Do you ever see traces of blood when you brush or floss? If you do, you could be seeing the early stages of gum disease, or gingivitis as it’s commonly known.

Luckily, if caught in the early stages, gum disease is reversible with a few changes to your oral care routine.

It’s important to make these changes as soon as you notice pain, swelling, or bleeding as – if allowed to develop – gum disease can affect the health of your entire body.

If gingivitis is allowed to flourish, it can morph into more serious gum disease, periodontitis, and then you’ll need to visit us at Simply Smiles Dental in order to cure it.

What is it?

Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums caused by the bacteria in plaque; a sticky, colorless film that is constantly forming on your teeth. If plaque is not removed by daily brushing and flossing, it will build up and the bacteria will eventually infect the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth. This can cause them to become loose, fall out, or require removal by a dentist.

What are the symptoms?

• Gums that are red, puffy or swollen, or tender
• Gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
• Teeth that look longer because your gums have receded
• Gums that have separated, or pulled away from your teeth
• Changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
• Pus coming from between your teeth and gums
• Constant bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth

A few dental tips to keep your gums and the rest of your mouth healthy

• Brush twice daily: Use fluoride toothpaste and be sure to pay attention to your gum line. Brush gently for two to three minutes.
• Floss daily: This removes plaque from spaces your brush cannot reach.
• Eat healthily: Sugar and starch increase the production of plaque. Look for foods rich in vitamin C and A to fortify your gum tissue.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes, hookah and vaporizing: The nicotine and tobacco in cigarettes and Hookah molasses have long been known to increase smokers’ risk of developing gum disease. Even e-cigarettes containing nicotine can contribute to periodontal disease and cancer.
• Monitor medications: Certain prescription medications can worsen existing oral ailments.
• Add mouthwash to your routine: An antiseptic mouth rinse can reduce harmful plaque by as much as 20 percent.
• Visit a dental professional: Schedule regular checkups to maintain a healthy smile.

Gum disease can be treated! Under the direction of your Simply Smiles Dental dentist, you can get a professional cleaning to remove built-up plaque, and then work to reverse the effects of early gum disease.

How do we ‘cure’ gum disease at Simply Smiles Dental?

Gingivitis is the only stage of periodontal disease that can easily be reversed. And if it is not reversed it only gets worse, and your teeth will start to loosen as the infected gums pull further away from the teeth.

For gingivitis, we expunge plaque and tartar both above and below the gum line. We wash the infected areas with a rinse to wash out and kill more bacteria. Finally, we give patients a detailed home care plan, to prevent return of the infection.

Mild periodontitis is often treated with scaling and root planing therapy. Scaling eliminates the plaque and tartar from your teeth above the gum line. Root planing reaches below the gum line to scrape tartar from the root surface and make it harder for bacteria to stick there. In some cases, your dentist may also prescribe an antibiotic. Patients with mild periodontitis need to have cleanings more frequently than those with healthy mouths.

For moderate periodontitis, in addition to the scaling and root planing therapy, we may put antibiotics directly into the pockets in your gums to kill bacteria that cleaning alone can’t reach. Other options include laser therapy to remove damaged gum tissue.

Severe periodontitis often leads to surgery if pockets are too deep and there is permanent bone damage. Some teeth may be so loose that they can’t be saved. Those teeth may have to be replaced with a denture, bridge, or implant.

Obviously, you want to avoid these outcomes, so practice a solid course of dental care at home, and make regular visits to your Simply Smiles Dental dentist!

Fight Gum Disease at Simply Smiles Dental

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you, your children, and your entire family, the smile and dental health of your dreams.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist. 

Call us on (03) 9826 2220 or book your appointment online.

Our Promotions

At Simply Smiles Dental, our goal is to make quality dental care affordable. To find out more, visit our promotions page today!

Dental Emergency

Same Day Dental Emergency Appointment

The post Treating And Curing Gum Disease appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

At Simply Smiles Dental, we hope you never have a tooth knocked out, but if you do, we want you to have the information you need to save that tooth!

The good news is that, armed with a solid strategy and acting quickly, many knocked out (“avulsed”) teeth can be saved!

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: Keep Your Simply Smiles Dentist in your contact list

Time is the most important thing when dealing with a knocked-out tooth. So, the first and most important thing to do is to call your Simply Smiles dentist as soon as you can. This means you should have our phone number in your phone!

What to do if a tooth is knocked out

To save a tooth that has been knocked out, you should immediately take these steps:

1. Retrieve the tooth
   Handle the tooth by the crown, not the root. The crown of the tooth is the chewing part – it is the part of the tooth that is visible when the tooth is properly in the jaw. Touching the root of an avulsed tooth can contaminate it or cause additional damage to any tissue still attached to the tooth, tissue that needs to be preserved to ensure the tooth’s restoration.
2. Clean the tooth
   If the tooth has become contaminated with dirt, rinse it gently with milk or water. Again, be very careful not to disturb any tissue clinging to the root. NEVER clean a dislodged tooth with soap, and don’t scrub or dry it. These actions will remove and destroy the living residual tissue necessary for reimplantation.
3. Reposition the tooth (if possible)
   Replace the tooth into the gum socket as soon as possible. The more quickly this happens, the greater the chances of saving the tooth. Gum and root tissues naturally want to heal and bond, and this process begins as soon as the tooth is back in the jaw. If returning the tooth to the mouth is not possible, proceed to the next step.

Preserve the tooth if repositioning is not possible

If the tooth cannot be immediately repositioned in the gums, preserving it properly helps the chances of its restoration. Keeping the tooth moist helps keep the necessary cells and tissue alive. The best thing is to preserve the tooth in milk. Tap water is not recommended. If the patient is old enough, the tooth can also be held between against the inside of the mouth.

There are also over-the-counter products to help save avulsed teeth, and if you have an emergency aid kit, it might be a good idea to include one of them.

What your Simply Smiles Dentist will do to save your tooth

Your Simply Smiles dentist will determine if the tooth is in good enough condition to return to full function. If the tooth looks ok, X-rays will be taken to determine if optimum healing will be able to occur. Your dentist will then splint (attach) the tooth to the teeth next to it so it will not shift and will have support for healing to take place.

If the tooth has been out of the mouth for more than 20 minutes, your dentist may soak the tooth in a salt solution for about a half hour and then put it in an antibiotic before re-implanting it, which increases the chance of survival.

Your dentist will decide how long the splint should remain.

If the bone around tooth wasn’t broken, the tooth should reattach in about three to four weeks. If the bone is damaged it may need from six to eight weeks to recover. You will need to visit your dentist for regular check-ups to judge progress. If everything is healing successfully, the dentist will follow up with you for the next two to three years to ensure that everything is doing well.

Emergency Dentist in Toorak

In case of a dental emergency, be sure to contact your emergency dentist in Toorak on (03) 9826 2220.

Simply Smiles Dental accepts most dental insurance and offer flexible payment options for those who don’t have dental insurance. Our skilled dentists are committed to getting you the urgent care you require quickly at a very reasonable rate.

Learn more about our dental emergency services and schedule your appointment by calling Simply Smiles Dental in Toorak today.

The post First Aid Tips for A Knocked-out Tooth appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

A beautiful smile creates a huge impact on people around you and also boosts self-confidence.

However, smiling does not come naturally to people with yellow teeth. A large number of people who have yellow or discoloured teeth are too embarrassed to smile.

There are various causes of yellow teeth. Some conditions can be whitened by tooth whitening methods, whereas some cannot. The best way to approach a remedy for yellow teeth is by identifying the cause of yellow teeth.

At Simply Smiles Dental we are experts in diagnosing the causes of yellow teeth, and the appropriate treatments to remedy them.

Why Do Teeth Yellow?

There are many reasons for yellowing, but a few stand out because of how often they cause yellow teeth and how preventable they are:

Tobacco – Both chewing and smoking tobacco are causes of yellow teeth. Yellow stains are caused by nicotine (a substance found in tobacco). And whereas nicotine is basically colorless, when combined with oxygen, it results in yellowing of teeth. Tar, which is also associated with tobacco, is also staining.

Foods and beverages – Some beverages and foods, especially those with intense colors such as red wine, cola, coffee, tea, and berries cause stains. Substances that stain white materials can generally stain teeth in the same manner. Some surprising foods that are also responsible for stained teeth include apples and potatoes-the stain causing residue from these foods infiltrate or stick to the surface of enamel thereby forming stains.

Some medications – Antibiotics are common causes of discolored teeth in children. Occasionally, some treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy involving the neck and head areas for cancers can turn the glossy color of teeth to a yellow tint. Other medications can have similar effects, so be sure to share your medical history with your Simply Smiles dentist!

Trauma – If your teeth are injured, they may develop cracks or break. Damaged areas may become infiltrated by staining substances, which cause yellow stains. Tissues within the tooth can also get injured and even bleed, with dead tissues and blood within the tooth getting in to the dentin and eventually ending up beneath the enamel.

Fluoride – Excessive fluoride intake causes yellowing. When water with high levels of fluoride, or fluoride supplements is/are consumed regularly, it can leave yellow stains.

Treating Yellow Teeth

Simply Smiles Dental offers only the most proven and trustworthy whitening treatments. Our treatments are long-lasting, so with good dental habits you will experience very little whitening loss over time. Our treatments are safe and won’t harm teeth or gums

1 Hour in chair ZOOM! Whitening

Zoom! Offers the best cosmetic teeth whitening available. Of all the dental whitening treatments (laser teeth whitening, whitening toothpaste, whitening strips, whitening gel and trays, and more), nothing whitens better or faster. Get an average of 8 shades whiter in just 45 minutes.

Zoom! has been clinically proven to be safe and effective.

Take Home Whitening  Systems

We will make a tray to custom fit your teeth, to which a safe whitening agent is applied. The trays are worn for anywhere from 30 minutes a day to overnight, depending on the solution you and your dentist find most suitable.

If your stains are “intrinsic” (deep in the teeth), another approach is called for, in this case dental veneers.

The Veneer Procedure

Dental veneers are for teeth too deeply stained to bleach/whiten and usually take 2 to 3 dental appointments:

Diagnosis and Treatment Planning – this stage allows you to discuss your smile goals with your dentist. Your dentist will examine your teeth and create a treatment plan for you.

Preparation – your dentist will remove a minimal amount of tooth enamel to accommodate the new veneers. Next, the dentist will make a mould of your teeth, which will be sent to the dental lab where your veneers are made.

Bonding – this is the final step in which your dentist will check for fit and colour. Adjustments may be made if needed. If everything is perfect, the dentist will cement the veneers into place and harden them using a special curing light.

Get a Full, Healthier, Whiter Smile at Simply Smiles Dental in Toorak

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you the smile and dental health of your dreams, without a hint of anxiety or pain.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist.

Contact us on (03) 9826 2220 or request an appointment online.

The post How To Whiten Yellow Teeth Fast! appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

This year the theme is Oral Health For Busy Lives!

At Simply Smiles Dental we know life gets complicated and maintaining your oral health isn’t always the first thing on your mind. We also know that having healthy teeth and gums is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Whether your oral health habits are good, bad, or somewhere in between, Simply Smiles Dental is here to help you take charge of your time and your dental health.

Why Should You Care?

Because poor dental hygiene can have catastrophic outcomes:

• You can lose your teeth
• You can have bad breath
• It can lead to diabetes
• You’re at risk for dementia
• You may get cavities
• You can get gum disease
• You can damage your immune system
• It can cause a brain abscess

Those are the kinds of problems really take up time to deal with and repair. So your investment in oral hygiene now is a down-payment on more, healthier time later.

A Little Time At Home Can Save A Lot Of Time In The Chair

Oral health begins at home. Consider these brushing basics:

Brush your teeth twice a day. When you brush, don’t rush. Take time to do a thorough job. 

Use the proper equipment. Use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits your mouth.

Practice good technique. If you need a refresher on good technique, just ask Simply Smiles Dental! 

Keep your equipment clean. Rinse your toothbrush with water after brushing and air dry away from other brushes, and uncovered.

Flossing for oral health. Break off about 18 inches (46 centimetres) of dental floss. Wind most of the floss around the middle finger on one hand, and the rest around the middle finger on the other hand. Don’t snap the floss into your gums, and floss one tooth at a time, being sure to be gentle.

Use a scraper and mouthwash. For an extra level of oral hygiene, tongue scrapers and mouth rinses can take you the extra step.

Nutrition – Good Health with Little Time Commitment

You probably consider nutrition already, and finding and eating healthy foods should take no more time than finding ‘bad’ foods. But the time you will save in health, wellness, and treatment costs will be worth it.

Every time you eat or drink anything sugary, your teeth are under acid attack for up to one hour. This is because the sugar will react with the bacteria in plaque (the sticky coating on your teeth) and produce harmful acids. So it is important to have sugary foods or drinks just at mealtimes, limiting the amount of time your mouth is at risk.

Acidic foods and drinks can be just as harmful. The acid ‘erodes’ or dissolves the enamel, exposing the dentine underneath. This can make your teeth sensitive and unsightly.

A diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fresh fruit and vegetables can help prevent gum disease and more serious issues.

Dental Care Outside the House

One way to optimise dental health, is to take your oral hygiene tools with you.

It might not be practical to dig out your entire toiletry kit while you’re at the office or in a restroom but you can still carry travel-size products in a purse or dental kit. A travel-size toothbrush (with carrying case), toothpaste, floss, and small bottle of mouthwash can easily fit in a small bag, which means you have no excuse to skip oral hygiene on-the-go!

Visit Simply Smiles – Your Long-Term Time-Saver

Regular dental visits are recommended to prevent oral health problems. But more than one-third of adults don’t visit their dentist every year.

At Simply Smiles, we make it simple and convenient. We are open until 6pm on weekdays and until 1pm on Saturdays, so it is easy to book an appointment that works for you.

Simply Smiles Dental offers plenty of on street parking and is very easy to visit. Free parking for 90 minutes in Woolworth’s car park, minimal charge for longer.

We also offer emergency services, and for non-emergency appointments you can request a booking online!

Get a Full, Healthier Smile at Simply Smiles Dental in Toorak

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you the smile and dental health of your dreams, quickly and efficiently.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist. 

Our Special Offers

At Simply Smiles Dental, our goal is to make quality dental care affordable. We encourage you to take advantage of our latest offers.

To find out more, visit our special offers page today!

Contact us now on (03) 9826 2220 or make an appointment online.

The post How A Busy Lifestyle Affects Your Oral Health appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

Here are a few sugar-free advent ideas for your family from your Simply Smiles Dental!

As a holiday bonus, we are also adding eight awesome tips to help you keep your oral health and smile through the holiday season!

Awesome Advent Calendar Ideas

Replace advent calendar candy with:

1. Dollar Store Toys – The dollar store is a great resource for small toys and games that can be added to an advent calendar, instead of candy. Crayons, craft supplies, barrettes, stickers, bouncy balls, little toy cars or Christmas ornaments are just a few fun ideas.
2. Story-A-Day – Nothing beats a good story. Pick out a holiday-themed book for every day of your countdown. Have your child open a new book each night at bedtime and read it together
3. A Puzzling Treat – Give your child a fun challenge with a customized puzzle. Write a special message on a blank puzzle or draw a picture. Break the message or picture into pieces and place one puzzle piece in each day of your advent calendar.
4. Sugar-Free Trinkets – Find some simple trinkets to fill each day on your calendar instead of candy. The dollar store is a great place to find fun items without spending a lot.

Getting Through The Holidays With A Smile!

1. Set a Time Limit. It’s can be tempting to graze all day during the Christmas season – delicious food is all around us. But eating all day puts our teeth more at risk of decay as it leaves food for bacteria in our mouth for longer periods of time, and eventually leads to toothache. Set up specific times of the day to set the table for people to eat. These can be sit-down meals or buffet style, but it’s important that there is a definite beginning and ending to eating times. This helps keep everyone from constantly reaching for food that’s high in sugar and fat.
2. Focus on meaningful events, not food.We often base our holiday events on food, but this is bad for our teeth, waistline, and health. To take the focus off of food, set up activities like board and card games, craft projects, or holiday movie marathons.
3. Watch the wine. Remember that red can stain your teeth. White wine is less of a risk to your white smile. If you do drink red, drink it with food to keep it from staining your teeth. Be sure to brush well if you do indulge in reds, and pair them with tooth-friendly foods like vegetables and cheese.
4. Fill up on fruit.Instead of piling on sugary desserts or rich side dishes at your holiday meal, eat fruit. If you’re having a big dinner or party, rather than preparing a number of cakes and pies, try making one sweet dessert and then preparing a big fruit and cheese plate to satisfy your sweet tooth.
5. Protect your teeth in your leisure time. With the spare time of holiday comes the opportunities to play sports. Be sure that your sport-playing is safe with a custom-made mouthguard from Simply Smiles Dental.
6. Dip into veggies.At holiday events, skip the trays of Christmas cookies and brownies and instead fill your plate with veggies. Broccoli and carrots are great treats for your teeth because they’re loaded with Vitamin A and act as natural saliva producers and tooth cleaners.
7. Carol while you clean– Tooth brushing should last at least two minutes for optimal effect. One way to pass the time is to hum a few verses and choruses of your favorite holiday song while you brush, you’ll likely brush long enough to clean up your teeth and gums (make sure to brush your tongue also!).
8. Be careful with candy Hard candies can crack your teeth if you bite down on them in the wrong way. If you do have to eat candies, instead of biting, let them dissolve in your mouth. Also, be certain to brush your teeth after eating sugary foods of any kind, and only eat them in moderation, if at all.

The Gift of Dental Health at Simply Smiles Dental

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you, your children, and your entire family, the smile and dental health of your dreams. We are here or you during the holidays and beyond! Our goal is to make quality dental care affordable.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

Keep your smile healthy and shining this Holiday season. Follow the tips and visit your Simply Smiles dentist for your regular dental examination.

Call us on (03) 9826 2220 or book your appointment online.

The post Twelve Tips Of Christmas For Dental Health appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

We’re trained from childhood to brush, floss, and try to avoid cavities. But preventing dental issues isn’t always as simple as keeping your dental hygiene in good order. Hidden factors and aspects of your health can lead to cavities, worn enamel, periodontal disease, and more.

Frequently, our daily habits and decisions can have impact on our dental health and we don’t know about it. How many people know that tongue and lip piercings can chip and fracture teeth? When we eat dried fruits how often do we consider the damage they can do to our dental health.

The likely answer is, “not much.”

To expand your understanding of threats to your dental health, Simply Smiles dentist offers some tips on what hidden habits may threaten your dental health.

Good Dental Habits Gone Bad

Proper Brushing Technique. You can’t just stick a toothbrush in your mouth, grind it over your teeth, then pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Proper brushing requires proper technique. One method is using a soft-bristle toothbrush (at a 45 degree angle to your teeth) and brushing in small circles instead of side to side.

Don’t Brush Too Hard. Vigorous brushing can abrade tooth enamel as well as damage and push back the gums, exposing the sensitive root area. Receding gums can lead to dental problems such as periodontal disease and cavities on the roots of the teeth. These, in turn, may lead to the need for treatments such as fillings, root canals, and tooth extraction.

The Wall Street Journal reports that between 10 to 20 percent of the population have damaged their teeth or gums as a result of overbrushing.

Exercise and Dental Health

Do you swim in chlorinated pools often? The chemicals and chlorine in swimming pools have been found to be corrosive to tooth enamel. You do have to have exposure to lot of chlorinated pool water for it to have an effect, but if you spend time in the pool, avoid taking the water into your mouth.

Also, be careful on deck and near the edges of the pool. A surprisingly high number of dental accidents occur in and around swimming pools.

Do you like contact sports? So does Jeff Horn, Australia’s new WBO Welterweight Champion (By the way, congratulations Jeff, from all of us here at Simply Smiles Dental!). But he also likes smiling, which is why when he’s in the ring he always wears a mouth-guard. If you play any contact sports, your first ‘training’ step should be to stop by Simply Smiles Dental and get a custom-fitted mouthguard. Play hard, but keep your teeth!

Do you do cardio? You’ve been working hard in the gym to tone your body and improve your health, but there can be unexpected dental consequences to working out. Athletes have more eroded tooth enamel than people who don’t work out.

When you work out, saliva production decreases, causing your mouth to become drier and alkaline levels in your saliva to increase; this boosts your chances of developing cavities. Endurance athletes beware, intense training can be detrimental to oral health.

Bad Dental Habits

Using your teeth as a bottle opener. Many of us have been socialising at a party at the weekend, when someone decides that opening a bottle with their teeth is a great party trick. But, opening a bottle, packet of crisps, or anything else, with your teeth can be extremely damaging as it grinds down your teeth and increases the chances of chipped teeth.

Chewing. Don’t chew ice or other tough objects like bones and fruit pits. Teeth don’t have good fracture resistance to that kind of force. Ice also has a temperature aspect. If you subject your teeth to wide ranges of hot and cold, they tend to expand and contract very slightly. Even that can be enough to put little micro-cracks in your enamel. You can get away with it in the short term, but the little cracks in your teeth build up and one day, a piece of tooth might just break off.

This also goes for things we chew on absent-mindedly, like pens and pencils. If you have a strong desire to chew, invest in some sugar-free gum!

Your Trusted Dentist in Toorak

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you the smile and dental health of your dreams, without a hint of anxiety or pain.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist.

Special Offer for New Patients

• No Gap for Checkup and Clean for Medibank, BUPA, HCF and CBHS

For more offers, visit our special offers page. 

Contact us on (03) 9826 2220 or request an appointment online.

The post Surprising Habits that Could Damage Your Teeth appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

Children who develop good habits early have a great chance of having them for life, avoiding dental disease, and having better overall health.

Children’s Week was created to focus the attention of Australia on children, their achievements, and their needs. In support of Australia’s children during the week, Simply Smiles Dental is zeroing in on the importance of taking care of your teeth from an early age.

Tooth decay is Australia’s most common health problem. Estimates are that slightly less that 50% of all Australian six year olds suffer from tooth decay. The best way to fight this is with good oral hygiene.

At Simply Smiles Dental we want to partner with you in bringing good dental health to all our children.

Dental Hygiene and Your Children

Good dental hygiene starts early. If children learn how to take care of their teeth, they normally carry those habits into adulthood. Good oral habits can prevent potentially serious issues later on, including cavities, broken teeth, and general health complications. Teach your kids these five essential oral health habits for lifelong healthy teeth.

1) Brush and Floss Twice a Day

Experts recommend that children brush and floss twice a day. Make brushing and flossing part of your child’s morning and evening routines. Make oral hygiene fun by choosing a themed toothbrush and toothpaste featuring your child’s favorite fictional character.

Brushing should last about two minutes, which can be long for a child’s attention span. Play a favorite song while your child brushes, rewarding children for brushing, or turning brushing and flossing into a family ‘party’ activity.

Children should be flossed as soon as two teeth touch.

2) Schedule Regular Dental Visits

Children should visit the dentist at least twice per year or when required for treatment. Schedule the first visit when your child is between six months and one year old, or around the time when his or her first tooth erupts. Starting this oral health habit early will make dentist visits part of your child’s normal schedule, reducing the possibility of anxiety.

3) Teach Good Chewing Habits

Kids love chewing on things. Many children develop the habit of sucking on their thumbs or chewing on pacifiers. Care needs to be taken of this, as it can pull the front teeth out of place. As they start developing teeth, children often ease the pain with teething rings or other objects.

Although sucking and chewing can be soothing for young children, the habit should be broken by the time a child turns 4, or long term damage may occur.

4) Eat a Well-Rounded Diet

Not only do healthy foods prevent obesity, diabetes, and other serious health conditions, but they also help prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Sugary snacks and drinks encourage bacteria in the mouth, which leads to dental caries. Additionally, acidic foods can wear down your child’s tooth enamel, which leads to cavities in later years.

5) Visit us at Simply Smiles Dental

It pays to start dental visits early. Mostly, first visits are about education and getting kids acclimated to the dentist’s chair. If you begin taking your children to the dentist around the time their first tooth erupts, then they are probably too young to be nervous. But if you wait until your child is older then he or she may have some anxiety during the first visit

At Simply Smiles Dental, we are happy to support you and your children by offering services under the CDBS!

The CDBS provides individual benefits for a range of services including examinations, x-rays, cleaning, fissure sealing, fillings, root canals and extractions. Benefits are not available for orthodontic or cosmetic dental work and cannot be paid for any services provided in a hospital.

The CDBS has a means test, which requires receipt of Family Tax Benefit Part A or a relevant Australian Government payment. Contact us at Simply Smiles Dental for more information!

Your Trusted Family Dentist in Toorak

If you have a child in need of treatment, or any other dental issues, do not hesitate to call us at Simply Smiles Dental on (03) 9826 2220 .

Visit us today and take advantage of CDBS (Child Dental Benefits Schedule) and receive up to $1,000 worth of basic dental treatments over 2 calendar years.

Simply Smiles Dental is open from Monday to Saturday to cater all your dental needs

Call us on (03) 9826 2220 or book your appointment online.

The post Children’s Week With Simply Smiles Dental appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

Recent studies have shown that the correlation between oral health and overall body health is even closer than what was previously believed.

For seniors, maintaining oral health becomes doubly important. This is because as you age, you become more susceptible to both dental issues and diseases of all kinds. Not only can dental health affect your general health, it can also reflect it.

In order to protect your dental and general health as you approach your golden years, Simply Smiles Dental offers seniors, and those who love them, information about dental health in the golden years.

Representative Dental Problems Associated with Ageing

Ageing brings renewed focus on some older dental issues and also introduces a few new ones:

• Cavities and root decay
• Darkened teeth
• Increased tooth sensitivity to heat and cold
• Dry mouth
• Dentures and their associated care
• Decreased sense of taste.
• Gum disease.

Normal Oral Health Changes and Responses

Some changes are predictable, and require attention and not necessarily worry.

Gum disease is a very common infection, and it can sometimes be defeated, returning the gums to health. Also referred to as periodontal disease, gum disease can often be avoided through proper hygiene and regular visits to a dentist to ensure proper cleaning of the infection.

The wearing down of teeth from use, or “attrition”, is commonly found in older adults. A dentist can check to ensure that this is not causing pain or damage and confirm whether or not teeth should be pulled and/or replaced.

Medications can cause cavities, so a careful eye should be kept on general oral hygiene and the side effects of prescriptions. Generally, these side effects can be avoided through proper diet and hygiene.

Dry mouth, especially as a result of medications, occurs in many older adults. Dry mouth is by a reduced amount of saliva produced by the glands in the mouth, which can affect the abilities to speak, chew, and swallow. Dry mouth can also cause teeth to break down prematurely. These effects are typically managed by changing medications.

Abnormal Oral Health Changes

While some changes are to be expected, there are some changes that should be avoided. If these conditions present themselves, see your Simply Smiles dentist immediately!

Gingivitis and periodontal disease, when left untreated, can become destructive. When gums recede, tiny pockets form in them. These are prone to infection and can break down the gums further and even extend into the bone. If infection reaches the bone it can lead to tooth loss and worse. People with diabetes, smokers, and people who are taking medications increase the risk of this disease. If a senior has one or more risk factors, gums should frequently be checked by a dentist and good dental home-care becomes a must.

Cancerous growths or painful lesions can result from smoking, drinking alcohol, allergic reactions, or genetics. Your dentist should check for these to assess their danger and establish the best way to treat them.

Massive tooth loss, sometimes resulting in dentures, can have a massive effect on senior health. Removal of most or all of the teeth typically brings on serious oral health complications, and can reduce self-esteem. Some seniors withdraw socially or eat less, which has negative implications for general health. However, removing teeth that are infected or rotten should not be avoided since they can cause other problems or spread infections into the jawbone.

Taking Care of Your Teeth

Take good care of your teeth at home:

• Brush at least twice a day. Be sure to use an antibacterial toothpaste that contains fluoride.
• Make sure to floss at least once a day.
• Try using an antibacterial mouthwash (without alcohol) at least once a day. This can help kill bacteria and control plaque.

And be sure to:

• Go for regular dental cleanings every 6 months (more often if directed by your dental professional).
• Tell your dental professional if you notice any symptoms of gum disease, such as bleeding and swelling.
• Ask your dentist to talk to your doctor if you need to have dental surgery. You may need to change your medicine or take a new one to help prevent infection.

Get a Full, Healthier Smile at Simply Smiles Dental

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you the smile and dental health of your dreams, and we can do it for patients of any age!

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist. 

Special Offer for New Senior Patients

• No Gap for Checkup and Clean for Medibank, Bupa, HCF and CBHS
• FREE Dental Implants Consultation

Contact us on (03) 9826 2220 or request an appointment online.

The post Keep A Healthy Smile in Your Golden Years appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

Dental anxiety can prevent good oral and overall health.

Being afraid of the dentist’s office by itself is not the problem. It’s not unusual, and even understandable, that some people are filled with anxiety at the thought of sitting in a dental chair.

But this anxiety becomes a problem when that fear is so intense that it keeps you away from visits to your Simple Smiles dentist!

It’s important to know how letting your dental anxiety keep you from visiting us may affect your oral and overall health. If you maintain a good oral hygiene routine at home, that’s a good start! However, that alone is not enough to keep gum disease at bay. It takes a skilled professional who has the training, tools, and experience to keep more serious dental problems at bay.

But there is good news for you. Simple Smiles Dental is the exact reverse of a scary, cold, and uninviting dentist’s office. From the moment you walk in to Simply Smiles, you will be comforted by the calm atmosphere, our warm, friendly staff, and the coziness of our waiting area. When you make an appointment with us, we go out of our way to make sure you’re as calm and relaxed as possible. Your comfort is our top priority!

And, if you do have dental anxiety, Simply Smiles Dental is happy to share the following information that we hope helps!

Overcoming Mild Dental Anxiety

Mild dental anxiety is discomfort and nervousness at the dentist (as opposed to terror and panic). It can be treated in a number of ways.

Talking to your dentist is the first step to overcoming your dental fears. Make sure your dentist understands your exact anxieties and works with them to make your time in the dental chair as relaxed as possible.

Controlled breathing relaxes your body and shifts your focus to other things in order to preoccupy your mind. Controlled breathing can help you avoid a lot of discomfort and anxiety. The easiest breathing technique simply involves inhaling and exhaling through your nose for a slow count of three for each inhalation and exhalation. This technique is particularly useful as it also overcomes the breathing issues many of us feel when things are in our mouth.

Relaxation techniques may also work. You can bring music into your appointment with you, ask to have your favourite radio station on, or just have the nurse chat to you about something. If you are one of those people who likes control, ask the nurse or dentist to chat about the progress of your treatment. Different relaxation and distraction techniques work for different people so try and find something that will work well for you.

Overcoming Severe Dental Anxiety

Severe dental anxiety often cannot be treated by the steps above – though all of these techniques can and should be used to try and put you at ease. Severe dental anxiety is more of a psychological phobia that is less due to nerves and more due to irrational fears. You can potentially overcome severe dental anxiety in a few ways.

You can receive counseling for your phobia. This looks at the root causes of your phobia and tries to work through it so that you can move beyond it.

Dental anxiety is very common and there are a wide number of support networks for people with these phobias.

Sedation can be an option for severe sufferers of dental anxiety. In fact, sedation may prove one of the best solutions to the problem, giving you a better chance of visiting the dentist again!

There are different types of sedation available. The simplest is oral sedation, which is a tablet that you swallow an hour before the start of dental treatment. You will still be awake and aware of what is happening around you, but you will be also drowsy and more relaxed.

If that isn’t enough, you could also opt for intravenous sedation. This is an injection, so if you have a fear of injections, it may not be for you! You will be awake, however you will be in a deeply relaxed state and you may not remember what happened afterwards.

Finally, you might want to consider sleep-dentistry to alleviate your anxiety! Ask your Simply Smiles Dentist for a recommendation that is best for your particular case.

Get a Full, Healthier Smile at Simply Smiles Dental in Toorak

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you the smile and dental health of your dreams, without a hint of anxiety or pain.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist.

Our Special Offers

At Simply Smiles Dental, our goal is to make quality dental care affordable. We encourage you to take advantage of our latest offers. To find out more, visit our special offers page today!

Contact us on (03) 9826 2220 or request an appointment online.

The post Dental Anxiety Can Steal Your Smile and Health appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.

Did you ever stop to consider that you may not be using the best type of toothpaste for your teeth? Effective brushing is a combination of the right products, starting with toothpaste, and the right techniques.

Don’t worry – this is less complicated than it sounds. If you want to take your brushing to the next level and prevent decay, keep reading for our top tips on which toothpastes to consider.

At Simply Smiles Dental we have found that the most effective product is likely to be one that you actually enjoy using, as you’re more likely to keep up on your brushing. So never discount the importance of toothpaste flavors and textures! To help you understand your toothpaste options, we have put together the following guide to some of your toothpaste options.

The Importance of Fluoride!

Our number one recommendation is to use toothpaste with fluoride in it! Fluoride helps slows down the decomposition of the tooth’s enamel. The decomposition of the enamel is a direct result of negative effects of sugar and starch consumption. The bacteria in your mouth feed on these ingredients that you consume and as a result, it leaves acid waste on teeth.

An added benefit to toothpaste that has fluoride as an ingredient is that it can reverse early stages of enamel damage. Fluoride also makes the teeth stronger and more resistant to decay.

Many ingredients within fluoride toothpaste aid and reduce tooth sensitivity. Some of these ingredients include potassium nitrate and strontium chloride. Both of these ingredients reduce the inflammation of the gum tissue and lowers the risk of developing gingivitis.

Whitening Toothpastes

Most manufacturers produce some type of whitening toothpaste. Most often, these products contain abrasive materials that gently scrub away surface stains. Others utilize peroxide to whiten the teeth.

A popular choice among individuals who are not comfortable with their smiles due to discolored teeth, whitening toothpaste can cause sensitivity and are considerably less effective than professional whitening treatments from Simply Smiles Dental.

Tartar Control

Tartar toothpaste is essential to keeping your teeth super healthy due to the fact it controls tartar buildup. Most people seek this type of toothpaste because they have plaque. Plaque is a colorless, sticky miscreant that forms on teeth after consumption or because of natural bacteria attachment. If a person doesn’t brush the plaque off the teeth, it will eventually lead to tartar buildup.

If you already have tartar, this toothpaste will not remove it, you will need to make an appointment with Simply Smiles for a complete cleaning. But after that, it may be just the toothpaste for you.

Sensitive Teeth

For those who need help in dealing with their sensitive teeth, there are toothpastes on the market designed to help with that problem, while simultaneously keeping teeth clean and healthy. These toothpastes take time to work, but can create a barrier between the sensitive nerves within your teeth, and hot or cold foods in your mouth.

If you have sensitive teeth you should also get a checkup from your Toorak dentist, so we can assure you that nothing serious is wrong with your teeth.

Toothpaste for Children

1. Choose a fluoride toothpaste: For children under age 3, a tiny smear of toothpaste is enough, and older children should use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste each time they brush. In the past, dentists have recommended against fluoride in children’s toothpaste, but used properly it is now considered safe.
2. Avoid harsh abrasives: While abrasives are helpful for removing plaque and stains, some toothpastes may contain harsher ingredients that may be harmful to children’s teeth by eroding young tooth enamel.
3. Let your child choose the flavor:Toothpaste flavor can actually make a big difference in your child’s long-term oral hygiene routine. Allowing your child to pick a fun toothpaste that tastes good will encourage brushing and start the practice of good dental habits at an early age.

Other Options

While we have covered the most common toothpastes here, there are also other options for your brushing convenience, including “natural” toothpaste, plaque-controlling toothpaste, gingivitis-controlling toothpaste, and several others. Choosing a toothpaste that specifically fits your need is an important step to maintaining a healthy and bright smile.

At Simply Smiles Dental we want to help you to maintain a great oral health that will last a lifetime. Call us today and schedule a consultation, to make sure your teeth are in tip-top shape, including use of the proper toothpaste and brushing techniques!

Get a Full, Healthier Smile at Simply Smiles Dental in Toorak

At Simply Smiles Dental, we aim to give you the smile and dental health of your dreams.

Our office is in Toorak Village and serves patients from Toorak, South Yarra, Prahran, Windsor, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Malvern, Albert Park, Melbourne CBD, and other metro areas.

We are a Medibank and HCF Members Choice Dentist as well as an HCF Members Choice Dentist.

Contact us on (03) 9826 2220 or request an appointment online.

The post Dental Health At Home – It’s More Than Just Toothpaste appeared first on Dentist Toorak | Simply Smiles Dental.