Cold Sores and your Dental Appointment at Alex Bratic Dental Care
Cold sores are a common condition, particularly when the weather cools down. In fact, 25 per cent of people have recurring cold sores!
Cold sores are characterized by small blisters on your lips and are sometimes confused with canker sores, which can have similar symptoms.
The Ultimate Toothpaste Guide
The shelves in the dental hygiene aisle at stores are overstuffed with a variety of dental care products. The large selections make it overwhelming to choose the product that best suits your needs. The real question is, are all of the products offered appropriate for your teeth? How can you know which toothpaste is the best for your smile?
The role of toothpaste has always been to keep teeth clean and to assist in optimising oral health. With the enormous selections available at your grasp, it’s crucial to understand the benefits that each provides.
All toothpaste products are all unique in regards to the different formulas that are used. Below, Alex Bratic Dental offers you a description of the most popular toothpastes used for specific goals.
Use this guide as your aid when choosing the most suitable option.
The Top 5 Most Sugary and Unhealthy Drinks
In addition to tooth decay and cavities, sugar-sweetened beverages can also lead to other health risks including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
At Alex Bratic Dental Care, we take extra steps to help improve your dental care and oral health. From toothache to cosmetic dentistry, we are your partners in dental and overall health!
Alex Bratic Dental Care is conveniently located in City Road at Beenleigh. We are close to transport and our onsite parking is free and very easy to access.
4 Ways Pregnant Women Can Protect Their Dental Health
A pregnancy should be a wonderful time for a woman, full of the promise of the future. But a pregnancy can also be a time with many demands on the woman’s time. One thing that should not be overlooked, for the safety of the mother and the child, is proper dental care.
Happily, most routine treatment is perfectly safe during pregnancy. During the first trimester, however some procedures and medications should be avoided. For proper treatment, be sure your dentist knows you are pregnant.
Top 7 Best Practices for Good Oral Health
The Problem With Bleeding Gums
You’re brushing your teeth and when you spit out your toothpaste you notice a trace of crimson. Perhaps you notice some bleeding at your gum line when you floss. The amount of blood involved might not seem like a big deal. However, if your gums are bleeding regularly, it is dangerous ignore it.
Bleeding gums are often a sign of gingivitis or some more serious condition. If you do notice tenderness or bleeding, your first stop should always be at Alex Bratic Dental Care in Beenleigh.
What Causes Bleeding/Tender/Inflamed Teeth?
Most cases of bleeding gums are due to dental plaque (bacterial deposits) and calculus (tartar) building up where the teeth and gums come together. This causes the gum tissues to become inflamed, which is known as gingivitis. If plaque and calculus continue to accumulate over time, continuing inflammation can lead to bad breath, tenderness and bleeding.
New Year Dental Health Tips
It’s that time of the year again! We try to sum up last year and make resolutions for the New Year.
Resolutions are an important part of the New Year because they provide us with goals and directions. Resolutions encourage us to surpass our previous achievements and challenge ourselves in new ways.
Why not add some dental health based New Year resolutions into the resolutions you have already made? Healthier teeth can create a brighter smile, better health, and even save you money.
‘Tis the Season to be Healthy: Dental Tips for Holidays
‘Tis the season for sweets and treats! Unfortunately sweets and treats can come with damage to your dental health. But if you maintain good oral health and habits during the holiday season, you can keep your smile bright and give yourself a precious gift: healthy, attractive teeth!
Holiday parties and events come along with sugary treats and drinks. During the holiday hustle and bustle oral hygiene can be put aside. The holidays, however, are among the most important times to practice good oral hygiene. Alex Bratic Dental Care in Beenleigh wants to help keep your teeth safe from the damage that sugary treats and drinks can cause.
Don’t let December Damage your Dental Bliss
Resist the candy canes and sweet treats. Snack on carrots instead and save your teeth.
Avoid Sweets
Strong sweets can affect teeth for 20 minutes or more after consumption.
Decay and gingivitis take advantage of weakened enamel due to sugar-induced acids in the mouth.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dental Care
Need a Filling? Ask Your Dentist About Composite Fillings
While іt іѕ роѕѕіblе to kеер thеm healthy for lіfе, оddѕ аrе уоur teeth will rеԛuіrе trеаtmеnt аt some роіnt.We аrе ѕреаkіng, of course, аbоut tooth dесау. Often caused bу еxсеѕѕіvе sugar іntаkе, tooth dесау can lеаd tо a hole іn a tooth called a саvіtу. And аѕ we all know, cavities muѕt bе filled tо рrеvеnt furthеr dаmаgе to teeth.
Past Practice
In thе раѕt, аmаlgаm fillings mаdе of mеtаlѕ such аѕ silver оr gold wеrе uѕеd to stop thе spread of a cavity аnd to improve thе dаmаgеd tооth’ѕ structural іntеgrіtу. Gеnеrаllу ѕреаkіng, thеу performed ԛuіtе well bесаuѕе amalgams were durаblе аnd еаѕу tо wоrk with.
How Eating Disorders Affect Your Oral Health
Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia can be devastating to oral health and dental appearance.
Anorexia causes a person to radically deprive their body of nutrients vital to oral health, resulting in weakened bones and tooth enamel. The immune system is also depressed impeding the patient’s ability to fight off infections.
Bulimia (compulsive overeating and regurgitating) results in rapid damage to teeth and gums as a result of stomach acids passing through the mouth. Deterioration of tooth enamel, chipping, and discolouration quickly cause problems for the patients.
How to Manage Mouth Ulcers
4 Ways To Protect Your Teeth from Juicing Damage
Juicing is known to provide tremendous health benefits and is a very popular way to boost your fruit and vegetable consumption. Because it only involves fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing can help fight inflammation and diseases such as arthritis and cancer.
On the other hand, when it comes to your oral health, juicing has both upsides and downsides. While juicing is generally healthy for your mouth, it has also a direct effect on your dental health, especially on your teeth.
Top 4 Amazing Benefits of Brushing and Flossing
Good dental care, which involves brushing and flossing, will help you to achieve healthy, beautiful smile. This routine is an important part of your health program, as it can help prevent the threat of various oral health diseases such as tooth decay and gum diseases.
Aside from home care, getting regular professional clean is an essential part of good dental care. Caring for your mouth reduces your risk for various dental and medical conditions, and provides you with the following benefits:
• Fresher breath
• Whiter teeth and brighter smile
• Prevents gum problems
• Keeps you from expensive dental procedures
6 Ways Unhealthy Teeth Can Affect Your Health
Dental pain and bleeding gums are indications of poor oral health and unhealthy mouth. Not taking good care of your teeth will not only cause bad breath, but it can also lead to serious health issues, which affects your skin, heart, lungs and kidneys.
Studies show that people suffering from gum disease are almost twice as likely to develop coronary artery disease compared to those who have healthy gums. Oral bacteria can also affect the memory as some researchers suggest a link between poor dental health and increased risk of dementia. Moreover, poor dental health can also hurt your blood sugar, affects your breathing, and increases the risk of pancreatic cancer and chronic kidney disease.
The Top 7 Causes of Toothache
5 Tips to Help You Get Ready for Dental Visits
Visiting the Dentist? Get ready! Get Set! Go!
Being ready helps you make the most of your dental visits.
Be it a routine checkup, teeth cleaning, or a treatment, here are a few things you should do.
The Top Benefits of Regular Dental Cleaning
Brushing and flossing your teeth may not be enough to clean your mouth completely. While these activities are fundamental to your home dental care, nothing compares with the care provided by your dental team.
Professional dental cleaning is more than an elaborate version of your oral hygiene at home. It is vitally essential to the health of your teeth and gums, and skipping one appointment can trigger dental problems.
Prevention and Treatments for Top 10 Mouth Problems
Toothache – Indicates a cavity or a symptom of gum disease. It could also be a sign of an abscess or impacted tooth.
Sensitive Teeth – Teeth hurt when you consume hot or cold drinks. It could be due to tooth decay, worn tooth enamel, gum disease or receding gums.
Bleeding Gums – It can be a sign of gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease or the outcome of brushing too hard.
How Acidic Drinks Put Your Teeth At Risk
Professional Teeth Cleaning Improves Oral Health
How to Manage Dry Mouth
In my last Blog, I discussed the cause of a dry mouth.
In Part 2, I will provide some guidelines for the management of a dry mouth.
Firstly, a little basic Chemistry- Saliva is made up mostly of water but also contains ions and minerals & enzymes that protect your teeth, gums and mucosa (the lining of your mouth).
Importantly, saliva contains bicarbonate and ammonium, which neutralises acids produced by the bacteria in your mouth. This Acid acts to soften the tooth, which causes decay. Saliva is your body’s protection against decay. If there is no or little saliva, you have very little protection. While there is no cure for a dry mouth there are a number of steps that can be taken to manage the symptoms and reduce the risk of decay.
5 Causes of Dry Mouth
Having a dry mouth can be quite uncomfortable, unpleasant and limits normal daily functions like eating and speech. The sensation of a dry mouth is usually caused by a lack of saliva. This lack of saliva is not only uncomfortable but also increases the risk of many oral diseases such as tooth decay, gum disease and fungal infections.
Dry MouthWhat causes the lack of Saliva?
In-adequate hydration: Adequate hydration is required to produce the large volume of saliva we need to produce each day. I recommend 1.5 to 2 litres of tap water daily. Tap water is almost the only drink that has a neutral pH. Most drinks including fruit juice, soft drinks and energy drinks are both acidic (softening your valuable tooth enamel) and contain sugar. Tap water, as opposed to bottled water, also contains a low concentration of fluoride which helps to harden tooth enamel.
Childrens Treats? A Cause for Concern
Rates of tooth decay were steadily declining in Australia through the 1970’s and 80’s to a low point in the mid 1990’s. Since then rates have again increased back to where they were in the 1980’s. What is responsible for this increase?
As a father of two girls aged 6 and 9 I have noticed social and dietary changes that have contributed to this trend. In our house my wife & I keep the sugar to a minimum. In general, on a day to day basis in our house there is no soft drink, juice, biscuits, cakes, ice-cream, chocolates or lollies. I know, sounds like no fun but they do have tuckshop once a week, relatively healthy snacks at home & usually on the weekend if we are out the girls might score something special or two. We need to be firm with the “day to day” because too often sugary treats still come their way.
Dental Check-up: More than just looking for decay
In my last Blog, I discussed the benefits of a check up in the early detection of tooth decay but a dental check up involves so much more than just looking for tooth decay.
The dentist will also look for signs of premature wear from clenching & grinding. Early detection & implementing preventative strategies can potentially same thousands of dollars over the long term. Not to mention saving you many hours of operative dental treatment!
As dentists we also look for signs of acid erosion which has become more frequent with the increasing consumption of acidic beverages. Another cause of damage to teeth most people do not consider is that caused by incorrect brushing technique – either brushing too hard, using a hard bristle brush or both.
