Tooronga Family Dentistry in Glen Iris

Archives for June 2016

Saliva, your Natural Defense against Tooth Erosion.

Saliva is of immense importance to digestion, taste and oral health. Here are four important properties of the saliva that protect against Tooth Erosion:

  1. Water is important not only for good health, hair and skin, but it also allows for adequate saliva production. Salivary glands filter water from their rich blood supply, which is the major component of saliva. The water content in the saliva helps rinse away food particles and bacteria and keep the teeth clean. Reduced saliva production as a result of dehydration or medications, decreases the rinsing effects and increases the risk for erosion and decay.
  2. Saliva is abundant in bicarbonate which can neutralize acid. There are several acid sources in our diet coming from food( fruit like lemons and tomatoes) and from beverage(fruit juice, vitamin C supplements and soft drinks). Most dietary acid can be neutralized by salivary bicarbonate, however some sport and soft drinks contain large quantities of acids or very strong acids which the saliva bicarbonate content cannot neutralize. When the saliva cannot neutralize the acids tooth enamel and dentin is broken down leading to cavities.
  3. Calcium is an important component of your saliva. These ions are secreted with water and other enzymes to prevent erosion by forming crystals with citric acid (present in some wines, citrus fruits, tomato and more). Salivary calcium ions are also essential for repairing the enamel layer  that have been corroded or eroded by acids and bacteria.
  4. The saliva is required for  food tasting and many taste receptors control the saliva production. Fresh fruits and vegetables are considered excellent salivary stimulants as they stimulate sour, bitter and salty taste receptors. As such they make up excellent components of a healthy breakfast that starts up the day with a well hydrated mouth.

Since your saliva is very important to your oral health and well being, if you feel a dry mouth and frothy saliva it is important to contact Dr. Daniel Kaufman and our team at Tooronga Family Dentistry  to check the availability and quality of your saliva. There are conditions such as diabetes, anorexia nervosa, chronic dehydration, depression and alcoholism which can affect your salivary flow and need to be closely monitored.  If you have more questions about saliva and it importance please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Teeth Sensitivity in Cold Weather.

Why do teeth hurt when the cold weather sets in? This is a problem that plagues many during the cold months and luckily there are a few solutions.
Our teeth are made of dentin that is covered by harder enamel. Upon sudden exposure to cold, and even for a short period of time, dentin can contract or shrink. This contraction is very minimal, but it can still allow exposure of sensitive parts of the teeth to the cold air inhaled, which can then respond with pain or sensitivity. Once the mouth is shut, the temperature returns back to 36.7 degrees and the dentin and enamel expand. If one suffers from tooth grinding, there can be hairline cracks in the teeth, which are generally unnoticeable, but can expand and contract more enhancing the sensitivity to cold. The best way to prevent cold induced tooth pain is to stay warm! Try and breathe through your nose as much as possible, and if this is a challenge in the more frigid times, place a scarf over your mouth to prevent direct contact of cold air with the teeth. Desensitizing tooth pastes can help coat the exposed dentin and reduce sensitivity too.
Even if we are not breathing in, the cold air through our mouth, the cold weather can make us clench and grind our teeth, either unconsciously or in a conscious effort to stop the cluttering. This stress may also lead to tooth and joint pain and even cracks over time. If you clench, the best remedy is to relax the muscles and allow the lower jaw to drop.

Sometimes cold induced pain can have other underlying causes such as, Amalgam fillings that are prone to expansion and contraction and can crack the teeth around them when exposed to temperature changes. A Gum infection may also manifest itself with strong sensitivity to cold air. Make sure to contact Dr. Daniel Kaufman and our team at Tooronga Family Dentistry for more ways to solve this chilling phenomenon, and stay warm!

Toothpaste Allergy

Not many people suffer from toothpaste allergies, but for those who do, it can be a struggle.  If present the Allergy to toothpaste appears as  an inflammation of the lips, cracked lips, redness at the corners of the mouth, irritation of the palms (usually of the hand holding the toothbrush), tongue and gums. Increased gum and teeth sensitivity may also occur and, in severe cases, mouth ulcers that do not heal can appear. If you experience any of these symptoms, make sure to make an appointment at Tooronga Family Dentistry.
The reason that toothpaste allergy develops is the flavoring ingredients used, most commonly spearmint, cinnamon and other high intensity flavors. Unfortunately, these flavoring additives are often not specified clearly on the toothpaste label, making it difficult to distinguish what brand or which substance may cause irritation.
Other common irritants found are: Cocamidopropyl betaine (CPB), an organic compound derived from coconut oil used as a foam booster and thickener in toothpaste and shampoos, Propylene glycol, a preservative and mixing agent, essential oils and other antibacterials.
These compounds may also be present in chewing gum and mouthwashes and can lead to similar symptoms.
If you suffer from any allergic reaction to the toothpaste ingredients it is important to consult your doctor to make sure that the causative agents are identified . It has been found that when the allergic patients stopped using the irritating toothpaste the symptoms were resolved. After you know which ingredients cause an allergic reaction you can look at your local chemist for a toothpaste that does not contain it.

Best Tips for Kids’ Teeth

Parent have many questions about, how to care for their children’s teeth. Here are the answers for the most common  ones:

When should my child start brushing? Dental hygiene should start even before the first tooth erupts. We at Tooronga Family Dentistry recommend running a damp washcloth over the baby’s gums gently to teach them about oral hygiene. As the teething starts your child can have a small soft toothbrush to rub on his gums. As soon as the teeth appear it is important to help your child with brushing, using a bit of toothpaste about the size of a pea, twice a day.

When should kids have their first dental exam? The first dental appointment should be before their 1st birthday. At their first appointment we will explain to them everything that we do, show them their teeth and examine them to see if they are well . It is important not to wait for pain or brown stains to appear on the teeth, since it is all preventable.

When should kids start brushing their teeth on their own? Children can start brushing their teeth, using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste under adult supervision, as young as 1 year old. We at Tooronga Family Dentistry recommend that they brush twice a day, morning and night, for two full minutes. Brushing your own teeth with your kids can set a good example for them to follow. To make brushing fun, your child can choose a toothbrush featuring a favorite character and a good way to help your child to brush for the right amount of time, is to play a pleasant song for 2 minutes.

Once the brushing is finished, it would be advisable for an adult to check, if they reached all teeth with the brush and to clean the areas that were missed.

When should kids start flossing?

Flossing is needed once two teeth are touching and a place for bacteria to hide is created.  These conditions usually appear when they reach the age of 16 month.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have more questions or to make an appointment to see Dr. Kaufman Daniel at Tooronga Family Dentistry .

What is inflammation?

The descriptions of the Inflammatory process dates back to the ancient Egyptian and Greek cultures. It is part of the body’s response, to an attack by foreign objects and is usually followed by healing. It is a beneficial process designed to protect, care for and heal the body but if the presence of the bacteria or the foreign body becomes chronic the prolonged inflammatory process starts doing you harm.

When something harmful or irritating affects a part of you, the body’s response is to try and remove it – an inflammation is created. It does not mean that you have an infection, as an infection is caused by a bacteria, virus or fungus, while an inflammation can be for example due to a thorn, a substance you are allergic to or even to parts of your own body in rare cases.  There are 5 signs and symptoms of inflammation:

  1. Swelling of the inflamed organ.
  2. Redness of the inflamed area.
  3. The inflamed are is warmer than normal.
  4. Pain in the inflamed area.
  5. The function of the organ is restricted.

When we have a wound or injury the resulting inflammation, initiates the healing process, without it wounds and infections would never get better. However when the body’s defenses fail to eliminate whatever was causing the acute inflammation a chronic, long-term inflammation, which can last for several months and even years is caused. A chronic inflammation, can become self-perpetuating, leading to more inflammation created in response to the existing inflammation. In extreme cases autoimmune conditions emerge where the immune system attacks healthy tissue, or a chronic low intensity irritant that persists. Common examples of chronic inflammation conditions are asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontitis and chronic sinusitis. To help cure the chronic inflammation it is important to find and resolve the underlying condition. Once removed the inflammation will cease and the healing process can start. For Gum inflammation removing the Dental Biofilm will eliminate the inflammatory process.

The Best And Worst Crunchy Foods For Your Teeth

You’ve probably heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away and it is very good for your teeth too. But what about all those other Crunchy foods like Carrots, Candy and Pork Crackling?

A Good Crunch:

It’s a workout for your muscles to chew crunchy fruits like Apples and Pears, but all that crunching can clear away plaque and bacteria from your teeth too. These fruits have another bonus for your health, they’re also full of vitamins. Crunchy veggies like Carrots, Cucumbers and Celery are great because they stimulate saliva flow. The saliva is full of antibodies and minerals to defend your teeth and gums against cavities and gum disease. Plus, the veggies contain much fiber that will keep you healthy.

A Harmful Crunch.

Crunchy snack foods like hard Candy, Chips, Crackers and Pretzels can be really bad for your teeth. They are harder than the fruit and Veggies to the point that chewing them can lead to Cracks and Fractures in the teeth. The pieces they break into while you chew can easily wedge themselves in your teeth and in between the teeth and fillings. Then the carbohydrates that are wedged and stuck to you teeth are converted to sugar which is transformed by the bacteria to acid, that melts the enamel and dentin and creates decay.

At Tooronga Family Dentistry we advise you to choose some fruit and veggies when you feel the need for a Crunchy Snack.

Bleeding Gums and Mouth Ulcers can be caused by vitamin deficiency.

We need plenty of vitamins and minerals while growing up to help develop bones, muscles, skin and organs, to see properly and to battle infections. If we don’t get enough of all the vitamins and minerals, it can lead to serious problems. Since the mouth is exposed to a constant inflow of bacteria and it has ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive, it is one of the first places where lack of vitamins shows. This is why children show sings in their mouth when vitamins and minerals for growth and development are lacking. The common signs for the lack of vitamins are:

  • Cracks at the corners of your mouth.
  • Dry and smooth tongue.
  • Gums that bleed easily.
  • Ulcers in the gums.
  • Increased susceptibility for infections.

Our bodies absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients better when they come from food, rather than from vitamin and mineral supplements. So the best way for you and your child to get enough vitamins and minerals is by eating a wide variety of fresh foods, including:

  • Vegetables
  • Fresh fruit
  • Grain food – bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, rice, corn and so on
  • Reduced-fat dairy food – milk, yoghurt and cheese
  • Meat, fish, chicken, eggs and legumes (peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas and so on).

If you find that your child has started to develop Ulcers in his Gums, Cracks at the corner of his mouth or Bleeding Gums, it is important to make an appointment to see Dr. Kaufman Daniel at Tooronga Family Dentistry as soon as possible Please call 98227006. In our comprehensive exam we will be able to see what is the cause of these symptoms.

Broken Tooth? What to Do Next?

Despite the fact that tooth enamel is incredibly strong, it can accidentally break, chip or crack. Crunching down on hard food, such as pork crackling, ice or candy, are the most common causes for a broken tooth. Enduring a hard fall or suffering a hit to the face or mouth can also lead to a cracked or broken tooth. If a tooth already has decay, much wear from tooth grinding or it is weakened by an old fillings the chances are that it will fracture more easily.

A broken or cracked tooth may not hurt at all, since it may have had a root canal treatment. However, pain is quite common when a tooth is broken or fractured and many appear while chewing food, as the chewing motion puts pressure on the broken segments of the tooth. Other sings that something is wrong, will probably be an increase in the sensitivity to hot or cold, since the nerve inside the tooth may have been damaged during the breakage or perhaps the trauma has left the nerve exposed. Left alone for a long period of time, the fractured area will allow bacteria to increase their access to the pulp, tooth canals and bone, leading to devastating destruction and the need to have the tooth removed.

I have listed here the common types of tooth fractures and the most likely treatment for each one:

Minor Cracks

Surface cracks to the tooth enamel are common, they are mostly caused by clenching and grinding or a hard diet. We at Tooronga Family Dentistry usually treat these minor with a simple polish to help smooth any noticeable rough spots.

A Cracked Tooth

A cracked tooth has a high risk of breaking apart, if the crack is in a tooth with a present filling or a cavity, we at Tooronga Family Dentistry  remove the old restoration and decay and restore the tooth to it’s previous shape and size. The new restoration is made of composite filling material which has the ability to hold the separated parts together.

Tooth Chips

If you have chipped your tooth, Dr. Kaufman Daniel will likely repair any damage with a composite filling to stop the chip from worsening. At times if the chips are very small and of no aesthetic significance  we can polish the chipped area.

Large Fractures

When a large part of the tooth comes off, it means that there are deep cracks running all the way to the nerve, which can cause you pain and sensitivity. In these events it is likely that a treatment called a root canal and a crown, will be needed.

Split Tooth

If your tooth is broken in such a way that there is a vertically split, separating it into two different parts, you may require root canal treatment or an extraction.

If you find that you have chipped, cracked or broken a tooth, it is important to make an appointment to see Dr. Kaufman Daniel at Tooronga Family Dentistry as soon as possible. Please call 98227006