General Dental

Fluoride is the most effective way of preventing dental disease. It is commonly found in toothpaste and in the water system.

The benefits of fluoride have been well known for over 50 years and are supported by many health and professional organizations. Sometimes supplement such as Tooth mousse and Fluoride mouthrinses may be required. This is recommended according to the patient's needs

Fluoride works in two ways:

Topical fluoride strengthens the teeth once they have erupted by absorbing into the outer surface of the tooth enamel, making the teeth more resistant to decay. We gain topical fluoride by using fluoride containing dental products such as toothpaste, mouth rinses, and gels. Dentists and dental hygienists generally recommend that children have a professional application of fluoride twice a year during dental check-ups.

Systemic fluoride strengthens the teeth that have erupted as well as those that are developing under the gums. We gain systemic fluoride from most foods and our community water supplies.It is very important to monitor the amounts of fluoride a child ingests. If too much fluoride is consumed while the teeth are developing, a condition called fluorosis (white spots on the teeth) may result.

A scale and clean is required every 6 months. Sometimes, if a patient has difficulty in keeping their teeth clean, it may be recommended more often.
With kids, a simple polish is done removing soft plaque which can be difficult to remove with a soft tooth brush. Also, it gives them the habit of having something in their mouth making a noise and shaking. However, some kids have a very early stage of tartar build up and require a proper scale.

With adults, most of the time, calculus/tartar would have built up in some sites which would be impossible to remove with a tooth brush. In those cases, it would be removed with a machine which is an ultrasonic scaler and finished up with hand instruments. A polish of the staining caused by Red wine, smoking and everyday eating would also be done.

Removing plaque and tartar would reduce the occurrence of gingivitis (inflammation of the gum) and thus problems like gum bleeding, halitosis and of course tooth decay. Remember that the longuer you leave it in between scale and clean, the more plaque/tartar would build up and the longuer it would take to do the scale and clean.
However, in some cases gingivitis has progressed and periodontitis is occurring.

Examination are recommended every 6 months. The conditions of your teeth, gums and soft tissues are checked. Medical History is updated (It is crucial to let us know of any changes). It is important to have regular check ups at all ages.

In kids, cavities develop very quickly as their teeth are smaller and it doesn't take a long time for the decay to travel from the outside to the nerve. We have noticed an incredible number of kids requiring fillings lately. It is definitely due to more hidden sugar being included in our diet and also because there are more families with both parents working nowadays resulting in both being very tired at the end of the day.

In teenagers – They have a new found freedom on their diet resulting in more non-teeth friendly food being consumed. Also, teenagers need a gentle reminders by a professional and not their parents about the importance of teeth brushing and diet.

Adults – We are living longer and thus need to take better care of our teeth to make them last longer. Gum disease is very prominent as we age.
Thus, picking up dental problems at an early stage would be a lot EASIER and LESS COSTLY to treat.

It is recommended to have routine Xrays taken every 2 years depending on the state of your mouth. This would hopefully prevent you from having to have more extensive and expensive dental treatment if we can pick up the problem before it gets too big. We have the latest Xray machines which ensure that you have minimal exposure to the radiation. You would be required to wear a lead apron.

Most cavities (holes) or chipped/cracked tooth can be fixed by a simple procedure called a filling. There are two main types of fillings;
1. Composite Fillings: Most are done in composite fillings nowadays due to its aesthetic nature. These are what we call white fillings.
2.  Amalgam Fillings: Otherwise known as Silver Fillings. Unfortunately if a white filling is not suitable an amalgam filling would be available.

If a tooth is too badly broken down or needs to be removed due to orthodontic reasons, the procedure is usually done in the chair with a simple local anesthetic (injection).

Some patients have teeth with deep pits and fissures which makes it impossible for the toothbrush bristles to clean the germs away. In those cases, a flowable tooth coloured plastic material is placed in the pits and fissures to decrease the depth and thus making it possible for the toothbrush to remove the plaque . This would be recommended accordingly.

If you are playing any sports that has some contacts or even riding scooters, a mouth-guard is strongly recommended. Once your front tooth is chipped, regardless of how well it is repaired, it is never as good as your original tooth. HCF allows its members to have 2 free mouth-guards per year as it recognizes its importance of prevention. It is done by simply taking an upper impression/mould of your teeth. A mouth-guard bought at a chemist is absolutely useless as it needs to be properly fitted to one’s teeth to be effective.

Jaw aches/Neck aches could be caused by grinding as well as clenching. Unfortunately lots of patients do not realise that they clench during the night but they simply complain of an ache around the jaw, ear or neck when it becomes unbearable. This can often be simply alleviated by a nightguard. Nowadays, nightguards are very comfortable to wear.

Method:
Upper and Lower Impressions are taken. Moulds are sent to the technicians and it is adjusted and inserted the following visit.
A follow up visit may be required but most of the time, it isn't.
The night guard should be brought along at your 6 monthly exam visit to be checked and adjusted at no further cost.