Dental Tips -Overcoming Your Fear of the Dentist
The Athlete’s Paradox | Dental Clinic North Ryde
Today, high-endurance athletes must be incredibly well-conditioned to compete at the highest levels. They follow a strict diet, a tough training regimen, and monitor their health constantly, to ensure that they are getting the very most out of themselves that they can.
You wouldn’t imagine that this zest for health would ignore their teeth, but surprisingly, a recent study has suggested exactly this. Published in a British journal, a survey of high-endurance athletes found that many of them – a solid 49%, in fact – suffered from undiagnosed oral decay. A whopping 77% exhibited swollen, puffy gums, a clear precursor to gum disease or gingivitis. For a group that takes care of its health in other areas of its body with such fervour, these results were surprising, to say the least.
One of the reasons that this trend may have appeared is due to the high carb diet that many of these athletes follow. A body putting itself under such stress requires a lot of fuel, and carbs are a quick and effective way of fuelling up. However, they are broken down in to sugars, and this coats the teeth of the eater, contributing to the decay and cavities that we see at our dental clinic in North Ryde.
Another theory holds that athletes in these circumstances are drawing high amounts of air over their teeth and through their mouths, as they follow their strict exercise schedule. This has been shown to result in a more alkaline mouth, which has been linked to higher instances of cavity creation.
The research will continue. However, if you are an athlete – even a very healthy one – it would seem wise not to skip out on your visits to your dental clinic in North Ryde.
Your North Ryde and Macquarie Park Dental Clinic | The Snoring Solution
If you have ever been a snorer – or have slept next to one – you will understand the difficulty with which they may pose to their significant others. Snorers can be consistently loud, and even heavy sleepers can often be woken up by the noise.
Snoring is the result of the vibration of respiratory structures. When one breathes during sleep, their respiratory tract is often only half-opened, leaving them prone to creating noise unwittingly. Ominously, it can also be an early harbinger of sleep apnea, and should be considered a medical condition.
However, all is not lost. There are methods that your dental professionals can employ to keep your snoring manageable, for both you and your loved ones, and your North Ryde and Macquarie Park dental clinic can help you out.
We employ the vaunted SomnoMed to aid our clients in their quest for a good, quiet night’s rest. This system operates to ensure that your airway is kept open, without constriction. This allows your inhaled breathe easier passage, removing the sound of your snoring, and encouraging better rests. Fitted in your mouth, each of these appliances is custom fit for each snorer, and is ensured to fit perfectly. They are comfortable to wear, and can make a noted difference to your sleep patterns.
We don’t always think of our dental clinic in North Ryde or Macquarie Park as being the expert on snoring and sleeping habits. But the snoring problem begins in the mouth and throat, so who better to help you to cope with the problem? This remarkable system can ensure that your household wakes up well-rested and happy, ready to tackle the day. Check it out today, or contact us for a discussion on how it can help you.
Your Dentist for North Ryde and Macquarie Park on Dental Scraping
Here at your favourite North Ryde and Macquarie Park dentists, we recommend that you pay us a visit every six months, for a cleaning, a fluoride rinse, and a general checkup on your oral health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and keeping in touch with the state of your teeth can prevent problems from developing in to larger maladies.
One of the most important procedures that we provide for our patients is dental scraping. Using a specialised tool, your dentist is able to scrape and clean your teeth below the gumline, in areas that are inaccessible to your daily routine of brushing and flossing. There are a number of reasons why this is so important.
The surfaces of your teeth lying under the gumline are just as susceptible to cavities as the visible area of them. Your gums do an admireable job of sealing off foreign substances from entering this sub-gumline area, but some will inevitable get past – and once it does, this warm, moist area is highly amenable to the growth of cavity-producing bacteria.
But it isn’t only your teeth that are in danger should you neglect this area – your gums can also suffer. Prolonged bacterial growth under your gumline can lead to bloated and bleeding gums, a reaction that is actually your gums’ attempt to clean up. Left unchecked, it can lead to issues such as periodontitis and gingivitis.
By cleaning these sub-gumline areas of your teeth, you can prevent the unchecked growth of bacteria taking its toll on your oral health, and potentially, avoid cavities or rotten teeth, over time. It is a sensible decision to protect the only set of teeth that you have, with a twice-yearly, comprehensive cleaning, courtesy of your dentists at North Ryde Macquarie Park Dental.
So book your appointment today!
Your Cosmetic Dentist in Macquarie Park on Stress
The pace of modern life is a frantic one. We are being asked to juggle careers, family, friends, and our individual pursuits, all while the standards for success continue to climb. Augmenting this, of course, is the smartphone revolution. We are almost never parted from them, and as a result, constantly in touch and available.
This is having a number of unfortunate impacts upon our health. Researchers have discovered a huge variety of health ailments that have resulted from this reality, and your teeth are squarely in the crosshairs. As your favourite provider of cosmetic dentistry at Macquarie Park, we think you need to remain aware of them.
First, when we are stressed, we tend towards some poorer habits. Our diet suffers, we sleep less, and we might easily smoke or drink more heavily than usual. Our exercise and health regimen might also be backburned. Altogether, these impacts can easily result in our teeth suffering from some neglect.
But there is also a direct physiological impact of this stress, as well. Our body produces more of the hormone cortisol when we are stressed out, which suppresses our immune system. This can result in a gum ailment, known as Acute Necrotising Ulcerative Gingivitis, or ANUG, where areas of our gums will actually die, and necrose, in our mouth. This can result in receding gums, bad breath, and considerable pain.
In short, it helps to control our stress level. Some deep breathing exercises, or some yoga, can make a world of difference. As can leaving your phone turned off for a few hours each day.
For any and all of your cosmetic dentistry needs in Macquarie Park, come and visit us, or book your appointment today.
Your Dental Clinic in Macquarie Park on Proper Brushing
The best intentions can sometimes lead us astray. In dental care, the emphasis, particularly when we are young, is to encourage our little ones to brush twice daily. But it must be tempered with a level of caution, and some training, to ensure that they are going about it properly.
Brushing your teeth must be done with a level of gentleness. Your gums, and your enamel, for that matter, aren’t infallible, and repeated aggressive brushing can wreak havoc on them. As your dental clinic in Macquarie Park, brushing properly must be your focus in these early days.
First, ensure that you are brushing with a conscientious stroke, without too much muscle. Brushing too hard can actually hurt your teeth, and your gumline, and is a poor habit to start with. Keep your strokes short, and go easy. As well, the right toothbrush can make all the difference. Soft bristles are vastly preferable to the harder variety, primarily for the reason that they won’t scrape away your precious enamel, or be as tough on your gums, as the harder ones.
Start by placing your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to your gums. Then, moving your toothbrush in tooth-width strokes, brush both sides, and the chewing surface of your tooth. On the inside of your teeth, use an ‘upward’ motion, focusing on one area before moving on to the next one.
Your choice of toothpaste is an important one, as well. Flouride toothpastes help to refresh and remineralise the enamel on your teeth, ensuring that your teeth withstand the onslaught of acidic plaque they face each day.
With some proper care, your teeth will last you for a lifetime. If you are concerned about any of these recommended methods, or feel as though you have need of a dentist, get in touch with your dental clinic in Macquarie Park today, and book your appointment.