Dental Article

Periodontal Health: What is Gingivitis?

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | May 19, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, General Dentistry, Gum Disease, Oral Health Northmead, Oral Hygiene

Gingivitis and gum disease are common dental terms that most people often used interchangeably. But according to dental experts, gingivitis is actually the early stage and mild form of gum disease. The condition is generally triggered by lack of proper dental care, which encourages the development of plaque and eventually, tartar.

Moreover, gum disease is inflammation and infection that damages the tissues supporting teeth. In gingivitis, gums become pinkish, swollen, inflamed and bleed when brushing the teeth. Also, most people can acquire a mild case of gingivitis some period of their lifetime. However, if gingivitis is left untreated, it can progress to a severe gum disease called periodontitis.

Common Symptoms of Gingivitis

If you experience or notice the following symptoms, then it is time for you to visit your dentist for the inspection of your gum health. These includes:

Effects of Stress and Oral Health Connection to Dental Wellbeing

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | May 5, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, General Dentistry, Gum Disease, Oral Health Northmead, Oral Hygiene, Preventive Dentistry

People who are under stress are quite noticeable at one glance. You will see changes in their appearance and actions. This is because stress can highly affect your general health, including your sleep and daily habits. On the other hand, stress also upsets the health of your mouth, teeth and gums. Researchers have discovered a link between stress and oral health. That is why if you are stressed today, you must double your efforts to uphold your oral health so as to help your body prevent upcoming dental health problems.

Know More about Stress and Oral Health Relationship

Cortisol, the stress hormone, is extremely raised when you are undergoing stress. This is why your immune system becomes weak and your body’s defenses against infections are ineffective. Plaque’s harmful oral bacteria are then ready to invade your gums, making stressed individuals highly susceptible to gum disease.

Aside from gum problems, stress has been also associated with the following oral health issues:

How to Take Care of Yourself After Root Canal Treatment

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Apr 21, 2015 | Dental Article, General Dentistry, Oral Health Northmead, Preventive Dentistry, Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment, also referred to as endodontics, is a dental procedure done when the dental pulp becomes infected due to decay or injury. When the tooth has darkened in colour, it only indicates that the nerve of the tooth has died. For this reason, one is required to have root canal treatment. If the procedure is not performed, the infection will spread and damage the tooth totally.

After the procedure, the tooth becomes weak and sensitive, that is why your dentist may require you to have a crown or filling to strengthen the tooth. But first, it is important that you are aware of what to expect and what are the useful aftercare tips you should do following root canal treatment.

What to Expect after Root Canal Treatment

Your tooth may give you discomforts or exhibits a dull pain right after the root canal therapy. The tooth will be sensitive when biting and could appear to feel loose. This feeling must be experienced temporarily.

Tooth Extraction: Tips to Recover Faster

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Mar 27, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, Emergency Dentist Northmead, Oral Hygiene

Tooth extraction is a procedure that lets you say goodbye to your natural and permanent teeth.There are various reasons why a tooth must be removed. The most common would be due to decay or damage. At times, teeth are extracted because of treatments such as head and neck radiation, chemotherapy and orthodontic procedures.

Whatever the reasons may be, you must take care of yourself after the treatment so as to help you and your mouth recover faster.

Tooth Extraction Recovery Tips

Healthy Diet

Other patients tend to lose weight after the procedure due to nausea and eating difficulties; thus eating well must be the first priority here. To help your body heal, you must always eat enough meals in a day to get the needed nutrition.

Dental Sealants for Your Child’s Teeth

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Mar 17, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, Oral Health Northmead, Preventive Dentistry

Children are fond of eating sweet foods and drinking sugary beverages that is why it’s not surprising why at their age cavities start to attack the teeth, affecting the development and health of adult teeth in the future. But there is one tool of prevention parents should really consider for their children’s oral health, and this is called dental sealants.

What is Dental Sealants?

A tooth sealant is thin plastic coating that can be either clear or white. They are bonded on teeth’s pits and grooves. Sealants are usually applied on teeth’s chewing and biting surfaces. The procedure is not painful, as it doesn’t involve drilling and shots.

Interdental Brushes: The Proper Way to Use Them

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Feb 26, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, General Dentistry, Gum Disease, Oral Health Northmead, Oral Hygiene, Preventive Dentistry

Plaque removal is crucial for the upholding of your oral and general well-being. Then and now, this has been emphasised by many health experts, particularly dental professionals, in every possible way.

Ordinary toothbrushing may not be enough to get rid of interproximal (in between) plaque. Dental floss, on the other hand, is not also utilised by many people on a regular basis. Thus, there’s another solution you must try to eliminate plaque effectively, and that is through interdental brushes.

What are Interdental Brushes?

Used for interdental cleaning, which means cleaning in between teeth, an interdental brush has a small bristled head exclusively designed to scrub the spaces between your teeth. They have different widths to match the sizes of your teeth gaps and are available from grocery stores and pharmacies. Interdental brushes are good alternatives to flossing and is even considered to be more efficient in removing hard-to-reach plaque compared to dental floss.

Choosing Tooth-coloured Fillings for your Teeth

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Feb 13, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, General Dentistry, Oral Health Northmead, Oral Hygiene

More people have been treated with dental fillings to prevent and stop the development of decay on teeth. Nowadays, tooth-coloured fillings are becoming more ideal than the coloured ones. Primarily because this kind of fillings are natural looking so you can at least retain the actual shade of your teeth even though you’ve already undergone a treatment.

Comparing Tooth-coloured Fillings to Others

Before, white fillings are considered less long lasting compared to amalgam fillings. Currently, new materials for fillings have been introduced and they are practically as good as amalgam. Also, these materials are proving to be very effective.

Your white fillings can last depending on their location in your mouth, your bite and, of course, the way you take care of it. Your dentist will inform you how long your tooth-coloured fillings can last.

Fillings can be replaced when your dentist have decided to. If this happens, you can ask your dentist to have it replaced with a white filling. Back then, white fillings are not suitable to be treated on back teeth due to their inefficiency, but since these fillings have improved, your dentist can now also use white fillings to fill them.

The Kind of Toothpaste your Teeth Needs

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Jan 28, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, General Dentistry Articles, Oral Health Northmead, Oral Hygiene, Preventive Dentistry, Teeth Whitening Northmead

Toothpastes are innovative and handy solutions created to enhance the oral health of many people. Without them, brushing of teeth might be less exciting and efficient.

Nowadays, there are different kinds of toothpastes available at leading drugstores and supermarkets. Your only job is to pick the one you are most comfortable with or the one that satisfy the needs of your teeth.

Toothpaste Variations

There are four common types of toothpaste you can usually see at the bay of grocery stands and on advertisements. These are:

Best Reminders for Brushing Baby Teeth

by Dr Thomas Choi (dentist) | Jan 22, 2015 | Dental Article, Dentist Northmead, General Dentistry Articles, Oral Health Northmead, Oral Hygiene, Preventive Dentistry

Cleaning your baby’s first set of teeth is a good start to promote healthy teeth and gums.

This set of teeth may be small yet they have a huge role when your child grows up. Without the complete set of teeth, your child may experience difficulties in speaking clearly and chewing foods.

Even they are not yet teething, the gums also must receive the proper treatment and care it deserve as it is the foundation for upcoming baby teeth.

The Right Time to Brush Baby Teeth

If your baby doesn’t have teeth yet, clean their gums using a soft moistened washcloth. Do this after their feeding time and before you lay them to bed at night.

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