FAQ's

There are many causes of bad breath but the main ones would be decayed teeth and diseased gums.

Red and swollen gums need to be treated right away or they would lose their attachment to the teeth, thus developing pockets around the teeth. Food gets trapped within the pocket and bacteria accumulates in it, causing breakdown of the food. This creates compounds called volatile sulphur compounds (VSC) which it the source of bad breath. 

The removal of sub gingival tartar through curettage and root planning of the teeth followed by irrigation with hydrogen peroxide, which kills the anaerobic bacteria, will most certainly improve the condition of the gums.

This can only be done by the dentist as the offending agent is beneath the gum line.  

The tongue, especially the upper back part, is relatively dry and usually poorly cleansed. It is coated with a film of food debris and mucus and bacteria in the mouth thrive well in such an ideal habitat.

Food gets trapped in between teeth and if not dislodged will start to rot in the mouth, thus causing bad breath. Hence, maintaining proper oral hygiene such as brushing the teeth, flossing, gentle cleaning of the tongue twice daily to remove the biofilm of bacteria will certainly reduce the bad odour.

Avoid certain foods such as garlic, onions, cheeses and alcohol. Smoking too can contribute to bad breath.

Dentures need to be cleaned properly and then soaked overnight in an antibacterial solution.

Chewing sugarless gum can help too as it promotes saliva production which then washes away the bacteria.

Mouth rinses which reduce the amount of plaque and bacteria in the mouth can also help reduce bad breath. However, they are only a temporary fix as they do not remove the source.

They are hard to reach being so far back. Hence, if not properly cleaned, decay can set in. There is also very little space at the rear so they have insufficient room to come through. Thus, they become wedged in or “impacted”. 

They could exert a horizontal force on the tooth in front of it and cause an erosion cavity, thus damaging both teeth resulting in removal of not one but two teeth.

The upper wisdom tooth may push sideways out of the gum and rub against the inside cheek, thus causing an ulcer.

As the wisdom tooth tries to push through the surface of the gum, food may get trapped in the folds of the gum, triggering off an inflammatory response, causing pain and sometime jaw stiffness. Swallowing becomes painful. Infection may set in and bad breath may result.

This is also called root canal therapy. The infected tooth or damaged pulp is removed from the inside of your tooth. Files are used to clean out the canals and hypochlorite solution, together with saline and EDTA are used to rinse the canals. Once thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, the canals are then sealed with a filling material to prevent further infection. The treatment can take up to 3 visits, depending on how complex the case is. At each visit, the tooth will be isolated with a sheet of rubber, also called rubber dam, to keep the tooth clean and dry so that the canals remain sterilized. An X-Ray is taken at the end of the treatment to confirm that the canals are all sealed to the end of the tip. Sometimes, sedative dressings are placed inside the tooth and temporarily filled to allow the tooth and the surrounding tissues to settle. 

There are only 2 choices for an infected tooth: an extraction to remove the infection or root canal therapy to save the tooth. If the tooth in question is a functional tooth and it enhances one’s appearance, it is a tooth worth keeping. There is no real substitute for your own tooth. It is far more efficient in chewing and biting than an artificial tooth.

The loss of a tooth can lead to many problems. The teeth on either side of the missing one will shift and drift into the gap, thus interfering with biting and chewing. The opposing tooth with grow longer since there is no tooth beneath it.

Furthermore, replacing the tooth with an artificial one, as in crown and bridge, often involves treatment of the adjacent teeth. This could in fact harm them.

Gum disease is also know as periodontal disease. It occurs when plaque, a film of bacteria, is allowed to build up on teeth. Toxins produced by the bacteria inflame the gums. This early stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis and is reversible. If not treated, gingivitis can develop into periodontitis.

A classic sign of gingivitis is when gums bleed during brushing. Other signs include:

A tooth consists of the visible crown and the invisible root. There are 3 distinct structures called Enamel, dentine and pulp. When a tooth is sensitive it is usually because the dentine is exposed. Gum recession exposes the roots of the teeth and these are less insulated against cold food and drinks. The microscopic dentine tubules contain fluid which moves when exposed to cold, heat, touch or high sugar concentrations in the mouth. This stimulates the nerve and causes pain.

Caring for your dentures is important as like natural teeth, they become dirty as they accumulate food debris and bacteria which can result in swollen gum, discolouration and bad breath. Proper cleaning is most important for partial denture wearers as food can get caught between the denture and natural teeth ( eg around the clasps) which can lead to tooth decay.

Using a specialist cleaner such as Steradent will effectively clean the denture both chemically and mechanically. The Steradent formulations remove plaque, lifts stains and removes 99.9% of bacteria. Its mechanical cleaning works through releasing millions of concentrated micro bubbles that penetrate the spaces that brushes cant reach. 

Using the above is far more effective than just cleaning with your toothbrush, using the regular tooth paste. The latter can be abrasive and can cause small scratches on the denture surface which then attract food debris and bacteria. 

They are the closest possible replacement to natural teeth. They provide a stable foundation for eating and smiling with confidence. They can remove the need to compromise healthy teeth for a bridge and can eliminate pain caused by ill fitting dentures.

They can maintain the shape of the face as it preserves the jaw bone. Having been scientifically tested and documented over 30 years, they have a long term success rate of over 95%.

They are small titanium screws that replace the tooth root to support tooth replacement when placed into the jaw bone. They form a strong bond with the bone usually after 6 weeks. Once integrated into the bone, they provide a stable foundation for crowns, bridges or dentures.