PREVENTATIVE SERVICES

Dental visits are not all about pain relief. At Dentco Dental we encourage our patients to visit a dentist on a regular basis (e.g.6 monthly) to be able to identify and address any dental issues at the earliest stage so that the complication and cost of required  treatment if needed can be minimized. Prevention is always better than cure.

A comprehensive oral examination is performed in order to secure a complete understanding of your dental health.

Importantly a regular oral examination offers an overall view into the health of the body. Abnormalities in dental health can indicate health conditions throughout the rest of the body, including:

• Cardiovascular problems
• Diabetes
• Systemic disorders, like leukaemia
• Immune abnormalities
• Osteoporosis
• Sinus problems
• Sleep disordered breathing

.What exactly does a comprehensive oral examination entail?

First of all, your full medical and dental history will be assessed, noting any current medicines or supplementation currently in use. It is also important to assess current illnesses or treatments you may be experiencing, along with previous hospitalisations, allergies and any adverse effects from anaesthetics.

Following this initial screening, a series of detailed diagnostic tests may be conducted, including the following:

• X-rays- These will be taken according to your needs. A series of full mouth x-rays can reveal any abnormalities in teeth and the supporting oral structure, otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
• An examination of lymph nodes will follow. Attention will be paid to pain, tenderness, and mobility.
• We will assess your jaw movements, along with the surface area of the mouth and lips.
• An assessment of your bite may be undertaken in order to determine potential areas of discomfort and grounds for improvement.
• Importantly, we will conduct a full tooth record, noting the full condition of each individual tooth. This will determine much of the varied amount of dental work that may be needed to ensure oral health and wellbeing. Inta-oral photos may be taken to substantiate these findings.
• An Assessment of gum health and intraoral soft tissues will also be conducted
• Oral cancer screening.- Our friendly dentists will examine the soft tissues thoroughly and organise a referral to a specialist if necessary for any areas of concern.

Causes:
Bacteria living in our mouths can break down proteins and release bad smelling Sulphur waste. This can be exacerbated by proteins found in the coatings of our mouths and in our diets. By eliminating the coatings from the mouth that contain proteins and by reducing certain proteins in a person’s diet, Bad breath can be caused or worsened by:

• Smoking
• Possible diseases and health problems
• Poor oral hygiene
• Dry mouth
• Pregnancy
• Certain medications
• Foods such as garlic, onions and spices

How can we treat bad breath?

There are numerous steps you can take to kill bad breath including:

• Brushing and flossing frequently to remove plaque and bacteria
• Rinsing your mouth with alcohol FREE mouthwash
• Avoiding foods that can affect the breath, such as onion and garlic
• Giving up smoking
• Chewing sugar-free gum after meals to stimulate saliva
• Keeping your gums in a healthy condition

A mouth guard is a soft plastic or laminate device used in sports to prevent oral injuries to the teeth, mouth, cheeks, tongue and jaw. Any athlete may be at risk for oral injury and any injury can be prevented with the use of a mouth guard.

Impressions of your teeth are taken by our Dentist to ensure that the mouthguard fits exactly.

It is important to note that injuries to the teeth, mouth and jaws are some of the most common injuries that occur on the sporting field. The use of a mouthguard can protect your teeth from the impact of the injury itself and will protect your lips, cheeks and tongue from mouth lacerations, if you are hit by a ball, bat or another player

Some people may benefit from a custom made snoring mouth guard.

Snoring happens when a collapse, blockage or restriction to the upper airway obstructs the flow of air through the back of the mouth or nose. … Snoring is one of the main symptoms of sleep apnoea, where airways are obstructed during sleep until the person wakes up – often gasping for air

A custom snoring appliance may be an option for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea  A snoring mouth guard is  the most widely used dental device for sleep apnoea.  It is similar in appearance to a sports mouth guard.  The appliance forces the lower jaw forward and down slightly, which keeps the airway open.

Everything you eat and drink can have a major effect on the health of your teeth and gums, particularly whether you develop tooth decay, a diet related disease which is caused when the sugars in the food and drinks you eat are taken up by bacteria; these in turn produce the acids that can attack the outer layer of tooth enamel.

To ensure that your diet doesn’t negatively affect your teeth, here are a few key things to keep in mind:

Water
It’s calorie free, there are no ingredient labels to stress over, and it’s almost free! Even better, tap water in most areas of Australia contains fluoride, one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to help prevent tooth decay. If you choose water over anything else, and regularly sip it throughout the day, you’re going a long way to making real difference to the health of your teeth.

Limit your snacks
A key component in helping to prevent decay is saliva which helps your teeth recover from these attacks by neutralising the acids. Its good work, however, can be undone if you snack frequently between meals, which means your teeth don’t get a break from the acid attacks that occur when you eat.  Also, limit sugary treats to meal times, rather than between meals.

Be careful of what you eat
It is not just the obvious sweet foods and drinks such as lollies and soft drinks that can cause decay. Frequent snacking on foods with hidden sugars like biscuits, crackers, cereals, chips and even dried fruit (these foods break down into sugars in the mouth) can cause acid attacks on your tooth enamel.

Gum
Chewing sugar-free gum (and that’s the crucial qualifier, it must be sugar-free!) may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you’re thinking about good dietary habits that benefit your teeth. But studies have shown that chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after eating can prompt your mouth to produce more saliva, which helps neutralise decay-causing acid attacks.

What are Fissure Seals? Fissure sealants are thin coatings of white or clear dental material applied to the grooves (fissures) and pits of teeth by a Dentist. Most fissure sealants are applied to chewing surfaces of molars (back teeth). They offer protection of the tooth surface from tooth decay by keeping food and plaque out of the grooves and are an insurance policy for people of all ages.

A night guard for teeth grinding is a custom-fitted oral appliance that is made of a hard soft plastic. This type of guard is worn during sleep and prevents the teeth from scraping against each other. By addressing bruxism* early with professional treatment, you can prevent widespread damage to your teeth.

Bruxism by definition is a condition in which you grind, gnash or clench your teeth. If you have bruxism, you may unconsciously (for example in your sleep you may grind your teeth and not even know) clench your teeth when you’re awake (awake bruxism) or clench or grind them during sleep (sleep bruxism).