caloundra dentist

Regular routine dental cleaning is vital not just for your oral health but also for your overall health and well-being. This means that more than regular brushing and flossing, it’s important that you also visit your dentist every six months for dental examinations and professional cleanings.

But what really goes on in a routine dental cleaning and how different is it from regular tooth brushing and flossing?

1. Dental exam. Once you get on your local dentist’s office, you will be led to the dental chair where you will also be interviewed about your dental history. Your dentist will also check your entire mouth, especially your teeth and gums for any potential problems.
2. Removing build-up. Food debris and bacteria can build up in your teeth, causing plaque and tartar. These may not be effectively removed by normal tooth brushing, especially when the tartar develops around the gum line. Your dentist will scrape these off using a scaler, and you may experience some bleeding, which you can rinse off.

1. Power brushing. Your dentist will then use a high-powered electric brush and gritty toothpaste for professional cleaning and polishing of your teeth.
2. Professional flossing. Your dentist is in a good position to see where you may have missed flossing. This part of your routine dental cleaning helps get a deep clean in between your teeth.
3. Rinse. Give your mouth a final rinse to get rid of any debris. This rinse usually contains liquid fluoride to keep your teeth strong and healthy.
4. Flouride treatment. Your dentist may also give your teeth a fluoride treatment. A fluoride gel is put on a mouthpiece which is then placed on over your teeth.

Give your teeth and gums some loving. Think of routine dental cleaning as a spa for your mouth.

Schedule one with our dentist at Caloundra here in Battery Hill Dental. Call us today.

Let’s face it. Not everyone practices impeccable oral hygiene or sees their local dentist regularly. And those that already have tooth problems but continue to neglect dental health are more likely to be wearing dentures sooner or later.

So do you think you may be one of those people? Here are 8 red flags to look out for to see if you may need to wear dentures.

• Frequent and severe tooth aches that are left untreated
• You don’t see your dentist twice a year for cleaning and examinations
• Your gums are always bleeding, swollen, red, and tender
• You already lost one or more teeth to periodontal disease

• Difficulty chewing certain food, which is a sign of tooth damage, decay, or gum disease
• Gaps between your tooth are getting wider due to loose or moving teeth
• You have indigestion because you don’t chew properly due to tooth problems
• You’re embarrassed to smile

Having one or two of these signs apply to you doesn’t mean you’re definitely headed for a dentured life. By knowing these signs, you can actually prevent tooth loss and eventually dentures. You can prevent your dental problems from getting worse, which can mean even more drastic—and costlier—treatments.

These warning signs can serve as a wakeup call for you to visit your dentist, be proactive about dental treatments, and start practicing good oral hygiene.

So go ahead and visit your friendly Sunshine Coast dentists, Battery Hill Dental, today.

Airway issues and sleep breathing problems are difficult to diagnose. Primarily, this is because you don’t know you have a problem until someone in your house tells you they can’t sleep from all your snoring. But do you know that if you have airway issues, your dentist is in the best position to assess and diagnose it?

Finding a trained local dentist to identify airway issues can help save you from other related health issues.

Airway Issues Your Dentist Can Diagnose

Sleep apnoea, mouth breathing, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) can be identified by your local Sunshine Coast dentist. This is because all these disorders affect how you speak, eat, and breathe. TMJ, in particular, is caused by dental issues such as under bite or over bite, jaw or oral cavity deformation, missing teeth, or unbalanced teeth development. The dental chair is the best place for these to be identified, because your dentist is the one who routinely sees inside your mouth.

What Your Dentist is on the Lookout For

Whether it’s your regular trained dentist or a paediatric dentist, they can both assess your oral health. They can look out for conditions that may affect your sleep apnoea and other airway issues, such as:

• Bruxism or teeth grinding
• Mouth breathing
• TMJ

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Periodontal disease
• Paediatric orthodontics that affect breathing in children

Your dentist can work with your physicians as well as sleep specialists to help treat your airway and breathing issues.

Contact us at Battery Hill Dental to schedule a consultation today.

If you’re a parent of a student or a teacher at Currimundi State School, ‎you can grab a free coffee from outside the school sports hall on Tuesday the 24th of April from 8:00am – 9:00am. No strings attached, no cost. Just delicious hot coffee, courtesy of Battery Hill Dental.

As parents ourselves, we know how hard‎ it can be. Making it through each Term is a massive achievement, so every little perk helps. As part of this fantastic community, we want to encourage you and let you know you are appreciated. So welcome back for Term 2 and ‘thank you’ to all the parents, teachers and support staff.

So get excited for Tuesday and let us treat you to your morning cup of goodness, whether it be coffee, tea or a chai. Enjoy on us!

From Dr. Luke and the team at Battery Hill Dental

You owe a lot to your mouthguard. It keeps your pearly whites safe and healthy as you do what you love. Whether it’s football, boxing, mixed martial arts or any other contact sports, your mouthguard makes sure your mouth, teeth, gums and tongue are kept free from damage or injury.

However, wearing them regularly without proper cleaning can pose a risk. This is because mouthguards can serve as breeding grounds for bacteria, moulds, and yeast.

Here are simple ways to care for and clean your sports mouthguard:

1. Brush your mouthguard with toothbrush and toothpaste regularly, especially after use. This removes and build-up of debris and saliva.
2. Soak mouthguards in antimicrobial solutions to reduce the amount of bacteria and other organisms from taking refuge in there.
3. Avoid exposing your mouthguard in extreme temperatures to prevent it from being brittle or deformed
4. Let your mouthguard dry thoroughly before storing.
5. Keep your mouthguard in its protective case when not in use.

1. Be sure to also clean your case regularly with warm soapy water.
2. Replace your mouthguard regularly, especially when cracks start to appear.
3. Avoid the habit of biting down on your mouthguard as this will create tiny holes and crack where bacteria, mould, and fungi can form.

When wearing your mouthguard, remember to also avoid drinking or eating sugary and staining food. This can stay in your mouthguard and therefore increase your teeth’s risk for cavities and discolouration.

Do you need a mouthguard? Have one fitted to you by your nearest Caloundra dentist. Book an appointment today.

If you have damaged, chipped teeth that dampen your confidence and stop you from smiling, then tooth bonding may just be the thing for you.

Tooth bonding is a cosmetic dental procedure that uses tooth-coloured composite resin to restore your teeth and give you back the smile you always wanted. However, before you decide to get tooth bonding procedure, let’s weigh the pros and cons.

Pros and cons of tooth bonding

The advantages of getting tooth bonding are:

• The resin can be tailored to match the colour of your adjacent teeth so the bond looks seamless
• Less amount of your tooth enamel is removed compared to veneers and crowns procedures
• The procedure is quick and painless
• The procedure is cheaper than other options
• No need for surgery and anaesthesia

Cons of tooth bonding

The disadvantages of tooth bonding are:

• The resin has a higher risk of staining compared to your natural enamel
• It can chip or break off when you use your teeth to open packages or when chewing on hard food
• You may need to have it replaced after a few years

Weighing the pros and cons of tooth bonding against other options, it’s up to you to figure out if tooth bonding is really right for you. Just remember to discuss this with your dentist. You can discuss with your dentist further if tooth bonding is really the perfect option for restoring your tooth.

Contact your Sunshine Coast dentist today to schedule a consultation.

Whether you’re missing one tooth or many, this can affect your health and quality of life. So if you’re missing some yourself, dental implants can be your best possible option.

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are used to replace missing teeth while supporting your bone to keep it strong. An implant consists of a small titanium screw that is installed into your jawbone. This provides a safe and robust base on which to attach your artificial tooth.

While having dental implants require that you undergo dental surgery and the idea of a metal into your bone can be daunting, fear not. Your dental implant dentist will use anaesthesia and sedation to ensure that the procedure is painless and you are as comfortable as possible.

The result of dental implants looks just like your natural teeth. Your dentist can customize the tooth material so that it is shaped and coloured just like the rest of your teeth. This guarantees a beautiful, even smile that you can be more confident about.

More importantly, dental implants can provide you a better quality of life. You can talk better and more clearly. Your appearance will also take on a youthful look because your new teeth will hold up your jaw and your facial muscles. You also enjoy chewing and biting on your favourite foods because dental implants can also function just like your natural teeth.

With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime, so a relatively short procedure can definitely go a long way.

Contact your Sunshine Coast dentist today to schedule a consultation and get started on beautiful, natural-looking teeth.

Caring for your teeth is as important as caring for your body. So when a dental emergency happens, your local dentist should be the first one you should call. In these cases, acting fast can mean saving precious seconds that could mean between saving and losing your teeth.

So how do you know which injuries need emergency? Find out below:

• Knocked out tooth – When your tooth completely falls off, it can still be saved and re-implanted back in its place. You just have to go to your dentist immediately with the tooth, making sure not to touch the root and remove any tissue that may be attached to it. If you can’t place it back in the socket, it’s better to put it in a small clean container with a cup of milk.
• Loose tooth – You can very gently put the tooth back in place or bite down to keep it from moving before going to the dentist. A splint will then be placed on each adjacent teeth to stabilize the loose tooth.
• Chipped tooth – While a chipped tooth doesn’t hurt, it pays to give your dentist a quick visit so as to prevent the teeth from chipping more as you bite or chew. Your dentist may smooth a minor chip or use tooth coloured restoration to repair it.

• Fractured or cracked tooth – A fractured tooth is a serious dental emergency because it involves damage to the inside of the tooth. This is common in contact sports and accidents, where facial trauma is typical. If the soft tissue within the tooth is damaged, a root canal may need to be performed. Otherwise, you may only need a dental crown.
• Other dental emergencies – Other conditions that need immediate dental attention to save a tooth is an emergency. This can include severe pain, continuous bleeding, and severe infection.

Many of these dental emergencies can be prevented with regular visits to your dentist. Schedule an appointment with your Sunshine Coast dentist today!

While taking care of your teeth and gums is a must at any age, elderly people need special dental care. This is because seniors have a higher risk for many dental issues that can have complicated effects on their overall health and quality of life.

This is why it’s highly important that elderly dental health also be given enough attention.

Importance of Good Elderly Dental Health

The importance of good dental health in the elderly can’t be stressed enough. This is because poor oral health in seniors can increase their risk for serious conditions such as diabetes and a variety of heart diseases.

• Managing and even reversing gum disease. A lifestyle of oral neglect can cause plaque, tartar, and even infection to develop. This means gingivitis or gum disease can cause you to lose teeth later in life. With the right treatment and care from your trusted dentist, you can actually reverse gingivitis—and maybe even save your teeth.
• Those with Type 2 diabetes are at a higher risk for having gum disease, thrush, and dry mouth. Dry mouth, which can also be caused by medication, can cause tooth decay, infection, and eventual tooth loss.

• Preventing heart disease. Maintaining good oral health throughout your life is powerful in fighting heart attack, stroke, and many other heart conditions. Aside from cholesterol levels, the presence of gum disease and cavities can also predict if you have heart disease.
• Increased risk for pneumonia. Breathing in the bacterial droplets from your mouth to your lungs can cause you to be more likely to develop pneumonia and lung infection.

The conditions of the elderly, such as aching joints due to arthritis or being too immobile to go to the dentist regularly, can make maintaining good elderly dental health difficult to fulfil. However, it’s not too late. Our dentists at Caloundra can take care of your dental needs and prepare you for whatever treatment you may need.

Whether you’re active in contact sports or are feeling pain in the morning from a night of teeth grinding, one thing is for sure—you need to protect your teeth. Should you get a mouthguard or a dental splint? Which one do you really need?

What is a dental splint?

A dental splint, also called a night guard, bite guard or occlusal splint, protects your teeth as you sleep. This is because you may be suffering from a condition called bruxism, which is a sleep disorder that causes you to unconsciously grind or clench your teeth at night. This is usually due to stress or anxiety, but when left untreated, it can ruin your teeth.

Once you consult with your local dentist about your condition, you might need to get a dental splint, which is a set of special plastic appliance that is custom-fitted to be worn over your teeth. This prevents your upper and lower teeth from touching while absorbing bite force to prevent damage.

What is a mouthguard?

A mouthguard covers both your teeth and gums to prevent lips, gums, and teeth injury as well as absorb shock from blows and falls. This is most commonly used in sports such as boxing, basketball, ice hockey, and football to name a few.

While there are stock mouthguards that you can buy in sporting goods stores or over-the-counter, it is highly recommended that you have one that is custom-made for you. Having a mouthguard from your own teeth’s impression will offer comfort, snug fit, and the most protection.

Simply put, a mouthguard protects your teeth while a splint holds your teeth together to prevent harmful movement. Before getting yourself the one that is right for you, however, it is always best to check in with your dentist.

Set an appointment with our top dentists from Caloundra to get yourself custom-fitted dental splints or mouthguards.