Tag: Holistic Medical

Dental

Teeth Grinding Prevention

Excellence in DentistryLeave a comment

Nooo, I don’t grind my teeth!

Examining my patients’ mouths, almost every day I come across a few with enamel wear mainly as a result of grinding. When I ask them about it, I get the usual answer of:

Noooo, I don‘t grind! No one’s ever told me I grind in my sleep!

Ok now let me tell you some facts:

  • Most people have the idea that grinding is caused unconsciously at night only and if they grind, someone from their family or friends would have heard them and let them know about it at some stage. Yes, grinding happens unconscious but not necessarily at night. Actually, it happens quite often during day time when people focus on doing their jobs or driving or even exercising.
  • The other thing is that stress is one of the reasons for grinding but not THE reason. For example, one of the reactions of the brain to airway narrowing, like a blocked nose, can manifest as grinding. Sleep apnea can also cause grinding or clenching.

So what are the consequences of enamel wear?  Apart from issues like sensitivity, the most important concern that has a massive effect on patients’ well-being is loss of height from the lower part of the face. When you grind, you shorten your teeth so the lower jaw compensates by turning forward and upward which puts a lot of pressure on the jaw joint and muscles of the face and causes corners of the lips to drop down. Also, in a normal mouth, back teeth contact each other but front teeth are slightly apart as front teeth are to bite onto food only. When back teeth flatten, front teeth contact each other and start wearing down as well.

How do I know if I grind my teeth in my sleep? Simply, look in the mirror.

 

  • Look at the pictures and photos below and compare them with your teeth.

Natural Teeth

Natural Teeth

Mild Enamel Wear

 

Typical Teeth Grinding Indicators we see in our Brisbane Dental Practice

Teeth mark on the border of the tongue which is called scalloped tongue. These indentations are the result of compression of the tongue against the adjacent teeth.

 

 

White line on the inner side of the cheek or linea alba which is a horizontal streak on the inner surface of the cheek, level with the biting plane and can be sign of clenching or grinding.

 

So how can Excellence in Dentistry help cure your teeth grinding?

First, we do some investigation to figure out the cause of enamel wear then accordingly we address the issue.

  • For a night time teeth grinding cure, we can make you a night mouthguard to help protect your teeth.
  • If there’s narrowing of the airways, treatment can be range from a simple nasal spray at night to seeking help from ENT doctor. Sleep apnea can be treated with special mouth devices or you may need to see a Sleep physician.
  • Day time grinding and clenching? We’ll go through techniques with you to be able to control the parafunction and be aware of it. In rare cases we recommend a Day Guard.
  • To restore the enamel and regain the loss of facial height, we can build up the lost enamel with composite material or ceramics. There are a lot of options available in different price range; each with its own cons and pros.

If you need more details or you’re worried about what I mentioned above, don’t hesitate. Come over and I can examine your teeth and mouth and discuss your options with you.

 

 

The post Teeth Grinding Prevention appeared first on Excellence in Dentistry.

Dental

Overcoming Dental Phobia and Anxiety

Excellence in DentistryLeave a comment

Scared of the dentist but need treatment?

We come across many patients who are anxious or nervous when it comes to dentists. For all the people who avoid going to dentists due to fear. You might have needle phobia. You might have previous bad experiences. Or sometimes there’s no particular reason for it. You’re just afraid of the whole thing when it comes to Dentistry.

Firstly, I want to tell you please don’t be embarrassed because a lot of people are out there like you. Fear of dentistry is actually very common.

We are here to help you. We’re not here to judge you. The issue is when you avoid going to the dentist, you end up with more problems, bigger problems, and bigger problems mean more major treatment, more trauma. Like, if you leave a sensitive tooth for too long, you may end up needing an extraction, and an extraction is a far more traumatic experience compared to a small filling.

Overcoming Anxiety and Treatment Options

I should say the technology has changed. The equipment and materials that we use these days are far less uncomfortable comparing what they used to be. Even the teaching of the dental team has changed towards anxious and fearful patients. These days, we get a lot of training in dealing with people who are not comfortable in coming to dentists.

Saying all that, you just need to make the first move. The first session usually is a consultation only. We have a chat with you. We get to know you. We get to know your fears. And then if you feel comfortable, we’re going to do an examination of your mouth. And we’ll figure out what’s needed to be done. Then we’re going to discuss the options you have for reducing your anxiety.

Brisbane Dentist Excellence in Dentistry strives to overcome your anxiety in many ways, there’s a T.V. on the roof – while you’re lying back, you can watch something, and it’s a very good distraction. You can always bring your own music with you and listen through earphones or we can provide you with some calming music and earphones.

We can administer happy gas for you. Happy gas calms you down and heightens the pain threshold. It’s a very safe gas, and the best thing about it is that at the end of the treatment, you can just go back to your routine, daily life. You can even drive.

We can always prescribe you some sedatives to have the night before and the day that you come here for treatment. It’s another effective way of calming you down.

Also, I.V. sedation or Twilight sedation is available as well. A medical doctor will put some sedatives into your bloodstream and you’re going to be very, very relaxed. You are not going to remember much afterwards. It is less traumatic than general anaesthesia for the body. You are going to be awake, but as the name says, you’re going to be in and out. You need to have the next day off to rest. And also, at the end of the procedure, someone has to drive you home.

The post Overcoming Dental Phobia and Anxiety appeared first on Excellence in Dentistry.