The results of teeth whitening, whether in-office or at-home, are not permanent. You may still experience staining and discoloration if you don’t take care of your teeth.

Here are 6 tips on how to take care of your teeth and keep them sparkling white after a whitening procedure.

1. Avoid staining food and drinks. Especially within 48 hours after your whitening procedure, avoid coffee, tea, cola, candies, berries, soy sauce, tomato sauce, ketchup, beets, and products that may stain your teeth.
2. Maintain with whitening toothpaste. Daily care is important to maintain those pearly whites. Daily brushing with whitening toothpaste can protect your teeth against discoloration.
3. Make good oral hygiene a habit. Brush and floss your teeth regularly, and don’t forget to your dental visits. If you can’t avoid stain-causing products, be sure to rinse or brush your teeth immediately after or if you can’t, rinse with whitening mouthwash.

1. Avoid extremes. Avoid extremely hot or cold drinks and foods. These will cause your teeth to expand and contract, making stains penetrate through your enamel so they’re harder to clean off.
2. Stop smoking. The nicotine in cigarette can heavily stain your teeth. If you can’t avoid it, use a filter and be sure to brush your teeth more often.
3. Keep seeing your dentist. Having sparkly white teeth doesn’t mean you don’t have to see your dentist anymore. A visit to your trusted local dentist every now and then makes sure your pearly whites are not only impeccably white, but also healthy and strong.

For more information about teeth whitening, ask our Sunshine Coast dentists by calling us on 07 5358 0413.

At Battery Hill Dental, comfort and safety are among the top considerations of your Caloundra dentists when it comes to dental sedation. Our dentists may recommend different kinds of sedation depending on the kind of treatment you will undergo, as well as your medical history. Dental sedation is generally safe, and it can significantly help reduce anxiety in both adults and children.

Here are 5 things you should know about dental sedation:

1. Dental sedation is used to relax you as well as to manage pain. There are different kinds of dental sedatives and they carry different side effects.
2. Make sure your dentist knows your complete medical history as well as any existing conditions you may have. This helps ensure that the sedative will not interfere or have adverse effects to the medication you’re already taking.
3. Sedatives can be taken orally as a pill, inhaled through the nose as a gas, or intravenously. The effects of the sedatives vary, from mild relaxation and calm to unconsciousness. Still, most dental procedures require mild to moderate sedation, wherein patients are still responsive. At this stage, we’re choosing the orally taken pill as the mode of sedation.
4. No sedative is without risk, that’s why it’s important that extensively trained dentists or anaesthesiologists administer them. In more invasive sedation, you are also continuously monitored throughout the procedure.
5. You may feel very relaxed and calm upon taking a sedative. You may also lose memory of the procedure or your whole time in the dental office. Some disorientation may occur even after the procedure, so it is required that you have someone to accompany or escort you home when you leave the office.

Dental sedatives have been around for decades, and the ones in use today are safer than ever. Your local Sunshine Coast dentist can walk you through the whole process, so you can call us to schedule your visit.

While dentists highly recommend you bring your little ones to your local paediatric dentist as soon as the first tooth comes out, it’s still never too late the bring them in.

So if you’re planning to take your child to the dentist for the first time, here are 7 tips to make their first dental visit less stressful and more enjoyable.

1. Teach them about teeth and oral health. Prior to bringing them to the dentist, introduce oral health and tooth brushing to your little ones. Teach them about their teeth, mouth and tongue. Better yet, use books, songs, toys, activities, and even role-playing to supplement their learning.
2. Establish a good attitude about oral health. This is also important even long before you visit the dentist. Talk to your child about visiting the dentist and what they can expect from it. Talk about the experience in a positive, relaxed, and fun way so they can associate the same attitudes when the time comes.
3. Plan a treat afterwards. Keep your children focused on the positive by planning something exciting after the visit to the dentist, like a trip to the park or playground, or even a promise of ice cream.

1. Be prepared. Bring along toys to soothe and distract them from the waiting room to the dental chair.
2. Exude calm and positivity. Your children are highly perceptive of your feelings. Stay calm, positive, and cheerful; and keep your stress and anxiety under their radar.
3. Cheer them on with sincere encouragement. Be considerate and supportive of their first experience with the dentist. Congratulate them for cooperating and tell them how much of a good job they’re doing.
4. Trust your paediatric dentist. Excessively hovering around your children in the dentist’s chair can stress them out. Learn to ease up and trust your paediatric dentist.

Establishing a positive first dental visit is key in keeping dental anxiety at bay. It also sets up your children for good dental hygiene, which they can take for the rest of their lives.

A dental veneer is a thin layer of tooth-coloured composite or porcelain that is placed on the surface of your teeth. This requires a cosmetic procedure that covers tooth imperfections and minor problems that don’t require you to get orthodontics, dental surgery or extraction. The result is even, healthy-looking, and uniformly coloured teeth—and a more confident smile.

If you’re still on the fence whether you need dental veneers, read up on these reasons:

1. When your teeth whitening just won’t cut it. Sometimes, tooth stains can go beyond your enamel and into the dentine, so whitening will not work to bring back the light into your pearly whites. Dental veneers provide you with an easy alternative to achieve that all-white smile.
2. When chips, and cracks mar your smile. Left untreated, small chips and cracks can further damage your teeth and therefore cost more to fix. You can go ahead and reinforce your teeth and cover these imperfections now with layers of dental veneer.
3. Gapped and misaligned teeth. Instead of braces, minor gaps and misalignment can be remedied by dental veneers.

1. Cheaper alternative. Instead of getting crowns, braces and other dental procedures, minor tooth imperfections can be easily fixed by veneers.
2. Simple, painless, and quick procedure. Attaching dental veneers is an easy, non-invasive procedure. In as little as 3 quick visits to your Sunshine Coast dentist, you can already get custom veneers.
3. Long-lasting option. With good oral hygiene, your dental veneer can last for up to 15 years.

With dental veneers, a few small layers can go a long way in changing your teeth and your smile. In fact, veneers can even change your life.

Find out how you can get yourself a dental veneer. Contact us at Battery Hill Dental and book an appointment today.

From the term itself, dental bridges literally bridge the gap between one or more missing teeth. A bridge can be anchored either by natural teeth if they’re strong and healthy, or by dental implants. These supporting teeth on either side are called abutment teeth, while the false teeth filling each gap are called pontics.

Pros and Cons of Dental Bridges

Pros:

• Bridges don’t require surgery, so the procedure is simple, non-invasive, and relatively painless.
• You can easily and quickly get dental bridges to remedy those unsightly gaps that make you conscious about your smile.
• They are more affordable than dental implants.
• Despite being a non-invasive and fairly simple procedure, you can expect dental bridges to be sturdy, robust, and durable.
• With your dentist’s expertise, your lost teeth can be replaced with natural-looking teeth that can also feel like your natural teeth as you speak and eat.

Cons:

• While your dentist can create beautiful pontics that look like the real thing, they may not appear as seamless as implants.
• You need to clean as per normal. You can still get decay like any other tooth.
• Adjacent teeth. If your anchoring teeth are also damaged, they will also need to be treated, which may require removal of considerable amount of the teeth’s structure, making it potentially weaker.
• Special brush. Cleaning your bridges may require that you get yourself a specialized floss and brush.

The Verdict

All things considered, at the end of the day, your dentist will recommend a dental bridge if it is the best treatment option for your condition.

To find out the right treatment to restore your missing teeth, schedule a consultation with your local Caloundra dentist today.

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Mouth and teeth Injuries are unexpected. However, do you know which one requires a trip to the nearest dentist?

Here’s how you can tell that you are in a dental emergency and need to urgently go to your nearest dentist.

• Are you bleeding in your gums, teeth, tongue or any soft tissue in your mouth?
• Are you in severe pain involving your teeth and gums?
• Do you have at least one loose tooth?
• Do you have at least one knocked out tooth?
• Have you been hit in your face especially your mouth and jaw?

• Do you have any swelling in your mouth and jaw area?
• Do you have swelling in your gums?
• Do you have fever to infection in your teeth or gums?
• Do you experience pain in your teeth or gums when biting down?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you have a dental emergency. You have to call your dentist immediately or go visit the clinic as soon as you can.

Remember to take with you any of the knocked out tooth that you have and store it properly until your dentist can take a look at it. Be sure to also thoroughly describe to your dentist what happened and how you are feeling.

Call or text your nearest dentist in Caloundra for any dental emergency.

So you may have lost some teeth and are considering getting removable dental plates. This is a big decision and can affect not just your smile but your quality of life in the long run.

Before you get yourself one, here are some things you should know.

1. Your removable dental plates, also known as dentures, may feel weird the first time you fit it, but give it time to adjust and soon, you won’t even notice they’re there.
2. Inserting and removing the plates in your mouth may take some practice. Follow your dentist’s instructions.
3. If a part of your mouth or gums feel sore because of pressure from your dentures, you may need to pay your dentist a visit for a refitting or an adjustment.
4. You know your dentures are well-made for your mouth and teeth if they fit easily and comfortable. They should be snug and you don’t have to wiggle them to find the right position in your mouth.
5. You should always follow your dentist’s instructions on how to care for your dentures to keep them clean and in good shape. Some of the caring tips for your removable dental plates include:

• Brushing your dentures with soft-bristled toothbrush and with non-abrasive toothpaste or dentist-recommended denture cleaner
• After eating, always clean your dentures by rinsing off food debris that may be trapped in it
• Place your removable dental plates in a soaking solution or water when not in use at night
• Avoid bending or twisting your dental plates to keep their shape

You may need adjustments to your dental plates after a while, so be sure to visit your dentist regularly for examinations, cleanings, and consultations.

Call your local dentist today to schedule an appointment.

If this is your first time to have a dental implant surgery, you may probably feel a mix of different emotions: fear and anxiety for the upcoming procedure, apprehension for the pain, and maybe even hope and excitement for getting new replacement teeth.

Whatever you’re feelings are, it is still best to know just what goes on during the dental implant procedure so you  can be better prepared for it. Let’s take a look at the procedure:a

1. Your damaged tooth is extracted by your dentist.
2. Your jawbone is prepared for the surgery that puts a titanium screw into it. In some cases, bone grafting may be required to reinforce a thin or soft jawbone.
3. Your dentist will open your gum to expose the jaw bone. Your dentist will then drill into the bone to place the dental implant deep into the bone.

1. You have to rest your jawbone to heal for several months. This healing period is important for osseointegration, wherein your bone should attach to the screw.
2. You go back to your dentist for the abutment, which is the metal extension of the implant. This means your dentist must open up your gum again to expose the implant from which to attach the abutment.
3. The crown, or artificial teeth, will then be placed on the abutment. This crown is custom designed to match the rest of your teeth for an even smile and normal biting and chewing power.

The whole process may take anywhere between three to nine months, but most of the time is devoted to healing. During the surgery itself, you will be under sedation to make the procedure painless and to make sure you feel as comfortable as possible.

Are you ready for your dental implant surgery? Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Geriatric dentistry, also called geriodontics, is involved in the care, diagnosis, and treatment of dental conditions and diseases associated with aging. Elderly dental patients can be challenging to treat for many reasons, and geriatric dentists are specially trained to handle this.

Elderly patients who have poor cognitive skills due to Alzheimer’s or have lessened manual dexterity due to arthritis can be more frustrating to treat. There are many who develop complications that also affect their teeth and gums due to the medication they take. Their conditions may also make routinary activities and hygiene difficult to perform. Regular teeth brushing and even flossing, not to mention the regular dental visits, are harder to do. Nevertheless, elderly dental health must never be neglected. In fact, specialized care provided by top-notch geriatric dentists must be in place.

At Battery Hill Dental, our qualified dentists from Caloundra are trained to provide dental care for the elderly. It is encouraged for caregivers or family members to let their elderly visit their dentists every six months to ensure good oral health, identify potential problems, or treat conditions even before they get worse.

Meanwhile, we advise caregivers and able elderly people to follow the tips below to care for their teeth and gums at home:

• Brush at least twice daily with a soft-bristled tooth brush
• Clean between your teeth using dental floss
• Rinse with mouthwash at least twice a day.
• Visit your dentist to regularly
• If you’re wearing dentures, clean them regularly according to dentist’s instructions
• Eat healthy, nutritious meals

Do you have an elderly loved one who needs specialized geriatric dental care? Contact us at Battery Hill Dental and set an appointment today!

When it comes to braces, there’s no age limit. So if you have crooked, gapped teeth that are marring your smile, you can still straighten things out with many different kinds of braces. After all, there are more to straight teeth than a pleasing smile. Having straight, even teeth allows you to more thoroughly and easily clean your teeth as well as reach every surface. This results to better oral health.

So if you’re already in your 30s, 40s, and even your 50s and 60s, you’ll find that you have plenty of orthodontic treatment options to choose from.

• Traditional or metal braces are the typical braces that you may associate with the term “braces.” They have a noticeable look, but many teens opt for this because they can personalize their braces with coloured bands.
• Ceramic braces are similar in size and shape as metal braces, except that the brackets attached to the tooth are made of ceramic. The ceramic is used so it runs clear and more easily blends in with your teeth.

• Lingual braces are same as traditional metal braces except that you can’t see them. This is because the wires and brackets are attached on the inside surface of teeth.
• Invisalign looks like a mouth guard and is made of 18 to 30 clear plastic aligners that are customized to fit each tooth.

By choosing the right dental braces that can best address your tooth problems as well as suit your needs and preferences, you can better enjoy your journey to straight, even teeth.

Call your local orthodontic dentist today at Battery Hill Dental to know more. Set an appointment today.