This is the question on everybody’s mind! How can I prevent cavities? The easy answer is simple- brush and floss more, and stay away from sweet things.
But you can be the best brusher and flosser with the best diet in the world and still get lots of cavities, while someone who eats a packet of lollies a day may never get a hole in their lives.

These are some things to think about and see if we can improve in our day to day lives:

 

Oral hygiene

• Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day is definitely the best and easiest thing you can do to prevent cavities.
• Make sure your brush and floss clean every part of the tooth, including underneath the gums.
• Use a soft bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
• After brushing, spit out the toothpaste and don’t rinse with water afterwards.

 

Diet

• Avoid eating sugary and acidic foods regularly.
• If you do have soft drinks and juices, drink it with a straw.
• Have dessert close to mealtimes, rather than waiting too long.
• Avoid frequent snacking.
• Avoid snacking before bedtime. Avoid putting children to bed with a bottle of milk.
• Have a glass of water after sugary and acidic foods.

 

Smoking

• Smoking and vaping creates an oral environment that lets bacteria thrive.
• Cutting down on smoking and vaping will decrease your risk of bacteria, gum disease, and cancers.

 

Medications

• Antidepressants, diuretics, high blood pressure medications, painkillers and several other types of medications can cause a dry mouth.
• Drinking tap water frequently, smearing toothpaste on your teeth, and chewing sugar free mint gum can help with the dry mouth sensation.

 

Saliva quality

• Saliva is important for washing acids and sugars off your teeth, and repairing your enamel.
• Saliva can be of a poor quality and not cover your teeth effectively.
• Drink enough water through the day to stay hydrated.

 

Your oral hygiene as a whole is more important than any singular one thing you can do. While there isn’t a one size fits all approach to minimising the number of holes you get, we can definitely tailor an approach for you.

 

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Everyone knows that they have to clean their teeth, but sometimes there can be a lot of conflicting information to deal with. It’s not necessarily common knowledge either.
Let’s break it down and talk about cleaning your teeth clean at home.

 

Toothbrush

Manual or electric? This is up to you. Go for soft bristles (as soft as you can find!), and a small headed toothbrush. If you have an electric toothbrush, something with a pressure sensor and timer is best. Avoid pressing too hard with your toothbrush as these can cause toothbrush abrasions and receding gums.

 

Toothpaste

Any toothpaste with fluoride is good! Avoid whitening and charcoal toothpastes as these can cause damage to the enamel and sensitivity.
Once you are done brushing, spit out the toothpaste and don’t rinse after! Leaving the toothpaste on gives you more benefit from the fluoride.

 

Flossing

Your toothbrush does not clean in between the teeth effectively. This is why we have floss. You can use any type of interdental cleaner (interdental brushes, flossettes, floss, water pick) that works well in your hands.
Watch this video by the Australian Dental Association to learn how to floss.

 

How often?

You should be cleaning your teeth at home at least twice a day. Ideally morning and night. Avoid eating for 30 minutes before and after brushing for the best results.
You should floss once a day.
Wondering about your children’s teeth? See our article on how to keep your children’s teeth clean.

 

How do I know I’m doing it properly?

Ideally you are wiping every surface of every tooth with your brush and floss. If you are unsure, you can find plaque disclosing tablets and solutions at the chemist that can highlight the areas you are missing. To use these, brush first, then use the plaque disclosing solution according to the package directions. Any plaque and food that is left behind changes colour so it is easily seen. This is a great activity to do with kids to show why it’s important to brush our teeth!

 

Come in for a chat and we can go through your technique with you

What is a deep clean and do I need one?

A deep clean refers to removing calculus and build up from underneath the gum. Calculus (tartar) build up can accumulate when you miss areas when brushing and flossing.
The build up causes an inflammation response in your gums and over time, the gum and bone recedes to try and get away from the calculus build up. This can look like receding gums, bleeding gums, and pain from your gums. If there is a lot of build up, or if the gum has receded significantly, a thorough clean is needed to remove all the calculus and for your gums to heal.

 

What happens in a deep clean?

There are a few ways to do a deep clean. Depending on you and how you feel at the dentist we usually numb up the gum. From there we tackle the mouth in halves or quarters. For example, at appointment one, we numb up and clean the top right, appointment two, numb and clean the top left, etc. Some people are happy to have more teeth numbed and cleaned at once.

During cleaning, we use ultrasonic and hand scalers to clean all the build up off your teeth and gums. You should expect a few days of gum tenderness.

 

What happens if I don’t get a deep clean?

Any calculus that is not removed stays and continues to cause inflammation. Over time the gum and bone will continue to recede. This is called periodontitis. Eventually, the teeth become loose and give pain.

How do I keep my gums clean to avoid a deep clean?

Proper home hygiene is important to make sure that plaque and calculus do not collect on your teeth.

• Brush twice a day
• Brush for 2 minutes each time
• Use toothpaste and a soft bristled toothbrush
• Floss or use an interproximal cleaner once a day
• Come in every 6 months for a normal clean to make sure plaque and calculus does not accumulate.

 

Come and chat to our dentists about your gums and the best treatments for you.

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Everybody wants whiter teeth, but what is involved in teeth whitening, and what are the benefits? Today on the blog, we’ll break down the reasons to get teeth whitening, what to expect from it, and where to fit it in your treatment plan.

 

Why do our teeth discolour?

Teeth are porous and can pick up staining from all sorts of areas. Coffee, tea, red wine, and smoking are a big cause of teeth staining. Stains are intrinsic (meaning on the inside of your tooth) or extrinsic (meaning on the outside of your tooth). Extrinsic stains can be removed with a clean and polish. When people talk about teeth whitening or bleaching, usually they mean targeting the stains on the inside of your tooth.

Teeth whitening comes in all forms:

 

In chair whitening

We use a product with higher concentration of peroxide to get better results. This appointment usually takes about 60-90 minutes.
There can be some sensitivity after having your teeth professionally whitened. We usually recommend using a desensitising toothpaste for 2 weeks prior to your whitening appointment.

 

Take home whitening

This is a type of bleaching you can do from the comfort of your own home. You get trays that fit in your mouth, along with some take home whitening gel. This gel has a lower concentration of peroxide, which makes it safer for at home use. Expect to have to wear the trays and gel a few times a week for the best results. The benefit of this method, is that over time, when your teeth revert to a stained colour, you can get more take home gel to freshen up the colour.

 

Internal bleaching

Internal bleaching is required when you have a root canal treated tooth that has discoloured. This process involves opening up into the root canal area slightly, placing some whitening gel on the inside, and then leaving it for 1-5 days. You return when the tooth has whitened to remove the gel and replace the filling.

 

Scale and clean (polish)

A scale and polish can do wonders for those extrinsic stains! This removes calculus, plaque build up, and smoking stains and can give us a better idea of what intrinsic stains are present on your teeth.

 

 

The best way to know which of these would work for you is to come in and chat to our friendly dentists. They can talk you through the options and the benefits of each one.

 

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It’s been a while since you’ve come in for a check and you’re not sure what to expect at the dentist. Here, we’ll go through the steps of coming in to see us, what questions we ask and why.

 

Making an appointment:

• Our friendly receptionists will take your call and ask the nature of your concern. This may be that you have a toothache, or that you would like to come in for our $195 new patient special, or you would like to start with a check up and a clean.
• You are welcome to book online or email us for convenience.
• We will ask for your details.
• We ask for a deposit of $50 for all new patients to hold your appointment time. This will be applied against your appointment and removed at the end, this is not an extra charge.

 

Filling out forms:

• We will send you a link to fill out our medical history form and a questionnaire.
• These are helpful for us to know how to best take care of you.
• If you are unable to do this on your phone or device, please come in 5 minutes earlier to fill this out.

 

Arriving to our clinic:

• We are located at 68 Bacchus Marsh Rd, Corio, on the service road.
• Entry to the service road is at the intersection of Purnell Rd and Bacchus Marsh Rd, or via Canadian Parade.
• We have ample parking at the back of the practice.

 

Seeing the dentist:

• Our dentists will go through your medical history form and questionnaire together with you. This is the best time for you to let us know what you expect from your dentist.
• Please let us know if there is anything you would like to discuss privately.
• We will ask you about your dental health, routines, and overall lifestyle.
• We will do a comprehensive exam, and then any x-rays if needed.
• From here we will talk about the treatment needed and go through with you the different options and price points available.
• If you specifically wanted treatment, then we will do this for you.

 

Our aim is to make sure that you feel comfortable, so at any point that you prefer we would do something different, we ask you to speak up. We will always listen and work together with you to get you to where you need to be.

 

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What is a mouthguard?

A mouthguard is an important piece of equipment to prevent damage if you or your child are playing contact sports. Many accidents can happen while on the playing field or court, and a mouthguard protects the worst of the damage to your teeth. Jaw fractures, broken teeth, displaced and head traumas can all be reduced by wearing a mouthguard. This is especially the case if you have complicated dental work such as veneers, crowns, and braces. Damage and loss of baby teeth can have a significant impact on the adult teeth and how they eventually grow. Children’s skulls are also more delicate and needs be to be protected while growing.

 

Mouthguards help prevent damage by:

• Absorbing some of the shock of impact on the teeth
• Protecting the lips, cheeks, and gums from getting cuts
• Stopping the bottom teeth from hitting the top teeth
• Supporting the lower jaw in a way that prevents fractures at the jaw joints.
• They may also be able to prevent damage to the head and neck but this is not fully proven.

 

What age should my child be wearing a mouthguard?

There is no minimum age of when a child should be wearing a mouthguard. If they are old enough to be playing a contact sport, they are old enough to have a mouthguard. In some sports, a mouthguard is mandatory and your child will not be able to play without it.

As your child grows, they will need to get a new mouthguard to fit their mouth.

 

When should my child be wearing the mouthguard?

At any point that your child is playing the sport, whether in training, or in a competition, they should have their mouthguard appropriately fitted. Many accidents can happen in training and a mouthguard only works to prevent damage if it is being properly worn.

 

What kinds of mouthguards are there?

There are many options in mouthguards- they come in many thicknesses, depending on the requirements of the sport. You can also get them in different colours to match your uniform, or show support for your favourite teams.

All mouthguards made by us are fitted exactly to the mouth, for maximum comfort. An ill-fitting mouthguard is a mouthguard that does not get worn.

 

How do I care for my mouthguard?

After using your mouthguard, rinse it with water and keep it in it’s case. When you get home, brush the mouthguard with soap and water to remove any stains and debris. Dry it and keep it dry in its case. Keep it out of reach of pets who love chewing on it!

 

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Corio Central Dental explains sticky sugars…

Not all sugary foods and drinks are made equal, so we thought to help clarify the differences. Some types of sugars are far more damaging to our teeth than others. Our teeth have 5 surfaces in total. The top surface of back teeth have deep grooves, called fissures. Foods that get “stuck” inside the deep grooves of teeth cause more cavities. Contrary to the common beliefs, sticky sugars are not always found in desserts. There are plenty of foods or even savoury meals that contain sticky sugars, so it’s worth learning about them. Corio Central Dental, sees patients every single day for the management of dental caries. Decay is the most prevalent and poorly diagnosed disease on the planet!

Some examples of foods which contain sticky sugars are:

-“healthy” muesli bars

-nut bars

-flavoured chips

-dried fruit crackers

-various sauces

-flavoured popcorn

-flavoured nuts

-crunchy chocolates

-honeycomb

-toffees

Learn more about tooth decay.

Corio Central Dental explains sticky sugars VS other sugars?

Sugars in food play a major role in the development of dental caries. Caries (holes in teeth) develop when bacteria within plaque use the sugar (in food) as energy (bacteria eat sugar). Bacteria then go on to release acid, as a waste product. This acidic waste product gradually dissolves the enamel (protective layer) in the teeth, therefore causing cavities. When bacteria have lots of sugar to eat, they can produce lots of acid waste product. Sticky sugars “get stuck” in the grooves of our teeth, therefore, bacteria have more time to produce the acidic waste product.

Alternatives to sticky sugars..

If you wish to have a sweet treat, Corio Central Dental recommends choosing something that is softer and more liquidy. Foods which can easily be washed off the tooth surfaces with a simple rinse or brush.

Some examples are:

-ice cream

-jelly

-soft creamy desserts

-mousse

-plain chocolate

-hot chocolate

-soft cakes

We can help if your teeth are already damaged by sugars….

Patient are often completely unaware that teeth can be developing cavities, so Corio Central Dental recommends to have a check up at least every 6 months. Dental x-rays are really important in diagnosing cavities. Corio Central Dental dentists take x-rays as part of the New Patient Comprehensive Examination Package – for $195.

 

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What is a Fissure Sealant?

It’s a preventative coating which can be applied to teeth to cover the deep grooves in teeth. Fissure sealants help prevent bacteria, as well as food particles, from getting stuck in these areas of the teeth. In this way, they help protect the teeth from decay-causing elements.

What are Fissure Sealants made of?

They are made from a resin material. Resin is a synthetic polymer. Fissure sealants can be clear, tinted or white. The sealant is applied to a cleaned tooth as a thin layer of liquid. The liquid becomes hard when a specialised light is used. Some sealants contain fluoride. Fissure sealants used at Corio Central Dental are BPA free and not toxic.

Who can get Fissure Sealants?

Fissure sealants are beneficial to patients of any age. They are safe and effective in both children and adults. They can only be applied to teeth which are still sound and have not formed a cavity. Once a tooth forms a cavity, it is no longer suitable for a fissure sealant. Decay needs to be removed first, and a dental filling placed, thereafter.

If your children are nervous or have not visited the dentist before, watch this great video we made :  CORIO CENTRAL DENTAL KIDS VIDEO 

Benefits of Fissure Sealants:

• cheaper than fillings
• avoid needles
• avoid pain
• avoid needing teeth removal
• avoid inconvenient dental emergencies after hours or on the weekends
• avoid need for antibiotics for dental infections
• less time off work for dental pain/infections
• appointments are planned in advance, so can be done at a time that suits you

Book an appointment at Corio Central Dental by clicking this link.