1.  Whitening your teeth is bad for them.

While whitening your teeth can dehydrate the tooth’s enamel slightly, it will not weaken your teeth or cause cavities or other issues. The most common after effect from tooth whitening is some sensitivity, which disappears gradually in the days that follow. Bleaching your teeth can slightly dehydrate or demineralise the enamel, however sensitive toothpaste and tooth mousse will restore that almost immediately.

2. Brushing is bad for bleeding gums.

This could not be further from the truth! If your gums are bleeding, you need to pay them extra attention. Massage your gum line in soft, small circular motions to help heal the inflammation. If you stop brushing gums that bleed, the problem will only get worse.

3. Medication fixes a toothache.

So you’ve had a toothache but it seems to be better after some nurofen, therefore it doesn’t need treatment, right? Wrong. Pain relievers such as panadol, nurofen or numbing mouthwashes can only mask the symptoms of dental pain. The underlying cause still remains.

4. All wisdom teeth need  extracting.

Some patients have healthy wisdom teeth that can remain in their mouths forever! However, impacted, decayed or painful wisdom teeth may need extraction. It varies from patient to patient.

5. Mouthwash replaces flossing and or brushing.

Many television commercials and mouthwash brands would like you to believe that rinsing with mouthwash is the integral part of your oral hygiene routine. It’s not. While mouthwash can help prolong fresh breath and kill bacteria, it is nowhere near as important as brushing and flossing.

For any further information make an appointment to see one of our dentists today!

Do you struggle to brush your children’s teeth? Watch our short video of Happy Henry and help your kids to look after their teeth. Just simply click on the link below.

How to brush children teeth

If they can be safely extracted, we have a number of aids to make your treatment more comfortable, such as happy gas and the wand – which is a painless anaesthetic injection. Throughout the procedure you may feel some pressure as we try to loosen the wisdom teeth for extraction, but none of this will be painful or scary.

Unsure of whether or not you even have wisdom teeth? Come in and find out! Vivid Dental can help you wise up about wisdom teeth easily and painlessly.

1. Cavities in kids teeth don’t matter because baby teeth fall out anyway.

This is false, but a very common misconception.  Cavities in baby teeth can actually cause permanent damage to your child’s adult teeth – even when they are under the gum. Having active decay in the mouth is never safe, so if you think your child might have decay in their teeth, bring them in.

2. If my kid’s teeth look fine, they are fine.

Wrong. Baby teeth are usually very white and healthy looking, especially the ones visible when your child smiles. However, even if they look perfectly healthy, there may be issues you can’t see – like decay in the back teeth, gum problems or teeth growing in unusual angles.

3. Fillings are just part of life – every child will have fillings.

This is becoming the most common dental myth in Adults and Children. Fillings are by no means a necessity for well-looked after teeth. If your children are in the habit of brushing, flossing and seeing the dentist regularly, there is no reason they will definitely need fillings.

4. Milk is great for kid’s teeth.

While milk contains calcium which helps strengthen bones and teeth, allowing your child to constantly sip bottles of milk or fall asleep with a bottle of milk, can cause decay in their teeth. Milk contains sugar which can cause cavities in baby teeth. When your kids have milk, try to always give them some water afterwards, or brush their teeth.

5. Once my kids have a filling, that tooth can’t decay anymore.

Many parents think filling a baby tooth solves all problems of decay forever. This isn’t the case. Decay can eat away tooth structure underneath fillings, or on other surfaces of the tooth.

It’s important to know the facts about oral health in kids and adults. Stay up to date with information from Vivid Dental.

If you think that having poor oral hygiene only affects your teeth and mouth, think again. Maintaining good oral health is crucial to your overall health for so many reasons. If your gums are puffy and unhealthy, every time you eat, brush or chew, all that bacteria is being absorbed into your bloodstream and travelling around your body. This bacteria has been found in the arterial plaque present in medical patients with heart disease.

You wouldn’t skip washing your hands or having a shower – so why skip brushing and flossing? Your oral hygiene routine will become easier and easier to follow the more often you do it. For those of you who shower before bed or in the morning, try brushing your teeth in the shower. The cold Winter mornings and night times have us all wanting to stay in the shower those extra couple of minutes, so use that time to thoroughly brush your teeth for two minutes. Another great tip to get into the habit of flossing is to floss before you brush, instead of after. Many patients who usually floss their teeth after brushing forget or simply can’t be bothered to floss. However, if you floss first, you will still want to brush your teeth after, that way you’re definitely doing both each time!

Kids toothpaste is made especially for deciduous teeth and for young bodies. While your children are very young, teaching them how to brush can be a little tricky. Many kids struggle to ‘spit’ out all their toothpaste after brushing, as their instinct is to swallow. For this reason, children’s toothpaste is not harmful if swallowed. That’s not to say we encourage children to swallow toothpaste – as they do need to learn to spit out their toothpaste, however if your toddler or child swallows small amounts of their children’s toothpaste occasionally, it won’t harm them. It’s important to choose a children’s toothpaste that still contains fluoride. Usually the amount of fluoride is slightly less than the amount in adult toothpastes. Children’s toothpastes are often a gel formula, as it is less abrasive on the sensitive enamel of baby teeth.

And last but not least, the main difference between adults and kids toothpaste, is the range of flavours! Adult toothpastes are almost all mint flavoured – however children’s toothpaste comes in many flavours, like strawberry, bubble gum, vanilla, banana and tutti fruity. When choosing a toothpaste for your child, always read the directions on the packaging and select the toothpaste which corresponds to your child’s age. If in doubt, give us a call and we will happily answer any questions.

A slightly gritty paste – called prophylaxis paste, is most commonly used to remove light staining from the enamel of the teeth. With a mild minty taste that is comfortable for patients, this powerful paste lifts stains and makes your smile nice and sparkly. If your stains are a little more stubborn, we can use a salt spray – which is an air projected spray of fine salts which exfoliate stains away, causing no damage to the tooth’s enamel but brightening the appearance of your teeth.

Some foods and drinks can contribute to staining of your teeth, so if you feel your teeth are very stained, have a look at your diet – the answer could lie in your eating habits. Drinking lots of coffee, tea, red wine or eating foods like curries, tomato based sauces and coloured drinks or lollies can all stain your teeth. Try to limit your intake of heavily coloured foods and drinks and when you do consume them, try to have a glass of water afterwards to rinse off the staining ingredients.

To have your smile sparkling again in one easy visit, book in for a clean and polish with our hygienist Leanne or one of our dentists.

High level s of sugar and acidity in your child’s mouth can cause their baby teeth to decay. Monitor how much sugar is in your child’s diet, and remember, this isn’t just ‘bad’ sugars like lollies and biscuits, fruit, juice, milk, cordial, even white bread, all also contain high levels of sugar. If your child frequently sips from a bottle or cup, make sure they are only having water. The frequency of sugar in take is more relevant than the quantity of sugar itself – eg to sip on cordial or juice over the entire day is more damaging to the teeth than to eat one high sugar chocolate and then have a glass of water. If you can imagine, the sugar increases the acidity in your child’s saliva – which is then washing over the teeth throughout the day. While a treat is okay now and then, encourage your kids to drink water and avoid giving them juices, cordials, milk to sleep or sugary snacks. Children under the age of 12 who have fillings are three times more likely to need extensive dental treatment in their adulthood, so set your kids up for a lifetime of healthy teeth but brushing, flossing and limiting sugar in take – no matter how young or old.

Did you ever have braces? Many people who had braces also have a fixed retainer on the inside of their teeth. This thin wire retainer keeps your teeth from moving and is very common. However, while having a fixed retainer keeps your teeth straight, it also makes it difficult to floss and clean behind.

If you have a fixed retainer and would prefer to have a removable retainer (a clear, plastic retainer which you can take in and out) we can arrange that for you. This allows for easier cleaning of your teeth, but you also need to then remember to put your retainer in each day or night. Each option suits different people, but if you choose to keep your fixed retainer it’s crucial you have your regular scale and clean visit with the dentist to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Accidents happen especially with young kids. A knock in the playground or a trip on the steps can damage your child’s teeth. While sometimes dental injuries in baby teeth can look complicated, often enough your child will be completely fine and the tooth will settle normally in time. However, occasionally a trauma to a baby tooth can lead to problems with the adult tooth’s development. It’s definitely worth a visit to Vivid to take a quick x-ray and put your mind at ease. If your child has a chipped or slightly grey or dark tooth, this can also be signs of trauma – even if they don’t remember when or how they did it. Give us a call to book an appointment and make sure your child’s adult teeth are still on track to growing healthily.