to hurt until they are very large and in urgent need of attention by your dentist.
Even gum disease may not hurt at all, yet can be causing serious damage. In fact, you may be unaware that you have a serious gum infection until a tooth falls out.
Sometimes you may get warning pain from oral cancer, though there are many cases where this too can present and the patient has an advanced stage of cancer with no pain at all.
You may be inclined to skip your next visit to the dentist in favour of spending that money on something else or out of fear of pain. It’s a personal decision. However, when you really evaluate the situation, don’t you deserve to put you and your health first? All it takes is a regular 15 minute check-up with your dentist every few months to know that you’re healthy and disease free.
Body piercing has become an increasingly popular form of body adornment. In the world of piercing they say if you can hold a fold of skin between finger and thumb, you can pierce it. The tongue can be held this way and although not the most popular form, this particular piercing still has its fans.
Common symptoms of tongue piercing can include pain, swelling and sometimes the puncture can become infected. The oral cavity has a lot of blood vessels, particularly the tongue and if a blood vessel is punctured during the piercing, bleeding can occur that is difficult to control. In extreme cases, if the tongue swells severely after the procedure, it can compromise the airway and prevent normal breathing.
If all goes well and you don’t bleed or have trouble with swelling after the procedure, a tongue piercing can create a slight change in speech and create a lisping effect. Also the jewellery sitting in the mouth can contribute to chipped or cracked teeth. Even lip piercings can bang against teeth and cause damage.
Aftercare is most important with this type of piercing since there are millions of bacteria in the mouth that can become trapped under the jewellery and cause an infection. Use an antimicrobial mouth rinse after every meal but not more often than four or five times a day. The mouth rinse should take between 30 to 60 seconds.
Another way of keeping the wound clean is to use a formulation of iodine free salt in warm water. This salt solution should only be used twice a day for approximately 15 seconds.
Needless to say if you are going to pursue this type of body decoration make sure that you see an experienced, professional and clean piercer even though it’s impossible to know how your body will react. This will always be one of the more dangerous procedures to perform on an oral cavity. It is not the safest or most convenient form of piercing and from a dental point of view is not recommended.
A broken tooth can seem catastrophic if it happens to you, but there are steps you can take that might enable a dentist to fix the fracture or even rectify the loss.
If you do break one of your teeth due to an accident, then to increase the possibility of re-attaching the broken tooth, you should find the tooth fragments, rinse them with water and keep them moist. You should contact your dentist immediately.
If the tooth has been knocked out, put the clean tooth back into the socket (the space in the gum where the tooth has come out from) as soon as possible.
The broken or loose tooth should be picked up by the crown (the part that you chew and bite with), while carefully avoiding contact with the root (the part usually in the gum). When the tooth is dirty it has to be quickly rinsed off before you attempt to place it back in the socket.
If you can’t get the tooth back into the socket then keep it in a liquid that can keep the cells on the surface of the root alive. Cold cows milk is one of the best storage medias for storage until you can get to the dentist.
Until you’re able to see the dentist make sure you:
- Rinse the mouth with warm water
- Apply pressure with a section of gauze to the bleeding until it stops
- Put an ice pack to the lips or cheek over the broken tooth to relieve pain and reduce swelling
- Take a pain reliever (Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory and will also help with swelling).
Sometimes a tooth can be reattached, sometimes not. If a tooth can’t be reattached, then it can be somewhat restored using a resin composite. If the fracture is too bad a root canal and crowning might be necessary. Discuss your options thoroughly with your dentist.
One of the best types of food to eat for the health of your teeth is cheese, and in particular, Cheddar, Mozzarella or Swiss.
Cheese stimulates saliva production, which protects the teeth from acids. Cheese disrupts the process that leads to the creation of cavities. Cheese also raises the PH in your mouth, which is another way of lowering your risk of tooth decay. Cheese is also high in protein and calcium, which are nutrients that strengthen the enamel on your teeth. It is an ideal snack between meals or immediately after dinner. Maybe this is why cheese tends to be the final course at a dinner party.
Other food that protects the teeth between meals are raw vegetables, fruit and yogurt. Yogurt acts in the same way as cheese does and although fruit is sweet, it produces a lot of saliva, which is good for the health of your teeth. Vegetables and leafy greens are high in calcium but they also contain folic acid, which is a kind of B vitamin, which has various health benefits generally and for your oral health.
Food to avoid, particularly as snacks between meals, are chewy sweets like toffee and soft drink due to their incredibly high sugar content. If you really have a sweet tooth, eat sweets as part of a meal and not as a snack. Rinse your mouth afterwards or maybe have an apple to clean up the sticky residue clinging to your teeth that’s beginning the process of tooth decay.
Water and milk are the best beverages for teeth because they clear the mouth of debris, are low in acid and sugar and don’t leave any stains.
Let’s be clear from a dentist’s perspective, soft drink is not good for the health of your teeth.
Soft drinks are very high in sugar content, up to 10 teaspoons in a single can, and they’re also very acidic drinks. This acidity of the drink, including diet soft drinks, eats away at the enamel on your teeth. Once you put the sugar with the acidity and high frequency of drinking these types of drinks, it leads to the bacterium that creates plaque flourishing and this in turn leads to tooth decay.
Other drinks with high acidity are bottled water, tea with added fruit flavours, sports drinks and energy drinks.
No one wants to be ‘that person’ with bad breath. There’s nothing worse than having someone back away from you while you’re talking.
Ways to fix bad breath or avoid it include:
Brushing regularly:
Brushing your teeth twice a day removes the film of bacteria from your teeth and gums that can cause your breath to smell bad. Replace your toothbrush every three or four months and keep one at work if you want to remove odour from your breath immediately after eating.
Cleaning your tongue:
The tongue is generally overlooked during oral care but it can harbour tiny bits of food and plaque. The way to clean your tongue is to gently sweep the toothbrush over the surface to remove food and bacteria that can reside there and cause bad breath. If you have a coated tongue, it might be worth looking into investing in a tongue scraper that you can get from the chemist.
Using dental floss at least once a day:
Using dental floss on your teeth at least once a day will get rid of bits of food caught between the teeth and the plaque that builds up in these places that toothbrushes can’t reach. It’s often the smell of decaying food particles that cause foul smelling breath.
Avoiding certain drinks:
A big culprit when it comes to causing bad breath is coffee. Alcoholic beverages such as beer, whiskey and wine also cause breath to smell bad. They leave a residue that sticks to the plaque in your mouth so that on every out breath, the smells are propelled back into the air, usually the air of the person you’re speaking to.
Avoiding strong smelling food:
Soft cheeses with strong odours like Roquefort, Camembert and, of course, the blue cheeses can remain in your mouth long after you’ve finished eating them. Garlic, onions and hot chillies are also able to linger long after the meal has finished. Avoiding these food when you’re about to go on a romantic date is definitely a good idea.
Using natural breath fresheners:
Natural breath fresheners include parsley, which contains chlorophyll, a natural deodoriser or drinking a cup of mint tea or chewing on mint leaves after eating freshen the breath. Other natural breath deodorisers are cloves, anise seeds and fennel all best chewed after meals to bring your breath back to a sweet smelling fragrance.
Avoiding a dry mouth:
A dry mouth causes bad breath. Staying hydrated stops mouths from getting dry as well as getting smelly. Avoiding soft drinks, coffee and alcohol, which all cause the mouth to dry is healthy. If you have a severely or chronically dry mouth, a dentist can prescribe artificial saliva to help with the feeling and also your bad breath.
Stop smoking:
Smoking leads to bad breath as the scent of tobacco remains in the mouth long after the cigarette has been put out. If you chew tobacco, then chances are white teeth probably isn’t high on your list of priorities, either. The tars and toxins in your tobacco, no matter which way you enjoy it, all stick to your teeth and gradually ferment to cause nasty breath smells. Finding a way to kick your smoking or tobacco habit will change your life in so many ways.
Even if you are very conscientious about your oral care you will probably at some point in your life suffer from a toothache.
The most likely causes of toothache is a tooth cavity but there are other culprits.
Receding gums or a thinning of the tooth enamel causes tooth sensitivity.
If you experience sharp pains when eating or drinking cold or hot food, it could be a sign of sensitive teeth.
Using toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth and a soft bristled toothbrush can help this condition enormously but do see your dentist though to make sure that it’s not a cavity.
Sharp Pain when you Bite Down
If the pain you experience is a stabbing, sharp pain when you bite down, the cause could be a cavity or even a cracked tooth.
When the pain is throbbing and incessant then the cause could be more sinister like an abscessed tooth or infection.
Either way, if you experience either of these types of pain then go and see your dentist as soon as possible.
One other significant, although less common, causes of toothache (tooth pain) is a sinus infection. If only the upper teeth on both sides of your mouth are in pain, sinusitis could be causing the discomfort. If you suffer from this symptom, a visit to your doctor will be in order. Other causes of toothache are injuries to the jaw, teeth grinding, arthritis or even cancer. If the wisdom teeth weren’t removed then impacted molars could be causing the problem.
The bottom line is to see your dentist or doctor if you’re experiencing toothache so your problem and be properly diagnosed and treated. A toothache is a very particular misery and you don’t have to live with it.
If there is a significant change in the health of your teeth and mouth then you should contact your dentist immediately.
The clearest sign that all is not well is a toothache. Until you can get the appointment, here are some short-term solutions for what to do for a toothache
If you have a toothache, rinse your mouth out with warm water (warm salty water works effectively as well) and gently use dental floss to make sure that there is no food or other debris trapped between the teeth.
Don’t put aspirin or other over-the-counter painkillers against the gums because these might burn the tissue of the gum. Instead use clove oil and rub it against the painful area; you’ll find clove oil at your local health food store.
You can even stick some sugar free gum over the sore tooth in order to minimise contact with food when you eat.
For a filling that has fallen out, rinse the tooth with warm salty water and call your dentist. The resulting void will be vulnerable to further decay and using the tooth will weaken the structure.
A loose crown can be fixed in the short term by making a paste from Vaseline and corn starch and sticking the crown back in place. Keeping away from hard or sticky foods is also advised when you have a loose crown.
Gum disease causes bleeding gums so a visit to the dentist is strongly advised. As a short-term solution you can get a wet tea bag, squeeze the water from it and press the bag against the bleeding area for approximately 20 minutes.
These solutions will offer short-term relief until you can contact your dentist and get the problem fixed properly.
Receding gums are also know as shrinking gums or loss of gum.
The two main causes of receding gums are aggressive brushing of the teeth and gum disease.
The biggest problems with receding gums, is that as the gums shrink they exposure the root of the teeth and this in turn leads to sensitive teeth. Once there is more root exposed and you no longer have a nice firm seal between the tooth and gum, food and other matter gets stuck deep next to the root; which means tooth decay can happen more easily. So using dental floss becomes an important part of your oral hygiene routine when you have receding gums.
One receding gums treatment option for people who have healthy gums and normal support for their teeth, is to have a gum graft. For this treatment your Dentist surgically covers the exposed root surfaces with new tissue.
The gum graft comes from either your own tissue from somewhere else in your mouth or your Dentist will use a commercially supplied tissue material. The gum graft is stitched in place where the gum has receded to reveal the root.
With the use of modern dental techniques, discomfort after treatment tends to be minimal and the resulting healing generally provides a neat match so that the gum is again tightly sealed against the tooth.
If the cause of your receding gums is gum disease, then using gum grafts will produce less predictable results.
Gum disease begins as an inflammation of the line of the gum and progresses through three stages.
There is no medical evidence that points to cold sores harming your teeth or causing other dental problems.
There are some anecdotal stories of patients who have had “cold sores” inside their mouths. In these cases, the mouth sores have been diagnosed as canker sores
So what is a Cold Sore?
Let’s start with the basics. Having a cold doesn’t cause cold sores.
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV)-1. A virus that is spread through contact and once you’ve contracted the virus it remains in your body.
Cold sores are highly contagious when they break open and the fluid leaks from the open sore. As much as 50% of the world’s population have the herpes simplex virus, which makes this condition very common.
Even if you do carry the virus, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop a cold sore.
Right now, there is no cure for this virus. What you can do is treat the outbreaks to reduce their severity, prevent the sores from erupting and take care not to pass on and infect your family members or friends.
What is it like to have a Cold Sore?
The first time a cold sore presents it is common for it to be accompanied by flu-like symptoms (which is why they are call Cold Sores) and can be painful.
Cold sores tend to reoccur when you have a fever, are fatigued, run down, menstruating or from exposure to the sun. A cold sore will scab over until the body can heal them. This will often take about a week or more to resolve when untreated.
Being a herpes virus, cold sores will appear as a cluster of raised blisters outside the mouth, on or around the lips. They can turn up under the nose and occasionally even under the chin. Always external to the mouth.
What do I do if I get a Cold Sore?
On the tingling emergence of a cold sore, common advice say to treat the area with an ice pack as soon as you notice a cold sore coming up. Over the counter medications can help with the pain and your doctor can prescribe you an anti-viral medication to reduce healing time.
Once you develop cold sores the best way to cope with them is prevention. Working out what triggers the emergence of a cold sore will help you manage them.
If exposure to the sun brings them out then wearing sunscreen on the areas around your mouth where you usually get cold sores will help prevent an outbreak. If stress triggers cold sore outbreaks then finding ways of managing your anxiety levels can help avoid a cold sore appearing.
Since this virus is highly contagious, when a cold sore appears you must avoid sharing drinking glasses and be careful not to touch the blister then touch other parts of your body. Kissing is best left until the blister clears up.
If you have a dentist appointment when you have a cold sore, then rescheduling is best. Your mouth and the area around your lips will be more sensitive than usual, so you won’t want to be sitting in the dentist’s chair with your mouth open anyway.
There is a universal numbering system used by dentist to help them correctly identify teeth so that they can keep an accurate record of the health of your teeth in your patient record.
The numbering system works like this.
For adults, the mouth is divided into quadrants numbered from 1 to 4 clockwise starting from the upper-left from the dentist’s view. (The patient’s right corresponds to the tooth chart’s left side). The adult teeth are numbered from 1 to 8, going from the central incisor, canines, premolars to the third molar.
Your teeth are numbered so that there can never be any mix-up about which tooth your patient record is describing, should you get treatment from anyone other than your regular dentist.
Thank you Mr Bean for this expert explanation of why having numbering for your teeth is so valuable for your dentist. Mr Bean – At the Dentist.