Soft Teeth
Is there really such a thing?
Is there really such a thing?
If you haven't said it yourself chances are that you've heard someone say it; I have soft teeth. But exactly what is that supposed to mean and is there really such a thing? The simple answer is no.
The Soft Teeth Myth
People often use the term 'soft teeth' to describe teeth that seem 'naturally susceptible' to tooth decay and cavities. When using the term people believe that such things are caused by some genetic flaw, as bad teeth do seem to run in their family. However, they are mistaken. Everyone is 100% in control of their dental destiny. No matter how many cavities your Dad has had fixed, or how many times your Mum has been in the dentist's chair to get bleeding gums looked at their oral health problems cannot be passed on to you.
There may be something that you have in common with your parents and other family members that may be contributing towards oral health problems; poor oral hygiene, and you are the only person who can change that.
Preventing 'Soft Teeth' Problems
Having established that there really is no such thing as soft teeth all of the problems that people associate with them are very real and do need to be addressed. Tooth decay - which leads to those fillings - is primarily caused by bacteria, and maintaining a good daily oral health routine will go a long way towards preventing it. Brush twice a day - at least - with a good toothbrush, floss at least once a day and avoid consuming too many sugary foods; it's not hard at all, but such a routine is still very effective.
There are of course other factors that can contribute to tooth decay. Those who still smoke are at greater risk and some medications can cause problems as well. The best way to address these issues is to discuss them with your dentist, so they can help you come up with a better way to care for your teeth. And speaking of the dentist, they are the other big part of the puzzle, as those regular checkups are also a must in the 'battle' against tooth decay and other oral health problems.
Setting a Good Example
The one time you can influence someone else's oral health destiny is when you are raising your kids. It's important that kids are taught about good oral health practices as early as possible, even when they still have their first set of teeth. All too often parents feel that toddler tooth problems are less serious and less worthy of treatment as the teeth kids have at this point are not permanent. Another myth. 'First tooth problems' can indeed impact the growth and development of permanent teeth and so establishing a good oral health routine right from the start, including dental checkups, is essential, and the one time it is a family issue!
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
It's time to face facts; ‘soft teeth’ ae a myth. They’re just teeth that need better care, and the responsibility for that care begins with you (and your dentist of course.)
Dental Flossing 101
Yes It's a Bother, But You Still Need to Do It...
Yes It's a Bother, But You Still Need to Do It
Flossing has, to be fair, been a topic of much discussion and even a little controversy over the last year or so, but, as we have explained before, it really is still a must. And, we'll admit, sometimes the most annoying and challenging part of a good oral health routine. It's a fiddly procedure that many of us get annoyed with and even get it more than a bit wrong sometimes. However, flossing the right way is not really as hard as it might seem, all you need to know are the basics of the best way to do it. Not really sure what those are? Read on to find out.
A Step by Step Guide to the Proper Way to Floss
After brushing your teeth take around 18 inches of dental floss and wrap the majority of it around your middle finger.
Next, wrap the remaining loose floss around the opposite finger, leaving enough floss between them to rub between your teeth comfortably.
Holding it tight between thumbs and forefingers, insert the floss between your teeth using a careful seesaw motion. Don't do so too quickly as you may injure the sensitive gum tissue around your teeth if you do.
Once the dental floss is between your teeth curve it into a rough 'c' shape around one of them and rub up and down gently, ensuring that you keep the floss pressed against the tooth. Again, go slow to avoid injury.
Reverse the 'c' to clean the other side of the tooth, repeat the process and then gently remove the floss from your teeth.
Clean all of your teeth in this manner, using fresh floss as necessary. Pay special attention to your back teeth, as this is where a great many instances of gum disease and tooth decay begin, as the tartar and plaque buildup there is much harder to see with the naked eye.
As we mentioned, some people get pretty desperate when they are stuck with a toothache that just won't quit. Two aspirins didn't work, so they take four. Four don't work either so they take four more. That, however, is a terrible idea. The correct dosage of an anti-inflammatory OTC pain reliever might provide some relief - hopefully it does - but if it doesn't, taking so many more that you start to rattle a bit is not going to help.
It also won't help to try to booze away the pain. Well, it might for a little while, if you drink enough, but within a couple of hours you'll have a banging hangover AND a terrible toothache to contend with and, if you were also popping Advil, you could seriously have damaged your health.
Then there are those weird home remedies that Google's thrown up for you. A few temporary pain killing home remedies do work (more about that in a moment) but most are nonsense. Some suggest gobbling garlic over a visit to a dentist asap, but unless you are also dealing with a vampire infestation or something, that really won't help. And don't even think about trying something daft like pulling your own tooth, whatever Grandpa might say.
Alternatives to Standard Floss - Are They Any Good?
Standard dental floss - which is basically just specially coated string - is pretty cheap and easy to find in the shops. However, since, even when they do understand the right way to use it some people skip flossing because it's too time consuming a number of products have been launched in an attempt to make flossing easier. But are they actually any good?
One inexpensive alternative to standard floss in a box are floss sticks, or floss picks as they are also known. Lots of people do prefer these to standard floss as a lot of the measuring and guesswork is taken out of the equation and although you can only really use each pick once for hygiene reasons, making it a bit pricier to use them, the potential oral health benefits of actually flossing make the investment worth it.
There are also several different kinds of 'mechanical flossers' on the market. Some make use of water, some make use of air and they are priced anywhere between $10 and about $75, depending on the model you choose. Some do work well, and a water flosser can be an especially good choice for those with braces or bridges, as they can remove food particles that brushes and flosses often miss. Should you make the larger investment in one of these gadgets? If you struggle to floss now but think they might change that, by all means go ahead.
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
The bottom line is, however you floss, you still need to do so and there's no getting out of it if you want to maintain truly healthy teeth!
5 Effective Ways to Overhaul Your Oral Hygiene Routine
It's important that your oral health routine focus on more than just the colour of your teeth...
Today
While most of us aspire to a celebrity-worthy pearly white smile, and will often spend a small fortune on whitening toothpastes, kits and treatments to achieve one, we can tend to overlook other important aspects of oral care and that's a big mistake. After all, what's the point in having pearly white gnashers if you also have rather rancid breath, inflamed gums, and or the beginnings of cavities lurking.
It's important that your oral health routine focus on more than just the colour of your teeth. Here are five very easy to implement changes you can make to your oral hygiene routine today to get a healthier smile, and not just a whiter one.
1. Practice Some Tongue Care
Your tongue is the single largest source of bacteria in your mouth, meaning it's a big contributor to bad breath and other oral nasties. And yet when most people clean their teeth they fail to clean their tongue, and it's very important to do so.
Yes, we know it sounds a bit weird but it's not a hard habit to get into. Some toothbrushes do come with a built-in tongue cleaner on the back, or you can buy an inexpensive tongue scraper. Either tool will strip your tongue of the excess gunk that builds up, but for an even better result follow up a scraping with a real brush of the tongue with toothbrush and toothpaste as well.
2. Forget the Hipster Toothpastes
Chances are your Mum and Dad have had you brushing with a fluoride toothpaste since you were a kid. But perhaps recently you've been noticing a number of new 'all-natural' toothpastes have been appearing that claim to do a better job at maintaining oral health than their traditional fluoride enhanced counterparts.
The simple fact is that they don't though. And while they may have cool packaging and funky, fun sounding flavours, we really do recommend sticking with the fluoride paste you grew up with. Fluoride guards your teeth from plaque and decay by strengthening the enamel and it's still a must in any effective oral hygiene routine.
3. Keep on Flossing
There's been a big debate of late over whether or not people really need to floss. It was opened up after a report was published that claimed research had shown that flossing had been overrated and that brushing might be enough.
Almost every dentist disagrees, but you don't even have to take their word for it. Even the fanciest, priciest toothbrush can't get all those little bits of food that get stuck between your teeth out, and if they stay where they are they'll begin to rot, leading to bad breath at best and cavities and infection at worst. Since flossing is a very effective way to get rid of between the teeth gunk on a daily basis to keep on using it really is just common sense.
4. Stay Hydrated
Bad breath - especially that rather potent 'morning breath' most of us are familiar with is, in large part, due to dehydration. When you sleep the production of cleansing saliva is decreased, as is the case when you are super-thirsty.
5. Don't Ditch Your Dental Appointments
Yes, we know, you're busy. And you really don't like going to the dentist. And because you do brush and floss every day like a good boy or girl you think your teeth are in pretty good shape, so it's probably OK to skip a check up this time around. But, no, it's really not.
In addition to that great deep cleaning you'll get, your dentist, as an expert in gum health as well, will be able to spot the signs of periodontal disease that it's harder for you to notice (until pain, swelling and/or infection sets in) and address it before it can cause any lasting damage. And although it sounds a bit morbid to mention it often the only way an oral cancer is diagnosed is after its symptoms are spotted by an eagle-eyed dentist.
The Emergency Dentist Says:
Good oral hygiene is about more than the shade of pearly white you can achieve with your 'brightening' toothpaste. An attractive mouth is one that is healthy as well as good looking, something that the tips we've shared here, really will help you achieve.
The Great Flossgate Debate
We take a look at the ongoing debate over flossing and if you should still be flossing away each day...
What's The Real Deal?
Dental floss. Chances are that you have some in your bathroom right now. And we wouldn't be too surprised if you've been wondering recently if it still actually belongs there. Over the last year or so dental floss - and the act of flossing at all - has become the subject of some rather heated debate worldwide, after an Associated Press 'investigation' published in 2016 suggested that the oral health benefits of flossing have been overblown. As you might expect, dentists across the globe for the most part disagreed. But what's the real story?
A Brief History of Dental Floss
If we are going to talk about dental floss and its real role in oral health it helps to know a bit about how it ever came to be in the first place. Although there is some evidence that even cave dwellers used rudimentary toothpicks, the concept of dental floss did not appear until the early 19th century courtesy of a scholarly dentist practicing in New Orleans in the US.
Levi Spear Parmly was not exactly your average dentist. He was a rather serious man who loved research as much as he did dentistry, becoming a noted author in the field at a relatively young age. It was in 1819 that he first wrote about his practice of making use of waxed silk threads to clean between his patient's teeth. He laid out his rationale for doing so by stating it was "to dislodge that irritating matter which no brush can remove and which is the real source of disease".
Dental floss was not made commercially available however until long after Parmly's death. In 1882 the Codman and Shurtleft company began producing unwaxed silk floss for general sale, but the concept didn't begin to really catch on until the Johnson & Johnson Corporation received a patent for dental floss made from the same silk thread that surgeons used for stitches.
Finally, dental floss as we know it came about during World War II, when a New Orleans doctor, Charles C. Bass, a man who had a great interest in how oral health affected general health, revisited Parmly's original concept of waxing the flossing thread, but he used nylon instead of silk, partially because it was cheaper and easier to work with than silk and partially because of its superior abrasion resistance.
Ask any dental student and they'll tell you that both Parmly and Bass are considered true pioneers in the field of preventative dentistry and that their work still influences the profession today. So, did two brilliant minds, working over half a decade apart, really get it all wrong?
Vintage advertising from Lister, above left and Crest, above right.
Dental Floss and THAT Report
Coming back to the 'Flossgate' debate (yes, people have called it that) of today, most dental educators dentists had similar responses to the AP report. The report, they said, missed the point completely when it comes the benefits of flossing for oral health.
Per many of them the research used as the basis for the piece did indeed show that yes, when flossing is performed incorrectly, there are no health benefits. But why would that come as a surprise to anybody they countered. In addition, the very same studies showed numerous benefits could be associated with flossing with proper technique. So, essentially, the "big" news was no news, simply a reiteration of what dentists had been saying all along, floss regularly and floss the RIGHT WAY and your oral health will be improved.
Let us not forget people who suffer from gum disease and other health problems resulting from less then sufficient oral hygiene habits. Patients with poor oral hygiene habits, poor diet and/or poor lifestyle habits may have early signs of oral disease or infection. Inheritance plays a massive role in periodontitis as well with genetics being a contributing factor in the onset of the disease.
Incorrect brushing techniques, regular smoking or a diet high in sugar may result in gum disease, which can be irreversible once the disease advances to periodontal disease. This may be even moreso for patients gentically predisposed to gum disease. For patients engaging in habits that lead to gum disease, they are often unaware of the physical signs and symptoms. For these patients regular flossing is imperative.
The Emergency Dentist Says:
Not everyone bought the arguments against the report and for some, the debate over flossing is still going on. However we side with majority of our peers and recommend regular flossing. Think you might need some help with your flossing technique? Make an appointment for a checkup (you know it's time anyway) and we'll be happy to give you a lesson.
The 'Green Food Diet'
After 10 plus years in dentistry we know prevention is the best medicine. In fact, what we do or don't eat can be very important when it comes to your smile...
Our Top 7 Green Foods For Good Health
At The Emergency Dentist Sydney we believe in holistic oral health care. General daily care, such as brushing and flossing, go a long way to your overall oral health but there's a lot more you can do to ensure a healthy smile. After 10 plus years in dentistry we know prevention is the best medicine. In fact, what we do or don't eat can be very important when it comes to your smile.
So, we say scrap the White Food Diet, green is the new white this St Patrick's Day. We have our top 7 picks for the most super duper green foods to keep your oral health and general health looking as good as your four year old self the first time you found a four leaf clover.
1. Green Tea
We recommend a good cup of green tea after any meal. Green tea is great for controlling bacteria in your saliva and lowering the level of acidity in it, which can cause cavities. It's also works great as an anti-inflammatory which is particularly useful in the control of periodontal (gum) disease. To top off green tea as a great choice for your oral health, it is also associated with good breath! We believe this is likely because the microbes that make our breath bad are broken down by the tea.
2. Snap Peas & Green Beans
The high fibre content of these crisp green vegetables help scrub your teeth, which breaks up the biofilm and plaque buildup on your teeth. This all happens while you chew, mimicking a toothbrush or flossing. The extra effort you put in to chewing these veggies speeds up saliva production, which keeps your teeth strong and helps digest your food. Overall, a great snack to help boost your smile.
3. Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruit has the highest concentration of vitamin C (along with strawberries). Vitamin C helps to prevent collagen in your gum tissue from breaking down and without collagen your gums become tender and open to disease and infection, such as periodontal (gum) disease. They're also a yummy fruit snack too.
4. Green Apples
One of your oral health's best friends. Green apples are a water rich food which stimulate saliva production and and keep your oral bacteria looking pretty good. Not only that, green apples are also a high fibre food which create a brushing or scrubbing effect when biting. This quite literally cleanses the surface of your teeth as you eat, wiping away bacteria. Ahh that fresh feeling after eating a green apple.
5. Celery
Similar to the kiwi fruit, celery is packed with Vitamin C. It's great to help fight against inflammation of your gums. The texture of the celery stick is also another great green food that acts as a mother nature's brush, cleaning your teeth as you chew.
6. Broccoli
Broccoli does two great things for your teeth, whiten and protect. A bad cook will serve you over cooked broccoli, boiled for too long. The key to this vegetable is to steam it. This cooks it just long enough for the florets (they're the dark green tops) to heat but also retain all of their vitamins. Broccoli contains vitamin C (see Kiwi Fruit), vitamin E, which helps aid the body in healing and has a good source of vitamin b2 and calcium, which help keep your teeth strong and white.
7. Avo
Who doesn't love an avo! Avocado's are great for helping your body absorb all of the good nutrients you need from all foods to help maintain good overall health. Not only that but they contain a great level of calcium, helping your teeth strong and vitamin B6, another essential nutrient which is good for your overall oral health.
The #EmergencyDentist Says:
We always recommend a well balanced healthy diet full of a variety of foods. If you're planning on celebrating St Patrick's Day this year have a Guiness on us and remember The #Emergency Dentist Sydney is always open for dental emergencies.
Oral Health Tip #02 – Flossing
Flossing your teeth effectively is important to making your daily oral health routine count. Take a look at our How To refresher on good flossing habits...
Floss once a day
Flossing your teeth effectively is important to making your daily oral health routine count. Take a look at our How To refresher on good flossing habits
When should I floss my teeth?
Simple rule, before you go to sleep.
After you've had dinner, or any late night snacks, make it an automatic ritual to brush and floss. #HotTip If you're starting out as a newbie and you haven't been a regular flosser in the past, try flossing your top teeth one night then your bottom teeth the next. You can alternate between the top and the bottom each night until you get used to it and get a bit faster. This is especially time consuming for people with braces too!
How do I floss correctly?
Start with 'the grab'. Technique: Wrap a long strand around your middle fingers (they're the rude ones), leaving your forefingers free.
Brace position. Technique: Hold the floss between your thumbs and forefingers in both hands.
Start on the Top. Floss the top teeth between each tooth and partly up between the gums and teeth, don't force it too much. Technique: Use your fingers to pull the floss back and forth, working your way from between the teeth to between the teeth and gums in a 'Y' shape.
Repeat step 3.
Do I brush first or floss?
We say, floss first. Everyone has a different opinion on this, we take a practical approach.
When you floss you are cleaning in between your teeth and, in most cases, you are moving particles of food from between your teeth to the inside of your mouth or the surfaces of your teeth. We therefore would recommend brushing after doing this. We like to compare it to cleaning under your nails vs washing your hands. Most people would want to wash their hands after removing dirt or other nasty things from under their finger nails. That's our theory.
But there is no concrete evidence to support either order of brushing vs flossing. As long as you are disrupting the happy lives of bacteria who build little communities and multiply on and in between your teeth, you are doing the right thing.
If you do prefer to brush before flossing, we recommend thoroughly rinsing after flossing.
The #EmergencyDentist Says:
Best practice is a nightly floss after dinner – It doesn't really matter if your brush before or after you floss
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