8. I have a number of black fillings, What can I have done to improve this?
The black filling material used in your teeth is amalgam. It has been used as a filling material for over a hundred years, it's still one of the strongest materials available.
However, it's about as unattractive a filling material as you can get. There are a number of other tooth-colour restorative materials currently available that can be used to replace old amalgams.
9. What are wisdom teeth?
They're the last teeth to erupt in the back of your mouth. Usually, they erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Occasionally, though, they find their way out much later than that, some never erupt at all.
Thanks to evolution, we're evolving into the proud ownership of smaller jaws, unfortunately our teeth aren't quite keeping pace. Most of our jaws only have room for 28 teeth, we have 32.
Basically, this means that the last teeth to erupt, which are the wisdom teeth, have nowhere to go if there's not enough room remaining.
10. What does periodontal treatment involve?
In the earlier stages of gum disease (mild to moderate periodontitis), most treatment involves scaling and root planning. The procedure aims at removing plaque and calculus from the surface of the tooth adjacent to gum tissue.
In the majority of early gum disease cases, treatment entails improved home care techniques and scaling and root planning.
Advanced cases may require surgical treatment.
11. What's the best way to prevent gum disease?
Conscientious removal of plaque by flossing, brushing and regular professional cleanings will minimise your risk of gum disease. However, there are other factors that can affect the health of your gums, such as stress, diabetes, genetics and pregnancy.
12. What happens if I just ignore getting my teeth cleaned?
As the plaque and calculus accumulate, the periodontal disease continues. Supporting tissues around the teeth (gums, periodontal ligaments, bone) are lost.
Periodontal pockets form which trap additional plaque. Bad breath often accompanies this condition. Once the bone that supports the teeth is lost, it will not regrow without surgical intervention.
13. What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease is caused by the bacteria found in plaque. If plaque is not regularly removed, it calcifies into a rough, porous deposit called calculus, or tartar. By products of bacterial metabolism irritate the gums, making them red, tender, swollen and more prone to bleed.
Eventually, the supporting periodontal structures begin to breakdown. The result of this slow process is tissue loss, bone loss and eventual tooth loss.
14. While biting hard food I broke one of my teeth. What should I do?
If you are not in any pain then ring the Dentist as soon as possible and make an appointment, but try and keep the tooth as clean as possible and avoid biting hard on that tooth. If you have pain, then you will need to go to your Dentist ASAP as an emergency.
15. When a tooth is pushed out of position:
Attempt to reposition the tooth to its normal alignment using very light finger pressure, but do not force the tooth. Bite down to keep the tooth from moving. Your Dentist may splint the tooth in place to the two healthy teeth next to the loose tooth.
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