I am sure lots of us try to think ‘green’ in some way or another, having our own little ways to protect the environment. Whether it’s making the switch to reusable, non-plastic shopping bags, ensuring to recycle all of our hard plastics or even becoming vegan. But, in what way can we help the environment when it comes to cleaning our teeth? Well fortunately for all of the green-thinkers out there, more eco-friendly oral health related products are becoming readily available on the market. Let’s discuss a few.
Bamboo toothbrushes. I am seeing more and more bamboo tooth brushes around, some of which I find have bristles that are too hard. Medium or hard bristled tooth brushes can lead to gum recession or tooth brush abrasions. Simply though, just ensure you are using one with soft bristles, ones with bristles with a tapered edge are even better and softer. Also, make sure that the head of the toothbrush isn’t too big, you want it to be relatively small to fit into those hard to reach areas of your mouth. What’s great is that once they’re ready for the bin, remove the bristles and then your biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes can go straight into the food waste recycling. Bamboo interproximal brushes. Piksters offer a range of bamboo interproximal brushes and are available at most of the larger pharmacies. There are also lots of bamboo interproximal brushes available online. Turn off that tap! How many of us can honestly admit that when we brush our teeth we keep the tap running! I’m sure we have all been guilty of this at some stage of our lives, but it wastes so much water! Yes, you can rinse your toothbrush before and after brushing and you can even rinse out your mouth if you feel your need to (even though I recommend the ‘spit no rinse’ technique), but there is absolutely no need to keep that tap running whilst you are brushing your teeth. Recyclable toothpaste tubes. Some tooth paste tubes are recyclable, such as some pump action type toothpaste tubes. Colgate has also released a new toothpaste that comes in a recyclable tube, has a recyclable carton and is vegan. The name of this toothpaste is the Colgate ‘smile for good’ tooth paste… and, yes, it still contains fluoride to protect against tooth decay. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help!
I am sure we are all aware of the health risks that smoking can have on our general health. Smoking can lead to many different diseases, some of which can be life threatening, but, what problems can it cause in the mouth?
Firstly, smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood stream which can make it difficult for your gums to heal if they become infected or if you have gum disease. Gum disease can also progress at a faster rate in smokers than in non-smokers. Smoking can also cause bad breath, staining on the teeth and even reduce your sense of taste and smell. Smoking can delay healing after surgery in the mouth, for example, after an extraction, dental implant, or after treatment for gum disease. If healing becomes delayed in the mouth then this can risk infection of the healing site. Smoking increases your risk of developing oral cancer. Oral cancer can occur anywhere within the oral cavity, such as the lips, palate, tongue and throat. If you notice a suspicious lesion in your mouth such as an ulcer that isn’t healing, then I would recommend contacting your dentist or GP as soon as possible. Quitting smoking can be very difficult due to the addiction to nicotine. The benefits of quitting though are important in improving your oral health as well as your general health. Here is a couple of ways that can help you to quit smoking:
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help!
Here at West Perth Dental Centre, we are fortunate enough to have an in-house Cerec machine, which is basically a milling machine to make ceramic crowns and inlays/onlays. It allows you to have a crown preparation and insert all in the one day, rather than returning 2 weeks later for the crown insert once the lab has made it. It avoids the need for us to send your crown off to the lab. We have our Cerec machine located in our reception area so that you can watch your crown being made while you wait!
Here are some FAQ’s about Cerec crowns:
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help!
Ahh.. if only there was some magic potion that could prevent us all from getting holes in our teeth! That would just be marvellous! Unfortunately, there simply isn’t, however there are plenty of ways that you can reduce your risk of dental cavities or ‘holes’ in the teeth. Basically, a dental cavity is where plaque bacteria sits on the tooth for long enough to become acidic and start to eat away at the enamel.
Who is at a high risk of developing tooth decay?
Here are some measures to help to prevent tooth decay:
What if I am a ‘high risk’ for developing tooth decay?
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help! Brushing your teeth may seem very simple, but many of us could improve how we brush our teeth! Not only could you not be removing the dental plaque properly, but with incorrect tooth brushing, you can even damage the enamel of the teeth! So, here are some common brushing mistakes:
If you are unsure if you are brushing your teeth correctly, a visit to your dentist or hygienist is recommended. We will show you the correct tooth brushing technique and help you to find a tooth brush that is right for you. If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help! Dental plaque, or dental biofilm as more recently named is a soft and sticky mass of bacteria that builds up on the teeth. The longer the plaque biofilm sits on the teeth, the more ‘nasty’ it becomes. Sugars in your diet become consumed by the bacteria in your plaque, which then makes the plaque become acidic. This acidic plaque will then start to demineralise the tooths enamel which can lead to tooth decay. Bacteria in plaque can also sit underneath the gums and cause gingivitis and gum disease.
Dental plaque starts to harden after 24 hours, turning into calculus. Calculus is difficult to remove at home with your toothbrush or floss because it is a harder substance than plaque. How to prevent plaque biofilm build-up:
If you have any questions or concerns in regards to your mouth or oral health, feel free to give us a call on 08 9321 6928, we are always happy to help! Click here for more information |
ArchivesCategoriesAccess Octomono Masonry Settings
|