How often should I go to the Dentist?

How often should I go to the Dentist?

Recent studies and surveys shows that, in Australia, a large percentage of Australians do not regularly attend the dentist. The reasons for this will be vast and varied but will usually stem down to cost, fear or not seeing the importance of it. The next statistic that is alarming is that a great number of people who attend the dentist usually only do because they are in pain or have a problem.

The importance of attending your dentist on a regular basis is huge. Regular check ups and cleans will help to pick up on dental and mouth problems before they escalate into something major. Further tests, such as x-rays, can also highlight problems you may not have been aware of. Just because you don’t feel you have any problems doesn’t mean you don’t have any!

A dental examination will screen not for only dental decay but also for possible periodontal (gum) disease, oral cancers, possible damaging habits such as tooth grinding and many other factors. These issues can go undetected for a long period of time before symptoms arise, at which point they may be far harder to treat and lead to far more treatment and cost involved.

As a rule of thumb you should visit your dentist every 6 months for an examination. Your dentist will then assess your case and decide whether or not you need to be routinely seen more or less often then 6 months. They will also decide the frequency with which dental x-rays should be taken; the norm for this is every 2 years.

Don’t leave it too long before you have your next dental examination. If you’re already overdue book today!

My tooth has been knocked out – HELP!

My tooth has been knocked out – HELP!

If you have a tooth knocked out in an accident, root and all, then it is very important to get to a dentist ASAP. It is vital that you handle the tooth properly. There are several points to take into account:

If the tooth or root has any debris on it, very gently brush this off with a clean tissue. Do not scrub it clean!

Keep the tooth in a moist environment by either keeping it in your mouth or in some water.

The quicker you see a dentist to have the tooth reinserted the better. The longer you leave it the less likely the tooth can be reinserted.

Once you have visited your dentist and the tooth has hopefully been placed back in its socket you must be very careful with area. Stick to a soft diet, do not bite on the tooth and take painkillers and any prescribed medication to aid healing and overcome any pain associated with the incident.

Your dentist will want to review you and the tooth regularly to see how it is adapting following the trauma. It is highly likely that the tooth will need root canal therapy following such an incident but this will be fully explained to you by your dentist.

David Hurst BDS (Lon)

Dentists and specialists

Dentists and specialists

Often there are treatments required that are beyond the skills of a general dentist. They will then recommend that they refer the patient to a specialist for more complex treatment. There are several different types of specialists and they include:

Periodontists – specialist in the treatment of advanced gum disease (periodontal disease). They are also specialists in soft tissue management in the mouth and in the placement of implants.

Orthodontists – specialist treatment in the movement of teeth with braces to give you perfect straight smile and balanaced/comfortable bite.

Endodontists – Specialists in root canal treatment.

Prosthodontists – specialists in the restoration and replacement of missing teeth. This will include crown, bridge, denture and implant work.

Paedodontists – specialist in the treatment of young children for their dental needs.

Oral maxilliofacial surgeon – specialists in the surgical field of dentistry. This will include removal of teeth, implants and general advanced oral surgery.

Oral medicine specialist – specialist in the field of oral medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of diseases that manifest in the mouth.

David Hurst BDS (Lon)

Painful New Dentures

Painful New Dentures

If you have new dentures, either for the first time or the tenth time, more often than not they are uncomfortable. Any new denture will feel alien, bulky and uncomfortable. They may rub against other teeth and gums and leave then raw and sore. Sometimes may cause an ulcer.

About a week after having your dentures fitted you should return to your dentist for a review. At this appointment any adjustments needed should be made so that these sore spots are eased. Remember it will take a few days for these areas to heal and hopefully once healed things should improve.

Dentures are all about patience and perseverance. You should be aware of this before starting any process of making a denture. It can take several review/adjustment visits after the final fitting until they feel 100% comfortable and even then they may still feel alien.

It takes time, sometimes months. Your speech may change and you may develop a lisp. This will require practice before your lips, cheeks and tongue get used to your dentures. Practice saying the days of the week. This will cover all the phonetic sounds used in everyday speech and when you perfect this then your lisp should improve.

Eating will also be an initial struggle so be aware of this and just keep trying. Soon enough they will feel part of your mouth and you wouldn’t be without them. It wont be a walk in the park but it will be worth it. Remember that if you truly feel your dentures are ill fitting don’t be shy, go back to your dentist and say. They have a duty to get them right for you.

David Hurst BDS (Lon)

What foods and drinks will stain your teeth?

What foods and drinks will stain your teeth?

The one thing nobody wants are discolored and off white teeth. There are several foods and drinks that will cause this. Below are a list of teeth that are very likely to cause this:

Red wine

Coffee

Tea

Betel nut –natural tobacco based nut that is found in parts of Asia.

Cola

Spices such as turmeric, saffron and paprika

Smoking!

Chewing tobacco

Certain mouthwashes – eg Savacol (chlorhexidine)

This list is not exhaustive but these foods, drinks, herbs and spices are the most likely things to stain your teeth. You obviously have to expose your teeth to these substances on a regular basis before the staining will occur. These stains can be easily removed through a scale and polish with your dentist but at least if you reduce the intake of the above items you can reduce the staining on your teeth.

David Hurst BDS (Lon)

Smoking and Teeth

Smoking and Teeth

We are all aware of the horrors of smoking and what it does to our health, mainly our lungs and heart. What exactly does it do to our mouths? The main threat is one of oral cancer. This is life threatening and should always be our first cause to quit smoking.

Regarding your teeth, smoking will initially cause bad breath and stained and discoloured teeth. This is unsightly and unattractive to everyone. It will also discolour your tongue. What smoking also does is cause the blood vessels in your gums to close up slightly making them less likely to bleed. So if you smoke, you may notice that your gums may bleed less. This sounds like a bonus doesn’t it? I am afraid not.

If blood is not circulating well through your gums then they are not healthy. The valuable nutrients and healing properties carried your bloodstream will not be feeding your gums and so if they have a problem, such as gum disease, you will not be aware of it and it will not be healing.

This will cause gum disease to progress, allow the harmful bacteria involved in gum disease to fight on, cause them to erode the bone away from around the teeth and eventually lead to painful abscesses and loss of teeth. This will of course take a long time before you start losing teeth but the more you smoke, the damage you will cause.

Smoking has no benefits. Its expensive, it stinks, it makes everything else stink, causes cancer, can alienate people around you, is harmful to those around you, causes breathing difficulties and ruins your teeth. Stop smoking today! Make use of hypnosis, nicotine replacement gums and patches, seek help from your doctor. There are no excuses anymore!

Dr David Hurst BDS (Lon)