2016

  • Recession Is Not An 'Old-Age' Disease

    The phrase 'old-age' disease refers to ailments or medical conditions that are more prevalent among the older generation of patients. Many of these conditions result from the gradual deterioration of body systems over the years. A receding gum line is an example of the effects often brought by that kind of deterioration. At 19, your body systems haven't seen much deterioration so it's somewhat confusing why you have a receding gum line.
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  • Invisalign Attachments: Why They Fall off and Why You Need to Call Your Dentist Immediately

    For some Invisalign patients, it is necessary for a dentist to employ handles, or buttons, along with the usual treatment. These attachments aid in the movement of teeth by serving as anchorage points on certain teeth. Generally square or rectangular-shaped, these attachments make it possible for your Invisalign aligners to move certain segments of teeth while keeping others in place. These buttons also give your aligners more surface area on which to grip as they move your teeth.
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  • 3 Tips for Treating Denture-Related Stomatitis

    Denture-related stomatitis is a common condition affecting up to 70% of denture wearers. It is characterised by redness, soreness and inflammation of the gums under the dentures and is generally caused by a build-up of Candida, a fungus that is usually harmless to healthy people at normal levels. Many denture wearers are unaware that they have denture stomatitis, with the condition only discovered during a routine examination. However, for others, the infection can be painful, and for this reason, it is often termed 'denture sore mouth'.
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  • Smoking After an Extraction: How to Smoke Without Getting Dry Socket

    For smokers, getting a tooth extracted comes with an additional challenge. You are faced with the glaring questions: When is it okay to smoke? When is it safe? While most dentists recommend waiting at least 48 hours before smoking, for some smokers, this may be too long.  However, if you are unable to refrain from smoking for 48 hours, you run the risk of dry socket. Dry socket, as the name suggests, occurs when the blood clot that forms after an extraction either dissolves or is dislodged.
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  • Swiss Army Teeth: 6 Ways You Treat Your Teeth Like Tools and Why You Need to Stop

    It can be tempting to treat your teeth like Swiss Army Knives, especially when you are young and bold. As a child, you make short work of sweet wrappers, and can easily crush even the biggest gobstoppers into dust with a victorious grin. Later, with most or even all your teeth intact, gobstoppers evolve into pencils, beer bottle caps and even finger nails. And why not? Your teeth are composed of the hardest substance in the human body: enamel.
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  • Improve Your Smile with these 4 Cosmetic Dental Procedures for Your Damaged Teeth

    Broken or cracked teeth can be really painful, especially when your teeth are exposed to extreme temperatures. For instance, when you eat a hot potato and immediately take some cold water, you would wish that the broken tooth was removed completely. Besides the pain, a damaged tooth can also be uncomfortable when chewing food. Also, your self-esteem can be greatly affected when the cracked tooth is an incisor because it can prevent you from achieving that perfect smile.
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  • Hypodontia: How Could it Affect Your Child?

    Children's teeth develop at different rates. However, if you notice that your child appears to be missing some of their baby teeth, or that their adult teeth are appearing very slowly, it is possible your child may have a condition called hypodontia. What is hypodontia? Hypodontia is a genetic condition which results in between 1 and 6 adult teeth failing to develop and grow in your child's mouth. Hypodontia is usually caused by the lack of dental lamina tissue beneath the gums which is vital for tooth growth.
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  • When is it time to remove baby teeth?

    Children usually naturally lose their baby teeth over their children to create a gap so that their adult teeth can descend into the jaw. However, sometimes this does not proceed as it should and parents may need to take the child to a dentist to get some extra assistance in extracting the baby teeth.  Here are some indications you may need to take your child to the paediatric dentist.  There are indications of decay
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  • Moving Your Family to a New Area? Do You Know Who to Call in Case of Emergencies?

    So you're moving your family to a new home in a new area -- the list of things you have to do is huge. Between packing, moving and unpacking, you're likely to be run off your feet for weeks. When you're finally over the actual move, your time is likely to be spent getting your house ready, finding new schools and jobs, and getting to know your neighbours and neighbourhood. Amongst all the chaos of moving, you may not remember to create an all-important emergency contact list of people you'll need in case something goes wrong.
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