Preventing Dental Emergencies

Preventing Dental Emergencies

by | Feb 15, 2016 | Dental Emergencies, Oral Safety and First Aid, Prevention, Risk Factors, Signs and Symptoms

What are dental emergencies? Dental emergencies include:

  • Toothaches
  • Abscesses and gum infections
  • Loose or displaced teeth
  • Tongue injuries
  • Broken, fractured or chipped teeth
  • Soft tissue injury (e.g. lips, mouth, gum or jaw)
  • Knocked out teeth

The key to successful emergency treatment is to stay calm and call your dentist immediately for professional advice on your next step. But did you know that most dental emergencies are preventable? You can’t predict when an accident that causes oral injury happens. But you can manage risk by better assessing and preparing for situations with higher risk factors, like contact sports for example. Here are some ways to prevent acute oral injuries and conditions:

  • Mouth-guards – If your sport puts your teeth, tongue, gums, soft tissue and supporting bone at risk, invest in a custom-fitted mouth-guard for better protection, from your dentist. Specialized night mouth-guards can also protect people with a tooth-grinding condition ( Bruxism ).
  • Rules of play – When it comes to children participating in recreational activities, remind them of the rules and conditions of play, that ensure their health and safety. For example, no running around a pool. 
  • Good oral hygiene and care – Dental emergencies occur as a result of poor oral hygiene and care. Toothaches, abscesses and other oral infections can be prevented with good tooth brushing and flossing habits and regular dental check-ups. That way, you can avoid the pain and inconvenience of an acute oral condition. 
  • Healthy diet – Limit eating plaque-forming foods containing high sugar and starches, as snacks. Plaques cause dental decay which can lead to oral infection and gum disease. 
  • Sensible biting and chewing habits – The breaking, fracturing and chipping of teeth can occur from the forceful biting or chewing of sticky or hard food like chewy or hard candy and olive seeds. Non-food objects like glasses, pens and pencils can cause oral injury too. Avoid using your teeth to cut non-food items like tape.

Good common sense, oral care and risk management are key to minimizing the risks of a dental emergency. But if you or your family experience one, contact your dentist immediately.

Sugar-free drinks and lollies cause dental erosion

Sugar-free drinks and lollies cause dental erosion

by | Dec 7, 2015 | Oral Health Children, Oral Safety and First Aid, Prevention, Risk Factors, Signs and Symptoms

Sugar-free drinks and lollies cause dental erosion The Oral Health CRC has made an announcement set to rock the sugar-free food and beverage industry worldwide. Their Melbourne-based scientists have warned that regular consumption of most sugar-free drinks and confectionary can cause significant loss of tooth enamel – leading to dental erosion. Dental erosion occurs when acid strips away the enamel and hard tissue of the tooth. In advanced stages, the soft pulp inside the tooth become exposed. Considered the healthier alternative, sugar-free substitutes and products can have positive health effects for reducing the risk of diabetes, obesity and dental decay. However, with the substitution of artificial sweeteners, your teeth are exposed to chemicals with high levels of citrates, tartrates and phosphoric or citric acid. The highly acidic (low-PH) levels of these chemicals cause significant enamel surface softening and loss.

But it doesn’t end there. All of these chemical compounds are also chelators of calcium. This means they bind to calcium resulting in tooth demineralisation. In short, your teeth dissolve. In their study at the University of Melbourne’s Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), researchers tested a large variety of sugar-free drinks and confectionary on extracted human molar teeth. The erosive potential of each sugar-free beverage was measured by changes in enamel hardness values. The study found that the majority of sugar-free drinks caused a decrease of 30% – 50% in enamel hardness. In fact, the researchers found there was no significant difference between the two groups of drinks regarding tooth enamel loss. With sugar-free confectionary, tests were also conducted on adult volunteers. The study measured a PH drop in the saliva of all test subjects. The researchers have advised avoiding all fruit-flavoured sugar-free confections, especially lemon-flavoured – which had high levels of citrates.

On an alarming note, the study also found that the Toothfriendly International logo and “Sugar free for healthy teeth” tagline was found on 11 of the 32 tested confections. University of Melbourne’s Oral Health CRC chief executive, Professor Eric Reynolds, is concerned that parents are buying sugar-free confectionary, believing them to be the healthier option for their children’s dental health. Current product testing and labelling regulations for sugar-free foods and beverages are now under review. Professor Reynolds suggests the best choice of beverage to give you and your children’s teeth the best chance is…(you guessed it)…water. And for a healthier sweet treat, eat fruit.

For more tips on preventing tooth erosion from sugar-free products from Professor Reynolds, visit: http://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/why-those-sugar-free-products-damage-your-teeth To read an online briefing paper titled  “The potential of sugar-free beverages, sugar-free confectionery and sports drinks to cause dental erosion” published by the Oral Health CRC, visit: http://www.oralhealthcrc.org.au/sites/default/files/Dental%20Erosion%20Briefing%20Paper_FINAL2015.pdf

5 tips to brighter smiles

5 tips to brighter smiles

by | Apr 15, 2015 | Cosmetic Dentistry, Oral Health Education, Oral Hygiene Care, Prevention

  • Chew sugar-free gum – As you chew, your salivary glands are stimulated, hence producing more saliva which cleans and flushed out food debris and particles between your teeth, plus it freshend your breath, bonus!
  • Floss… everyday! – Unfortunately folks, brushing your teeth alone just does not cut it. Bacteria likes to hide out in between your teeth which is where your toothbrush cannot clean. So if you would rather not have filings, flossing is the way to go!
5 tips to brighter smiles
  • Drink H2O – Its not only great for your teeth but for weight loss, clearer skin, and metabolic functioning. (no cheating by adding cordial or syrups!)
  • Brush your tongue – This may sound gross, but bacteria loves hiding out on the rough surface of your tongue too. So give it a good clean out while you are brushing, for an extra clean and fresh feeling.
  • See your dentist twice a year – Nothing makes us happier than a patient who comes in regularly for cleans and has zero cavities. Its a big win-win situation for you and us!