Certain dental products are designed to make dental care less painful for arthritis sufferers. If you don’t have access to these products, try strapping or taping your toothbrush to a larger object, such as a ball, to make it more comfortable to handle. Electric toothbrushes are a great option since they do most of the work for you.
Denture Care
If you have dentures, you must take as much care of these as you would of natural teeth. See your dentist regularly to ensure that your gums stay healthy, and so that your dentist can check your dentures for good fit, function and comfort.
Clean your dentures daily to get rid of food scraps and prevent the occurrence of plaque, stains and tartar. These things can cause bad breath, gum irritation and mouth infections. They can also affect the appearance of your dentures.
What is Tooth Decay?
Tooth decay is caused by plaque. Plaque is a film of bacteria that forms on your teeth and gums after eating foods that produce acids. These foods include foods high in simple sugars like lollies and biscuits, as well as starchy foods like bread and cereal.
Tooth decay leads to cavities and occurs when plaque remains on your teeth for an extended period of time, allowing the bacteria to ‘eat away’ at the surfaces of your teeth. Ironically, the areas surrounding restored portions of teeth (where fillings have been placed) are particularly vulnerable to decay and are bacterial breeding grounds.
Children’s Teeth
Infants
Your baby’s first dental appointment should take place around their first birthday. This is generally when the first tooth comes in. Early examination and preventive care will protect your child’s smile now and in the future. Remember that children with healthy teeth can chew food more easily and speak more clearly.
Brushing
Brushing is the most effective method for removing harmful plaque from your teeth and gums. Regular cleaning stops the bacteria in the food you eat from producing harmful, cavity-causing acids.
Most dentists agree that people should brush three times a day, after every meal. If you use a fluoride toothpaste in the morning and before bed at night, you don’t need to use toothpaste in the middle of the day. A simple brushing with plain water will do the job. If you don’t have a brush with you, rinsing your mouth with water for 30 seconds after eating is better than nothing.
Pain Medication
Pain Management – Medication
Medications may be prescribed for your recovery from a dental procedure. In many cases, these medications are needed to control discomfort and pain, and to ward off a possible infection.
While some drugs are formulated to fight certain oral diseases, others are used to prevent infections after surgical procedures such as tooth extractions and gum surgery. Certain drugs are used prior to dental treatment. These pre-medications are used to help fight infections and also are used to control existing conditions such as heart murmurs and valve problems.
Air Abrasion
Pain Management – Air Abrasion
Ask most people about the number one thing they hate about visits to the dentist and they’ll answer, ‘the drill!’ Just the sound alone is enough to send shivers down the spine of even the bravest souls! Modern advances in anaesthesia make the drill a relatively painless experience, but for those who really can’t stand it, there is an alternative called air abrasion. Also called microabrasion, air abrasion works in a similar manner to the sandblasters used to clean graffiti off walls.
Anaesthesia
Pain Management – Anaesthesia
Pain is probably the number one cause of anxiety in most people when it comes to thinking about visiting a dentist. Unfortunately, some people avoid regular checkups, or even necessary treatment to correct a serious problem because they want to avoid pain.
Pain Management
Typical Problems | Temporomandibular Joint Pain | Headaches | Sleep Disorders | Pain Relief
Oral pain can be the result of problems in the root structures of your teeth, your gums, palate, or soft mouth tissues. Common causes for pain include deep cavities that have exposed nerves beneath your teeth or in your gums,impacted wisdom teeth and gum disease.
In other cases, pain can be caused by clinical problems involving the chewing (masticatory) muscles or temporomandibular joint (TMJ). These kinds of pains are called orofacial pain.
Patient Safety
Anaesthesia | Antibiotic Prophylaxis | Amalgams | Infection Control |Latex Allergy | Medication | Water Quality | X-Rays
Anaesthesia
For infomation about anaesthesia click here.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis
Some people take antibiotics before dental procedures for various reasons such as a weakened immune system (from disease or other condition) and would like to minimise infection risks; others simply do so out of fear, which in most cases, is unfounded.