It’s 3pm. Traffic thickens, you’re waiting in your car with your eyes carefully scanning to find your kids amongst the sea of school uniforms. Finally you spot your little angels with their large backpacks and big smiles. They jump in the car and you notice something different, “what happened to your tooth?!” you ask.

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. read more

An elderly patient comes to see us, and has all of his own teeth. Amazed? Not only does he have all his teeth, but he also has no fillings. When asked how he had achieved this, he said he simply brushed morning and night and flossed fairly frequently. No radical calcium supplements, no sugar-less diets, no brushing 6 times a day… just simple oral hygiene and a healthy diet of moderation. read more

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!

Forming life-long good oral hygiene habits are important to keep your child’s teeth healthy for life.

Whether your child has just gotten their first tooth or if they are approaching adulthood, we have some handy hints to make cleaning teeth easier, effective and fun.

The First Tooth:

It is important to start cleaning your children’s teeth as soon as they erupt (about 6-9 months old). This can be done without toothpaste with a clean soft cloth, small soft children’s toothbrush or a finger brush. read more

Thorough brushing and flossing will keep your gums healthy. That paired with a healthy diet (including calcium rich food like milk, cheese, yoghurt and green vegetables) will help to maintain optimal oral health throughout your pregnancy.

Occasional sugary treats should be limited to a sweet treat after meals rather than a snack during the day. This will reduce the frequency of acid build up in the mouth.

If you are suffering the effects of morning sickness, rinsing your mouth out with water will help neutralise the acids that weaken the enamel surfaces of the teeth after each episode of sickness.  Using a product to restrengthen the enamel such as tooth mousse can also help.

Regular dental check ups are essential during pregnancy to maintain your oral and dental health.

Any decayed teeth must be treated to prevent the condition becoming worse. A thorough professional cleaning will reduce the inflammation in your gums, whilst elective dental procedures should be left until after the baby is born.

If you are currently trying to have a baby, it’s important to have a dental health check and clean before you become pregnant so any issues can be fixed beforehand. If you don’t, these problems can progress very quickly.

Before you try for a baby and during the second trimester are the perfect times to see your dentist for a thorough clean. Book in with us today for peace of mind and great oral health.

Make them think it’s their idea

Nagging your child doesn’t always work. Instead, encourage them to realize how much they have grown and changed. Show them what they have left behind, point out that they no longer use diapers, bottles, or high chairs. Praise them and ask them what else they think they should give up. If they don’t say thumb sucking, then you should suggest it.

Weaken the Habit

When you notice your child’s thumb in their mouth, try to distract them give them activities that will use both hands. This is particularly important before nap and bedtime. Have them hold the book you are reading or hug a stuffed animal with each arm.

Help Them Notice

When your child wants to give up thumb sucking, tell them about a habit you gave up and how hard it was. Then decide on a secret signal between the two of you. When they unconsciously slip their thumb in their mouth—and they will—you can use the secret signal to help them notice. By using a secret signal, you replace what could be a shameful situation with fun.

Use Authority

Comments from your child’s paediatrician and dentist can help. We can help reinforce the message that they want to stop thumb sucking because they are growing up.

Consider Peer Pressure

Friends are very important to this age group. Having a sleepover with friends who do not suck their thumbs can be very helpful. If your child sucks their thumb and their friends mention it, this might be the motivation they need to stop.

Did you know this can affect the development and position of their teeth and jaws?

Most babies will suck their thumb or fingers when they are very young. For different reasons parents will sometimes need to use a dummy to soothe their babies. While this is often necessary, the longer your child continues these habits the more detrimental an affect it can have to the jaw development as well as teeth positioning.

Traditionally parents were told that as long as their children stopped the habit before the adult teeth came through then everything would be fine. In reality, by the time the adult teeth begin coming in a lot of changes to the jaw and facial structure have already occurred.

Recently we have a family come in whose 4 year old girl who continues to suck her thumb. It was immediately noticed that her top jaw was narrowed and that her top front teeth stuck out more that her other teeth. We worked with the parents to develop a plan to wean the girl away from sucking her thumb to prevent further issues from developing.

At Vivid Dental, we can help you with strategies and positive reinforcement techniques to help your child to gradually give up these habits. If teeth have become crowded or the jaws are narrow or out of position, speak to us about how we can help to your child to smile and function more confidently.

The addition of the Airflow system means that you can now experience stain-free, clean teeth without the pain! No more mess, to more cold water, and no more scraping. It’s time to give your teeth the best clean they’ve ever had.

What is EMS AIRFLOW®?

AIRFLOW® is a revolutionary, non-contact form of dental maintenance and prevention. It projects a controlled stream of air, warm water and very fine sweet powder onto the tooth and in hard-to-reach areas to dislodge and remove food particles, plaque, discolouration and stains.

The high pressure water/air stream cleans your teeth much faster, efficiently and comfortably than the use of traditional pastes. Traditional methods are often messy, time consuming and can leave you with a not so clean taste in your mouth.

AIRFLOW® is akin to being at a day spa but instead of beauticians working on your face, your dentist is gently exfoliating your teeth. Since the water in the AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master heats to 40 degrees, it’s a positively warm experience!

How does EMS AIRFLOW® treatment work?

It is estimated that 1mm of dental plaque contains more than 200 million bacteria. If left untreated, the bacteria can spread and develop biofilm. Biofilm is a colony of bacteria that can cause gum disease and compromise your body’s immune defences.

When using the AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master device, firstly we will place a coloured dye onto your teeth to reveal any plaque and biofilm present in your mouth. This can also help show you the areas in your mouth that you need to spend a little more time cleaning at home.

We will then efficiently remove the plaque build-up with AIRFLOW®. This is a big step in preventing and treating gingivitis and periodontitis.

As well as removing stains, AIRFLOW® can be used for many different treatment types including: cleaning orthodontic brackets, dentures and implants to reduce the loss of implants.

Contact us today to book your next appointment and be one of the first people to benefit from this new, state-of-the-art dental cleaning.