FaQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Children
From 4/6 months
Drooling, hands in the mouth, chewing (sometimes fever and diarrhoea)
Anti-inflammatory medication, cold foods, and gum massage
When they get their first tooth, it is more of an education and familiarisation appointment
They are smaller, the nerves are higher up, and the teeth are more susceptible to decay and the decay spreads faster
At 5 and a half, six
Brush, floss, and eat healthy
When the first baby tooth erupts. Massage gums if no teeth to ease teething symptoms
Start with silicone and then a soft nylon brush with a small head
Xylitol-based toothpaste or age-appropriate toothpaste
Rice grain size when young, and building it up to pea size as more teeth erupt
Sleeping with the baby bottle/ breast milk causes milk to settle on the teeth and causes cavities
breast milk also has sugars and can cause cavities.
It feeds the germs and creates an acidic environment which causes weak teeth and cavities
Manage the diet during the day and have good oral hygiene
When they get their first tooth
It is like polyfiller (made of fluoride-infused resin) for your teeth to make sure the grooves are flattened out
Every 6 months, unless the dentist suggests otherwise
If it’s a baby tooth, then keep it so that the dentist can assess if the whole tooth is out.
If it’s a permanent tooth, then save it in milk and get to the dentist asap so they can reimplant it.
Baby teeth cannot be re-implanted.
Tooth decay/ fracture
The front top teeth start sticking out, and the top jaw becomes V-shaped
By age three
Sugars and carbs feed the bacteria that cause decay. Chewy foods help in eliminating plaque from surfaces as well
Fruits, nuts, vegetables, cheese
It reverses the effect of plaque that has demineralised the teeth
Schedule an appointment with a child-friendly dentist and give them a heads up. Paediatric dentists are quite experienced in dealing with anxious kids.
Dentists that specialise in treating children
They have way more tricks and patience up their sleeves.
Bite, chew, keep space open for the big teeth
If a tooth is removed prematurely, a spacer is used to keep the space open for the permanent teeth. Otherwise, the other teeth move.
Adults need to brush their kids’ teeth untill the kids become dexterous and capable of brushing well.
Two minutes, but specifically two minutes of effective brushing all over
When you observe that the teeth are very tight together, not age-dependant
While playing sports, the mouth guard protects the teeth from direct bumps
Pain, black/ yellow/brown spots.
Every six months, unless the dentist suggests otherwise
When the cavity goes into the nerve or is close to the nerve, the filling cannot be placed
without cleaning out the bit of nerve on the top bit of the tooth (sounds terrible but it is also
called a nerve amputation). This way the root nerve is preserved.
When the filling is too close to the nerve or in the nerve
Fillings, pulpotomy, and extractions
Holes in teeth cause discomfort, preventing kids from eating well. Decay causes abscesses that can cause pain, fever, and swelling.
Find a child-friendly dentist and book a simple check-up. Get them excited.
Kids tend to listen to their teachers, so information from school might be more effective in creating good habits
Early tooth removal, so teeth move and the existing teeth creep into the extracted tooth’s space. Space loss/ crowding of teeth due to other reasons.
Have a look to see what could be causing the problem, floss the teeth to remove food and debris between the teeth. Rinse with a mouthwash, book an appointment with a dentist asap, and give some pain syrup in the meantime.
Adults
White thingies inside your mouth that help you bite and chew
Outside layer enamel (hardest thingumajigs in the body)
Inside dentine layer (not so hard with tubes of feelings to the nerve)
Core of tooth is the pulp chamber, where the nerve blood vessels etc. reside
Incisors (front four top and bottom bite bite function)
Canines (residue from our carnivorous ancestors to tear)
Molars and premolars(chew chew function)
Outside layer of teeth
Keep it plaque and acid free and fluoridated and hydrated
When a tooth loses its enamel structure and bacteria eats up and makes holes
Poor oral hygiene, bad diet, sweet exposure duration, decrease saliva, bacteria
We clean out the holes with a tiny drill and put fillings in to close the hole.
Fillings ( Composite or Glass Ionomer)
Remineralises demineralised tooth structure (due to plaque, like acid on teeth)
Twice a day
Tiny round circles 45 degrees gently under the gum.
Once a day
Yes, imagine two lollipops next to each other… those are your teeth. Clean the lollipop not the gap
Increased carbs/sugars causes ph levels to drop and creates a favourable environment for bacteria to flourish and plaque to build
Fresh fruits, veg, nuts, cheese
The top of the molars are very rough, the grooves trap bacteria and can start holes. So the sealants seal the grooves making them smooth
When they get their first teeth
Dentists that work with kids, more child behaviour management training
Dental specialists that align teeth with braces and plates
The science of moving crooked teeth into a more functionally and aesthetically favourable position
If a tooth has lost too much tooth structure a lab made custom crown is placed on the tooth to restore function and form
A crown replaces the tooth structure if too much tooth has been lost due trauma or decay. Keeping the left over bits of teeth safe and snug inside a very hard fake tootsie.
When are tooth is removed, the tooth is replaced with a little screw and a crown is placed on the “fake root”
When a layer of tooth structure is removed to be replaced with a crown-like structure (but thinner) to make the tooth more pretty and structurally intact.
When the nerve of the tooth has been infected and needs to be cleaned out and replaced
with a “root filling”
hat is gum disease?
When the gum part of the teeth haven’t been cleaned well, it starts infecting the gum and
causing inflammation and bleeding, causing gum disease
By cleaning the gum line and flossing, having ZERO plaque on your teeth
Using professional brushes and polishes to clean teeth. For calculus/tartar we use an ultrasonic scaler to remove the hard bits.
Ideally, every six months, but can be more for patients that might be prone to disease
The white fuzzy film that forms on your teeth during the day
Minerals from saliva precipitate onto long-standing plaque on teeth.
If a tooth has lost too much tooth structure a lab made custom crown is placed on the tooth to restore function and form
Little X-rays to see what is happening inside/ between/ under teeth
Yes, but precautions are taken with pregnant women
When a tooth responds to hot and cold by feeling hot or cold.
Usually due to cavities or loss of enamel structure.
Professionals that focus on prevention/ prophylaxis. They do cleanings and education.
poor oral hygiene(plaque build up), post nasal drip, tonsilitis, inefficient tongue cleaning
If there is anything wrong with the jaw joint
If the nerves of a tooth get infected due to bacteria from decay or injury, it causes necrosis of the biological matter inside the pulp, which creates pus. This pus build-up creates inflammation and pain.
It is treated with antibiotics and root canal treatment.
Making sure the area under the gums are cleaned effectively. This includes brushing and flossing.
They are third molars that erupt between 17 to 18
They only need to be removed if they re-impacted (ie not enough space in the jaws)
