Frequently Asked Oral Health Questions

Plaque forms on your teeth daily. When sugar combines with the bacteria in plaque it produces acids that damage the enamel on your teeth.

Although decreasing sugar intake will help, it is impossible to avoid sugar completely as it is naturally found in many of our foods, including fruits and vegetables.

In order to maintain healthy teeth and gums you must brush and floss daily using good techniques to ensure the best results.

The brand of the toothbrush is less important than the type of brush, your brushing technique and how often you brush your teeth.

We recommend that you have a soft-bristle brush. This type of brush will effectively remove plaque and a soft brush will not damage your gums (so long as you don't apply too much pressure when you brush). We also recommend that you brush at least twice a day.

The condition of your brush is also important, as when the bristles begin to bend over it is time to start using a new brush. When the bristles on your toothbrush are bent over they lose their ability to remove food and plaque. It is the tip of the bristles that clean your teeth the best.

Tooth enamel is hard but also has microscopic pores. Sugar combines with the bacteria in plaque, which forms on your teeth daily, to produce acids that seep into the enamel's pores. This causes the enamel to demineralize and become weak, contributing to the formation of cavities.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the natural remineralization process. This keeps your teeth strong and healthy. Fluoride also fights cavities by reducing the amount of acids that are produced by plaque.

Tooth sensitivity is often experienced when the surface of the tooth has been worn down. One of the most common reasons for adults is that the roots of the teeth are exposed because the gums are receding. This allows the effects of heat and cold to penetrate to the pulp where the nerves are located.

The problem can get worse as you tend not to brush your teeth properly if they cause you pain. If you are experiencing pain or sensitivity, let us know so we can assess your situation and recommend the best treatment to take care of your discomfort.

There are a few things that you should keep us informed about in order to ensure that we are most effective when treating you. Please keep us informed about:

• Whether your teeth or gums are more sensitive to heat, cold or sweets.
• Any changes in your gums, such as colour, tenderness or bleeding when you brush or floss.
• Whether your floss catches on rough edges of teeth that causes the floss to tear.
• Any changes in the skin on the inside of your mouth, such as colour.
• If you clench or grind your teeth, or if your neck and jaw muscles are tense or sore.
• Whether you have any allergies.
• If you are pregnant.
• Whether you are taking any medication.
• If your medicine has changed since your last check-up.
• Any health problems or medical condition that you are being treated for.
• Any other changes in your general health.

X-rays help us see problems in the early stages of development; this helps us treat problems long before they become serious. If we catch a cavity early, we are able to save far more of the natural tooth and protect the healthy tooth.. If decay is not detected soon enough, you may not know you have a problem until it is causing you some pain or discomfort. Major tooth restoration may be needed to repair a tooth if the decay has advanced enough. X-rays reveal:

• Cavities between teeth, under the gums and around old fillings.
• Bone loss due to periodontal disease.
• Problems below the gums, such as long or crooked tooth roots.

You are already exposed to low levels of radiation from the environment on a daily basis. This is commonly referred to as background radiation. The amount of radiation you receive during a single traditional dental X-ray is equivalent to a few days of background radiation.

We are also extremely careful to target the X-ray machine only at those areas we need to review to ensure that you have healthy teeth. We also cover your body with a lead apron, providing you with additional protection.

Gum Disease is one of the most common dental problems in adults, and it can progress quite painlessly until you have a serious problem. The end result can be bone loss and the loss of teeth. Even though you may brush and floss regularly, regular visits to the dentist will help detect gum disease in the early stages.

If you already have gum disease, getting rid of plaque and tartar gives your gums a chance to get better. That's why in the early stages of gum disease, the best treatment is:

• Regular cleanings in our practice
• Brushing at least twice a day
• Flossing at least once a day

Many people suffer from bad breath; in fact, it is estimated that up to 40% of the population has problems with bad breath at some time in their lives. Some reasons for bad breath include:

• Poor dental hygiene
• Eating certain foods, such as garlic or onions
• Smoking
• Chewing Tobacco
• Diseases, such as cancer or diabetes
• Dry mouth (often called morning breath)

You can help reduce the incidence of bad breath by brushing and flossing each day to remove plaque. By avoiding certain foods you can also eliminate a lot of bad breath problems.

If you wear dentures or removable partial dentures, it is important to clean them thoroughly everyday and remove it at night so your mouth tissues can restore themselves daily. If a bad breath problem persists then let us know and we will try to discover what the problem is and recommend a treatment.