Yes, sweets (sugar) and acidic foods and drinks such as candy and soda could stick to your teeth and cause cavities. Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause oral cancer and gum disease. While teeth are strong enough to bite through ice and break open packets – gritting or grinding down on your front teeth may fracture them.
Yes, mouth rinses definately work, but only when used together with brushing teeth and teeth flossing. One shouldn’t rely only on mouth rinses to clean your teeth.
Children under 5 or 6 should not use mouth rinses as most cannot spit out the used mouth rinse properly and there is s risk of them swallowing it.
Fluoride has been scientifically proven to make teeth strong and prevent decay.
Crowns cover problem teeth by surrounding them in a material that looks like a real tooth. They use the tooth as a base to build on, then attach the material with special cement.
Veneers improve your smile by sticking a layer of smoother and whiter materials such as porcelain or resin to the natural tooth.
Tooth cavities extend through the tooth’s surface enamel and will increase in size unless they are closed off with fillings.
The dentist carefully numbs the your mouth before gently drilling around the tooth cavity in order to clean it out before applying a white composite filling which is a combination of quality materials or white mix into the cleaned out cavity. The composite (filling) begins as soft and then quickly hardens inside the cavity to now close off the exposed cavity.
Once the filling has set in the tooth, it can last for a very long time but will need replacing if they break or wear down.
You should brush your teeth twice daily. Once after breakfast or if you don’t eat breakfast, then brush teeth when you wake up and secondly just before you go to sleep (best not to eat or drink anything after brushing your teeth before bed time).
Believe it or not, the brushing your teeth before bed time is the most important.
A professor of mine from university once said that you don’t have to floss all your teeth – you only need floss the ones that you want to keep.
So, yes flossing is definately necessary.
A great alternative to traditional teeth flossing is the use of interdental brushes (a personal preference of mine) or even the use of water flossing can work well for some people.
Yes, but only if provided by your dentist. Over the counter products in South Africa are not really effective and not even proven to be safe by a recognized dental body.
Visit a dentist if you have any of these issues or see your child having trouble chewing or complaining of soreness:
- Mouth sores / swelling
- Jaw pain
- Redness inside or around the mouth
- Swollen face or gums (gingiva)
- Tooth sensitivity when chewing or drinking hot or cold foods and drinks
- Broken / Chipped teeth
- Bleeding gums
- Bad breath or a bad / sour taste in your mouth
Always remember getting your dental concern checked quickly will easily end up saving you from getting a root canal or even having and tooth extracted.
Sealants protect teeth against cavities that can form in the natural grooves on the top of the molar and premdar teeth. Children between the ages of 6 and 12 years would benefit the most from having sealants – although sealants can also be used on adult teeth.
Sealants can be expected to last between 2 – 4 years and longer in some cases.
Make sure that you use toothpaste containing flouride and that the flouride has the correct ion concentration – which is measured in parts per million (ppm) for yours and your child’s specific age group.
It is important to purchase a toothbrush with soft or even extra-soft bristles. Medium and firm toothbrushes can easily damage teeth and gums – honestly don’t know why shops even sell these.
Both electric and manual toothbrushes work equally well. It just comes down to personal preference.
Replace your toothbrush once the bristles become splayed out. Splayed out bristles clean teeth very poorly.
Regular, 6 monthly check-ups help to spot dental problems early which prevents bigger, more costly and painful treatments at a later stage.