DENTISTSECRETS Q & A SEPTEMBER 2010

Thankyou to everyone that has asked us about their dental care. We do apologise that we are unable to answer your questions personally, and we apologise if your questions have not been answered in this Q&A. Please keep reading future editions as we aim to answer all of the important dental queries that you send to us in due course.

(Please note that your questions will be rewritten, not only for brevity in these issues, but to make some questions more easy to understand for other readers ).

Dentistsecrets guarantees strict confidentially for all information received.

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Q1 .

I had to have my front tooth out and have been told that an implant is now my only option. I cannot afford this. Am I stuck with the gap?

A .

No.

There are several options available to fill the space at a wide range of cost:

a. DENTURE – this is the cheapest option. It is not fixed in the mouth, the false tooth is attached to a plate that fits across the inside of the mouth. It looks natural but can be a little difficult to get used to.

b. BRIDGE – a false tooth is attached to neighbouring teeth. This false

tooth feels more like your natural tooth and you cannot remove it. But

this option depends on the health of your other teeth.

There are different types of bridge, some are simply attached by

“wings” on the back surfaces of the adjacent teeth, others need you to

have teeth trimmed down so that the bridge can be fitted over them.

b. IMPLANT– this is the most expensive option and a new tooth is fitted into the jaw bone with a titanium post.

You need to discuss these options with a Dentist who can determine which is the best option in your case - both clinically and financially.

Q2 .

Why do Dentists take out baby teeth when they will fall out later anyway?

Sometimes baby teeth need to be taken out early to protect the adult teeth that are developing below. If the baby teeth develop infection around the roots, this can damage development of the adult tooth. Infection can result from badly decayed baby teeth or from teeth that have been damaged by trauma. It is however best, in most cases, to try to keep the baby teeth in place until the replacement adult teeth are erupting to avoid loss of space for the adult teeth and create the need for future orthodontic work

Q3 .

My daughter had orthodontic treatment which finished a few months ago. Her teeth looked great for a while but seem to be moving back to how they were before. Can this happen and what, if anything can we do to stop it?

After a course of active orthodontic treatment, the teeth are held in their new position by a retainer. There are many different types of retainer.

If the retainer is taken away too early, teeth tend to drift back towards their original position.

It is quite common to fit permanent retainers – orthodontic wires attached to the back of the tooth surfaces which prevent this from happening.

The only action that you can take is to return to your daughter’s orthodontist as soon as possible to get her teeth stabilised.

Q4.

I have ugly brown stains on my teeth. I tried whitening, but they have not gone. What can I use?

A brief guide to tooth whitening is available with our publications. (Dentistsecrets Tooth Whitening – Is it whiter than white?) This will explain to you which bleaching products do or don’t work. It covers which teeth will benefit from whitening and which dental conditions will not be affected.

We hope this issue can answer your question – but without knowing what product you have used; how long you used it for and what the cause of the staining is, we cannot help you here.

This publication will help anyone thinking of tooth whitening because, as you have found, tooth whitening does not work in every situation.

Q5.

I have a new denture that I can’t wear. It makes my mouth too sore. Is there anything that I can use to make my gums harder?

It is normal to need some adjustments when you get a new denture. If there are sore spots developing, you need your denture trimming to make it comfortable. Go see your Dentist. It is easy to alter a plate that is making you uncomfortable.

If you have ulcers now, rinsing your mouth with warm salt water (1cup warm water: 2dsp table salt) will help. It does not make your gums harder, but can shorten the time the ulcers take to heal.

Q6.

My kids don’t like mint flavoured toothpastes, and I can’t find one they like. They are too old to still use the milk teeth tooth paste, can you recommend a brand?

A .

The main difference between the toothpastes developed for young children and adult toothpastes (apart from the taste) is the amount of fluoride that is present. There is no reason to stop using “baby” toothpaste at any age. Your children will brush their teeth more thoroughly when using a paste they like the taste of, and thorough brushing is the most important part of keeping the teeth and gums healthy.

There are several toothpastes available that are not mint flavoured, but you have no real need to change.

And finally –

Did you know that as far back as 2000yrs BC, lost teeth were replaced with false teeth that were fixed in the mouth using gold wires. Evidence of this early “bridgework” has been found in archaeological finds from both Ancient Rome and Egypt.

The replacement teeth (which, in some cases, may have been the patients own lost teeth) were secured to gold wires. These wires were then wrapped around and tied to existing teeth to restore the patient’s smile.