Magee Dental Surgery: Camberwell, Victoria 3124

Dental information -Special topics- Accidents Anorexia Arthritis Bad breath Bisphosphonates Bleeding gums Boot camp for kids Braces Bruxism Burning mouth & tongue Burning mouth & tongue Cancer treatment Caries Chewing gum Cleaning kids teeth Crowns Decay Dentures Diabetes Diet and Acid erosion Drinks Dry mouth Dummies Eating disorders Endodontic treatment Erosion Erosion Eruption dates Fluoride Genetics and gums Geographic tongue Gingivitis Grinding Heart Risks Hormones Implants Infection control Jaw pain Joint pain Knocked out tooth Lichen planus Morning sickness Mouthguard Info Mouthguards Musican's mouths Oral health rating Orthodontics Osteonecrosis Osteoporosis Periodontal disease Porcelain veneers Pregnancy advice Radiation therapy Radiographs Research pain paper Research to help gaggers Root canal treatment Scaling and cleaning Sensitive teeth Smoking Sports drinks Sterilization Stroke Risks Teething (babies) Thumb sucking TMJ TMJ pain Tongue piercing Tooth brushes Tooth mousse Toothpaste Trauma Trigeminal neuralgia Unreal pain Veneers Vitamin C When teeth grow Whitening teeth Wisdom teeth Xerostomia X-rays

Accidents
What do you do if a tooth is knocked out?
Anorexia
Eating disorders can have serious dental consequences. Dentists can be part of the team who helps with your health while you deal with the eating disorder.
Arthritis
Is there anything that would help me?
Bad breath
Read some odd research on this common problem
Bisphosphonates
These medications used in cancer and osteoporosis treatment are a real concern to dentists. Find out why and let the dentist know if you are taking these drugs.
Bleeding gums
When you clean your teeth and your gums bleed should you be concerned?
Boot camp for kids
Are your kids ready for a fun challenge? The ADA has a web site just of them. You can start your kid's Bootcamp program anytime-just click on the first day and get them started with Day One's Basic Training.
Braces
Orthodontics seems so common today. When should I have my child checked out for braces?
Bruxism
Bruxism or wearing down your teeth from grinding is not uncommon. Other symptoms are more common in bruxers. What?
Burning mouth & tongue
Burning mouth: You should be confused because we are !
Burning mouth & tongue
A tongue or mouth with burning sensation is not uncommon. This condition is linked to certain ages and stages in life.
Cancer treatment
Remembering to keep your mouth and gums healthy before and during treatment for cancer is very important
Caries
Caries or decay is a disease caused by bacteria. Diet and prevention are linked to successfully managing this disease.
Chewing gum
Chewing gum can help prevent and heal teeth - if you make the right choice.
Cleaning kids teeth
Help avoid the 'bathroom' fights morning and night!
Crowns
Should you have a filling or a crown? What is involved and how will you benefit?
Decay
Getting holes in your teeth is preventable. Become informed so you can make a difference.
Dentures
How do you live well with new dentures? Hints and suggestions for success
Diabetes
What should you do 'dentally' if you have diabetes? What about the gums and diabetes?
Diet and Acid erosion
Diet and erosion: cause and combating!
Drinks
Acid and sugar content of drinks is a great concern in looking after your teeth for a long life. Find out what sort of damage may occur - even with diet drinks.
Dry mouth
Medications and illness can dry our mouths. Find out our hints for relief.
Dummies
Sucking is natural for babies and it is comforting. Will that dummy affect my babies teeth later in life?
Eating disorders
Anorexia and bulimia may be seen by a dentist before any other health professional. Find out why the teeth are affected.
Endodontic treatment
A 'dead' tooth causes pain and needs to have endodontic treatment. It sounds very complex. Find out what and why the inside of the tooth is treated.
Erosion
Are you wearing your teeth down or out! What causes erosion and how do you make sure this insidious condition doesn't cost you money.
Erosion
Are you wearing your teeth down or out! What causes erosion and how do you make sure this insidious condition doesn't cost you money.
Eruption dates
When should teeth start to grow? Is it better for teeth to be early or late?
Fluoride
This is added to water supplies to help prevent tooth decay. Why shouldn't you remove it with your water filter?
Genetics and gums
Largest study ever using genetic testing to help with gum health
Geographic tongue
Do you have a 'road map' in your mouth? Geographic tongue affects up to 4% of the population.
Gingivitis
The most common infection dentists see is gingivitis. It is preventable and treatable.
Grinding
Don't wear away your teeth. Night grinding is a real problem.
Heart Risks
Research is becoming clearer and showing gum disease is linked to heart attacks.
Hormones
At different stages of life different hormones affect our gums.
Implants
The newest major change to dentistry has been the ability to replace teeth. Dental implants may be an option if you have a missing tooth or dentures that are always loose.
Infection control
You need to know that the dental surgery is concerned with your general health and safety. Infection control is how we make sure we don't share 'bugs'.
Jaw pain
My teeth don't ache but my face does. Should I see a doctor or a dentist?
Joint pain
Does it 'click' when you open your jaw. Find out why.
Knocked out tooth
Emergency help - you need to act quickly.
Lichen planus
Lichen planus is a common disease of the skin and mouth. Why, how and what?
Morning sickness
If you suffer from this it is important to take our advice so you don't cause long term tooth damage.
Mouthguard Info
New ADA information resources for sports clubs
Mouthguards
Be safe when you play sport. A mouthguard can save 1,000's of dollars.
Musican's mouths
Did you know that people who play musical instruments and sing are prone to certain types of mouth and face pain?
Oral health rating
New studies rank Aussies 1st or 2nd in nine different oral health indicators when compared to UK, USA and Germany
Orthodontics
When should my child have orthodontics, why and what?
Osteonecrosis
This is a rare but serious condition of the jaw bone. The symptoms and risk factors are discussed.
Osteoporosis
If you have osteoporosis you may be taking medications which the dentist needs to know about. Find out why.
Periodontal disease
80% of Australians have this disease in some form. Be informed to reduce its impact in your mouth
Porcelain veneers
Fine coatings of porcelain can cover defects in teeth and make them look stunning and perfect again.
Pregnancy advice
Cravings, morning sickness, bleeding gums and how do I have a healthy baby?
Radiation therapy
How can I maintain the health of my teeth and gums while I have radiation therapy? Loss of appetite, dry mouth and nausea!
Radiographs
Why do dentists want to take radiographs of teeth? Can't they just look around your mouth for holes?
Research pain paper
German brain scan research gives new insight into dental pain
Research to help gaggers
Having pressure applied to the palm of the hand can reduce gagging
Root canal treatment
The inside of the tooth root is treated by dentists. Find out what and why and how of root canal treatment.
Scaling and cleaning
Removing buildup around the teeth may not be a favorite part of the dental visit. Why does it matter and what causes the buildup?
Sensitive teeth
Ice-cream -ouch. Cold water -ouch. Find relief from sensitive teeth.
Smoking
You know it affects your lungs but why is your dentist talking about gum damage and smoking?
Sports drinks
Sports drinks are great for rehydrating but terrible for teeth. Find the sensible balance.
Sterilization
Your health is important so we take extra special precautions to keep you safe.
Stroke Risks
Gum health and strokes have been linked. Prevent the risk of strokes with healthy gums?
Teething (babies)
What is normal? When should teeth come through? How can I survive as a parent?
Thumb sucking
What is worse - thumb or dummy? Will they ruin my childs teeth and mean we will need braces later in life?
TMJ
My dentist said I have TMJ problems. What does that mean and how can it be fixed?
TMJ pain
My face aches and my teeth ache on BOTH sides of my face. Why?
Tongue piercing
Is tongue piercing dangerous to teeth or is it all a rumor spread by old people?
Tooth brushes
Which toothbrush do I need? Soft? Hard? Electric? Some hints on what to look for and how to decide what you should do.
Tooth mousse
Prevention of dental caries is important to Aussie's
Toothpaste
Low dose children's toothpaste does little to protect against decay
Trauma
Find out what to do if you have a tooth accident. Quick and correct action is very important.
Trigeminal neuralgia
What is trigeminal neuralgia? What is the cause and how is it treated?
Unreal pain
It's not a 'normal' toothache. What is it and how can we make it go away.
Veneers
Appearance is important and veneers are an option for making your teeth look better.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is not just good to stop colds and flu.
When teeth grow
When should teeth come through? What is 'normal'?
Whitening teeth
Please make my teeth whiter! How do you do that?
Wisdom teeth
Everyone seems to be getting their wisdom teeth out and you want to know what's going on! Do you have any wisdom teeth and will they need to be removed?
Xerostomia
A dry mouth is uncomfortable and causes tooth decay. The things you need to know.
X-rays
Is taking xrays really necessary in your mouth if you don't have any pain or discomfort?

Magee Dental Care
575 Riversdale Rd
Camberwell 3124
Ph 9882 4444
Information sheet from www.mageedentalcare.com

Genetics and gum disease

According to an article in Medical News today the University of Michigan Dental school is to conduct a large study using genetic testing to assess the risk of gum disease.
The study will have access to patient clinical outcomes of an insurance company and they will recruit at least 4,000 patients. Genetic testing along with clinical information will be used to work out who needs more frequent treatments and who needs less. Smoking and diabetes will also be taken into account as major periodontal risk factors.
The genetic testing company is hoping that the information obtained will be significant enough that genetic testing becomes a routines part of dental diagnosis.

Periodontal or gum disease

What is gingivitis?
What is periodontal disease or gum disease?
What causes gum disease?
Treating gingivitis
Treating periodontal disease
How do I know if I have gum disease?
Bleeding gums
What is plaque?
What is tartar/calculus?
Periodontal pockets
Periodontal probing
Scaling and cleaning
Root planing
Periodontal surgery and other forms of treatment
Smoking and gums
Heart attacks and gums
Strokes and gums

What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gingivae (gums).

What is periodontal disease or gum disease?
Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) is an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. Gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because it is usually painless many people do are not aware that they have gum disease. In the general population of Australia about 10% have advanced or severe gum disease, 80% have mild to moderate disease and 10 % have no gum disease.

What causes gum disease?
Gum disease is caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth. Bacteria creates toxins that both damage the gums and result in a reaction by the body which results in loss of bone and supporting tissue of the teeth. Gum disease is still subject to intense research. Scientists are looking at ways to kill off the offending bacteria and how to make the bodies reactions to the toxins less severe.

Treating gingivitis

• Remove the cause - clean your teeth well. Use a toothbrush and floss
• For acute infections sometimes dentists will recommend chlorhexidine mouthwash or an antibiotic.

Treating periodontal disease

• As per treating gingivitis - effective removal of plaque
  
• Any defective restorations or those that trap plaque may need to be changed so you CAN clean.
• Removal of calculus (hardened plaque)
• Scale and cleaning
• Root planning

How do I know if I have gum disease?

• Bleeding or swollen gums
• Changes in the color of the gums
• Bad breath
• You might not be able to tell! It can be very slow or may cause you no obvious complaints.
• Dentists can tell from "Probing" your gums
• 'X-rays' will show loss of bone which indicates periodontal disease. Calculus that causes periodontal disease may also be seen in x-rays

Bleeding gums
MYTH: Bleed gums are caused by brushing. Bleeding gums are not normal and the cause should be investigated by a dentist.
Bleeding is an early sign of periodontitis but may not result in any further problems. However, it is usually also present where the disease has started to cause loss of bone around the teeth, with development of "pockets" where the gum becomes detached from the tooth and areas of plaque and food accumulation occur, which in turn cause further problems.
Other conditions can cause bleeding gums.

What is plaque?
Plaque is a build up of bacteria and other microorganisms, dead cells, and a bit of left over food. Scrape your fingernail over your tooth and the whitish film that you collect is plaque.
The inside of the mouth is a cosmopolitan village of bacteria and other microorganisms that we can't permanently remove. Experiments have shown that one hour after cleaning up to one million bacteria can be recovered from a tooth surface! A diet of refined foods tends to result in a greater build up of less desirable bacteria on the teeth.

What is tartar/calculus?
Calculus is something studied in higher mathematics and tartar is something said by babies when they wave good-bye! No. Try again.
Calculus (or tartar) is plaque which has been hardened by minerals. The amount of calculus that forms around the teeth is determined by the cleanliness of the teeth and the amount and types of minerals in the saliva and being released around the teeth.

Periodontal pockets
A periodontal pocket isthe gap measured between the tooth-gum edge and the underlying bone. A pocket can be difficult to clean and is a home to bacteria and other microorganisms.This can cause bad breath. Dentists use a periodontal probe to tell if a periodontal pocket is present.

Periodontal probing
A periodontal probe is used to measure the bone loss around teeth and to determine whether gums bleed easily. When the probing measurements are recorded this is called periodontal charting. Up to 6 measurements may be recorded for each tooth. This can help a dentist work out if treatment for periodontal disease is effective.These photos show the periodontal probe inserted into a "pocket" to a depth of 7 mm. In an ideal healthy situation this measurement would be less than 3 mm

Scaling and cleaning
This involves cleaning the root surface of the tooth to remove plaque and calculus.
Cleaning calculus is done with sharp instruments called "scalers" or sometimes with an ultrasonic cleaner which vibrates off the hardened material.

Root planing
When the calculus and plaque is located on the tooth roots and in deep pockets its removal and the subsequent cleaning of the root surfaces is sometimes referred to as "Root planing". The treatment is similar to scaling and cleaning but usually more difficult and time consuming because it is difficult to get to deep areas.

Periodontal surgery and other forms of treatment
When gums are not healing well after scaling or Root planing other forms of treatment may be required. Your dental health professional will discuss these with you.

Smoking and gums
Smoking -Smokers are at between 2.5 and 6 times greater risk of periodontal disease compared with nonsmokers. This may be because smoking affects the immune system by lowering the body's ability to inhibit bacteria that are associated with periodontal disease. To find out more about quitting smoking try the QUIT site

Heart attacks and gums
A lot of recent research has looked at the link between periodontal disease and heart attacks. Heart attacks have been shown to be related to bacterial and viral infections and the mouth is now being examined closely as the source of these microorganisms.
A study* by the school of dentistry in Turkey looked at 120 patients with heart problems and concluded that periodontal disease may be associated with acute heart attacks. To search the internet for research articles on this topic....
*J Periodontal 2000 Dec;71(12):1882-6.

Strokes and gums
Periodontal disease has also been shown to be an important risk factor for strokes (cerebrovascular accidents) according to a study# published in October 2000 which looked at 9962 adults aged between 25 and 74 years. The lowest risk people where those with gingivitis, followed by those with no teeth and those with periodontal disease where at greatest risk. To search the internet for research articles on this topic....
#Arch Intern Med 2000 Oct 9;160(18):2749-55.
The implications of this research are that keeping your teeth and gums healthy is important to your overall health.