Dentist Info

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Child laughing with many teeth showing.

A lot of people think that the baby teeth are the ‘first go of it’ before the adult teeth come out. For this reason, they don’t worry so much about doing treatment on baby teeth. In fact, we should take extra care of your kids baby teeth for these reasons:

  1. Decay in deciduous teeth move very quickly through the teeth. It can infect the nerve and then go on to cause decay in the adult tooth sitting under the gum. Once decay infects an unerupted adult tooth, it is quite involved to fix.
  2. A higher risk of decay in deciduous teeth usually translates to a higher risk in decay in adult teeth. How well you take care of their baby teeth will affect their experience with decay as an adult. Give them the best start and they can continue on as they grow.
  3. Taking out baby teeth before it’s time for them to come out due to infection and abscesses can result in the space closing before the adult teeth are ready to come through. This needs careful monitoring, or a space maintainer to keep the space. If space has been lost from removing a baby tooth too early, orthodontic treatment will be needed to open up the space again.
  4. Children can find it hard to communicate pain. They may be living with discomfort without anyone knowing, resulting in poor nutrition and trouble concentrating at school.

 

Make sure your kids have the best start they can by bringing them in for regular check ups. Good dental habits start young, and dental problems caught early are easily fixed. It will allow your child to be their best self and thrive at home and school.

Some children in Australia have access to the Child Dental Benefits Scheme. The government allows $1,026 per child, over a two year period for basic dental services. We accept CDBS patients and can claim directly from Medicare, on your behalf. This means no out of pocket payments for you at the end of appointment! Easy!

 

BOOK YOUR CHILD IN FOR A MEET AND GREET

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How should you take care of children’s teeth? This can be a question that parents and carers struggle with everyday, especially as your children start gaining their independence.
Let’s talk about the best ways to take care of children’s teeth, how and when to brush, and when to come in to the dentist.

It’s easiest to think about children in the following age ranges: 0-3 years old, 3-6 years old, and 6 years onward.

 

0-3 years old

Children of this age range have their primary or baby teeth coming through. It is normal for the timings to vary between children, as long as the teeth erupt in the correct sequence.
If you are worried about the eruption of your child’s teeth, book in for us to have a look.

  • When children start to get their teeth, use a wet facecloth, soft baby’s toothbrush, or silicone finger brush to gently rub over their teeth and gums.
  • Do this twice a day, morning and night.
  • No toothpaste is needed.
  • Avoid sending them to bed with a bottle of formula, juice, or letting them fall asleep whilst breastfeeding.
  • Visit the dentist as soon as their first teeth come through to get them used to the sounds and noises.

 

3-6 years old

Children of this age have their primary/baby teeth. Their adult teeth are developing under the gum.

  • Brush their teeth and gums with a soft children’s toothbrush.
  • An adult should brush for them twice a day. It could be helpful to let them brush first.
  • Brush with children’s toothpaste.
  • Spit out the toothpaste and don’t rinse afterwards.
  • Avoid regular sipping of fruit juices, snacking on sugary foods such as lollies and dried fruits.
  • Visit the dentist every 12 months to make sure their teeth are developing as they should be. Problems caught early are easily fixed!

6 years onwards

Children of this age have their adult teeth starting to come through. It can be hard to keep their mouths clean due since they can have wobbly teeth and difficulty brushing these.

  • Brush their teeth with a soft children’s toothbrush twice a day.
  • Use a small smear of adult toothpaste. There are some non-mint flavoured toothpastes available if they do not like mint flavours.
  • Depending on how well they are brushing for themselves, an adult should brush for them once daily.
  • Spit out the toothpaste and don’t rinse afterwards.
  • Avoid snacking on sugary foods, avoid acidic drinks such as soft drink, juice, and sports drinks.
  • Visit the dentist every 6 months to make sure they’re keeping their teeth nice and clean, and to help screen for any problems.

 

The Child Dental Benefits Scheme (CDBS) – The government has granted $1,026 per child, over a two year period for basic dental services. We accept CDBS patients and can claim directly from Medicare, on your behalf. This means no out of pocket payments for you at the end of appointment! Easy!

If you are unsure please contact reception for more information or visit: www.humanservices.gov.au

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Cracked lips with some pigmentation. This is a sign of dry mouth

Let’s talk about dry mouth-

Dry mouth is a condition where you feel that your mouth is consistently dry because of a lack of saliva. It can be uncomfortable and cause issue when eating and speaking. It can also give dental problems such as increased risk of decay, risk of oral infections such as thrush, bad breath, mouth ulcers, burning mouth sensation, and dry and cracked lips.

 

Dry mouth can be caused by many things. These include:

  • not drinking enough water
  • being on certain medications, such as blood pressure medication, antidepressant or anxiety medication, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
  • having immune conditions such as Sjogren’s Syndrome
  • snoring or mouth breathing
  • drinking a lot of alcohol, or caffeinated drinks.
  • smoking

 

What can I do to help?

Treatment of dry mouth depends on the cause. We always aim to treat the problem at the cause, rather than treating the symptoms.
Here are some easy things to do:

  • Drink more tap water through the day.
  • Stimulate your saliva by chewing sugar free gum (a non-acidic flavour such as mint is best!)
  • Drink flavoured water (non-acidic flavour such as mint or cucumber is best!)
  • Use a bi-carb rinse to neutralise any mouth acid.
  • Use a higher strength fluoride toothpaste.
  • Look to fix the cause of mouth breathing and snoring. A sleep study might be helpful for you.
  • Avoiding acidic and spicy food and drinks.
  • Speak to your doctor- Ask your doctor if there are any alternatives to the medications you take. You may also be able to take a medication to increase the flow of saliva. Do not start or stop taking medications without seeking advise from your doctor.
  • See a dentist more often- decay can turn up quickly. Seeing a dentist frequently can help catch these small cavities before they turn into big problems.

Depending on the cause, our dentists can chat with you to help you live your most comfortable life.

 

BOOK IN FOR A CHAT

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sugar on a table

Most common disease on the planet??

We have all seen Colgate and Oral B commercials – promising to fight tooth decay and keep your teeth healthy. We have all heard about the apple a day, keep the doctor away story. Well, yes, technically that’s all true, but that’s only one small aspect. Patients at dentist Corio, coming in for a routine check-up often find out that they have multiple rotten teeth or dental decay. They are always surprised and always swear that they have been doing everything right. Some of the things we always hear are:

“I don’t eat sweets”
“I am vegan and very conscious about what I eat”
“I brush my teeth twice a day”
“I use an electric toothbrush, twice a day”
“I floss my teeth”
“I don’t eat junk food”
“I cook all my own meals”
“I have regular dental check ups”

Why do I still have dental cavities? Dentist Corio explains

Great question! The answer 9/10 times is – sneaky sugars! Sneaky sugars are those ingredients which are often NOT called “sugar” in the ingredients list and may appear in savoury foods.

At Corio Central Dental, we find that a lot of patients often feel quite resistant to have a conversation about their diet. This is  ESPECIALLY true for the health conscious patients. Eating healthy foods and eliminating desserts and/or junk food, DOES NOT mean your diet is good for your teeth. You are still at risk of dental decay if you eat healthy. Dentist Corio has come up with the list below.

10 Foods Which You Would Not Expect to Cause Dental Decay:

  1. pasta sauce (most contain sugar)
  2. 100% fruit juice (most have added sugar and/or acid)
  3. vitamin/flavoured water (definitely has sugar)
  4. flavoured popcorn (definitely sticky sugar)
  5. muesli bars (definitely sticky sugars, even the really healthy ones!)
  6. yoghurt (most have sugar. ‘No added sugars’ types still have sweeteners which cause dental decay)
  7. breath mints (the ones that contain sugar)
  8. chewing gum (some brands still add sugar)
  9. milk – YES, there is sugar in some brands of milk (dairy and plant both)
  10. savoury biscuits (check the ingredients, you will be surprised!)

A great way to find out if your diet is good for your teeth is to keep a food diary for a typical week (weekdays and weekend) and then come see us. Dentist Corio will go through it together and break it down for you, making some great suggestions, on how you can still eat what you like but ensure that your teeth stay healthy.

A great film to watch is That Sugar Film, it will make you think about “eating healthy” in an entirely different way.

WATCH THAT SUGAR FILM

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO PREVENT DENTAL DECAY

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father son family

It’s For My Partner, Dad, Son Boyfriend…

It’s almost every day that we get a phone call from a female, complaining of a broken tooth or a toothache, asking for treatment costs and appointment times. It’s only when we begin to make the booking that she usually says “ohh.. it’s not for me the dental appointment corio is for my partner/husband/boyfriend/son/dad/..” Why do men avoid getting help, and especially dental appointments?

5 Main Reasons Men Don’t Book Dental Appointments Corio

Well here are some ideas we have come up with over the years:

  1. FEAR!!! It’s hard for anyone to admit that they may feel anxious about something, and this is especially true for men. Some of the toughest, tattoo covered, Harley Davidson riding blokes are absolutely petrified of coming to the dentist.
  2. Head in the sand approach…the toothache will eventually go away….if I just wait long enough…I dont need that dental appointment corio
  3. Prices – most people believe that dental treatment is far more expensive than it actually is and feel embarrassed when they cannot afford it.
  4. No self-care; some people don’t consider teeth as a vital part of their health (until they lose too many and their quality of life is seriously deteriorated!).
  5. Embarrassment – majority of people feel very self-conscious to have their mouth/teeth looked at and feel that they will be judged or criticised.

All of the above are very real and valid reasons, but the problem is that, if they are not addressed, they only become more overwhelming.

5 Reasons To Book a Dental Appointment Corio Today

Here are some ideas on how to help your man (or anyone, really), to book in for that overdue dental check up:

  1. We have a wonderful and loving therapy dog who can sit by your side during that terrifying dental appointment and make it all better. We are also an all female team and are super non-scary!
  2. Toothaches don’t go away by themselves. If they do, it’s only a matter of time before they come back!
  3. Tight on cash right now? No problem we offer 12Mth Interest Free Payment Plan!
  4. Dental problems are related to heart disease, bone disease, diabetes….its far more than what is happening in the mouth. Poor dental health is also related to self confidence. Oh yeah and BAD BREATH!
  5. We don’t judge, we listen and help.

Guys, if you don’t want to pick up the phone, get online and make that first booking!

BOOK DENTAL APPOINTMENT CORIO