Blog - Ocean Breeze Dental

Here you will find blogs written by our professional dentists.

Invisalign is virtually invisible braces

Over 3 million patients have had their teeth straightened, with Invisalign, all over the world. Some of these patients include Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise & Serena Williams.
Invisalign aligns your teeth by a series of clear aligners. It is a perfect option for adult orthodontics, if your teeth are not as straight as you would like, and you do not fancy the traditional brackets and wires, then Invisalign is for you.
It is easy to clean your teeth with Invisalign as you can just remove the aligner and clean your teeth as normal and then pop the aligner back in.
They move your teeth slower than conventional braces, so they are more comfortable.

Is it worth it?

I truly believe everyone deserves to be confident with his or her smile. Good teeth and a glowing smile are one of the first things you notice when you meet a new person.

Having straight teeth makes for healthier gums and less chance of decay because it is easier to clean all the surfaces of your teeth. When teeth are overlapping, you can get areas plaque can gather and stagnate.

Is Invisalign expensive?

Invisalign is not as expensive as you may think. The cost of treatment depends on the number of aligners needed, so if you only have a few teeth to move then, it will be more affordable.

We also have a monthly payment plan that makes payment easier to manage.

Depending on your health cover you may also get some rebate from your private health insurance.

Also, for the next few months at Ocean Breeze Dental, we have 25% discount on Invisalign.

Smile makeover

Invisalign is also a perfect treatment to have alongside other treatment.

You can use your aligners as custom bleach trays, so whitening your teeth at the end of Invisalign treatment has little-added cost.
It is also useful to straighten the teeth with Invisalign before having veneers, this makes for a better final result with veneers and means less, or no tooth drilling needs to be done.
Invisalign also works well alongside bridge or implant treatment to make the correct spaces for the replacement teeth and a more natural looking finish. How does the process work?

Samantha Ho will firstly take your clinical photographs and impressions.
She will then make a thorough clinical diagnosis and treatment plan based on your areas of concern.
We send your models and photos to Invisalign, where the Invisalign technicians create a 3D simulation of your teeth.
Samantha Ho will explain your scans and 3D simulation and make sure your 100% happy with the result before the aligners are being made.
Once you have your aligners, we will review you every six to eight weeks to make sure everything is moving as expected.

Are fruit juices and smoothies damaging my teeth?

fruit attack

The popularity of fruit juice, smoothie, and Nutri bullet diets are booming. These drinks are a convenient way to increase fruit and vegetables in your diet and boost your cancer-fighting antioxidant intake. A lot of patients have asked me about the effects these drinks have on their teeth. Unfortunately, some smoothies can be worse for your teeth than a can of coke!

Juices can have a high amount of natural sugars and can be quite acidic. This acidity can lead to tooth decay or tooth wear. Vitamin C contains ascorbic acid which can cause the enamel to erode. You can avoid much of the sugar reaching your teeth by eating fruit rather than liquidising. When we liquidise fruit, we release the sugars which can then harm your teeth.

However, it would be a shame to avoid these healthy beverages. So here are a few tips to enjoy the heart-healthy goodness from these drinks but reduce harm to your teeth.

1) Drink your juice fresh, if you leave the beverage to sit the sugars will ferment.
2) Favour vegetables over fruit, try and put at least two parts vegetable to one part fruit. Avoid citrus fruits as these are very acidic.
3) Make sure the fruit is ripe; unripe fruits are full of acids.
4) Yoghurt based smoothies are perfect for reducing the acidity in your drink, but be careful, a lot of yoghurts have hidden added sugar that you might not expect. Coconut oil is another tooth friendly ingredient because it has antibacterial properties.
5) Use a straw to bypass your teeth and drink water afterwards.
6) Avoid cleaning your teeth straight after eating or drinking as you are effectively brushing the acid around your mouth.

Here are some dentist approved smoothie recipes to try-

Vitamin Rich Green Smoothie

1 cup of chopped spinach,
1 cup of chopped kale,
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A green apple, cored, chopped
A pear, cored, chopped
Two large bananas, frozen and roughly chopped
Water to desired consistency
Blend all together
Add mint leaves to serve

This recipe has a high proportion of vegetables which will stop it becoming too acidic and causing tooth erosion. The Kale is a popular super food as it is rich in Vitamins A, C, K, E as well as folate, manganese, iron, calcium and potassium.

Cranberry and Hazelnut Smoothie

A cup of cranberries
A cup of raspberries
One banana.
Ten raw hazelnuts, soaked for 8 hours
The vanilla from 1 vanilla bean
3 cups of baby spinach
Water to desired consistency

There has been a recent study that show’s that cranberries help prevent decay by preventing bacteria growing on your teeth.
Also, check out this Banana bread smoothie. Non-acidic and looks delicious!

How do I get my teeth looking whiter?

Everywhere we look now we see pearly white smiles. I find that patients are always asking me how to whiten their teeth. In fact, I think this is the most frequent question I get asked. I have put together the key points on the subject and hope that you find the following advice helpful!

►Firstly, you could try cutting back on things that stain your teeth. The most common suspects are smoking, tobacco, tea (especially black or green tea without milk), coffee, red wine or foods with a lot of food colourings.

► Secondly, cleaning your teeth well. Brushing twice a day and flossing. Plaque is yellow, so if your teeth are not clean, they look discoloured. Some stains are too tough to get off with brushing so a thorough scale and polish with the dentist may be needed to remove stubborn stains.

►You could try a whitening toothpaste. These kinds of toothpaste are more abrasive than regular toothpaste so they remove more of the surface staining of your teeth. Home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda have the same effect and remove more surface stains through abrasion.

Be careful, though, long term use of abrasives can wear away your enamel causing sensitivity and damage to your teeth.

►Getting old fillings replaced. Old fillings can become yellow or stained over time. I find quite often patients want whitening because of a dark spot on their teeth but all that is needed is to refresh an old discoloured filling.

►If you are keen to brighten your smile, you could consider professional whitening by a dentist. Usually, we will take impressions and make custom made bleach-trays. We can use these trays to either whiten your teeth in surgery or at home. Most people can whiten their teeth by two shades or more with professional whitening. You can get sensitive teeth from whitening which usually resolves within a few days once you complete whitening treatment. Your teeth can start to stain again afterwards, especially if you are still smoking or eating foods that cause staining. Although once you have the custom fit bleach trays, it is easy to top the whitening up if needed.

For further advise you can book an appointment at Ocean Breeze Dental, where we can advise what you need to brighten your smile. You can book at appointment online or ring on 52552584.

Dr Samantha Ho introduction

Dr Samantha Ho

Hi there, I am Sam. I qualified in Wales in 2009. I have been working in this practice, in Ocean Grove since 2012. I love Australia and enjoy walking down the dog beach with my little poodle.

When I first qualified, in Wales, I spent two years working in the dental hospital in the children’s clinic. Here I learned many techniques to help anxious children through their treatment, most of which can help nervous adult patients as well. This experience is probably why so many patients comment how gentle I am.

Since then I have kept up to date with extra training. I have extra qualifications to be able to restore implants and place ‘mini implants’. I am currently training to be able to provide Invisalign in our practice.

Bad Breath

bad-breath

A lot of people worry that they have bad breath or ‘halitosis’. A family member might comment, or you may just feel like your breath is stale. An easy way to tell is to lick the back of your hand and smell. Alternatively, you can ask someone you can trust to be honest. There are a few causes of bad breath. One of the most common is gum disease. Either gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gums or periodontitis that is a more serious condition that affects the ligament holding your teeth in your jaw. You may also have a build up of tartar or calculus or just have an area food is getting stuck between your teeth.

The way to avoid bad breath from your mouth is to employ excellent oral hygiene. Brushing twice a day and cleaning between the teeth once a day with either floss, interdental brushes or water/air flossers. It may also be worth booking in for a clean and a check of your gum condition with your dentist. There are some areas you won’t be able to clean with floss or a toothbrush (under the gum line) so a thorough clean at the dentist may be needed. Also, an early diagnosis of periodontitis means that a dentist can treat the condition before the gum health deteriorates further.

Another common cause of bad breath is having a dry mouth (xerostomia). With reduced saliva in your mouth, food debris sticks around longer and can lead to bad breath. There are a few common causes of dry mouth. Firstly if you are dehydrated, so make sure you have enough to drink throughout the day. Also, make sure you increase your fluid intake if it is a hot day, you do exercise or eat salty food. Secondly, one of the biggest causes of a dry mouth is medication. Nearly all medications can cause a dry mouth, so if it is feasible, you can ask your doctor if alternatives are available. However, a change in medication is not always possible. Also, there are causes of dry mouth that are not reversible if you have had radiation to the head or suffer from certain auto-immune disorders. If this is the case, there are some management techniques you can use. A lot of people find it useful to sip water regularly. There are ‘Biotene’ products available that act as an artificial saliva. Also, you can chew sugar-free gum to try and stimulate some extra saliva flow.

You can also get bad breath from smoking or just eating too much garlic. The best way to avoid this is not to smoke or eat garlic but that is not always possible. The next best thing would be to brush your teeth thoroughly and floss. Plus gargle with some mint mouthwash. Then make sure you keep your saliva’s protection high by staying hydrated. Plus chew either a xylitol pastil (helps keep plaque levels down) or sugar- free gum. If you are a heavy smoker, you will need to book more regular check-ups and cleans with your dentist. You are at a higher risk of gum disease plus the tobacco can build up on your teeth.