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1. USING YOUR TEETH AS CUTTERS TO TEAR PLASTIC WRAPS, OR PACKAGING TAPES; NAIL-HOLDERS, OR EVEN HABITS OF NAIL-BITING.

Self-reliance is a good virtue, but not when it comes to our teeth. We might feel untouchable and cool, tearing packaging tapes without using scissors. Teeth are like glass; like our windshield, micro cracks will definitely happen. But unlike our windshields, we cannot see the little signs. The first symptom you will have, if you get unlucky, is pain. Some cases may only lead to wear and chips, but worst cases are split teeth that may lead eventually to tooth loss.

2. ACIDIC WATER (lemon infused or flavoured water) AS A SUPPLEMENT FOR PLAIN CLEAN WATER.

It is true that lemon-water is good for our gut; however, like any other health advises there are pros and cons. And, it is better to be in the middle.

If we do drink this, it is better that it is only once a day and we finish the glass of flavoured water all at once, instead of sip by sip throughout the day. You see, things other than water, can release acids. Sugars have acid by-products too. The environment in the mouth cannot be acidic for the whole day, or else it will make our teeth brittle, and hello cavities, white spots and worn teeth!

This is the same with chew-able acidic vitamins, if we can take it with water; the better it is for our teeth. We are only talking about the acidic vitamins. Please follow the instructions provided by your doctor when placing emergency medicine under the tongue or around the inside of the mouth.

3. BRUSHING WITH HARD BRISTLES, NOT CHANGING YOUR BRUSH WHEN WORN, AND NOT ALLOWING YOUR TOOTH BRISTLES TO DRY EACH AFTER USE.

Just imagine your teeth as a high-gloss kitchen tiles/counter. You don’t want to brush it with a steel-brush nor harmful gritty cleaners right? It’s the same thing with our teeth; we need to exercise our tender-loving-care, with gentle, longer strokes. When it is already sharp at the tips, or splayed, or it has been 3 months, time to change!

Letting your toothbrush dry is not allowing the bacteria to grow. Anything that is moist all the time, invites germs. You do not want to reintroduce these.

For bamboo toothbrushes, we do recommend wiping the handles with towels after every use to allow it to dry quicker and not letting it develop mold.

4. BRUSHING SOON AFTER EATING OR DRINKING SOMETHING ACIDIC

Remember, when I told you sugars turn to acid somehow when breaking, it is our saliva in the rescue. Let the ambulance of saliva save you, allow 30 minutes at least. However, if you had eaten something sticky at it rests from the chewing tables of your back teeth, oh, that is the gray side, brush now but gently, just take off those sticky ones.

5. FAILING TO PROTECT YOUR TEETH WITH MOUTH GUARD WHEN ENGAGING TO CONTACT SPORTS, OR ACTIVITIES THAT MAY CAUSE YOU TO CLENCH.

Sports are way to be energetic and be healthy but to protect ourselves too with a mouth guard. There are two types, the custom-made and the over-the-counter ones. The custom-made fits better and are more protective. However, for growing individuals or patients undergoing braces or aligners, the over-the-counter ones are advisable as your teeth keep changing positions.

6. THINKING THAT THE FRONT TEETH ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE BACK TEETH AS NO ONE SEES THE BACK WHEN SMILING.

Oh, no, this is like saying that the front wheels of a car are the only ones we need to drive and forget about the back.  Everything is created for a reason. The front is to show our nice smile, and the back to chew our food. If we chew using our front teeth, we may not have anything to show off when we smile after a period of time.

7. FAILING TO MAINTAIN THE SIX MONTHLY PROFESSIONAL EXAM AND CLEAN

Visiting a dentist regularly is part of self-care believe it or not. It is not only about professional cleaning, but the examination is equally important. Checking the whole mouth for any signs of abnormalities is very essential as is screening for oral cancer, growths and others. A sleep apnea risk assessment is done too.

Blog by: Dr Beverly San Pablo

Which filling should I choose for my tooth?

This is not an uncommon question which most of us have to answer when we visit a dentist.

With dentistry evolving at such a high pace and with so many technological advances in dentistry, we have more and more options available now.

Although it is hard to explain all the differences between the different materials available, we can touch base on three main materials available to make the choice easy for you.

Amalgam

Amalgam (silver-coloured) dental fillings have been around for a very long time. It was first invented by English chemist Bell in 1819. Later on, it had some changes with mixing of other metals.

Amalgam is made up of a metal alloy of mercury, silver, tin and copper. It is mixed as a soft filling material that is placed into a prepared tooth and hardens over a short period of time.

It is a very reliable and durable material that was used for many years for dental fillings due to its success in a moist environment. However, due to its un-aesthetic nature with the dark colour, its use of mercury and some doubts in relation to release of mercury has led a quest to find an alternative filling material.

Although a lot of people have reservations about its release of mercury and effects on general health, it is not proven yet.

Composite

Another very popular material is composite which has almost replaced amalgam and is widely used at present.

It is made up of glass particles mixed with an acrylic resin. It comes in different viscosities, each chosen by the dentist for different reasons.

It is used as soft material then hardened with help of light. It is chosen due to the following benefits:

• Availability of multiples colour shades so the material can be matched to the tooth.
• Increased working time for the clinician to manipulate the material to suit the tooth structure
• Mercury-free
• Composite resins are able to bond, or stick, to the tooth, which can lead to less tooth removal during preparation
• Easy to use for small and simple repairs and restorations

It is not as hard as amalgam and has issues with longevity in large cavities due to wear, chipping margins, porosity and shrinkage. This leads us to another material; ceramic or porcelain.

Porcelain/Ceramic

In terms of terminology, porcelain fillings are often called inlays, onlays, ceramic or CEREC restorations whereas Composite or resin restorations are referred to as plastic white fillings. Composite Resin is placed in soft and set hard with the curing light, which leads to its shrinkage whereas the porcelain restoration is a hard prefabricated filling that is bonded into the cavity. When a filling is on the larger side, requiring corners or cusp replacements, composite restoration does not last long and porcelain has more longevity due to its lack of shrinkage, hardness and wear resistance and it is recommended to have porcelain reconstruction of the tooth to ensure that you are not back in the dental chair fixing the same tooth again any time soon.

The porcelain filling is no doubt more expensive, but when you consider you may have to replace a plastic resin filling over and over, the cost differential may prove to be a lot less than first envisaged.

• More longevity, wear resistance and durability.
• Better bonding to the tooth.
• Highly aesthetic result giving natural appearance.
• No shrinkage of filling material.
• Tooth-like transparency and smooth texture; ceramic is the closest we can get to natural tooth enamel.
• Excellent for large fillings, amalgam replacement, broken and cracked teeth.
• More cost effective long-term.

After a thorough check-up and diagnosis, your dentist will discuss which of these materials is best suited to you. The decision will be based upon your oral health and what material will be best suited to the type of work needed, both for restoration’s optimum function and appearance.

It’s highly recommended to visit your dentist twice a year. Is there a logic behind it? Why is it recommended to go to the dentist twice a year? 

Six monthly checkups are recommended to the majority of the population, but  it can be more or less frequent depending on multiple factors, such as, oral hygiene, dietary habits, general wellbeing, habits of smoking and many other factors. Your dentist will be best to advise the frequency of checkups.

The reason to attend regular appointments is that some serious problems can go undetected, if there are longer gaps between checkups. There is a strong need for regular checkups to reduce the chances of a dental problem going unnoticed. Within six months, a majority of people will produce enough plaque and calculus build up to cause inflammation and damage of the gums. This calculus needs to be cleaned off  regularly to prevent gum damage, gum disease and bone loss. The bone loss starts off slowly but will accelerate if left undiagnosed leading to loosening of teeth and eventually tooth loss. 

Failure to treat a dental problem in time can lead to some irreversible conditions. For example: Decay left untreated will worsen the cavity to the point of needing root canal treatment. To avoid the occurrence of such a problem, it is advisable to see your dentist at least twice a year. Also, having your mouth checked regularly can help detect any oral cancers at an early stage.

Sometimes there is a factor of finances. There are many patients who would want to receive dental treatment, but they fear the financial aspect which goes along with the treatment. Many people chose to totally forgo their regular treatment on the issue of finances. This makes it impossible for them to have the check up  twice a year. Call our surgery to find out how we can help with this.

Regular 6 monthly checkups or even sometimes at 3-4 monthly are recommended for: 

• Smokers
• Poor oral hygiene and poor dietary habits
• Dry mouth
• Past extensive dental treatment 
• High caries risk
• Chronic health issues like diabetes or heart disease,
• Pregnant and nursing mothers
• Older people
• Taking bisphosphonate medication for osteoporosis
• Radiation in head and neck area for cancer
• History of gum/periodontal disease that has caused damage and loss of bone levels around the teeth.
• Older people with less manual dexterity to brush teeth properly
• Crowded and overlapped teeth and find it hard to clean
• Inadequate saliva flow
• Acidic saliva
• People on non fluoridated water

Sticking to your 6 monthly dental check up, will ensure dental treatment can be done at the right time. Solving the problem in its early stages helps in treating the problem in the least invasive manner as possible. An act that saves you time, money and pain. Make the smart choice today – visit your dentist. It only takes an open mind!

My dentist has advised a tooth extraction. How could I avoid it?

Do you have an achy tooth?  Your tooth, as well as gum, can cause severe pain, which must not be avoided or taken for granted. Rather, immediate treatment or medical assistance is required. You should not falter in communicating with your dentist.  

The best way to avoid any extractions is to prevent the tooth from reaching the condition where it needs extraction. If the tooth has gone beyond scope of restoration, you can discuss with your dentist an alternative option like root canal treatment , periodontal treatment or you can seek a second opinion.

If the tooth can not be saved with any treatment and is advised extraction, it could have some possible complications of keeping the tooth.

 Before things move out of your hand and vision, take proper care of your dental issues and do frequent check-ups. 

Are you wondering why it is necessary to do emergency tooth extraction? Here are some reasons for you. Let’s have a look at them!

Keeping the tooth can lead to emergencies like facial swelling, abscess, severe pain. This can happen at any time like during office hours, late at night at home or during holidays. etc. 

Leaving an infected tooth in the mouth can affect the health of other teeth and also it is not healthy to have infected teeth in your mouth for your general well-being. Evidence suggests that poor oral health is a risk factor for heart conditions, stroke, low birth weight babies etc.

Thus, it is necessary to have an emergency tooth extraction to avoid extra cost, pain, swelling, and much more. Isn’t it true? 

Whenever you are observing any signs of a toothache or infection, you immediately need to head over to a relevant dentist or surgeon right away. Sometimes tooth extraction can be painful and tedious work, but it is necessary to perform such activities to eliminate or reduce the infection quickly. After this, you will have a peaceful sleep at night without any tension and stress. 

Reason for Tooth Extraction

Accident 

In this technology-prone era, accidents are happening abruptly, which further leads to severe consequences like dental problems, and much more. Thus, the victim needs to seek medical assistance to fix the issues. And if the problem is serious,and the tooth can not be saved, then the dentist will perform emergency tooth extraction.

Risk of Infection

There are various possibilities of having an infection in the tooth, which often requires emergency tooth extraction. Due to your negligence and careless attitude, you confront such situations to eliminate infection from the mouth, as well as to prevent it from spreading. The dentist aims to reduce the chances of additional problems, which can further cause serious issues in the future. 

Excessive Decay 

Trauma or excessive decay could lead to serious consequences like tooth extraction. In most of the cases, damage and decay in the centre portion of your tooth can be troublesome and leads to pain and agony. Bacteria can move deep into the pulp and can cause you an infection. If the response of medicine is not impressive, then tooth extraction is a must.

There is an old saying that you should expect to lose a tooth for every baby born which is more a myth than the truth. Women generally complain that the baby has taken calcium from their teeth and has caused holes in the teeth. This is not true. Although there can be problems for teeth and gums during pregnancy, a baby taking calcium from their mother’s teeth is far from true. A baby can take calcium from their mother’s bones but certainly not from teeth.

For bone strength, it is essential to include calcium-rich foods in your diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding.  However, be reassured that babies do not draw the calcium out from your teeth although there is some teeth problem which can happen during pregnancy. So there is an element of truth as well in the concern but due to mostly different reasons than customarily believed.

The body goes typically through many changes during pregnancy which can affect mother’s oral health. The main differences which can affect the oral health are:

• Hormonal changes which lead to worsening of gum response to plaque and can result in gum conditions like :
• Gingivitis (gum inflammation) – which has symptoms including swelling of the gums and bleeding, particularly during brushing and flossing between teeth.
• Worsening of pre-existing chronic periodontal disease in pregnancy may exacerbate untreated gum infection and can lead to tooth loss.
• Pregnancy epulis or pyogenic granuloma – a localised enlargement of the gum, which is prone to bleeding. Epulis may require additional professional cleaning, and rarely excision.
• Reflux or morning sickness leading to erosion of teeth and causing sensitivity.
• Changes to dietary habits and sugar cravings leading to increased risk of tooth decay.
• Neglect and poor routine of brushing, due to being occupied with the baby and exhaustion. It’s especially important to keep up your routine, as poor dental health during pregnancy has been associated with premature delivery, intrauterine growth restriction, and preeclampsia.

You are less likely to have dental problems during pregnancy if you maintain good oral hygiene habits. Suggestions include:

• Avoid brushing your teeth immediately for an hour after vomiting.  Reason being that stomach     acids can weaken enamel after vomiting, and the vigorous action of the toothbrush may scratch the tooth enamel.
• Rinse your mouth thoroughly with plain tap water.
• Use a fluoridated mouthwash and fluoridated toothpaste.
• Brush your teeth after having sugary snacks.
• Brush your teeth at least twice daily with fluoridated toothpaste.
• Floss between your teeth.
• Visit your dentist regularly.

Things to remember:

• The demands of pregnancy can lead to particular dental problems in some women.
• You are less likely to have dental problems during pregnancy if you already have good oral hygiene habits.
• With proper dental hygiene at home and professional help from your dentist, your teeth should stay healthy during pregnancy.

Most people clench and/or grind their teeth unconsciously during the day or in their sleep which is medically known Bruxism.

Read More “What can cause teeth grinding?”

As per the surveys, 9/10 kids are suffering from dental problems in Australia. Moreover, the consumption of chocolates and soft drinks are also reaching heights. In today’s time, it becomes a major problem that could not be ignored.

Read More “FREE Workshop For Kids As Well As Their Parents”

When you decide to go travelling, whether it be a quick trip or a long haul, there are lots of things that enter your mind.

While you start to think about planning, packing, exploring and having fun, it’s easy to put a few simple habits at the bottom of your list of priorities. This often includes looking after your teeth and oral hygiene. While the idea of looking after your teeth might sound easy, there’s more to keeping your mouth and teeth healthy while travelling than just brushing and flossing. Check out these handy tips to make sure your smile is as healthy as ever on your next trip!

GET A CHECK-UP BEFORE YOU LEAVE

The last thing you want is to arrive at your destination only to find that you need an emergency dental procedure! That’s why you should book an appointment before you go away and get a general check-up. At smile Craft Dental, we can ensure that your teeth are in tip-top shape before you leave. It’s also a great idea to book it early enough that you can also attend a follow-up appointment if any treatments or procedures are needed.

LOOK AFTER YOUR TOOTHBRUSH

You probably haven’t given the hygiene of your toiletry bag, much thought. Before you pack your toothbrush, make sure you clean out your toiletries bag and disinfect it well. Bacteria breeding on your brush can lead to possible infections and have a negative impact on your oral health. Additionally, you should try not to pack your brush into a closed environment where it stays wet as this allows for more bacterial growth. Otherwise, just ensure that you clean it as best you can and as often as you can while you are on your trip.

CHECK THE WATER QUALITY

When you’re used to cleaning drinking water on tap, you can forget that even brushing your teeth or rinsing your toothbrush with contaminated water could make you extremely ill. The quality of tap water is different all over the world. Make sure you find out about local water quality, and if you need to drink bottled water in the country you’re visiting, be sure to also brush your teeth and rinse your toothbrush with bottled water as well!

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

If you’re on holiday, it’s very easy to splurge and indulge yourself in as many delicious treats as possible. By all means, you absolutely should enjoy a whole range of culinary delights while you are on holiday, but it is essential that you still maintain your teeth simultaneously. Remember what sugary snacks do to your teeth and regularly brush and floss to minimize bacteria from growing.
It’s important to remember to be kind to your teeth at all times, especially while you are traveling. While a holiday lasts only a short time, your teeth must remain strong and healthy for the rest of your life! Keep up your oral health routine, and take extra steps to keep your teeth beautiful, clean and robust. Contact Smile Craft Dental today to book a check-up before you leave or to find out how else you can look after your teeth while you’re away!

Why not give us a call today to get more advice on travelling teeth tips?