Monthly Archives: August 2020

Cleaning your dentures efficiently is very important, as the resin that part of your dentures is made from contains tiny microscopic holes that can collect food debris and bacteria.

Nutritional Advisor Elit Rowland unveils how five seemingly healthy diet choices can be contributing to enamel erosion and tooth decay. Find out what they are here.

Surveys suggest that up to 65% of the adult population are not satisfied by the appearance of their teeth, with the No. 1 issue being tooth colour. It is therefore not surprising that when questioned a majority of adults report to having considered teeth whitening at some point, though only a fraction have undergone teeth whitening treatment. The common reasons cited are the cost of professional treatment and concerns about the safety of such teeth whitening products.

Oral irrigators or water jets work by using pressured water or mouthwash to dislodge biofilm (plaque) from gaps between the teeth, around the gum margin and into periodontal pockets. An oral irrigator can also be used on orthodontic appliances and people who have crowns and bridges.

Remember those scary-looking ‘train track’ fixed braces that children used to wear? Who can forget those poor souls who were nicknamed 'Metal Mickey' (ask your Mum) and ‘Metal Mouth’ at school? Or those annoying bits of food that used to collect between the wires? They weren’t much fun, the braces of yesteryear.

It is estimated that roughly half of all denture wearers will use an adhesive to keep their dentures in place and improve comfort. For some, this is just for the first few months while their gums settle down and their mouth gets used to the prosthesis, for others an adhesive will be required for the life of their denture.

Day-to-day maintenance of oral hygiene is a basic need for everybody. Overlooking it can lead to health problems, discomfort and lowe­r quality of life. For people with special needs, it is often their carers who hold responsibility for ensuring that their teeth and gums are kept as healthy as possible.

If you’re a carer, you’ll know that this is no easy task. Many people in your position have never received guidance on how to look after the teeth of the person in your care, but we’re here to help with some suggestions.

If the person you care for has a physical disability that prevents them from cleaning their own teeth, but has no aversion to you doing it for them, then it’s really just technique you need to focus on. It may be easiest to stand like a dentist whilst the person sits in a chair with their head tilted back. Always hold the brush at a 45 degree angle to the point at which the teeth meet the gums. Don’t use too much water and make a system to ensure that no

We all want whiter teeth but how do you get that celebrity look without damaging your teeth? Find out the do's and dont's of teeth whitening here.

In general the interdental brushing technique involves the following:

1. Place the tip of your interdental brush at the point where you wish to insert it between your teeth and probe it gently to find the best angle to begin to insert without needing to force it. You will find some angles work better than others.
2. Before you insert the brush tip too far first rotate it to a more horizontal angle, this will allow for better cleaning and more control.
3. Slowly and gently push the brush into the interproximal area between your teeth until the other side is reached. If you feel resistance or pain it is best to stop and carefully try again. Use a back and forth brushing motion to clean your teeth and gums, usually once will be enough to dislodge any matter that may have accumulated. Be sure to rinse the brush thoroughly afterwards, and replace the cap if it came with one.

If you find inserting the brush between your teeth is impossible, you may need to

The use of dental floss is appropriate to clean the interdental gums that completely fill the spaces between the teeth. It doesn't cause damage to the gum if introduced from 2 - 3 up to 5mm beyond the top of the papilla.

• Cut approximately 40 or 50 cm of floss and coil most of it around the middle finger of one of your hands. Coil the rest in the opposite hand, this finger can be gathering the dental floss as it is used.
• Hold firmly the tape or dental floss with the thumb and the index, allowing a distance of 2 or 3 cm between the fingers of each hand and with a soft saw-like movement insert it between the teeth against the tooth surface to clean it.
• When the tape or dental floss reaches the edge of the gums, bend it in as a C against one of the teeth and slide it softly into the space between the gum and the tooth until you notice resistance.
• Repeat this procedure with the rest of the teeth without leaving any space to clean.