FAQ’s

 

I live in a tank area, is there any special thing I can do for my teeth, considering that I do not have access to fluoride?  I use fluoride tooth paste, do you think that is enough?

 

 

For the average person the fluoride in a regular toothpaste is adequate.

 

The people that need to consider extra fluoride are

· Children under the age of twelve.

· People with braces on their teeth.

· Adults who are at high risk or have a high rate of decay. This means adults who have active or new decay on a regular basis.  If somebody regularly presents with new decay then they need to make changes and increasing exposure to fluoride is often the easiest and most effective.  The converse is also true.  If new decay is a rarity (as with most adults) then there is no need for changes.

 

 

I brush my teeth twice a day and floss my teeth; why do I always have so many holes?

 

Dental decay (like most diseases) is a multifactorial disease. Most diseases manifest in an apparently random manner—not every child in the class will get measles and every child will get it in a different way.

 

The main factors involved in dental decay are:

             Plaque: Decay normally occurs in places which are difficult to clean—such as pits and fissures on the surface of a tooth, the surface of the tooth near the gum, and the margin between a filling and the tooth.

             Diet: Sugar, acid and the frequency of exposure.

             Saliva and other host factors: Some saliva is good at protecting teeth from decay. Some is hopeless.  It is difficult to alter the type of saliva that you are born with.  Exposure to fluoride  (present and historical) is another important factor that can strengthen teeth and help resist decay.

 

Decay still presents in a random manner—In one person one tooth will decay and the next tooth  (or the same tooth on the other side) will remain sound. This is when the diet is the same, all host factors are the same and cleaning very similar.

 

 

Where is the toilet?

 

Down the corridor, turn right and the middle door?

 

How many holes do I have?

 

This is a relevant and important question but there are other important questions which tend to get ignored. Try these for a change.

 

Are my teeth going to last a lifetime?

 

Is my mouth healthy?

 

Am I maintaining the health of my mouth in a sustainable manner?

 

When I floss my teeth my gums bleed?

 

Bleeding gums are sign of unhealthy gums.   Flossing helps make the gums healthier and will ( if done regularly) lead to healthier gums and a decrease in bleeding.  Flossing does not in any way damage or harm the gums.  If you see blood on the floss you should thank the floss that it is telling you there is something wrong, not blame the floss.

 

 

How long do fillings last?

 

Can’t say. When we place a filling we assume it is going to be there forever.  Fillings need replacement for a variety of reasons. The filling may break or fall out. The tooth may break.  The tooth around the filling may decay. Any of these reasons may necessitate removing the filling and replacing it with a new (larger) filling .

 

 

What’s that blip?