Changes to Oral Health During Pregnancy

Pregnant woman at dentist before treatment

If you are pregnant and find that your gums are starting to bleed, don’t be alarmed. Pregnant women are more prone to gingivitis because of the hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy. That is why it is so important to keep on top of your oral hygiene.

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. read more

Do you wish you could change the alignment, straightness or angle of one or some of your teeth?

If so, you are not alone. If you have a crooked tooth you would like to be straightened, or a gap you would like to close, consider orthodontics.

We can help you achieve a straight, healthy smile with our range of orthodontic treatments.

From expanders, to retainers, braces and even invisalign, we can help you straighten out any problems that are making you hide your smile.

Parents, if you are noticing your children’s adult teeth seem crowded or crooked, it’s better to discuss orthodontic options sooner rather than later. Orthodontic treatment works best when the mouth is still growing – so children and teenagers can extremely successful treatments early on. read more

Most people know that dentists generally recommend patients have a regular check up and clean every six months. But why is this the case?

The biggest reason for regular check ups is so that any dental issues can be detected before they become a major problem.

One of the most common reasons patients tell me that they have not been to the dentist for a long time is that their teeth were not hurting.

A patient I saw recently had not been to the dentist for about 4 years. The main reason they came to see me was that they had started to get some bleeding of their gums when brushing their teeth. This is a common problem that occurs because of calculus that forms on the teeth over time. read more

Are You Missing A Tooth?

If you’ve never heard of dental implants or have been told in the past that you simply don’t have enough bone, the exciting news is that technology in dental implants has improved by leaps and bounds! It is now more predictable and can be performed in many more sites due to improvements in bone grafting materials and the advancement of dental techniques.

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is the most biological way to replace a missing tooth. It looks and feels as close to a real tooth as you can get! The main components are a titanium post, which is placed into the bone, and a crown placed over the top. read more

Are you concerned that whitening your teeth will cause damage or make them more sensitive?

While there are many ways to have a brighter more dazzling smile the safest and most commonly used technique is professional teeth whitening.

Those actors you have seen with the classic ‘Hollywood smile’, whose teeth look almost as white as a sheet of paper? That result is usually achieved with porcelain veneers, not teeth whitening.

We find most people do not necessarily want a Hollywood smile, they want teeth that look naturally white and bright.

If you are one of these people, teeth whitening is definitely the best option for you.

Whether you want a brighter, whiter smile for an event, such as an important birthday party or a wedding, or you just want more smile confidence, teeth whitening is a safe easy option. And for most people can be done painlessly (very few people experience discomfort or sensitivity through the process). read more

Thumb Sucking can restrict the growth of the jaws causing crowding of the teeth, incorrect position of the jaws and even problems with airway and breathing. Here are some tips to help your child kick the habit.

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. read more

Fissure Sealants: Seal Out Decay!

Once your child’s adult molars erupt, it’s crucial that they remain healthy and free of decay (i.e. cavities). Children can be more prone to tooth decay because they typically eat more sugar than the average adult. Most children’s parties, celebrations, and reward systems have some form of sugary treat involved.

Molars in particular are prone to attracting decay because they have deep grooves along the top surface of the tooth. These grooves, while they look like cracks, are completely normal and called ‘fissures’. read more

At Vivid Dental, our Dentists work together with our Oral Health Therapists to provide you with the utmost in total dental care to provide you with optimal dental health.

Dentists and Oral Health Therapists are specially trained to prevent dental disease and focus on oral health by providing personalised oral hygiene care for each patient. Oral Health Therapists clean and polish your teeth to remove calculus and stains, which helps to prevent or stabilise periodontal disease (gum disease). They also work with you to develop and help you implement strategies to reduce your risk of dental decay (through a customised preventive programme, fluoride therapy and fissure sealants).

We understand that it is convenient to have a check up and clean at the same visit. During your hygiene appointment, Dr Caroline Nguyen will complete a full thorough check up of all of your teeth.

By following your personalised preventive program, and by regularly visiting us at Vivid Dental, we can assist you to maintain your smile for life.

Top 5 Dental Myths Busted!

In this blog we will overturn the most common dental myths and reveal the facts about dental care. Don’t believe all you hear or read – many patients have misconceptions about dental care, or are even given wrong advice from their GP!

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!

Here at Vivid Dental, we focus on promoting excellent oral hygiene habits in children so that they practice preventative measures throughout their lives.

The earlier you bring your child in for their first visit, the better.

We recommend that children from 3 years old and onwards begin to regularly visit the dentist. They gain the most benefit from coming in and are old enough to cope with unfamiliar surroundings. We do see younger kids, but usually only if there is something in particular you are concerned about or if they have had an accident. read more

Recently, our team came across a real life example of how much your life can be impacted by your smile.

A patient came to Vivid Dental with concerns about a dark, discoloured front tooth. She was a nineteen year old young lady who presented herself beautifully, however her discoloured tooth meant she was too self conscious to smile showing teeth.

She dreaded photos and job interviews, she was too shy for first dates, and she tried to cover her mouth as much as possible. Many dentists had suggested complicated, invasive, costly procedures – which had simply confused both her, and her mother. Often, there can be a simpler solution to improve your smile.

Causes of discolouration and darkness in teeth can often be attributed to:

Calculus and Tartar

This is the most common reason for teeth to be discoloured or black. Tartar is a build up of bacteria and plaque which hardens and can form small dark specks on the teeth’s surface. A thorough scale and clean can remove tartar and plaque, and a prophylaxis polish can bright your smile, removing surface stains.

Dental Decay

If you notice a dark spot on your teeth or between your teeth, it could be a cavity. If you notice a shadowy, grey or black spot on a tooth or between two teeth, book in to see us as soon as possible. When flossing, pay particular attention: does the floss snag or catch on specific teeth? This could be signs of a cavity as well.

Previous Trauma

If you’ve had a knock to your teeth or jaw, this can cause nerve damage. When the nerve inside a tooth is damaged or dies, this stops blood flow to the tooth and can cause discolouration. It’s crucial to have this seen to, as ignoring the issue can result in severe complications such as abscesses.

In the case of our beautiful nineteen year old patient, her discolouration was caused by deep staining. We were able to remove a very minor amount of the stained surface enamel, and place a composite veneer over the tooth – resulting in a whiter, tooth coloured, natural looking finish, whilst avoiding costly, invasive treatments.

The difference in this young woman’s confidence was massive – she was smiling proudly, from ear to ear. She visited us to let us know how happy she was and how she had landed not only a first date, but a second and third! She now enjoyed taking pictures with friends and smiling all the time. Think of how much your life could change, simply by improving your smile.

Call us now and let us help you.

Click on our Smile Gallery to look at some pictures

Have You Seen Someone Hit In The Face While Playing Sport? Do You Know What To Do If A Tooth Is Knocked Out?

Every year accidents happen especially while playing sport. In many of these situations, teeth can be traumatized or get knocked out.

While a dentist should evaluate any trauma to the mouth and teeth as soon as possible the most time critical injury is when a tooth is completely knocked out.

If the tooth that has been knocked out is a baby tooth, it should not be reimplanted. You should try to find the tooth if possible and take the child and the tooth to see the dentist as soon as practical.

If an adult (permanent) tooth is knocked out, you need to follow a few simple steps to improve the chance the dentist can save the tooth. read more

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.

Mouthguards to Prevent Dental Injuries

Your children are all signed up for the seasons. You’ve gotten the uniform, shoes, wraps, and practice equipment. What you didn’t sign up for was an injury.

Did you know that up to 40% of dental injuries occur while playing sports?

Sports Injury - Cracked Tooth

And a majority of those injuries could have been prevented through the use of a properly fit mouthguard. And this isn’t just for the main sports you might think (footie or rugby). While a majority of dental injuries occur in popular sports (baseball, basketball, hockey, etc.), they aren’t the only place they occur.

According to a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry, approximately three times as many dental injuries occur on the basketball court than those on the football field.

In addition, dental and facial injuries are more common for female athletes. This could be because many sports, such as gymnastics, aren’t often thought of as necessary to wear a mouthguard.

However, any contact with your child’s face to a hard surface (ball, mat, floor, other child’s head) can cause an injury.

Your custom fit mouthguard helps to prevent dental injuries by forming a protective layer between your teeth and any point of impact around the mouth. The dental mouthguard is worn over the upper teeth, and so a custom fit mouthguard will provide better protection than a generic store-bought variety. This is because the mouthguard is molded to your child’s teeth and won’t wiggle around or be too tight, as can happen with a ‘one-size fits all’ style.

Any athlete who plays a contact sport needs to be wearing a properly fit dental mouthguard. This will help to prevent knocked-out or broken teeth, lip and gum injuries, and other dental injuries.

Come talk to us about a custom fit dental mouthguard to help protect your child’s teeth.

Should My Child Wiggle Loose Teeth?

If your child has loose baby teeth, it’s okay for them to wiggle them. Many parents are concerned about children wobbling their loose teeth, as they fear it may be harmful to the tooth or gum. There are a few factors that you should always consider first.

– Why is the tooth loose? If the tooth is loose because of a knock, a fall or a trauma to the tooth, it’s crucial to come in and see a dentist before your child loosens the tooth even more. If the tooth is loose simply because of natural growth and development and adult teeth coming through, it is good for children to gently wiggle the tooth.

– Is the tooth sore, discoloured or bleeding? If there are painful symptoms associated with the loose tooth, or you notice the tooth is grey or brown in appearance, it’s best to have it assessed by a dentist before encouraging your child wiggling the tooth.

Losing teeth is part of growing up – so if your child hasn’t had any trauma to the mouth and they find their teeth are naturally loosening, encouraging gentle wobbling of the tooth is a great way to ensure the teeth fall out when they are supposed to.

Tooth enamel is something you know you need to take care of… but you might not be sure exactly how to go about doing so.

Tooth enamel is the hard, outer surface layer of our teeth. It protects against tooth decay and is the strongest, hardest part of your body – stronger than your bones!

Knowing that, why wouldn’t you want to take great care of your tooth enamel?

There are a few ways you can get started this year to help keep your tooth enamel strong:

Eat Calcium Rich Foods

Calcium is considered a super mineral for your teeth because it helps to neutralise acids, which can damage your teeth. It also supports strong bone and dental growth in children, so adding in at least one calcium rich food to your daily diet can positively impact your tooth enamel’s strength.

Limit or Avoid Sugary Food & Drink

We have all heard to avoid sugar for your dental health, but do you know why? It’s because sugar feeds on the bacteria in your mouth, on your teeth, and causes plaque. Plaque is what ultimately causes cavities. So, look at the packaging on your food and drink and try to avoid juices and sodas, which are high in sugar.

Limit Your Citrus Intake

Oranges, grapefruit, and pineapple may be tasty and wonderful juices, but the citric acid in these foods can break down your enamel quickly. Similar to how sugar feeds on the bacteria in your mouth, citric acid breaks down the enamel on your teeth (called demineralisation). This can lead to tooth sensitivity and pain – and breaks down your tooth enamel.

Brush Regularly

Brushing regularly ensures that you are removing the bacteria growth that eats away at your tooth enamel. The addition of flossing means you can also reach places that your toothbrush can’t, removing old food and debris that will breakdown and cause bacterial growth. If you are having a tough time feeling clean after a brushing, have a read about our proper toothbrush size here.

Use Fluoridated Toothpaste

Toothpaste containing fluoride helps to strengthen your enamel by doing the opposite of citric acid – it builds up your tooth enamel through remineralisation. You can read more about fluoride in our blog here.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

By visiting us regularly, you will get a deeper cleaning than brushing alone. In addition, we can keep on top of any tooth enamel issues before they become major health concerns.

If you haven’t scheduled in your cleaning appointments yet this year, give us a ring and we’ll be happy to schedule out your appointments for this year!

The holidays are a stressful time for many people. So much to plan, gifts to purchase, people to see… it can all be a bit overwhelming.

One thing that tends to get forgotten around this time is our health.

We eat sweets, are constantly bombarded by a variety of foods and drink we normally don’t indulge in.

And all this takes a toll on our teeth. It’s likely you forget to drink enough water during this time (even with the heat!) and the excess of sugars in our diet can begin to wear at your tooth enamel.

So, it’s important that once this season has begun winding down you take a look at your family’s oral health. When was the last time you visited the dentist? Do you need a checkup? A cleaning?

Setting yourself up for successfully taking care of your oral health throughout the year means planning ahead. And why not start out right at the beginning of the year – get your teeth cleaning in the books, then get your 6 month check up scheduled, and keep the plan going for the next year.

Give us a call or contact us online to book an appointment and start off 2019 with a clean, healthy smile!

Sleep apnea is a common problem in many households. And while snoring may seem like just an annoyance you have to put up with, it doesn’t have to be.

Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop breathing intermittently while asleep. Though those affected by snoring won’t necessarily develop a sleep apnea problem, it is estimated that 1 in 4 Australians area at risk for developing sleep apnea.

If you suspect sleep apnea, one of the first treatment options may be a mouth pieces, or oral appliance. These mouth pieces are specially molded by a dentist to fit your mouth perfectly. These help with both sleep apnea and snoring in general.

Mouth pieces work by moving your jaw slightly forward as it rests. This increases the airflow by lowering air resistance, which helps stop snoring. This is often a first step when addressing snoring and sleep problems. Used in conjunction with weight loss, this can often be enough to address sleep apnea with mild or moderate issues.

If you suspect you might be at risk to develop sleep apnea, or you suffer from snoring multiple nights per week, make an appointment to come in and talk to us about a dental mouth piece.

There are many reasons you may desire whiter teeth, from a special occasion (such as a wedding or reunion) to simply wanting to feel more confident in your day to day interactions. And while there are many options available to you, some are better than others.

We highly recommend you come in and talk to us before you begin a teeth whitening regime. This way you get an assessment of the health of your teeth before you begin. Healthy teeth are important to your overall health, and with a quick assessment before you begin whitening we can address any issues before they arise as problems.

In addition, you will receive these benefits of in-office teeth whitening:

1 – Custom Approach

During your assessment we work with you to determine your desired custom shade of whiteness and timeframe.

2 – Safety

The safety of your gums and teeth is our top priority. Under our care and supervision, we can be sure your gums stay safe from the whitening gel.

3 – Better Products

The higher potency products we use in-office are not available over the counter. While there are many available options, we can provide a higher potency whitening product, which leads to…

4 – Faster Results

Because we can offer different products, we can provide you with faster whitening results. Rather than weeks or months, we can supervise a safe whitening in hours.

5 – Professional Supervision

Finally, with in-office teeth whitening your progress and the health of your teeth are monitored by our professional team. We can ensure that whitening is appropriate to your teeth and help guide you to your desired result, while maintaining your overall oral health.

Whether you simply want to reduce the stains left on your teeth by coffee, wine, etc. or are looking to achieve a dazzling smile for a special event, we are here to help you achieve your ideal smile.

Contact us to book an appointment today!

Mother and Son Brushing Teeth - Oral Routine

Oral Health = Overall Health

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!

Set a Routine

The easiest way to remember everything in your oral health regimen is to set yourself a routine and make it a habit. Make a list of everything to do (brushing, flossing, etc.) and place it on your bathroom mirror. That way there is no way to miss it, morning or evening.

If you have children, make it a family affair! Get an egg timer to make sure you are brushing for 2 minutes, lay out floss, and be sure to finish with appropriate mouthwash (one for your children and one for you).