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| Site Map |
| Preventing Decay |
| Our aim is to enhance your dental health. Prevention
is always better than cure. As a part of our consultation process we assess your likely risk of future tooth decay. If we believe we can reduce the risk future decay we may institute a personalized preventative program. This may include: |
| Tooth Mousse This is a wonderful and significant recent development in the prevention of tooth decay resulting from intensive research at the University of Melbourne. This easily applied paste can be used at home to reverse early decay and make your teeth more resistant to acid attack. For more information visit this link >> |
| Fluoride People with a high risk of tooth decay can benefit from professionally applied concentrated fluoride as well as from the use of specially developed high fluoride toothpastes. For more information follow this link>> |
| Custom trays In order to achieve a prolonged and effective application of calcium phosphate and/or fluoride we can provide you with a custom made thin laminate which holds the pastes in intimate contact with the enamel. This can be worn for several minutes or for several hours. It is often worn whilst sleeping. |
| Custom Program When needed, we provide a custom program detailing the appropriate steps you can take to reduce your dental bills and save you visits to the dentist. This will reduce your need for fillings, reduce the loss of teeth and save you money. Your teeth will be healthier and stronger. You will be able to eat and smile with more confidence. |
| Piksters & floss Over 50% of cavities occur between the teeth where a toothbrush can't reach. This is also a vulnerable site for gum disease. We recommend the use of floss and/or small interdental brushes called Piksters. |
Why are Piksters so popular?  Piksters come in small sizes that fit more people!Piksters are easier than flossing - and MUCH easier than using floss threaders under bridges. Just 'grab and go' ... Piksters have their own cap and fit comfortably in your pocket. Piksters come in 8 sizes so there is one for everybody ... even those with very tight teeth. Piksters were voted Number 1 'most used/recommended' interdental brush by an overwhelming majority of dentists responding to a survey. Dentists also say that their patients love Piksters. When we asked dentists 'how did your patients react to Piksters?', more than 50% said they reacted 'significantly more positively than with other brands of interdental brushes', while a further 24% reacted 'very enthusiastically'. The main reasons cited were variety of sizes, cost effectiveness and durability. |
| Piksters are reusable Just like a normal toothbrush, you can wash the bristles out under running water and re-use your brush. It will last up to 2 weeks per brush, depending on how hard you use it and how much you bend the wire. Patients often comment on how much more durable they are than others they have tried. |
Piksters interdental brushes have the following advantages -
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| Piksters are a brand of interdental brush. The following is general information about interdental brushes and how they relate to gum disease and oral hygiene. |
What are interdental brushes and where are they
used? Interdental brushes are small circular toothbrushes that you insert into the
spaces between your teeth to clean the difficult areas. They are generally used
for normal cleaning, sometimes as an alternative to floss and sometimes as an
adjunct to floss. They are much easier to use, especially under bridges. They
can also be used under orthodontic wires or between splinted teeth that can't
be flossed and anywhere a toothbrush cannot reach. |
| But I brush my teeth...why do I need to clean
the space between my teeth? Although the space or gap between your teeth conceals only about 40% of the tooth surface, it accounts for about 80% of the problems. By cleaning the space you get a huge and disproportionate advantage in stopping decay and gum disease. Problems in the space can be serious because they often go unnoticed. This is the reason most X-rays are taken - to check for decay in the space and to catch it early. By cleaning the gap, you not only reduce your chance of dangerous decay, root canal treatments and crowns, but you substantially reduce your chance of serious gum and bone disease around the chewing teeth. |
| Is gum disease really that serious ... don't
the gums just heal? The gum itself is not the problem or the issue. The gum merely covers the bone and the bone is what holds your tooth in. When the gum gets inflamed and infected, it slowly eats away the bone... because this is not painful a lot of people don't even notice it happening and may not know until it is almost too late to save the tooth. |
| How do I tell if my gum is inflamed or infected? The best early warning sign is to see if the gum bleeds on gentle probing by the dentist or hygienist. It is critical that the gum doesn't get infected or inflamed for long periods. Interdental brushes will stop the gum bleeding with time by removing the cause, which is the 'plaque'. Get your gums checked every 6 months to assess what state they are in. |
What about floss? How does it compare to
interdental brushes? Gum disease and decay between the back teeth is a bigger problem than in the front teeth...as evidenced by the millions of people who have many missing back teeth but still have their front ones relatively in tact. Interdental brushes address the most important issue, the back teeth, and make effective cleaning easier and more likely to happen. |
| Are interdental brushes only for unhealthy or
inflamed gums? No, they can be used for daily plaque control on healthy or inflamed gums in conjunction with your normal toothbrush. They are also an excellent aid for those who wear orthodontic wires or teeth that are splinted (wired together) for orthodontic retention or for periodontal support, because they clean between the teeth under the wires where it is hard to get floss. Implants need special care, as do bridges. Plastic coated interdental brushes are very good for these areas as they can clean around the artificial teeth without damaging them, and are quick and easy to use. Floss needs an awkward floss threader to use around bridges and splinted teeth. |
| What size should I use? You can ask your dentist or hygienist what size/s they would recommend. Alternatively, you can often buy a variety pack with one of each size so you can experiment to see what size fits most comfortably into the various spaces you have in your mouth. |
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| Do I use the biggest size I can get between
my teeth? Generally speaking, use larger sizes for back teeth and the small ones for the front teeth. For back teeth, use the biggest size you can comfortably get in as it will provide a more thorough cleaning action and suppress the gum from growing up excessively in between your teeth. Such excessive growth can cause a natural food and plaque trap which leads to a self degenerating situation. IMPORTANT - Please Note: All interdental brushes, toothpicks and sticks can put pressure on the tip of the gum, especially if you force it, or use a brush that is too big for the space. This can cause a slight re-shaping of the gum over time. This is generally good for back teeth but most people like the look of the small triangle of gum growing in between their front teeth. Therefore, use the smallest size around your smile area in order to ensure a gentle cleaning action on these cosmetically sensitive areas, or if in doubt use floss instead. Note that you will do no harm if the gum reshapes slightly - it is just a minor cosmetic issue. If you are not worried about the cosmetics, use any size that you can comfortably get in between your teeth. Caution - Although you can bend the wire for easier access into back teeth areas, do not bend the wire back and forth too often as it will weaken the wire and eventually cause it to break...sometimes in as little as 5 bends. If it does break and leave the brush piece in between your teeth, use your fingers to remove it or use another brush to push it out. |
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How long do interdental brushes last? |
| How often should I use interdental brushes? Interdental cleaning is probably only necessary once a day but there is no reason why you couldn't do this as often as you wanted to. Unlike a toothbrush you can keep an interdental brush in your pocket and use it in many situations where it would not be suitable to brush - especially after meals where you can't access a bathroom or use a conventional toothbrush. |
| What happens if my gums bleed when I start using
interdental brushes? Do not be concerned. It will stop in a week or two. It is usually due to pre existing inflammation in the gums which causes weakening of the blood vessels. The primary cause of this bleeding is insufficient plaque removal, which is in turn due to ineffective brushing and ineffective cleaning. If you remove the plaque, the source of the problem is removed. Bleeding is usually a sign that you are NOT DOING IT ENOUGH. When you do brush enough, the gum will heal, toughen up, and won't bleed when gently rubbed. Please speak to your dentist or hygienist if any bleeding continues - you may have a ledge of calculus or tartar under the gum that catches plaque. This ledge is a hard, rocky material that needs removal by a dental professional ... a toothbrush won't remove it. |
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What do you mean 'ineffective brushing'? - isn't all brushing
the same? |
| When I get my teeth 'cleaned' by the dentist, are they
just removing plaque? No...plaque will stick to the teeth and calcify to form a rock-like material called calculus...you can't get this off, and it needs to be removed with ultrasonics or hand instruments. If you have periodontal pockets, they need to be cleaned out too. Depending on the extent of the disease process and bone destruction, this can be a simple or a complex job requiring many visits, and may need local anaesthesia (an injection), just like a filling. |
| What are periodontal pockets? Periodontal disease can painlessly destroy the bone between and around your teeth, whilst the gum on the outside remains at the existing height. This creates an invisible space where plaque and dangerous bacteria can be sheltered from the cleaning action of your normal toothbrush. These areas are called periodontal pockets. Many people have these invisible pockets or gaps between their gum and tooth. Normally the gap between the tooth and the gum is 2-3mm deep. If periodontal disease sets in that can increase to 5 or 6mm and at this point it usually becomes self degenerating. At 8-9mm, the outlook for the tooth is very poor. The deeper the pocket, the harder it is to stop it getting worse! That is why we practice preventive dentistry. |
| top of page |
Floss is an excellent way to clean the gap and if you already
floss you should definitely not stop. The problem is that most
people don't floss...probably because they find it too awkward
to use. Interdental brushes can be used with one hand, which
makes them easier and more likely to be used. Floss is superior
in some areas...such as the front teeth. It gets down under
the spike of gum in between the teeth. But in other areas,
interdental brushes may be better, such as the indents (or
hollows) between the roots of your molars and premolars. These
areas are called 'furcations'. Floss forms a straight line
across the top of the furcation, whereas interdental brushes
have bristles under compression that spring out sideways to
clean these hollows. Please browse through our site and use our online form to request an appointment with a dentist or call us on (02) 44415706 to arrange a suitable time for your consultation.