Summer is almost upon us and most of us will be thinking of long sunny days spent at the beach and topping it off with a nice bright smile. Here are some tips to brighten your pearly whites naturally and there’s no reason why they can’t be delicious too! Water We are all aware how important it is to drink plenty of water. Not only does it help keep us hydrated, water also decreases the overall acidity in our mouths thereby lessening the chances of damage to our tooth enamel. Rinsing with water after eating or drinking darkly-coloured foods or beverages will help prevent stains from form ..read more

With summer fast approaching, most of us naturally want nice bright radiant smiles. The appearance of our teeth can affect our image and confidence. How can we avoid causing more staining to our teeth? Coffee and Tea Unfortunately, your usual ‘pick-me-ups’ can cause staining of your pearly whites. They contain something called tannins (acidic polyphenols) that cause staining and discolouration. In addition, their acidity changes the pH balance in your mouth and causes damage to the enamel of your teeth. Soft Drinks We all know soft drinks are full of sugar, and we know how mu ..read more

Everyone knows men need a little more convincing to take better care of themselves than women. How can caring wives give that gentle nudge for their husbands to go for regular dental visits? During a regular check-up appointment, besides looking for dental decay, your dentist will evaluate the health of your gums and the soft tissues of your mouth including the tongue. Anything out of the ordinary can be detected, such as signs of diabetes, vitamin deficiencies and oral cancer. 5 Top Tips 1. Health is Paramount Most of us probably won’t do what we know to be good for us, but we w ..read more

So you’ve just had a tooth extracted. Now what? In the First Hour You will come out of the dental surgery biting on a gauze pad to reduce bleeding. Bite on this gauze pad for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can remove it. Removing the gauze may cause the blood clot formed to dislodge and this may cause a bit of blood to ooze. This is normal and you just have to spit that out. Do not rinse as this would keep washing out the blood clot that you need to form in the socket for the healing process to begin. However, if the socket bleeds a lot (and that means blood is pumping out) af ..read more

Oral hygiene is so important for everyone but it is especially important for children. During their formative years, children are experiencing a lot of growth and development, not only physically, but also mentally. These are the years in which habits become cemented and the more you, as their parent, are able to teach your children how to maintain the health of their teeth, the more it will stick with them for life. Here are some tips on how to brush and floss your child’s teeth. Newborn Babies and Infants Why? Oral hygiene actually begins with babies and infants. This may seem ..read more

Everyone knows what it feels like to go for a dental check and clean. But do you know why dentists want to take X-rays of your teeth? These are the top 6 reasons why you NEED dental X-rays. 1. X-Rays Allow Accurate Diagnosis Dental X-rays, also known as radiographs, give dentists the full picture of your teeth. Dentists can only observe the visible surfaces in an oral examination. Spaces between teeth, inside teeth, underneath the gums, and existing fillings are not observable to the naked eye. This is where dental radiographs come into the picture. 2. X-Rays Detect Cavities ..read more

If you are intending to get an extraction soon, it’s best to know what to expect after the treatment. Of course, your dentist or oral surgeon will take the best care but you can also help the healing process after the procedure. What is a Dry Socket? Dry sockets are a possible complication after an extraction but they are not inevitable. Only 2-5% of people who get their teeth extracted will experience a dry socket. When a tooth is extracted, there is a hole left in the gum and bone, which is called a socket. Your body will naturally try and heal this area by producing a blood clot ..read more

When people think of dental health care, teeth get all the attention. But your dental hygiene involves more than just your teeth – your gums are also incredibly important. Without proper gingival care, your gums can easily become inflamed and diseased which not only affects your mouth but in later stages can also impact your general health and wellbeing. What is Periodontitis? “Perio” means relating to the gums and the “itis” suffix refers to inflammation. Gum disease or gum inflammation is actually quite common, particularly in its earlier stage: gingivitis, caused by plaque build ..read more

What Causes Teeth Sensitivity? The first outer layer of teeth is enamel which is white and hard, encasing the second inner layer called dentin. Dentin is made up of tubules that are microscopic in size and the tubules contain nerve endings. Teeth sensitivity (also known as dentin hypersensitivity) is caused when the hard enamel gets eroded away to expose the dentin (and therefore your teeth’s nerve endings). There are several causes of teeth sensitivity: Enamel erosion due to over-vigorous brushing (especially with a hard-bristled toothbrush); Enamel erosion due to acid (this can ..read more

It’s the age-old question dentists hear all too often: are electric toothbrushes really better than manual toothbrushes? Funnily enough, this question is actually really easy to answer: no. Both are equally effective BUT only if they are both correctly used with the proper technique. So the real question is not which is better, but rather what is the correct technique to brushing teeth? Correct Technique Plaque is a biofilm of bacteria that attempts to attach onto the surface of teeth – tooth brushing aims to combat and prevent bacteria from sticking and becoming plaque over time. I ..read more