Dental Health

Is your child a thumb sucker? According to Dr Emma, “Thumb sucking is a natural reflex for babies to allow them to feed. The good news is that most children will stop themselves between the ages of 2-4 yrs old, however the bad news is that 15-40% will continue with some sort of sucking habit, be it fingers, thumbs or a dummy.” So what options are available to parents concerned by their child’s sucking habit?” In her latest post, Dr Emma answers a reader’s concerns regarding her daughter’s sucking problem, and offers her advice on alternative techniques to combat it.

What causes veneer failure? According to Dr Emma: “Veneers are generally done to improve the look of someone's smile. They can be very effective at changing the shade, shape and size of the front teeth. Regrettably though, there’s also a number of reasons why veneers can fail, including debonding or fractures, discolouration, unfavourable gum response or even poor aesthetics. With this in mind, it’s important to know what options are available should veneer failure strike! In her latest post for our Healthy Lifestyle Blog, Dr Emma answers a reader’s concern by offering her advice on alternative treatment plans.

Do you know what an “All-on-4” procedure is? According to our resident dental expert Dr Emma: “This is a technique of placing four implants in both the upper and lower jaw which have no remaining teeth, to then fit prosthetic teeth in the form of a bridge or denture. It’s a procedure which requires a general anesthetic or sedation, plus regular check-up’s, so it’s not surprising that some people have concerns.” In her latest post for our Healthy Lifestyle Blog, Dr Emma offers her advice to a reader and advises him of the key points to consider.

Tooth extraction – is it always necessary? According to Dr Emma: “Extractions used to be the cornerstone of dentistry. My nanna tells the story of being a child in the 1920s, given a coin to take herself down to the dentist to have an aching tooth pulled out, then walking herself home again.  For lots of people today, it seems the obvious choice when a tooth is painful, and particularly when money is tight. Although, completely removing a tooth or teeth is not always the best option”. In this post, Dr Emma discusses the risks and benefits associated with tooth extraction and also explains the mental checklist she runs through before deciding to "pull it out…"

 

Has your child ever suffered from an abscess? If you’ve answered yes, you’ll know how important it is to seek treatment and remove the infection. But with dental professionals offering ‘general anesthetic’, ‘sleep dentistry’ and even ‘twilight anesthetic’ – how do we know which method is safest for our children?

Every wondered what the average life span of a denture is? According to Dr Emma: “A lot depends on how many teeth are on the denture, what it is made out of, how it is held in place, how it is maintained, and the general condition of the rest of the mouth.” In this post, Dr Emma offers her advice on how long an average denture should function and answers a readers concern following an unpleasant dental experience.

Amber teething necklaces – can they REALLY soothe your child’s gums? In this article, Dr Emma explores the purpose of amber necklaces, outlines some contradictory scientific facts and most importantly, explains the associated risks - including an issued consumer protection notice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. 

 

Hands up who’s ever had a mouth ulcer? That annoying sting in your mouth, and your tongue just won’t leave it alone? Yuck. Fortunately, for the majority of us it only happens once in a while, however for others it can become a regular occurrence. In THIS post, Dr Emma defines what an ulcer actually is, explains what triggers ulcers and most importantly, tells us when the time is right to seek a professional opinion. 

Who would you visit to have your teeth whitened, your dentist or a beauty salon? If you’ve researched tooth whitening in the past few years, you’ll know that there’s various ways to achieve that beautiful gleaming smile. But is there any difference between whitening done by a dentist and whitening done by a beauty salon? In this post, Dr Emma explains why whitening by beauticians may be inappropriate for some individuals and discusses how a correct diagnosis can be the difference between stunning white teeth and a potential waste of time and money. 

Ever considered dental implants? In this article for our Healthy Lifestyle Blog, Dr Emma offers her advice to a fan and explains the importance of weighing up the risks and benefits before undergoing any type of treatment.

What’s the safest and most effective way to clean a retainer? In this post for our Healthy Lifestyle Blog, Dr Emma addresses a fan’s question about retainer maintenance and offers her own personal cleaning tips.