Teeth are precious, but we often take them for granted. We need them to chew, to smile, and even to speak. Good teeth enable us to lead healthy, happy lives. When teeth suffer damage or decay, we start to suffer from poorer overall health and wellbeing.
In this article, Oxenford Dentist JJ Smiles will be exploring some ways we can helps in protecting your teeth through preventative dentistry – from nightguards and mouthguards, to reducing the risk of gum disease.
We are here to support you with all things Oxenford dental care, and recommend you contact us on (07) 5529 7567 or reception@jjsmilesdental.com.au for further information on our Gold Coast dentistry services.
Nightguards, TMJ and Bruxism
Grinding your teeth at night is in some ways the ‘perfect storm’. How are you meant to tell you’re grinding your teeth when you’re asleep? A lot of people only realise when they are told my someone they sleep next to, or when they notice jaw pain, sore teeth, or a headache in the morning.
Teeth grinding is also known as bruxism and it does not occur only at night. A lot of people clench and grind their teeth during the day. It can become a habit that is hard to stop and can be related to stress.
Your dentist Oxenford can advise on the probable causes of your grinding. They can also provide a nightguard that will help to prevent damage that occurs through night-time grinding. On top of the pain it can cause, night-time tooth grinding can gradually affect the appearance of your teeth, changing their shape or reducing their height.
There is a joint in the jaw called the temporo-mandibular joint, or TMJ, at which the jaw meets the skull. It is common for teeth grinders and clenchers to experience pain in this area. Similarly, those who have an abnormal bite or misaligned teeth may also experience pain here, due to chewing irregularities they may not even notice.
Your Oxenford dentist can provide advice on bucking the habit, relieve your pain, and ensure that the damage does not continue to your TMJ thereby helps in protecting your teeth.
Mouthguards
Do you play sports for a local club? Do you participate Australian rules football, hockey, boxing or rugby in Helensvale, Oxenford, Maudsland, Gold Coast or surrounding areas? Oxenford dentist JJ Smiles can provide a mouth guards that is both comfortable and offers the highest level of protection.
One of the advantages of getting a mouthguard created by your dentist in maudsland is they can provide an exact, not approximate mould of your mouth. This ensures that your mouthguard is a snug and cosy fit, that stays in place during the game – allowing you to focus on what matters.
As most sports players know, mouthguards are essential in cushioning blows to the face. Not only do they protect teeth, but they protect the cheeks, lips and gums. Often in a high-impact collision, it is the teeth and gums that can sustain the most damage.
Knocked-out and fractured teeth are other common dental emergencies that can be caused by not wearing a mouthguard.
Fissure sealants
Tooth decay occurs when plaque and debris build up in hard-to-reach areas. This can happen to all teeth; however, the molars are particularly prone because they are the hardest to reach with the toothbrush, are most often used for chewing, and because they have the most pits and grooves of any of your teeth. These grooves act as receptacles and are a common site for decay.
Fissure sealants are a popular preventative dentistry solution offered by your bulk billing dentist Oxenford. Fissure sealants are a type of protective layer of dental material applied to the grooves of your rear morals by your Oxenford dentist. Not unlike a filling, they eliminate the gaps that are prone to decay, and stop decay from working away at your teeth.
While they are commonly used among children during appointments for children’s dentistry Gold Coast, adults who wish to protect the long-term health of their teeth also often opt to have fissure sealants applied by their Gold Coast cosmetic dentist.
Other Important Aspects of Preventative Dentistry at Your Helensvale Dentist
The three above treatments are only skimming the surface of available preventative dentistry treatments that your Oxenford dentist may recommend during your Oxenford check up and clean. Other preventative dentistry treatments include but are not limited to:
- Fluoride treatment to strengthen your teeth.
- Dental hygienic clean to remove built-up plaque and tartar, reducing the risk of gum disease.
- The oral hygiene routine you practice at home (such as brushing and flossing).
- Your diet at home. Is it nutritious and low sugar?
Protecting your teeth long-term health of your teeth, it’s best to book in with an Oxenford dentist, such as JJ Smiles, for a regular appointment. Teeth are a life-long investment, so it pays to take care of them. Our dental clinic Helensvale can also assist with Oxenford braces, Maudsland dental care, dental veneers, dental implants, root canal therapy, teeth whitening, and more for protecting your teeth. You can also contact your dentist near me through Instagram or Facebook pages.
