Wisdom Teeth – All you need to know!

Wisdom teeth; we all have them. Some go a whole lifetime without having any issues, whilst others experience pain, infections and swelling in their late teens and early twenties and need to have one or all of them extracted.

What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the rear third molars that come through at a more mature age than the rest of your teeth. They are located on your upper and lower jaw. Wisdom teeth can appear by:

  • Eruption – coming through with no obstruction
  • Partial eruption
  • Over eruption – coming through but growing too long
  • Impaction – getting suck along the way as a result of the tooth growing at an abnormal angle
Why do wisdom teeth hurt?

Wisdom teeth require removal due to an array of problems they cause, usually due to the lack of space in one’s jaw and mouth. This causes the teeth to erupt at an angle, thereby putting pressure on the surrounding teeth and gums. Further resulting in food and bacteria getting stuck in the difficult to reach places around the wisdom and neighbouring teeth. If the area around the wisdom teeth become infected, it can be extremely painful and may involve swelling of the jaw, pockets of pus developing around the concerned area, difficulty opening the mouth and swallowing and severe pain.

Why do wisdom teeth need to be removed?

Unless the troublesome wisdom teeth are removed by a dentist or oral surgeon, the infection and pain will generally reoccur, progressively get worse and be extremely unpleasant. Tooth decay is also caused by avoiding an extraction of impacted wisdom teeth.

The extraction

There are many misconceptions about the removal of wisdom teeth, often surrounded by the possible complications that can arise for the procedure. However, with the proper after-care and monitoring, it should not be long after the extraction procedure that you can resume your normal day to day activities.

The extraction procedure can range from being a simple ten to twenty minute appointment to an hour appointment. It all depends on how the tooth is growing and how many teeth are required to be removed.

At Terrigal Dental, most commonly a local anaesthetic is applied so you will not feel a thing. There is also the option of happy gas to assist you to relax before the extraction begins.

After care

To ensure you recover as quickly as possible after a wisdom teeth extraction, the following is often suggested:

  • Take pain relieving medication as advised by your dentist or oral surgeon
  • Hold warm salty water in your mouth for a couple of minutes each day – do not gargle
  • Don’t smoke for 48 hours after the surgery and avoid alcohol
  • Consume soft foods until you can open your jaw with ease
My personal experience

Personally, I had all four wisdom extracted in the dental chair. I had been struggling with a swollen jaw and infected third molars for a couple of weeks and tried to put the extraction off as soon as possible, however this only made my symptoms worse. The dentists walked me through the procedure and made me feel extremely comfortable in the chair. After a bit of happy gas and anaesthetic, the extraction commenced and it was over before I knew it. With a couple days of rest, salt water gargles and ice blocks, I recovered in three days. I extremely suggest wisdom teeth removal for anyone struggling with the pain associated with wisdom teeth. An extraction is a couple of minutes of your day that can prevent pain and infections for the rest of your adulthood.

Why are my teeth yellow? Teeth whitening/bleaching

Cleaning your teeth and maintaining their level of whiteness, isn’t as easy as it sounds… and we completely understand! Starting your morning without a warm cup of coffee and winding down without a glass of wine, just doesn’t sound as enjoyable.

To make things worse, it is not just coffee and wine that stain your teeth. There is a wide range of food and lifestyle choices that can inhibit you achieving the perfect level of whiteness.

Causes of yellow teeth:

  • Eating foods with staining properties such as curries, tomato-based sauces and soy sauce. The rich colours and acidic nature of these foods are (no matter how delicious they are) can lead to dental stains due to the level of pigments and sugar in them.
  • Drinking acidic beverages such as soft drink and white wine (red wines aren’t the only type of wine harmful to your teeth). The acidity in these drinks can eat away at the enamel on the surface of your teeth, eventually leading to decay.
  • Eating other pigmented foods, in particular fruits such as blackberries, blueberries and pomegranates. The pigments in these fruits are extremely powerful, and were used to dye clothing not too long ago, so regular intake of these fruits without brushing can cause dental stains.
  • Not drinking enough water. Water is not only important for hydration. It acts as a natural defence against build up and staining! It is recommended to drink water regularly throughout the day to wash away any substances lingering in your mouth, especially after a meal.
  • Smoking. Amongst the endless reasons to quit smoking, dental stains are one of them, along with gum disease and oral cancer.
  • Not brushing or flossing your teeth on a daily basis. As simple as it sounds, avoiding to brush and floss can lead to many dental issues down the track, and is one of the best ways to make sure your maintain your dental hygiene and colour of your teeth until your next dental appointment.

Obviously there are plenty more food and lifestyle choices that can stain your teeth. However, we are not here to advise you that in order to achieve the perfect white teeth you can’t live a normal life. Instead, we propose making the following changes to reduce the effects of the above!

How to stop teeth staining:

  • Diluting your curries and sauces by using some sort of milk or water based addition to the recipe. By ‘watering’ them down, you can reduce the level of pigment in them and therefore reduce the degree of dental staining.
  • Drinking acidic drinks through a straw. We know avoiding soft drinks completely can be difficult, so changing the way through which you consume them can reduce the amount of contact your teeth will have with the acids in the drinks.
  • Drinking enough water before and after meals, as well as throughout the day to ensure you (and your mouth) is not dehydrated.
  • Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups – in the case that there is an issue or concern with your teeth, the sooner it is identified the better.

At Terrigal Dental, we consider each patient part of our community and aim to provide a standard of treatment that we would expect for ourselves. We love educating our patients about their overall dental health as well as the options available to them to achieve the perfect smile – even those that they can incorporate into their daily routines at home.

For those that are finding their teeth to be victims of teeth staining, give us a call today to discuss the teeth whitening treatment we offer, or visit our website to make an appointment online!

Here is some information from the Australian Dental Association as well about aesthetic dentistry. We love making people smile.

When should I start brushing my child’s teeth?

Children’s teeth should be cleaned as soon as they first erupt from the gum. They should be brushed twice a day buy an adult with water and a soft toothbrush until the age of 17 months.

For children older than 18 months, you should start using toothpaste. Be sure to use a toothpaste that is specially formulated for children. This toothpaste should have a lower amount of fluoride than most adult toothpastes. 

Once your child reaches 3-4 years of age you can start using a larger, pea sized amount of toothpaste.

What’s Your Flavour?

Tell us what’s your flavour? Flavour of tooth mousse that is!

We all know how important it is for our bodies to get the right nutrients to stay healthy, but did you that certain minerals help to protect your teeth? While the most well known is fluoride, calcium and phosphate are also key ingredients in maintaining a healthy smile!

Introducing… Tooth mousse

Tooth mousse works by remineralising the enamel to make it stronger and more resistant to an acid attack. It therefore reduces the tooth’s likelihood to breakdown or decay. It is also able to neutralise acid produced from plaque or other internal/external sources.

 

People who may benefit from tooth mousse include those who may experience:
– High decay risk/rates
– Poor plaque control
– Erosion or gastric reflux
– Dry mouth
– Acidic oral environments
– Sensitivity
– White spot lesions
– Pregnant mothers
– Orthodontic patients
– And those who wish for the benefit of extra protection.

All the flavours are amazing and yummy for kids and adults.

What’s a CEREC?

Maybe you have heard the phrase CEREC crown? Maybe not. If you have you might be wondering what the difference is between a traditional crown and a CEREC crown.

If you have a tooth that is deteriorating or a cavity that is too big to fill, you may be given the option of a crown to seal and fix the tooth. Traditional crowns differ to the option of a CEREC crown. This new technology makes it easier for you to get the treatment you need. While traditional crowns still have value, CEREC or same day crown’s are focused on saving you time and stress.

TRADITIONAL CROWNS

Once it was determined that you needed a crown, the dentist would take an impression of the tooth to be sent off to a lab to have the crown made. To protect the tooth, a temporary crown would be placed while the permanent one was being made. This process generally takes 2-3 appointments over 2-3 weeks and requires the patient to spend a large amount of time not only in surgery but numbed using local anaesthesia.

CEREC CROWNS

CEREC crowns or same day sounds are exactly what they sound like, crowns that are completed in one day. Once your tooth is prepared to be fitted for a crown, the dentist uses the CEREC machine to take a digital image of your tooth. The dentist then uses the image and the CEREC machine to create the crown right there in front of you. Rather than dealing with an uncomfortable impression and being numbed up over multiple appointments, a picture is used to create a crown that perfectly fits your tooth on the same day.

What Toothpaste Should I Use?

Walking down the hygiene care aisle in the supermarket, we’re dazzled with “advanced formulas”, “multi-action” pastes, and even “natural” toothpastes. But all hype aside, what type of toothpaste should you be using?

From pulverised bones and crushed oyster shells to the modern-day pearly white paste, the role of toothpaste has always been to remove plaque and prevent cavities.

At Terrigal Dental we recommend selecting a toothpaste with added fluoride. Any toothpaste that contains fluoride will help to prevent tooth decay, (when used with a daily oral hygiene routine that includes brushing and flossing). Fluoride is an ingredient added to toothpaste to help strengthen and protect teeth against decay. It can also reverse early decay. Most supermarket toothpastes will have fluoride but it is worth checking the ingredients on the back, just to be sure!

WHAT TOOTHBRUSH SHOULD I USE?

The best toothbrush to use is a soft toothbrush with a small head. Hard toothbrushes can wear away the teeth and gums, which gives the teeth a ‘long’ appearance and leaves them sensitive. A small head allows you to get around each tooth more completely and is less likely to damage the gums

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I KNOCK OUT A TOOTH?

Any trauma to the teeth should be assessed by a dentist as soon as possible, however in the meantime:
1. Find the tooth and rinse it to remove any dirt
2. Place the tooth either in saliva or milk or keep it in your mouth between your
check and gum or under your tongue
3. Get to the dentist as the tooth has a better chance of being placed back
successfully if done as soon as possible
At Terrigal Dental, we welcome emergency patients. If you have an incident of dental trauma, give us a call on 4384 2101 and we will fit you in ASAP.

WHAT IS A FISSURE SEALANT?

A fissure sealant is a protective coating that is used to fill the grooves in children’s teeth. These grooves tend to trap plaque that causes decay, so filling the grooves will help minimize the risk of decay in these teeth.

Fissure sealant placement is a quick and painless procedure and is covered by the Child Dental Benefit Scheme for eligible children.

What causes cavities?

Cavities or holes are formed by acid producing bacteria that live on the plaque in your mouth. When sugars and starches aren’t cleaned off your teeth, bacteria quickly begin feeding on them and form plaque. The acids in plaque remove minerals in your tooth’s hard, outer enamel. This erosion causes tiny openings or holes in the enamel — the first stage of cavities.

Brushing and flossing your teeth as well as having them professionally cleaned by our dentists twice a year decreases the level of these damaging bacteria in your mouth. Lack of tooth brushing allows the bacteria to grow producing too much acid which then causes cavities.

Sugary foods feed these bacteria making them produce more acid! So keep brushing and flossing twice a day and keep a healthy, low-sugar diet. These good habits will hopefully lead to a cavity-free visit to Terrigal Dental!