Thursday, May 24, 2018
What is Invisalign - Patient Examination
Watch on YouTube here: What is Invisalign - Patient Examination
Via https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAiPbUj7kY6spKTfs88dtVg/videos
Friday, February 9, 2018
Teeth Grinding Prevention
Nooo, I don’t grind my teeth!
Examining my patients’ mouths, almost every day I come across a few with enamel wear mainly as a result of grinding. When I ask them about it, I get the usual answer of:
Noooo, I don‘t grind! No one’s ever told me I grind in my sleep!
Ok now let me tell you some facts:
- Most people have the idea that grinding is caused unconsciously at night only and if they grind, someone from their family or friends would have heard them and let them know about it at some stage. Yes, grinding happens unconscious but not necessarily at night. Actually, it happens quite often during day time when people focus on doing their jobs or driving or even exercising.
- The other thing is that stress is one of the reasons for grinding but not THE reason. For example, one of the reactions of the brain to airway narrowing, like a blocked nose, can manifest as grinding. Sleep apnea can also cause grinding or clenching.
So what are the consequences of enamel wear? Apart from issues like sensitivity, the most important concern that has a massive effect on patients’ well-being is loss of height from the lower part of the face. When you grind, you shorten your teeth so the lower jaw compensates by turning forward and upward which puts a lot of pressure on the jaw joint and muscles of the face and causes corners of the lips to drop down. Also, in a normal mouth, back teeth contact each other but front teeth are slightly apart as front teeth are to bite onto food only. When back teeth flatten, front teeth contact each other and start wearing down as well.
How do I know if I grind my teeth in my sleep? Simply, look in the mirror.
- Look at the pictures and photos below and compare them with your teeth.
Natural Teeth
Natural Teeth
Mild Enamel Wear
Typical Teeth Grinding Indicators we see in our Brisbane Dental Practice
Teeth mark on the border of the tongue which is called scalloped tongue. These indentations are the result of compression of the tongue against the adjacent teeth.
White line on the inner side of the cheek or linea alba which is a horizontal streak on the inner surface of the cheek, level with the biting plane and can be sign of clenching or grinding.
So how can Excellence in Dentistry help cure your teeth grinding?
First, we do some investigation to figure out the cause of enamel wear then accordingly we address the issue.
- For a night time teeth grinding cure, we can make you a night mouthguard to help protect your teeth.
- If there’s narrowing of the airways, treatment can be range from a simple nasal spray at night to seeking help from ENT doctor. Sleep apnea can be treated with special mouth devices or you may need to see a Sleep physician.
- Day time grinding and clenching? We’ll go through techniques with you to be able to control the parafunction and be aware of it. In rare cases we recommend a Day Guard.
- To restore the enamel and regain the loss of facial height, we can build up the lost enamel with composite material or ceramics. There are a lot of options available in different price range; each with its own cons and pros.
If you need more details or you’re worried about what I mentioned above, don’t hesitate. Come over and I can examine your teeth and mouth and discuss your options with you.
Simply click the call or email button below
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Monday, December 4, 2017
Inchair vs Home Whitening
Dentist Sally Farhandi discusses some differences between Professional InChair Whitening and Home teeth whitening kits
Looking for more information -> https://www.dentalxlnc.com.au/teeth-whitening/
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Overcoming Dental Phobia and Anxiety
Scared of the dentist but need treatment?
We come across many patients who are anxious or nervous when it comes to dentists. For all the people who avoid going to dentists due to fear. You might have needle phobia. You might have previous bad experiences. Or sometimes there’s no particular reason for it. You’re just afraid of the whole thing when it comes to Dentistry.
Firstly, I want to tell you please don’t be embarrassed because a lot of people are out there like you. Fear of dentistry is actually very common.
We are here to help you. We’re not here to judge you. The issue is when you avoid going to the dentist, you end up with more problems, bigger problems, and bigger problems mean more major treatment, more trauma. Like, if you leave a sensitive tooth for too long, you may end up needing an extraction, and an extraction is a far more traumatic experience compared to a small filling.
Overcoming Anxiety and Treatment Options
I should say the technology has changed. The equipment and materials that we use these days are far less uncomfortable comparing what they used to be. Even the teaching of the dental team has changed towards anxious and fearful patients. These days, we get a lot of training in dealing with people who are not comfortable in coming to dentists.
Saying all that, you just need to make the first move. The first session usually is a consultation only. We have a chat with you. We get to know you. We get to know your fears. And then if you feel comfortable, we’re going to do an examination of your mouth. And we’ll figure out what’s needed to be done. Then we’re going to discuss the options you have for reducing your anxiety.
Brisbane Dentist Excellence in Dentistry strives to overcome your anxiety in many ways, there’s a T.V. on the roof – while you’re lying back, you can watch something, and it’s a very good distraction. You can always bring your own music with you and listen through earphones or we can provide you with some calming music and earphones.
We can administer happy gas for you. Happy gas calms you down and heightens the pain threshold. It’s a very safe gas, and the best thing about it is that at the end of the treatment, you can just go back to your routine, daily life. You can even drive.
We can always prescribe you some sedatives to have the night before and the day that you come here for treatment. It’s another effective way of calming you down.
Also, I.V. sedation or Twilight sedation is available as well. A medical doctor will put some sedatives into your bloodstream and you’re going to be very, very relaxed. You are not going to remember much afterwards. It is less traumatic than general anaesthesia for the body. You are going to be awake, but as the name says, you’re going to be in and out. You need to have the next day off to rest. And also, at the end of the procedure, someone has to drive you home.
The post Overcoming Dental Phobia and Anxiety appeared first on Excellence in Dentistry.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Snoring
Most of us have someone around who snores or we snore ourselves. Also, how many of us have made fun of that Auntie whose snoring can be heard from the other room or recorded dad’s snore to prove to him “he snores!”? All the fun making aside, I would like to bring your attention the seriousness of snoring. Snoring is caused by vibration of uvula at the back of the mouth and the closing or narrowing of the airway.
Snoring during sleep may be a sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
Snoring causes sleep deprivation to the snorers themselves and to those around them, as well as daytime drowsiness, irritability and lack of focus. It can cause significant psychological and social damage to sufferers. More importantly, it’s proven there is a positive correlation between loud snoring and risk of heart attack.
What to do about Snoring:
It is important to fix or at least improve this issue. There are a couple options available, one of which is surgery.
Some of the excess soft tissue from the throat is removed to widen the upper airway. This may involve removing the tonsils, adenoids and uvula.
Sometimes it’s needed to correct the septum between the nostrils or remove nasal polyps that block airflow through the nose.
Please note, there are risks involved with the surgery like difficulty in swallowing, regurgitating fluids back through the nose when drinking, change of tone of voice and some chance of relapse. Also, most people don’t like to put their bodies through general anaesthesia and surgery which is fair.
A Simple and Effective Way to Deal With Snoring
is a Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS) or snore device. These devices bring the lower jaw forward and pull the tongue with it and as a result the airway opens up and snoring stops or improves. There are many types of devices available from different companies. Though all work on the same principal, they have small variations that may suit particular cases.
Where to Get a Snore Device?
First, you need to see Excellence in Dentistry your local Brisbane dentist for treatment of sleep disorders and we’ll carry out a comprehensive examination of your mouth, nose and throat. After making sure you’re a good candidate for a Snore Device and deciding on the right type of device for you, we’ll take some impressions of your teeth and send them off to the laboratory. A couple weeks later, we’ll try in and fit your device and go through all of the instructions.
What to expect after?
Your mouth is a sensitive area so the first couple weeks you may get some discomfort but you need to give it time and be patient. You may notice some increase in your saliva or some of your teeth may get a bit sore. As for the snoring some people see the good results immediately from the first night and it may take a couple weeks for others to see the outcome. Majority or patients report their snoring fully goes away or improves significantly within a couple of weeks.
If you have any questions or would like to book a time to see us for a consultation regarding snoring or other sleep disorders , please call us on: 07 3839 7757
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