Exciting news everyone!

We’ve just updated our payment plan page here.

Take a look and let us know what you think.

Just remember, we are here to help!

So, you’ve received a preventative maintenance postcard and you are wondering what the answers were?

For postcards – part three:

• Samuel L Jackson
• Hugh Jackman
• Lucy Lui

Did you get them all correct?

So, you’ve received a preventative maintenance postcard and you are wondering what the answers were?

For postcards – part two:

• Cameron Diaz
• President Barack Obama
• Chris Hemsworth

Did you get them all correct?

So, you’ve received a preventative maintenance postcard and you are wondering what the answers were?

For postcards – part one:

• Ellen DeGeneres
• Tom Cruise
• Julia Roberts

Did you get them all correct?

What are fissure seals?

So you’ve taken your child to the dentist and the dentist has recommended fissure sealants. What are sealants and why do they need them?

Dental fissure sealants are a protective layer applied to the fissures in your teeth to prevent tooth decay.

Why Fissure seals?

All teeth come in varying shapes and sizes. At times, the adult tooth can form with a lot of grooves and ditches. When a new adult tooth erupts, the tooth is at a higher risk of decay.

This is because:

1. The child is young and so they are not as good at their cleaning
   • This is why an adult should help them brush their teeth until they are 8!
2. The tooth has so far been buried under their gum and protected from the harsh environment of the mouth
3. It takes time for a tooth to erupt so it will have a flap of gum over it until it erupts fully.
   • This flap of gum can get food and plaque trapped around it.
4. Unfortunately a lot of kids tend to have a very high sugar diet.

Due to these varying factors, fissure sealants can be a good way to seal the top of the tooth and reduce the amount of plaque accumulating on it. This makes the tooth easier to clean.

HOW?

1. The dentist will clean the tooth first, sometimes they will have remove a bit of a stained area first
2. They will apply some material to prepare the tooth for the sealant
3. They may place some special dental bonding material (this step is not always required)
4. They place the sealant material on the tooth and set it

For a sealant to be effective, the area needs to be very dry so it will depend on how your child does in the chair as well.

Fissure sealants are not designed to be a permanent. It usually comes off a few years after, when the child is older and more able to clean the tooth well. They can come off sooner depending on their diet. We recommend not to eat chewy or sticky lollies (e.g. Minties, Fantales) because these can pull off the sealants.

So if you’ve got any questions or unsure if you child needs sealants- give us a call or make an appointment online! Contact us now!

The root cause of sensitive teeth is when there is enamel wear which then exposes the inside layer of the tooth called ‘dentine’. The enamel is like a shield and the ‘dentine’ makes up the majority of the tooth on the inside. Dentine can feel cold sensitivity quite sharply.

TOP 5 reasons where your teeth are sensitive

1. Gum recession
   • Are your gums shrinking away from your teeth? Does it appear that your teeth are getting longer? This is because your gums are receding and the area that is exposed near the gum does not have any enamel over it and is actually the root surface which makes it very sensitive!
2. Decay
   • Simple answer- decay creates a hole in your tooth creating sensitivity!
3. Acid wear
   • Acid wear from dietary habits, reflux, other habits can wear your enamel away as well.
4. Brushing too hard
   • Brushing too hard is a really common cause of sensitivity! Make sure you are using a soft toothbrush and brush in a gentle circular motion. Your toothbrush bristles should look nearly the same as when it was new, even when you replace it. The reason you replace a toothbrush is because of the bacteria growing on it. So if your bristles look like this –> INSERT IMAGE then time to brush softer or invest in an electric toothbrush. It isn’t as easy to scrub your teeth that hard with an electric toothbrush so it’s much gentler on your teeth!
5. Over-whitening your teeth
   • Whitening (done by the dentist or supplied by the dentist) is a perfectly safe treatment to do. This is obviously provided that you follow the method correctly. Some people whiten too regularly and for too long and this can create sensitivity. So as with anything – you must follow the instructions!
   • Whitening toothpastes are very abrasive and have little effect whitening your teeth. So do not use it as a regular toothpaste as it can wear your enamel.

What to do to reduce sensitivity?

First of all, see your dentist. You need to find out the cause of your sensitivity and then figure out ways to deal with it.

Other tips:

• Change your dietary habits and cut down acid intake
• Change your brushing techniques
• Try sensitive toothpaste – this doesn’t cure sensitivity and needs to be used daily for good results.

Come see us and let us help with your sensitivity so you can eat an ice-cream* drink a nice cold glass of water with no fear!

*Ice-cream is bad for your teeth but delicious so we’ll allow it as a treat (sometimes)!

We are here to help so give us a call on (03) 8759 4490 if you have any questions or contact us here.

If there was a tooth popularity test, the wisdom tooth pain would come last. Sadly for them they have received a very bad reputation over the years. They push and shove their way into the mouth sometimes and that could be why! Here’s a quick read about removing your Wisdom Teeth in Keysborough.

Wisdom teeth are so named because they tend to erupt when you are in your late teens/early adulthood and apparently “wiser”. Although we are not so sure about the wise part! They are very similar to the other molars and essentially a third molar that can help with chewing and biting.

Most important thing to remember is that not all wisdom teeth need to be removed!

As with anything, it depends on the particular case and person.

Top reasons for Wisdom Tooth pain:

• Unable to clean it properly due to position
• Decay (that is not possible to be filled to an acceptable standard)
• Pain (recurrent pain around the gums of the wisdom teeth)
• Affecting the tooth in front of it- higher risk of decay/bone loss

How many wisdom teeth should I have?

People have anywhere between 0-4 wisdoms. Sometimes they can have additional teeth (named supernumeraries) that can total more than 4 although this is rare.

Does a wisdom tooth cause crowding?

There used to be a thought that wisdom teeth “push” the other teeth forward and out of alignment creating crowding on the lower front teeth. This theory has been dismissed and the teeth naturally drift forward with the narrowing of the jaw as you get older. This is why, even people with no wisdom teeth develop the same type of crowding as they get older.

So I don’t need to get them removed preventatively?

This really depends on your particular case. If it looks likely that your teeth may cause problems in the future, your dentist may tell you to remove it while you are younger and can heal faster. There may be an option for you to wait and see but your dentist will let you know. If the teeth are ever half-erupted (covered by gum), then more than often they need to be removed because there is no way of cleaning it properly. Most of the time, if your bottom wisdom teeth are removed, your upper ones have to be removed as well. This is because they will continue to erupt and eventually even touch the gum on the bottom.

So if you’re not sure if you wisdom teeth are wise, come in and let us have a look and then we can decide what to do. We also have an X-ray machine (OPG) that can take wisdom tooth X-rays in-house so we can decide what to do straightaway!

Remember, don’t blame your wisdom tooth, it’s not their fault!

Read more about wisdom teeth here on the Vic Gov website: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/wisdom-teeth

Contact us now to get in touch to deal with those pesky teeth!

Do you bad breathe?

There are a few reasons as to why our patients find they have bad breathe.

What is bad breathe?

Bad breath is typically caused by bacteria present on the teeth and debris on the tongue. So it’s no surprise that most cases of halitosis are associated with poor oral hygiene, gum diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, and dry mouth, a condition in which the salivary glands cannot make enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. It’s also commonly known as Halitosis.

How do I fix my bad breathe?

1. Not cleaning them properly
   • Make sure you brush 2x day and floss daily to ensure there is minimal plaque and food buildup (remember to brush your tongue as well!)
   • You can use mouthwash as well but just be aware some mouthwashes dry your mouth considerably.
2. Get a clean at the dentist every 6 months at the minimum!
   • Also make sure you get all your cavities and gum disease under control because that is the main cause of bad breath!
3. Reduce consumption of foods/habits that dry your mouth
   • Smoking
   • Alcohol
   • Caffeinated drinks (e.g. coffee / tea / energy drinks / soft drinks)
   • Some medications dry your mouth as well but definitely don’t stop taking them! There are special dry mouth products you can use.
4. Drink lots of water
5. You may be breathing through your mouth
   • This dries your mouth out and causes bad breath
6. If after all that, things still are not improving, then it’s worthwhile to check with the doctor too. Other causes include:
   • Mucus in the throat/post nasal drip
   • Tonsil stones/ Tonsillitis
   • Sleep apnoea
   • Other medical conditions

So don’t be shy to ask your dentist next time you see them to figure out how to fix your bad breath 🙂

CALL US or BOOK ONLINE NOW! Click here to go to our contact page to contact us directly.

How can you prevent cavities?

We promise they are all easy tips to follow!

1) Brush 2 x a day. You would think everyone knows this already but sadly not everyone does it! Brushing for a full 2 minutes every morning (as soon as you wake up) and every night (no eating after brushing at night!)

2) Flossing! This is the part where most of my patients sigh. Everyone knows they have to do it, but most can’t be bothered! It takes less than 30 seconds to do and makes such a difference to your oral health. You’d be amazed at the amount of stuff that comes out! If you’re not sure how to do it, then ask your dentist to show you!

3) Use an appropriate toothpaste – E.g. If you are at high risk of developing cavities, your dentist may recommend a special higher fluoride toothpaste to reduce your risk OR if you have a dry mouth you may need a special toothpaste formulated for dry mouth.

4) Eat well
a. Reduce your sugar consumption
b. Reduce your acid consumption
c. Try not to snack/graze between meals

5) Drink well
a. Water, water and more water! Good for your body and good for your teeth!
b. Sugary and acidic drinks destroy teeth!
c. Try to drink the “evil drinks” through a straw to reduce the contact it has with your teeth
d. Try to drink water straight after drinking “evil drinks” or rinse your mouth out.

In an ideal dentist-created world, there would be no sugar or acid but we’ll admit, even we have something sweet once in a while but the key is moderation!

You can have a treat sometimes (with your meal) rather than snacking between meals. This way your saliva protects your teeth and your teeth have a better chance of recovering from the sugar attack!

Your teeth are precious so try your best to look after them well! 🙂

CALL US or BOOK ONLINE NOW! Click here to go to our contact page to contact us directly.