Our Hygienists are specially trained health professionals who work together with our Dentists to detect, treat and prevent gum disease. Patient education is an important part of this.
Very few people are able to practice perfect plaque control at home. This means that even after good home care, bacterial plaque will remain somewhere around the teeth and gums. Having all these deposits removed thoroughly on a regular basis is a great way to prevent both tooth decay and periodontal disease. Our Hygienists provide care for you by:
- Assessment of periodontal “gum” history
- Assessment of current periodontal structures, gums and dental tissues
- Observing and recording changes in dental status
- Removal of plaque and calculus (tartar)
- Removal of staining
- Assessing and developing a homecare plan for you, tailoring this to your specific needs, suggesting ways to improve and maintain oral health. Educating patients on the latest equipment and methods for oral hygiene homecare.
- Preventative treatment that may include polishing existing fillings, smoothing rough edges that trap plaque
- Oral health education, assisting you with the care of your child’s teeth or advice during pregnancy
- Tooth whitening to lighten your smile
We recommend that any effective oral care routine should include brushing twice daily, flossing daily and a system of regular 6 monthly check-ups to ensure that you detect and treat any potential issues before they becomes problems.
If it’s been a while since you checked in, contact our friendly team to arrange a consultation.
Wisdom Tooth Removal
Wisdom teeth usually erupt during your late teens or early twenties and due to their late eruption they can fail to erupt completely, be partially emerged or remain under the gum (impacted wisdom tooth).
Your wisdom tooth/teeth may need to be removed for the following reasons:
- Wisdom teeth can be very difficult to clean, and are prone to tooth decay, gum disease and recurring infections.
- They can cause disruption to other teeth and even decay to adjacent teeth.
- Cysts and tumours can develop in tissues around the impacted wisdom teeth.
Straightforward removal of wisdom teeth may be done in our surgery.
However, if your case is much more complex, your Dentist may refer you to an Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon.
Mouthguards
Sports and the pursuit of an active life style is an essential part of many of our and our family’s lives, however sports and recreational activities are also the major cause dental injuries. These can often be painful and require extensive treatment later in life. Store bought or ‘boil and bite’ mouthguards are often bulky, poorly fitted and only protect the front teeth offering limited protection. A custom fitted mouthguard offers a high level of protection to the entire mouth and is tailored to suit your mouth. This ensures a snug fit allowing you to breathe and communicate effectively.
Contact our friendly team today to arrange a fitting and safeguard your smile.
Cracked Tooth Syndrome
Teeth with large fillings (and/or root fillings) are weak, and can break when you bite. They sometimes can have hidden cracks which make them tender to bite on or sensitive to hot or cold. The molar and premolar teeth are most commonly the teeth affected.
The reason it hurts to bite when you have a cracked tooth is that your tooth is flexing which stimulates the nerve in the tooth. Bacteria and toxins can enter the pulp (nerve) through the crack. This causes the pulp to become inflamed and sensitive.
Early detection and treatment is important as developing cracks can be slowed down or stopped, increasing the chances that the tooth can be saved. The treatment required depends on the extent and position of the crack.
Abscesses, Apicectomies and Cysts
After root canal treatment on a tooth, residual debris and necrotic material left in the canal after treatment can cause the body to react against this. This results in the formation of an abscess at the apex of the tooth. The resulting gas formation causes extreme pain in the bone represents a throbbing pain. If this abscess persists, the tooth will become pressure sensitive and mobile. A fistula forms in the direction of least resistance, presenting as a lump in the mouth with puss draining from this lump. Facial swelling occurs, and in some cases, can spread into the facial spaces, resulting in the so called Ludwig's Angina which can either spread to the thorax, or the brain, resulting in death.
An apicectomy is the procedure where the apex of the abscessed tooth is removed, the abscess removed out of the jaw bone, and the apex sealed with a filling. This procedure is an attempt to seal the apex of the tooth, and prevent the body to get in contact with the dirt in the root canal. The prognosis of an apicectomy therefore depends on the quality of the root canal performed, and the difficulty of the sealing of the apex of the tooth. This means that a tooth with a bad root canal treatment, in the back of the mouth in a difficult reachable position for a retrograde filling, will have the worst prognosis.
It is recognized currently, that only teeth with easy accessibility with well performed root canal treatments, and with proper tooth crown structure left, will qualify for an apicectomy procedure. The rest are recommended for removal of the tooth, and implant placement afterwards.
Most apicectomy procedures, easily accessible, can be performed under local anesthetic. Posterior multi rooted teeth closely related to the maxillary sinus, and the inferior dental nerve, are indicated for removal rather than destroying valuable bone, or injury to the nerve and sinus. Implant placement will be considered afterwards.