Treatment Focus
Preventing Decay in Children’s Teeth with Fissure Seals
Fissures are grooves found in the enamel of teeth. They are most commonly found in the pre-molar and molar teeth. In some teeth, these grooves can be very narrow and deep and can lead to a lot of food getting stuck on the biting surface of the tooth. With today’s high sugar and acid diet it can be beneficial to seal these fissures in all molar adult teeth of children In order to prevent tooth.
Fissure sealants are generally plastic resin coatings that are placed in the grooves and act as a physical barrier to the attack of food. As good as fissure sealants are, they are not hard like the enamel and can suffer general wear and tear. Should part of the seal break or chip off, it can be easily replaced with more sealant material.
Fissure sealants are generally plastic resin coatings that are placed in the grooves and act as a physical barrier to the attack of food. As good as fissure sealants are, they are not hard like the enamel and can suffer general wear and tear. Should part of the seal break or chip off, it can be easily replaced with more sealant material.
Chipped Front Teeth
Whilst our teeth are very strong, chips, cracks and breaks can occur easily. If your front teeth do get damaged you have a few options. These include simple repair, root cananl treatment and a crown or an implant and crown.
In many instances your tooth can be repaired with tooth coloured filling material to look just like the original tooth. This is an example of a 10 year old patient that damaged her front tooth. Composite filling material has been matched to look just like her original tooth. As she is growing and her mouth and teeth change this interim treatment provided a relatively simple solution that can be made more permanent when she is older and fully grown
In many instances your tooth can be repaired with tooth coloured filling material to look just like the original tooth. This is an example of a 10 year old patient that damaged her front tooth. Composite filling material has been matched to look just like her original tooth. As she is growing and her mouth and teeth change this interim treatment provided a relatively simple solution that can be made more permanent when she is older and fully grown
Enamel Erosion
Worn tooth enamel occurs in an environment where there are one or more of the following factors: high acid content in our diet, incorrect brushing technique, reflux, tooth grinding and some medications. People often notice erosion of the enamel has occurred after heightened sensitivity to temperatures and sometimes sweet foods. Our top tips to avoid enamel erosion are:
▪ Rinse with water after drinking beverages with a high acid content (eg: Coke, Orange Juice etc) and wait 30 minutes before brushing.
▪ Employ a circular brushing motion, holding the brush at a 45° angle to the tooth. Avoid “scrubbing” backwards and forwards in the one spot.
▪ Chew a sugar-free gum after meals when brushing is not an option, the increased saliva flow will aid the mouth to buffer away the acid.
If you have signs of wear that are affecting your teeth, either functionally or cosmetically, these can often be corrected. Speak with your dentist about treatment options.
▪ Rinse with water after drinking beverages with a high acid content (eg: Coke, Orange Juice etc) and wait 30 minutes before brushing.
▪ Employ a circular brushing motion, holding the brush at a 45° angle to the tooth. Avoid “scrubbing” backwards and forwards in the one spot.
▪ Chew a sugar-free gum after meals when brushing is not an option, the increased saliva flow will aid the mouth to buffer away the acid.
If you have signs of wear that are affecting your teeth, either functionally or cosmetically, these can often be corrected. Speak with your dentist about treatment options.