+ Bruxism

Did you know that 1 in 10 people grind or clench their teeth?

Bruxism is also known as excessive grinding or clenching of the teeth that is not part of the normal chewing patterns. Over time, it may lead to worn and flat teeth. Often patients will have a history of broken teeth and lost fillings. Bruxism can lead to damage to the jaw joints (TMJ).

Most people brux during sleep, but some people also do it during the day.

• 80% of grinding is related to breathing issues
• The remaining 20% is related to stress

How do I know if I grind/clench my teeth

• you wake up frequently with headaches or sore jaws (earache or pain in the jaw joint)
• you have sensitive teeth
• your teeth are flat/worn down and all the same length
• you can see chips or crack lines in your teeth
• you make noise/sounds when you are sleeping-a partner/family member will say that it sounds like 2 bricks rubbing against each other

How do you treat Bruxism? A night guard or splint is like a mouthguard that is used to protect your teeth from further damage, but however it doesn’t stop you grinding your teeth. Sometimes a sleep test is needed to determine if you are grinding your teeth due to Sleep Apnoea (for further information please go into the Sleep Apnoea tab).

+ Children's Dentistry and the Child Dental Benefit Scheme (CDBS)

We encourage parents to bring their children in to see us from 2-3 years of age, that way we can make sure that you are brushing their teeth correctly and we are able to address any concerns that you may have early on. We will teach you ways to prevent your child from needing fillings and do our best to educate you on which foods can cause decay. We will show you how to look after and clean your childs teeth. We want them to have a positive experience at the dentist and so we have a television on the roof so that they can watch cartoons while having their treatment done.

Often a good way to introduce dentistry to your child is to bring them in when you have your own dental visit, that way they can familiarize themselves with the clinic and see you having dental treatment done. Just like adults, we recommend children come in every 6 months to maintain good dental health.

Do you have receive payments for your child from the Government? If so, your child may be eligible for a range of services including check-ups, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and taking out teeth.

Eligible children must be aged between 2-17 years old and will have access to a benefit cap of $1,000 over a two calendar year period.

To check if you are eligible: Call the clinic on 9318-7678 with your Medicare card details handy so we can check on your behalf.

+ Crowns

Dental Crowns or 'Caps'

A crown is a single tooth that fits over an existing tooth to protect it and prevent it from breaking.

A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by using the adjacent natural teeth as anchors. The bridge is cemented on to the natural teeth and is fixed in place. It can be an alternative way to replace missing teeth if you are having trouble wearing dentures.

When is a crown needed?
Sometimes teeth can be weakened because of decay, large fillings, trauma (an accident), or root canal treatment or age related wear and tear. We can change the shape and colour of teeth by placing crowns on them.

What are crowns/bridges made of?

• Porcelain (tooth coloured crown)
• Metal alloy (gold or silver coloured crown)

What are the steps involved in a crown/bridge?

• A crown or bridge requires 2 appointments.
• Before we begin your crown/bridge we will take xr-ays to check the condition of your teeth.
• During the first appointment, we will shape your tooth to make space for the crown/bridge.
• Then we take a mould/impression and send it to our local dental laboratory to make the crown/bridge.
• Then a temporary crown/bridge to protect your tooth. It takes 2-3 weeks for a crown/bridge to be made
• Lastly, on the final appointment we will cement the crown/bridge on your tooth.

+ Dental Implants

A Dental implant is a fake tooth root that is placed into the jaw bone to replace a missing natural tooth.

• A Crown is placed on top of an implant to replicate a real tooth. It looks and functions exactly like a real tooth.
• Dental implants can replace one or more teeth and two dental implants can be anchored together to make a bridge.
• Implants can be an alternative to dentures and bridges.
• Sometimes dentures can even be anchored onto implants to stop them from moving around in the mouth or becoming loose.

+ Hygienist

Hygienists are dental clinicians who focus in preventing gum disease. They do this by carrying out scaling and polishing of teeth on a regular basis. Their goal is to look after your gum health by giving expert advice on oral hygiene. They can also help treat gum infections and gum disease.

Hygienists can perform a number of procedures under the guidance of a dentist, these include:

• taking x-rays and photos of your teeth
• taking moulds of teeth for braces assessment
• putting braces on teeth
• changing wires on braces and reviewing the movement of your teeth
• putting Composite buttons on for Invisalign patients
• place Fissure Sealants on teeth
• perform Teeth Whitening procedures
• giving Local Anaesthetic and performing deep cleans to treat gum disease

+ Orthodontics and Invisalign

Orthodontic treatment can be used to straighten teeth to improve their appearance, function and health. It is usually accomplished by using braces to move and align the teeth. Due to advances in technology, this can also be done with retainers (clear plastic trays that are moulded to teeth). Commonly known as Invisalign.

Why do some people need braces? Often people have crooked teeth due to genetics and this can cause problems with:

• Chewing: if your teeth do not meet properly it can be difficult to chew food properly and this can lead to indigestion
• Cleaning: crooked teeth/overlapping teeth can be difficult to brush and floss well, food can often get stuck between teeth leading to decay
• Difficulty with speaking: because the teeth and tongue don’t sit in the correct positions
• Worn/sensitive teeth: because teeth don’t fit together properly they can often get damaged when people are chewing

What is a good age to start treatment? Braces are most commonly worn during the teen years between 10-17 years of age. A thorough assessment is made by taking xrays, moulds and photos. Sometimes treatment can begin earlier to prevent dental problems from becoming worse later in life. Adults can also have Orthodontic treatment too.

Invisalign invisible braces If you have crooked teeth and would like them straighter but don’t want to wear braces, then Invisalign can be the perfect solution.

Before starting Invisalign we do a Virtual treatment plan for you, which is a simulated video showing you the sequence of teeth movement. That way, you can see what your teeth will look like at the end of your treatment even before you begin!

Invisalign involves having custom made clear retainers/aligners to move the teeth. Every 2-3 weeks a new mould is taken of your teeth and a new set of aligners are issued and slowly over time your teeth begin to move.

The benefits’ of Invisalign is that the retainers can be removed while you are eating and drinking. It is also easier to clean your teeth because you can take them off. There are also no wires or metal brackets that can poke into the gums.

+ Porcelain Veneers and Bonding

Veneers are thin shells (kind of like the thickness of your nail) that are permanently cemented or bonded to the front surfaces of teeth to improve their shape and colour. They can be made of either composite resin (a plastic mouldable material) or high-strength porcelain. Dental veneers can be used to:

• Fix chipped/broken teeth
• To close spaces/gaps between teeth
• Make crooked teeth appear straighter
• To change the shape of teeth
• Change the colour of teeth that cannot be whitened
• Fix worn down teeth

What are the steps involved in a porcelain veneer?

• Firstly, the tooth is slightly shaved down to make room for the veneer
• Then a mould/impression is taken of the tooth and sent to our local lab
• We will help you help pick you shade that is right for you and the veneers will be custom to fit your teeth.
• At your final appointment, we will try the veneers onto your teeth to check that you are happy with the colour, shape and size of the veneers.
• Then we cement them onto your teeth

+ Root Canal Treatment

Root Canal Treatment is a process that involves removing the nerve inside the tooth, due to infection. This can occur because tooth decay has progressed into the nerve or the tooth has broken and the nerve has been exposed. Once the nerve has been contaminated by the germs in our mouth, the nerve dies and sometimes the infection builds up leading to pain and facial swelling. Often the pain can be so severe that it causes loss of sleep.

Due to modern advances in technology, we no longer need to remove these teeth and they can now be saved instead by having a Root Canal.

What are the steps involved in Root Canal Treatment?

• Root Canal Treatment usually requires 2-3 appointments
• On the first visit, your dentist will numb your tooth, so that you do not feel any pain at all. Then a hole is made in the middle of the tooth so that the nerve/s inside can be carefully removed.
• The second visit involves taking x-rays to determine the length of each tooth root and it is cleaned and the root canal space is prepared
• On the last visit the root canal space is filled with a rubber like material called Gutta Percha and the hole is sealed over with a filling

Ideally after the Root Canal Treatment is completed, a Crown is recommended to protect the tooth.

+ Sleep Apnoea

Did you know that 1 in 4 men suffer from Sleep Apnoea?

And 1 in 9 women suffer from Sleep Apnoea?

Sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. People who suffer from sleep apnoea frequently wake up during sleep and as a result are very tired during the day. It is commonly associated with snoring.

Snoring occurs when you breathe through your mouth instead of your nose and your uvula (the little dangly pink thing hanging at the back of your throat) vibrates and makes a noise.

Snoring is not normal in adults and should be investigated to find out the cause. In children deep or heavy breathing is considered to be the equivalent of snoring in adults and it is also not normal. Some children will grind their teeth in their sleep too. Children who snore can often have behavioral issues and learning difficulties and crooked teeth. The good news is that Sleep Apnoea can be treated.

If you think you or your child has Sleep Apnoea please call the clinic to make a time to come in for an assessment.

For adults, we will recommend a sleep test to determine the severity of your Sleep Apnoea and if it is mild, a dental device called a Mandibular Advance Splint (MAS) can be custom made for you. If you are found to have severe Sleep Apnoea then we would recommend another form of treatment.

+ Teeth Whitening

If you have stained or yellow/grey teeth, and you would like a brighter smile, teeth whitening is a great minimally invasive solution. We usually recommend patients try whitening first because it is an economical way to improve the appearance of your whole smile.

There are two types of whitening:

• Take home whitening: whereby we make custom whitening trays of your mouth and supply you with dental grade whitening product. You wear these for 30 minutes dailty and after a few days the teeth start to whiten in colour. Most people achieve the desired results after 2 weeks of use.
• In chair whitening: As compared to take home whitening, this procedure involves the dentist applying a stronger concentration of whitening gel onto your teeth and then activating the gel with a blue laser light. This type of whitening produces fast results (about an hour) and is great for those who have a special occasion to go to, or simply want immediate results.

+ Wisdom Teeth Problems

When we are in our late teens to early 20s, our wisdom teeth usually start to grow into our mouths. If there isn’t enough room for them, they can become infected and painful.

Wisdom teeth can cause the following problems:

• Difficulty cleaning between the teeth: this is because the wisdom tooth is so far inside that mouth that it is diffulct to reach
• Swelling of the face
• Infected gums: because food gets caught under the gum flap as the wisdom tooth is impacted and there isn’t enough space for it to come through fully
• Movement of teeth in front
• Decay of the molars in front of it
• Biting of the cheek: if the wisdom tooth has overgrown
• Cyst formation in the jawbone

Here at My Dental Clinic we can remove impacted wisdom teeth. Often surgery is required. However, prior to doing so we will take a full mouth x-ray called an OPG (we have the machine on site and can do it for you on the same day as your consultation). We will also spend a long time going through the procedure with you to make sure you understand the benefits and risks in removing wisdom teeth.