Underwood Dental Care

As we begin 2012, I, on behalf of all the staff at Underwood Dental Care would like to thank all our clients for supporting us into our 3rd year of trading. We have come a long way from our humble beginnings in October 2009, and we strive to continue to provide high levels of patient care with genuine customer service in modern surroundings.

In aiding me in accomplishing this, I would like to introduce Dr Tania Bong to the team.
Dr Tania Bong completed her Bachelor of Dental Science degree at the University of Melbourne. She then spent time living and working in towns all over rural eastern Victoria before moving to Brisbane in late 2011.

A gentle, caring dentist and listener, Tania prides herself in putting patients first to ensure they are comfortable and happy during their dental visit. Not only is quality dentistry important but also to help patients feel good about their dental experience. She enjoys many different aspects of dentistry with an interest in more conservative dental practice. Tania is committed to and always freshly inspired by ongoing professional development education courses to ensure patients receive the most comprehensive and advanced care.

Outside of work, Tania enjoys culinary pursuits (eating), watching tv shows and spending valuable time catching up with friends and family. She is also very excited to learn more about her new city.

We look forward to looking after you all in 2012

Continue Reading

The year’s flown by and Christmas is just around the corner. With twelve sleeps to go, we will be looking forward to all kinds of feasting- cakes, chocolates, lollies etc.

The festive season is a time when people often eat more sugar and more frequently than at any other time of the year. And being a dental blog, I should point out that there can be some serious problems for teeth unless sensible and straightforward steps are taken.

Chocolates, lollies and sweets are high in sugar, which can often stick onto tooth surfaces especially in between your teeth. For that reason, amongst all the business of christmas parties, preparations etc, let’s not forget to brush and floss our teeth.

Constantly grazing on sugary snacks will also result in an acidic oral environment which would allow decay-causing bacteria to grow and advance more quickly. It is therefore vital to regularly drink water or chew sugar free gum to buffer the acid production.

Fizzy drinks such as champagne, soft drinks and juices are high in acid. Constant sipping of these drinks can result in softening of enamel resulting in increased tooth wear and sensitivity. Keeping these drinks to a low and buffering them out with water regularly is usually a good idea!

I don’t try to be a kill joy over the holiday season; but looking after your teeth can often be at the bottom of the priority list in a busy period… it is simply my job to remind you

Merry Christmas everyone, and have a Happy new year!

Continue Reading

Due to the popularity of our Birthday special… we’d like to announce our next whitening promotion…

Continue Reading

Gum disease is a common problem that many of us suffer from without even knowing it. It is important to identify the early signs of gum disease before the problem is to worsen.

What are the signs of gum disease?

Bleeding gums

Many patients often present to me complaining of bleeding gums. Many of whom thought it was normal to have bleeding gums and it is just “something that I’m born with.” This is a myth. Gums often bleed due to the accumulation of plaque caused by poor oral hygiene. Often people think that bleeding gums are a result of brushing too hard. This is not the case. When plaque is left around the gum line for prolonged periods of time, the gum tissues become inflammed.  This can be seen as a dark red colour as well as swelling.  If the gums are constantly inflammed and not cleaned properly this can lead to bleeding from the affected area. Left alone this can result in gum tissue breakdown and the separation of the gums from the teeth. As bone is slowly lost around the tooth this will ultimately lead to loosening of the teeth and tooth loss!

Bad Breath

Bad breath (halitosis) is often caused by gum disease as well. Bacteria from plaque which sit on the teeth and gums can bring out unfavourable smells.

Note the gum recession on the upper canine tooth

Sensitive Gums

If you experience sensitivity to hot or colds it could be a sign of  gum disease. Sensitive teeth that are associated with gum disease are caused by exposed roots. These roots become exposed because the gums have receded due to inflammation. Before gums recede they typically are red in appearance and this is a warning sign combined with sensitivity (refer to photo below).

Loose Teeth

If you have teeth that are loose, you may be well into the latter stages of the disease. This occurs when the gums have receded so much that bone loss has also occurred and no longer supports the tooth the way it once did.

So what can we do about it?

As mentioned, gum disease starts from poor oral hygiene. It is vital to have proper tooth brushing and flossing techniques. Remember it is essential that we not only focus on cleaning our teeth, but our gums also (including the gum margin at which the gum meets the teeth). Refer to my previous posts regarding flossing and brushing.

Happy cleaning

Continue Reading

Following on my earlier post on caring for your children’s teeth, I thought it would be useful to touch on the topic of tooth eruption sequence.

Images courtesy of the American Dental Association.

Deciduous (baby/ milk) teeth

Permanent Teeth

Many of us have the mentality that we don’t have to look after our baby teeth because they all fall out anyway.

What we don’t realise is that often it is a while before these baby teeth “fall out” (exfoliate). The problem arises when baby teeth (deciduous teeth) are lost prematurely, and the space in the arch is lost, leaving insufficient room for the permanent tooth to erupt.

A young patient of mine the other week presented with decay on both his front and back baby teeth. He was 6 years of age. The mother was insistent that these teeth didn’t need to be saved as they would fall out anyway. With a bit of discussion with both the parent and the patient, we had agreed that the front teeth required no treatment as they would soon become mobile from the erupting central incisors, however, the back teeth would require fillings as the permanent successor wouldn’t be knocking on the door for another 4-6 years. This would maintain the space in the arch, rather than allowing further decay in the teeth which may eventuate in early extraction.

Continue Reading

Underwood Dental Care are having our 2nd birthday on the 13th of October. (how time flies!) To celebrate, we will be rewarding our patients with $100 off our take home whitening kits for the month of October. This means you can have that brighter, whiter smile for $200.

How is it different to the whitening kits at the chemist? We use a more concentrated whitening gel of 9.5% hydrogen peroxide that is only to be dispensed by dental professionals. This means a more predictable result in less time. We recommend our patients wear the trays for 30-60 minutes per day after tooth cleaning, for about 5-7 days for best results.

This special is only valid for the month of October. If there are any further enquiries regarding this offer or any other questions about whitening, please contact us on enquiries@underwooddentalcare.com.au or (07) 3341 9770.

Continue Reading

Causes of Bruxism

Teeth grinding (bruxism) and clenching is a very common problem that affects most people at one point or another. There are many causes of bruxism, with the most common cause believed to be stress.

Bruxism often occurs in sleep exacerbated by sleep-related conditions such as snoring, sleep paralysis, night terrors, sleep apnea etc. However, wake bruxism can occur from medication use (high caffeine), anxiety and, depression.

Symptoms of Bruxism

Bruxism can wear down your teeth which result in pain and sensitivity due to exposed dentine. As teeth play a large role in maintaining facial profile, a loss of tooth structure would change one’s appearance due to the loss of vertical dimension. Apart from teeth, pain can result from the pressure applied to the jaw resulting in headaches and muscle soreness.

It is also common for babies and young children who are developing their adult teeth to grind their teeth (often in their sleep), but often grow out of it.

Treatment of Bruxism

If a friend or family member complains of the noise you are making from teeth grinding during sleep, then they have aided in identifying the problem! Although there are no ground breaking drugs that can cure bruxism, we can take some simple steps in preventing the symptoms.

• Protect your teeth –  Your dentist can have you fitted with a mouth guard to be worn at night to protect your teeth from any grinding that may occur while you sleep- so rather than grinding your teeth away, you’d be grinding away plastic.
• 
• Stress and Anxiety related – Steps taken to manage these psychological issues will obviously benefit you in more ways than ceasing sleep Bruxism. Your doctor may be able to prescribe you muscle relaxants.
• If tremors and day-time bruxism is seen, then it may be worth while to consider cutting down or avoiding high-caffeine intake in the form of Coffee, chocolate and Cola drinks
• Be more conscious about Bruxism. Placing your tongue between your teeth will actually help you to relax your jaw.

If you’re a teeth grinder, and have further questions regarding this topic, feel free to contact us at the surgery (07) 33419770.

Continue Reading

One of the most common questions I am faced with in the dental surgery is “Which is better? Electric or manual toothbrushes?” And so the answer to that often is a little like… “well it depends”.

The main 3 things that dentists look for in a toothbrush is 1/ a long handle for better reach ability, 2/ soft bristles to minimise any unnecessary excess trauma to the gums and 3/ a small tooth brush head to get into all those ‘hard to reach areas’.

Can a manual tooth brush tick all the above boxes? Yes! But I have yet to find one that is readily available at the supermarket (please prove me wrong colgate, oral-B)

Will an electric tooth brush tick all the above boxes? Yes! And adding to the 3 principles, a 4th. That is, the spinning action of the tooth electric tooth brush will further minimise any trauma to the gingival tissue (gums) had you used a course manual tooth brush in a backwards-and-forwards scrubbing motion.

I haven’t been paid by any tooth brush manufacturer to post this, but having tried the major brands of electric toothbrushes, I would recommend the Philips FlexCare+ as my number 1 pick. The difference between the Philips Sonicare range of brushes and other brands is their patented sonic technology. The sonic pulsation of the toothbrush physically breaks up plaque build up (like a jackhammer breaks up concrete). Research has been compiled http://www.usa.philips.com/c/about_sonicare/140698/cat/ if anyone is interested in the facts and figures.

According to their website, there’s a 28 day risk free trial of the tooth brush if anyone is interested in giving the toothbrush a go

Continue Reading

On behalf on Underwood Dental Care, we wanted to wish Lisa safe travels as she heads to China on a student exchange program in hope to learn Chinese. Lisa has been with us since we were established in 2009. Thanks Lisa! Stay safe!

Continue Reading

An interesting fact to start.  A recent study said that enamel samples treated with orange juice for 20 minutes over 5 cycles (to simulate daily exposure over 5 days) had a 64% decrease in micro-hardness versus no statistically significant changes in samples treated with 6% hydrogen peroxide (a component of many whitening packages). (Source: Ren Y et al, Effects of Tooth Whitening and Orange Juice on Surface Properties of Dental Enamel, Journal of Dentistry, June 2009, Vol  37, No 6, pg 424-431)

What does this mean for me?

Many patients are hesitant to whiten their teeth as they may have heard from someone that it damages their teeth. According to this particular study, you’re worse off drinking orange juice. Of course, I am not suggesting you to cut your intake of orange juice completely… but like with all good things- enjoy in moderation.

An excellent list of FAQs regarding tooth wear can be found here.

Continue Reading