More Information About Dental Care from Fifth Avenue Family Dental Centre

...Overcoming Dental Anxiety

Here are some simple exercises to help you relax
The Canadian Dental Association estimates that over three million Canadians suffer from dental anxiety. These are patients who continually cancel appointments, don't come in for checkups and delay necessary treatment until they have a much more serious problem. The one million people who never see a dentist, the true dental phobics, are very apt to end up toothless!

With modern equipment and techniques, dentistry is now virtually painless. If you are fearful, the first step is to tell us - our goal is to provide you with the best dental care possible and we can't do that if you're not here! These are a few tips to help make your visit to our office worry free.

Ask questions about procedures that cause you anxiety. If you know and understand what is going to happen, you'll have less reason to worry.

Eat a light meal before your visit and try not to drink coffee, teas or colas as they stimulate you instead of relaxing you. Eating a rich protein snack like a lean meat sandwich will help stabilize your blood sugar and reduce irritability.

Distract yourself in the dental chair by using headphones to listen to the radio or to music you find relaxing. This will muffle noises that may bother you.

Establish a signal, such as raising your hand, to let us know you want us to stop a procedure. It will make you feel more in control and it gives you a chance to ask for more anaesthetic if you feel any discomfort.

The ways you deal with stress outside of the dental office will work inside too! Try thinking of pleasant images, deep breathing or relaxing your muscles one by one.

Some or all of these techniques may help you feel more at ease but above all, don't be afraid to ask us for a helping hand. That's what we're here for!

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...Overcoming Fear

Sometimes no matter how hard we try to prevent it some children may be overly afraid of going to the dentist. It can happen for no apparent reason, or as the result of an accident that required difficult and extensive treatment. It's important that your child's dental experiences are as rosy and pleasant as possible. Frightened child patients grow up to be fearful adult patients, and that usually spells disaster for dental health.

That's why, when all other means of relieving anxiety fail, we may recommend pre-medication. Certain mild drugs can eliminate anxiety and fear. As a parent, it's important that you check out any possible allergies, and make sure that any questions you may have are addressed before you make a decision. Pre-medication is a last resort, but sometimes the best choice for putting a fearful mind at ease.

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...Kids' Teeth: Coming Of Age Cavity-Free

A primer on pit and fissure sealants
Your children's cavity-counting days could soon be over. Pit and fissure sealants are a simple and effective way to stop the decay that causes cavities, especially in kids' teeth.

Here's how they work. Sealants are clear or white plastic coatings we can apply to the chewing surface of the back teeth. The sealant material covers the depressions and grooves on the surface of the teeth where cavities are most likely to form. They work best at protecting new teeth. That makes them ideal for children. Sealants give those teeth some protective armour through the ages of 7 to 15 when children are most vulnerable to tooth decay.

Depending on your child's chewing patterns, the sealants can last from six months to several years. We will check them at every appointment to make sure they are still doing their job properly. Sealants aren't designed for areas between the back teeth or for front teeth. And teeth that already have fillings or decay cannot usually be sealed.

It takes only a few minutes to apply the sealant, and give your child's teeth years of insurance against decay. There's no drilling or freezing. Remember: Sealants don't take the place of brushing, flossing and healthy eating. But they are a proven painless technique that can help preserve your child's smile for a lifetime. Ask us about it!

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...Crowding and Spacing

Straight Talk About Kids' Teeth
You may have heard the word Malocclusion used to describe a variety of tooth and jaw problems. That's just a big fancy word for teeth and jaws that don't fit properly. The teeth could be irregularly spaced or crowded or just plain out of line. In children, bad habits like fingernail biting, tongue thrusting, thumb sucking or mouth breathing can be the cause. Sometimes malocclusion is inherited. You can get a small jaw from one parent and a large jaw from the other, and that can spell trouble all around.
Teeth and jaws that don't line up in a good biting position can set the stage for tooth decay and gum disease. Poorly arranged teeth can trap food particles and allow plaque and tartar to build-up. Chewing can be difficult and that can affect diet and digestion. Malocclusion can even cause speech problems. In infants, poorly fitting baby teeth won't give permanent teeth room to grow in straight.

There is a special type of dentist who deals with straightening teeth and altering bone growth. Orthodontists use special tools such as bands, wires, elastics and appliances to guide teeth into their proper positions. These tools work best on younger patients since their teeth and bones are softer and easier to work with. Even in the very young, early orthodontics can fix alignment problems before they affect the permanent teeth. That can save a lot of cost and trouble down the road. Thanks to orthodontics, there's no reason we can't put crooked teeth on the straight and narrow.

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...Filling the Gap

Nature designed your jaw to hold exactly 32 teeth. When they're all healthy and in the right place working correctly, a smile full of teeth is a marvel of beauty and efficiency.
But even when the wear and tear of daily life has left your smile dull and damaged, we can restore your pearly whites to their natural beauty and performance. Although we can't pretend to do as fine a job as mother nature, in many cases crowns and bridges can restore a smile damaged by worn, fractured or missing teeth and can return the function of your natural teeth to their previous healthy state.

A crown is sometimes also called a cap. It can be made out of gold, porcelain, or a special ceramic material. The natural tooth remaining has to be prepared so that it provides a smooth, clean platform for the new crown with no decay remaining. Once prepared, we'll take a very accurate impression of the area along with a model of the opposing teeth so that the new crown can work in harmony with the rest of the bite. These are sent to our laboratory where a skilled technician fabricates the crown to our specifications. While this is taking place, you will wear a temporary acrylic duplicate of your future cap. When the permanent crown is returned from the lab, the temporary is removed and the crown is attached to the underlying tooth with an extremely resilient cement. Strong and durable, crowns can provide years of healthy service with little special care except thorough daily brushing and flossing and regular assessment at our office.

Bridges are a combination of crowns and artificial teeth. Just as the name suggests, we use them to span a gap left by one or more missing teeth. When a tooth goes missing, the gap it leaves behind puts extra stress on the neighboring teeth that can weaken them over time. In some cases we can close this gap using cosmetic procedures such as bonding and veneers. But where the gap is wide enough and in a hardworking area of your dentition, a bridge makes sure all the teeth are sharing the job of chewing equally so none end up working too hard.

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...Healthy Snacks for School Children

We live in the junk food generation, so it's never been more important to teach kids to eat right. Good, healthy nutrition is the number one priority for healthy growth and development in those first few years. Of course, those are the same years during which your kids are likely to be the most finicky and fast-food crazed. So what's a parent to do?

Start with common sense. Some snacks are obviously healthier than others. A snack that is swallowed quickly, such as a drink, is better than one that sticks to the teeth like peanut butter. Foods such as fresh vegetables and cheese are obviously better than those with a high sugar content. No matter what your children eat, rinsing and brushing should never be far behind.

Okay... so you know what's good but how do you make them eat it? Try a few tricks to make your child's lunch box the envy of the playground. Who says a sandwich has to be boring bread. Try some rice cakes, pita bread or tortillas. Even that old peanut butter and jelly stand-by can look appealing with a few sliced bananas or strawberries in the place of jams and jellies. Soup, yogurt and cheese cubes are hard to turn down. Let your kids whip up their own fruit salad for dessert.

When it comes to feeding kids, you can compete with the fast foods by creating healthy snacks that are just as attractive and easy to manage.

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...The Brighter Whiter Smile

Tooth whiteners
There's new hope for stained or discoloured teeth. We can now put the sparkle back into your smile. Teeth that have lost their sheen to smoking, fluorosis, root canal treatments, tetracycline, or just wear and tear, can now often be lightened by a special cosmetic tooth-bleaching process.
Here's how it works. There are two types of cosmetic bleaching.

Non-vital bleaching works best for teeth that have turned dark during or after a root canal treatment. Non-vital bleach lightens the tooth from the inside after the root canal treatment is finished.

Vital bleaching is used for discolourations on teeth that have not had a root canal. There are a variety of different vital bleaching techniques and products. They are safe, effective and painless. Some of the treatments can be done at home under our supervision.

We may apply a bleaching solution to your teeth and then activate it with heat or light.

You may be asked to wear a comfortable custom-fitted mouth guard filled with some bleaching solution for a few hours each day for a couple of weeks while you shower, drive to work or read the evening paper.

Or we may give you bleaching solution to mix with your toothpaste while you brush your teeth.

We will help you choose which is the best technique for you based on the degree of discolouration and stain on your teeth. Ask us for more information about cosmetic whitening. Within just a couple of weeks, your smile could be dazzling, clean, white and bright!

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...Veneers: Give Your Smile A Second Chance...

You've probably heard about the many new cosmetic dental techniques. If your teeth are discoloured or badly chipped, or very uneven, chances are we may recommend acrylic or porcelain veneers.
Veneers are very strong, thin shells of porcelain or acrylic that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth. Veneers are so durable and naturally beautiful that we like to think of this technique as "cloned enamel." Veneers have caused a revolution in cosmetic dentistry. They can be used to repair major chips and decay, unsightly stains and fillings, and even to close gaps between teeth. With a bit of shaping, veneers can also fix the appearance of crowded or overlapped teeth. The best part is that veneers require little or no tooth preparation. They look like natural teeth and won't weaken your natural tooth structure.

Veneering usually takes two appointments. On the first visit, we will do whatever small adjustments are necessary to your teeth to accommodate the veneers, which will then be custom designed by a laboratory expert. On the second visit, your veneers will be bonded to your natural teeth, one by one.

Veneers look more natural than any other restoration. They could easily be mistaken for natural teeth. The porcelain reflects light just like real tooth. In some ways veneers are even better than human enamel. Porcelain will not stain or wear like natural teeth do. Clinical tests across the country show that even years after the procedure, with proper maintenance, your new smile will look just as bright as it did the day the veneers were applied.

Call our office for a consultation. There's no reason you should put that designer smile on hold.

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...Fabulous Forties

If you're in your forties, you probably think of dentistry as the science of drilling and filling. But if you take a careful look at the dental office on your next visit, you'll notice that a lot more time is being spent on the look of teeth than ever before. Studies show that the average general dentist is spending as much as 10 to 15 percent of time on cosmetic services to improve the appearance and function of teeth. By the end of the decade, experts expect that number will triple. The fact is that with modern dental care, teeth are staying healthier longer and cosmetic techniques are getting faster, better and less expensive. That explains why a lot of people in their forties and older are investing in aesthetically enhanced smiles. Many of them are finding that altering the shape, colour or position of teeth not only improves appearance and function, but also the way they feel about themselves.
There are a number of cosmetic services to consider:

Bonding and contouring can deal with deep-rooted stains or patch up small cracks or chips and can even fill gaps and reshape teeth.

Bleaching can give just about anyone a brighter, whiter smile. The treatments are painless and simple, and can often be done at home under the dentist's direction.

For teeth that are extensively discoloured, chipped or heavily restored, veneers or crowns can restore teeth to their original shape, function and look.

If your smile is suffering because of missing teeth, implants may be the answer. These are man-made teeth permanently anchored in the jawbone. They can be an aesthetically pleasing alternative to dentures and bridges.

For teeth that are crooked or out of line, new-age orthodontics may be the answer. Their popularity explains why more than 40 percent of orthodontic patients are over 18. More people than ever before are realizing that it's never too late for the perfect smile!

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...Problem Solvers

Cosmetic dentistry offers simple solutions for most dental problems
At least where your teeth are concerned, you don't have to be satisfied with the smile you were born with. Even though heredity and wear and tear can leave your teeth looking less than perfect ... you can find solutions to most tooth problems right here in the dental office. Here are some examples:

Chipped or cracked teeth can be bonded so that tooth-like material covers cracks and fills in chips so no one will notice.

Discoloured teeth can see the light again thanks to professional bleaching that lightens and whitens stains.

Widely spaced teeth and gaps in your smile can be fixed with bonding or veneers. They build up tooth surfaces and reduce unsightly spaces. Very wide gaps can be closed with orthodontic treatment.

We can even fix the colour of your teeth after root canal therapy with whitening and lightening bleaches.

Crooked and crowded teeth and teeth that stick out can be brought back in line with orthodontic treatment.

Those hardworking worn-down pearly whites can get a little bonding and veneer to boost their appearance and restore their normal shape.
Although we call this cosmetic dentistry, it's important to remember that improving the look of your teeth also restores the function. And that will help your smile stay bright and healthy for a lifetime. You don't have to wait 'til your next appointment to find out how your dental problems can be solved. Call us now to book a consultation.

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...Herbal Info

Aloe Vera
apply externally, aloe vera is excellent for for soothing inflamed gums and sores in the mouth.
pregnant women should not take aloe internally.

Anise (Fennel)
Anti-inflammatory herb commonly used in tea form to soothe the gums.
Chew fennel seeds whole to eliminate bad breath.

Annatto
Apply annatto after tooth extraction or gum surgery.

Burdock
Considered an excellent blood purifier and commonly used for skin disorders and stimulate the immune system. Excellent for the relief of muscle tension and headaches associated with TMJ.
Interferes with iron absorption.

Catnip
Drink a cup of catnip tea or take in capsules to help you relax before dental treatment.
catnip is excellent for calming nerves and controlling irritability.

Cayenne
Cayenne stops both internal and external bleeding.
Saturate cotton with oil of cayenne and place it on an aching tooth for emergency relief.

Chamomile
Use chamomile as a poultice for pain and swelling.
Drink as a hot tea to promote relaxation.
use as a mouthwash to soothe inflamed, irritated gums.

Chickweed
Chickweed mouthwash soothes inflamed, irritated mouth tissues associated with oral cancer.
Helps relieve pain from canker sores and other mouth sores.

Cloves
Rub oil of cloves on sore gums and leeth to ease pain.
Chew whole cloves to diminish bad breath.

Comfrey
Soak a washcloth in warm comfrey tea and use as a compress to ease jaw tension and the pain of jaw and tooth fractures or adjustments to braces. Do not use longer than three months at a time as it may cause liver damage.

Dandelion
Dandelion is useful for treating abscesses in the mouth.

Evening Primrose
Rub evening primrose oil on sore, inflamed gums for temporary relief.

Goldenseal
When used as a toothpaste or mouthwash, goldenseal is excellent for soothing inflamed gums.
Long-term use of goldenseal may reduce the bacterial content in the colon.

Horsetail
Use a horsetail mouthwash to relieve mouth and gum infections.

Kelp
One of the richest sources of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, kelp taken daily will help ensure healthy gums and bones.

Marigold
Use marigold as a mouthwash to help relieve ulcers, wounds, or inflamed areas, and to relax muscles. Associated with tension in the jaw joint and pressure from braces.

Parsley
Chewing a sprig of parsley will help eliminate bad breath.
Excessive amounts of parsley may stop milk production in nursing mothers.

Peppermint
Use peppermint oil for toothache. Soak a cotton ball in the oil and place it in the cavity or rub it on the tooth. Use peppermint mouthwash to relieve gum inflammation.

Red Clover
Red clover mouthwash is healing for irritated, diseased gums.

Rockrose
Use rockrose mouthwash to soothe and heal canker sores and mouth ulcers.

Sage
As a mild antiseptic, this herb will help heal bleeding gums and mouth ulcers (cold sores).
Lactating women should not drink sage tea, because it may interfere with milk production.

Sarsaparilla
Drink sarsaparilla tea to promote relaxation and to protect against harmful radiation.

Tea Tree Oil
Rub tea tree oil directly on cold sores to promote healing.
Rub tea tree oil directly on sore, inflamed gums for temporary relief.
Use tea tree oil mouthwash to soothe mouth inflammation.

Wintergreen
Soak a cotton ball in wintergreen oil and place oil a sore tooth or rub it on inflamed gums for temporary relief.