Invisalign is a teeth straightening system developed to take the fuss or embarrassment out of braces. It works by a series of clear aligners that fit perfectly around your teeth to gradually correct and bring your teeth into an ideal smile. There are no metal wires or brackets, so no need to worry about mouth irritations, as the aligners are comfortable to wear and can be easily removed for eating, drinking, brushing and flossing.

If it weren’t for the remarkable way Invisalign transforms smiles, you’d hardly even notice you’re having treatment. As the Invisalign aligners are transparent and difficult to detect when worn, they allow you to straighten your teeth without feeling self-conscious – and should you have an important meeting or event coming up that’s causing concern, you can always remove the aligners for that short space of time.

Treatment usually takes about 1-2 years (similar time to standard braces) at a similar cost. As each case is different it is difficult to quote an exact price for the treatment.

I could blog on forever about the benefits of Invisalign, but it is best to visit their website at http://www.invisalign.com.au – a great resource that will most likely have answers to your questions. Alternatively you can contact our clinic at (07) 33419770 or email me directly at drben@underwooddentalcare.com.au and I will do the best I can to get back to you soon!

Some useful information about mouth guard awareness can be accessed from the Australian Dental Association Website. Alternatively, through http://www.mouthguardawareness.info (see below)

Why do you need a mouthguard?
Damaged or knocked out teeth, broken jaws and cut lips can be sustained when playing sport. Wearing a custom-fitted mouthguard helps to absorb and spread the impact of a blow
to your face, which might otherwise result in an injury to your mouth or jaw. Dental injuries can result in time off school or work to recover, can be painful and disfiguring, and may involve lengthy and complex dental treatment. The cost of an injury to your teeth or jaw far exceeds the cost of a custom-fitted mouthguard.

When should I wear a mouthguard?
Custom-fitted mouthguards should be worn whilst playing and training for any sport where there is a possibility of contact to the face. These sports can include hockey, netball, baseball,
basketball and even skateboarding and skiing. Just like having the correct shoes and sporting equipment, all people playing these sports need to wear a custom-fitted mouthguard.

Other mouthguard tips
• The Australian Dental Association strongly recommends investing in a custom-fitted mouthguard from your dentist.
• Have your mouthguard checked at your regular dental check-up to make sure it fits correctly and offers maximum protection.
• Keep your mouthguard clean and store it in a rigid container, away from heat to ensure it maintains its shape.

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

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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