Tips on how to maintain healthy teeth Clean teeth = healthy teeth
To maintain clean healthy teeth, it is important to maintain good oral health.
* Brush your teeth twice a day for 2-3minutes with preferably an electric toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
*Use floss or tepe’s once a day.
*Reduce sugary and acidic food, snacks and drinks.
*Try to reduce alcohol intake, and smoking- all tobacco products
*If you have a high sugary, acidic, alcohol intake, use fluoride mouthwash to help strengthen your teeth.
*Eat a balanced diet, with fruit and vegetables
My teeth are sensitive, what should I do?
Patients with tooth sensitivity feel pain when they consume items that are hot or cold, sweet or acidic. The pain is severe but only lasts for a few seconds. Sensitivity comes from thinned tooth enamel, which doesn’t protect the tooth pulp or dentin from exposure to extreme temperatures often caused by:
- Receding gums
- Tooth grinding or clenching, especially night time.
- Chipped or fractured teeth
- Tooth whitening
- Orthodontics and fillings
One can reduce this by reducing your sugar and or acid intake, avoid extremes, too hot or too cold foods, cleaning with a soft brush and to rub tooth paste for sensitive teeth into the sensitive areas and leave it there.
If you get pain that lasts longer than this and is triggered with hot things more than cold you have toothache not sensitivity!
What if I lost a crown?
Make sure you keep the tooth and the crown clean. If it fits snug, try to push it back during the day, but take it out when eating or drinking, and during night time, to prevent you from swallowing the crown.
What to do if I knock a tooth out?
- Find the tooth…if it is clean push it gently back into the socket yourself .. Make sure it is the facing the right way! If it isn’t clean or you are not confident about pushing it back yourself. Put the tooth in either a container of milk or your mouth.
- Don’t handle the tooth by the root. It has fragile ligaments which need to be kept intact if it is to be successfully replaced.
- Don’t try to clean it with disinfectant or water. Don’t let it dry out. Just put it in a container of milk.
- Don’t panic! Teeth can and are successfully put back in! We may need to splint the tooth in position and you will almost certainly need further work.
- Take painkillers if you need to. Avoid aspirin as it may encourage further bleeding.
- CONTACT us as soon as possible, as time is crucial for re-implantation of a tooth
What if I have wisdom tooth problem?
Wisdom teeth are renown for getting irritated and infected. Most of the time, it can be managed by making sure you keep it clean. Take some luke warm salty water and rinse or soak the infected area 3-4x/day for 1minute at a time. You can alter that with Corsodyl mouth wash. Typically, this can last between 7-10 days. If you start to feel your glands are getting bigger, r you have restriction of opening your mouth, you may need some antibiotics.
What to do if you have pain?
Try to locate where the pain comes from. Pain can refer, normally on the same side of the face.
Try to see what cause the pain? Eg hot, cold, pressure
How long does the pain last, and does it keep you awake at night?
You can take painkillers to ease the pain. We can advise you on the doses.