Posts Categorized: Mouth Problems

Managing Gum Disease

The general rule is: bleeding gums are unhealthy gums. If you notice bleeding gums when you brush or floss your teeth, this is an indication that your gums are inflamed or infected.

Plaque forms in your mouth over a 24 hour period – from everything you eat and drink and from all the sugars and acids in your saliva. This plaque sits on your teeth at the gum-line and between the teeth. The bacteria from the plaque begins to irritate your gums, causing them to become red, slightly puffy and inflamed or even infected. read more

Why Do I Get Bad Breath?

“Why do I get bad breath?” is one of the most commonly asked dental questions. There are a range of causes for bad breath, but some are more serious than others. Bad breath can be caused by:

Strong, aromatic foods like garlic, curries, onion, fish or coffee
Smoking or alcohol consumption
Poor dental hygiene
Dry mouth or a condition called halitosis

If you often get bad breath, try to increase the frequency of your flossing and brushing, as often plaque can cause bad breath.Some people find using a minty mouth wash can also help.

However if your mouth is dry, has a metallic or bad taste and you often have bad breath despite having good oral hygiene, come in and see us at Vivid Dental, as there may be an underlying cause like infection, decay or food trapping. read more

How to Stop Thumb-Sucking

5 Tips to Help Your Child Stop Thumb Sucking

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 nappies, 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 time and bedtime. Have them hold the book you are reading or hug a stuffed animal with each arm. read more

X-Rays for Children’s Teeth

Many parents are reluctant to have X-Rays taken of their children’s teeth due to concerns about the safety or necessity of the procedure. Dental X-Rays are completely safe and expose your child to the most minimal degree of radiation that is not harmful at all. Today’s advanced technology means that a tunnel-beam X-Ray is used, meaning only one specific area is exposed to the very minimal radiation. This makes it even more safe and harmless. The ability to generate X-Rays instantly thanks to technological improvements reduces the time that radiation is existent. read more

Baby Bottle Decay in Children’s Teeth

Does your child fall asleep with a bottle of milk? While very common, this isn’t ideal for your children’s teeth. Milk is a great source of calcium and calcium is good for building strong bones and teeth. However the lactose in milk is a naturally occurring sugar. This sugar, despite being natural, can decay your children’s teeth.

The constant washing over your children’s teeth caused by sleeping with a bottle, means that your children’s teeth are basically soaking in these sugars overnight. Baby teeth have much softer enamel than adult teeth and are therefore much more prone to decay. read more

Caring for Teeth at Easter

Easter is a wonderful time of year. School holidays roll around, we have a long weekend, often family functions occur and lots of delicious food is consumed. This holiday season can be tough on your teeth.

For those who are Christian, Easter has a wonderful meaning of new life and hope. For those who don’t celebrate the religious meaning of Easter, it’s a great time to rest and relax with friends and family.

One thing is for sure across all faiths and backgrounds – and that’s sweet treats at Easter time. Easter eggs, hot cross buns, lollies, big meals, the list goes on. read more

How to Prevent Tooth Decay

You may have seen the many advertisements for Colgate’s new toothpaste – containing a ‘sugar acid neutraliser’. Colgate claims that after eight years of research, they have finally developed an ingredient that neutralises the acidic effect of sugar on teeth.

While there may have been advances in chemical technology that aid in the prevention of tooth decay, we believe that no matter what fluoride toothpaste you are using, proper brushing and flossing is the only way to prevent tooth decay. read more

Grinding Your Teeth?

Many people are subconsciously grinding teeth throughout the day – at work due to stress, perhaps when they’re nervous due to public speaking, or while concentrating. Others maybe be grinding teeth during the night, without even knowing.

Signs that you may be grinding teeth include a sore, tender jaw especially in the morning, or worn down and chipped edges on some of your teeth. Your partner may notice the sound of you grinding teeth during your sleep and often patients don’t realise they grind but their partner insists they do. read more

Dental Appointments

We all lead such busy lives – juggling work, kids, family, health, leisure, relaxation, finances, the car, the house, the list goes on! At Vivid Dental, we make your life that little bit easier – by organising your dental appointments and reminding you in the way that suits you best.

We are proud to have Five Dock’s only dental hygienist, Leanne Smith, who takes care of all our six monthly check-up and clean dental appointments. She is so experienced and diligent with thorough cleaning of teeth, and monitoring the health of your smile. Working Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, she has even more dental appointments available to you. read more

Do I need Dental Fillings?

Are you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after the holiday break? Well the chances are, your teeth are feeling quite the opposite!

Amalgam Dental Fillings replaced with Composite Dental Fillings

Fillings are one of the most common dental treatments to exist. Dental fillings can be amalgam (silver) or composite (tooth coloured). Either type of dental filling can chip or crack over time.

A fantastic way to kick-start your new year and better your health, is to book in an appointment for a check-up and clean with the dental hygienist. Our lovely Leanne specialises in thoroughly cleaning between your teeth in all those nooks your toothbrush can’t reach. read more

Healthy Living for 2014

Many of us start the New Year with many resolutions we want to achieve. One of the most common resolutions, is aiming to implement healthy living and stay well. Whether this means losing weight, quitting smoking, eating more vegetables or going for a jog every day, we can help.

Healthy living doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference to your health.

Vivid Dental discusses healthy living and how oral health can affect the rest of your body.

How can a dental practice help me achieve healthy living, you ask? There have been many studies conducted to identify the link between oral health and healthy living. Everybody’s mouth is teeming with bacteria. read more

Dentures and Dental Care with Ageing

As we age, our body’s change in several ways. Your dental health will also change as you grow older, and it becomes even more crucial to take great care of your teeth. Dentures, implants and restorative dental work can all be used to improve your dental health throughout the ageing process. Implants provide the most natural replacement of a tooth – as they are physically attached to your jaw, making them sturdy and durable. Dentures are removable and less like your own teeth, however are more affordable. read more

Flossing for Kids

Flossing for kids may seem unnecessary, however it is a great way to start kids off with good dental habits from an early age. If flossing becomes second nature to them as children, they will carry the habit throughout their adult lives too. Flossing cleans the surfaces between the teeth, where a toothbrush simply cannot get to.

There are alternatives to flossing that can be good for kids as they are a little less dextrose than adults. These are things like picksters, flossers and floss threaders. These are all tools which clean the space between the teeth and gums, but are a little easier for small hands to use. You can purchase these items from most chemists and some supermarkets, or at Vivid Dental. If your child has braces or orthodontic appliances, flossing can be tricky – but it’s even more important. Braces and appliances can also build up plaque and bacteria if not cleaned properly. This can lead to gum disease and tooth decay. It’s crucial to use floss threaders or ‘superfloss’ to ensure your child is flossing between braces or appliances. read more

Stages of Gum Disease

We’ve all heard of gum disease and gingivitis, but what is periodontitis? Periodontitis is the term used to describe severe gum disease which has progressed through the early stages of gingivitis and is now more serious.

If you imagine your gums hug your teeth, like a tight shirt collar, this is the action of healthy gums. Gums exist to hug your tooth and protect the root of the tooth from bacteria, plaque, decay and exposure. Healthy gums are tight and snug against the tooth, so no germs can penetrate below. However, gum disease like gingivitis or periodontitis causes the gum to become puffy, soft and inflamed. Once the gum is unhealthy and infected with gum disease it become looser and does not hug tightly around the tooth. The unhealthy gum relaxes, and is soft and spongey – allowing bacteria, plaque and tartar to penetrate the root of the tooth. As this inflammation worsens, the gum becomes looser and looser, exposing more of the tooth’s root and trapping in more bacteria and tartar. The process of the gum loosening and affecting the tooth’s root, is called Periodontitis. As with most conditions, there are degrees of periodontitis. Mild forms are treatable but severe periodontitis can lead to loosing teeth. The first signs are bleeding, redness and puffiness of the gums. Many patients see bleeding gums and think they should stop brushing or flossing the area to let it heal, however this is the exact opposite of what you should do. Pay more attention to any areas that are puffy, red or bleeding when brushing and flossing. Our dental hygienist and dentists are very experienced with managing gum disease and can help you get your gums under control. read more

Posts Categorized: Mouth Problems

Managing Gum Disease

Why Do I Get Bad Breath?

How to Stop Thumb-Sucking

X-Rays for Children’s Teeth

Baby Bottle Decay in Children’s Teeth

Caring for Teeth at Easter

How to Prevent Tooth Decay

Grinding Your Teeth?

Dental Appointments

Do I need Dental Fillings?

Healthy Living for 2014

Dentures and Dental Care with Ageing

Flossing for Kids

Stages of Gum Disease

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Posts Categorized: Mouth Problems

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