When it comes to dental emergencies, it is fair to say that the majority of people never want to be on the receiving end of one!

If you have ever had a dental abscess, you will almost certainly have the signs and symptoms embossed into your memory, as abscesses are extremely uncomfortable. But there are many instances in which a dental emergency may not present with any level of discomfort. And so, some people may be going about their daily life whilst suffering from a dental emergency!

At Deakin Dental, our dentist Canberra is always happy to see patients for a same-day appointment, especially if they present with a dental emergency. We will take the time to triage you over the phone and will always seek to see you within 24 hours of you contacting our surgery.

But how do you know if you are experiencing a dental emergency? Here, our dentist Canberra provides insight into some of the most common presentations of an oral emergency that you should not ignore.

Swelling

Swelling in the face, neck or anywhere in the mouth is a symptom of a dental emergency. According to our dentist Canberra, swelling could indicate a dental abscess, an impacted tooth or even a very severe food allergy, all of which will need urgent medical attention. If you notice a gradual swelling or one that has simply popped up like a balloon, even if the swelling is not hurting, you still need to see our team for a same-day appointment.

Persistent discomfort

Going back to the example of a dental abscess from earlier, one of the key symptoms of this is persistent discomfort. If you notice that you have a toothache which is not relenting, and is distracting you or causing pain when you eat or drink, this will need to be seen by our team. It is also worth noting that if you experience sudden sensitivity in one of your teeth you will also need a same-day appointment.

Lost or loose restoratives

Fillings and crowns often come loose, especially if they are the old fashioned amalgam options. If you notice that one of your fillings has come loose, or has been lost completely, then you need to see our team for a same-day appointment to have it refitted. This will prevent bacteria from gaining access to the previously shielded part of the tooth which, if left unchecked, could lead to an abscess.

Bleeding

Dental bleeds can be common, especially if you play contact sports or have had an extraction recently. But, if after 20 minutes of applying a clean gauze to the area the bleed does not subside or slow, you will need to see our team to have the underlying issue assessed and treated. This will prevent further blood loss.

Superficial damage

Following on from the example of contact sports, it is common for people who engage in such activities to have superficial damage to their teeth, such as cracks or chips. Much in the same way that a filling or crown which has been lost can expose previously protected areas of the teeth to the mouth, so can a chip or crack. So, if you notice that there is damage to one of your teeth, even if it is not causing discomfort, our team will need to treat it.

DISCLAIMER

All treatments carry risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

The majority of dental patients know how to look after their teeth.

But for some people, these lessons may have been missed early in life due to their parents having fears of attending dental check-ups or due to unfortunate circumstances. Thus, those all-important early brushing sessions and teachings may have been forgotten about completely.

Luckily, it is never too late to learn a new skill! And prevention is always best, especially in dental care!

At Deakin Dental, our dentist Canberra will always aim to teach our patients how to care for their teeth. We know that dental phobias often have a genetic element and so, we will never judge you if you have missed a few check-ups due to this issue. We want to help you feel comfortable seeing us as good dental health can help with good general health, and we are eager to keep you and your family healthy. Great!

So, what are some beginner and straightforward tips for taking care of your teeth? Our dentist Canberra provides the following 5.

Brush your teeth

This sounds obvious, but you should always aim to brush your teeth at least twice a day; once in the morning and once in the evening. Try to brush for around 3 minutes.

Aim to use high fluoride toothpaste. Manual toothbrushes are good, but to get a better clean, our dentist Canberra recommends using an electric one; these usually operate with batteries and come with interchangeable heads, so you and your partner can share one and change the head, saving time, space and money. Great!

Use mouthwash too, as this will remove bacteria that you may have missed.

Floss!

Do you need to floss your teeth? Yes!

Between the teeth, also known as the interdental area, there is a high level of bacteria due to simply eating food. This area makes up 40% of your tooth, so you need to keep it clean. Electric toothbrushes can help with this, but flossing is the best way to remove food debris from those hard-to-reach areas.

Like brushing, aim to floss twice a day. If you need help learning how to floss, ask our team for advice, and we will be all too happy to show you.

Limit sugar and acidic foods

Sugar is bad for teeth, as are highly acidic foods. Both cause the enamel to weaken, thus heightening the chance of cavities forming.

So, if you have a sweet tooth, aim to consume sugar-free options, or simply cut as much sugar out of your diet as you can. Your health will benefit too, we promise!

Also, aim to eat harder foods like nuts as these can help to remove plaque from your teeth.

Attend check-ups

Attending check-ups every 6 months is vital for maintaining good oral health.

This allows our team to check for signs of cavities, gum disease and other issues, like loose fillings or crowns. If you are nervous, we can offer you sedation options to help you to relax in the dental chair.

Don’t smoke

Smoking is terrible for your teeth and gums; it promotes inflammation, causes the gums to recede and also heightens the chances of you developing lung cancer.

If you currently smoke and want to give up, talk to our team about cessation options.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

Let’s be honest; few people are enthused when they receive a text message from their dental team reminding them that they are now due for a dental checkup.

But, rather than beginning to think of ways to get out of it, when it comes to booking a dental checkup, there are more reasons why you should attend it than you may think.

At Deakin Dental, our dentist Canberra is a believer in prevention; therefore, we are always happy to see our patients every 3 to 6 months as needed to keep their oral health in good condition and prevent problems.

So, leading on from this, our dentist Canberra will now talk to you about the importance of dental checkups, so enjoy!

Prevents decay

When our dentist Canberra places that small, circular mirror in your mouth and starts listing numbers, it is worth noting that we are checking the condition of your teeth and are looking for signs of decay.

If we spot decay, usually in the form of a cavity, we will offer either a composite filling or, in more advanced cases we will look into amalgam or glass ionomer fillings for the back teeth. Great!

Prevents gum disease

Gum disease may not seem as serious as tooth decay but in actuality, it is more likely to be responsible for tooth loss in your adult years than an extraction. And when our team pokes your gums with that metal pick, we are ensuring that your gums are firm and are not too spongy. If your gums are spongy, we may need to begin treating you for gum disease with mouthwash and a scale and polish.

In advanced cases of gum disease, we may need to splint loose teeth and look to extract teeth.

Prevents cardiovascular issues

If you have excess amounts of plaque in your mouth, it is unlikely to stay solely in your mouth.

Plaque leads to gum disease, which as mentioned earlier, causes the gums to be porous and in turn, allows the plaque to pass through the gums into the bloodstream.

Once the plaque is in your bloodstream, it can cause issues with your heart, heighten the risk of you developing strokes or cancer and even lead to heart attacks.

So, if you suspect that you have gum disease, please contact our team urgently for a checkup.

Oral cancer

It is part of a standard dental checkup, but we will also explore your mouth for signs of oral cancer.

Oral cancer is, unfortunately, on the rise in the UK and it is also one of the easiest cancers to detect and treat. If you have a history of smoking, drinking excessively, or even have oral cancer in your family, you must attend your checkups with our team.

Cosmetics and orthodontics

And finally, what better place to discuss cosmetic options or orthodontics than at your biannual checkup with us?

Once you have been given the green light relating to your general dental health, you can begin to look at other options to improve your smiles, such as veneers, whitening, or even clear aligners. The sky’s the limit!

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

With dental care in general, prevention is always better than cure.

And this is where maintaining good dental hygiene at home comes into play. While many people brush their teeth twice a day and refrain from drinking or eating too many sugary items, they are overlooking the benefits of some additional dental hygiene treatments which can be performed in their own homes.

In this instance, we are talking about flossing!

At Deakin Dental, our dentist Canberra is a big advocate of flossing alongside using a mouthwash as a simple way to reduce the occurrence of gum disease and cavities.

But many patients are uneasy when it comes to flossing and may have seen articles online that state it can damage the gums or cause issues with enamel. But rest assured, our dentist Canberra states that not only is flossing safe, but it is also necessary to maintain good oral health and in this article, we explore flossing in more depth.

What is flossing; where did it come from?

The first question that many patients ask our dentist Canberra is what is flossing and where did it come from?

Flossing itself dates back to 1815 when silken dental floss was given to dental patients by a New Orleans dentist called Dr Levi Parmley. The idea was to use a thin thread to get to those hard-to-reach areas between teeth, particularly molars, to remove plaque that may be missed by the traditional toothbrush.

And over 200 years later it seems that Dr Parmley was on to something!

How do you floss?

Many patients have concerns when it comes to flossing, as the thread itself can be hard and if used incorrectly, it can cut the gums.

But using floss effectively is a quickly learned skill and it is advised that you use about 30 cm of floss per flossing session and simply manoeuvre it in between your teeth and use an upward and downward motion, gently removing the plaque. Try to avoid rubbing floss against the gums as this will cause bleeding and can be tricky to avoid when getting to the teeth at the back of your mouth.

You will be surprised at how much food is trapped between your teeth when you start to floss properly!

Interdental brushes

In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of interdental brushes, which offer a benefit similar to traditional flossing.

You simply brush in between your teeth with the interdental brush as you would a toothbrush and plaque and bacteria are removed. A key advantage is that you can bend the interdental brushes to go around your teeth rather than simply in between them. If you wear metal braces, interdental brushes can be a real boost to your dental hygiene!

Advantages of flossing

The advantages of flossing are simple; it removes plaque from hard-to-reach places and in turn, reduces the risk of gum disease, tooth decay and keeps your teeth healthy.

Not only that, but by removing plaque from these particular areas, you are reducing your chances of developing serious complications linked to cardiovascular disease which can occur if there is too much plaque in the mouth.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

If you have ever suffered from a dental abscess, we are fairly certain that you will never want to experience anything like it again!

And as standard treatment, two solutions are offered to those who have recently had a dental abscess; standard extraction and a root canal.

At Deakin Dental, as we are all about preserving teeth whenever possible, our dentist Canberra will always aim to offer our patients a root canal or other suitable treatment over an extraction. As a rather simple, but unfortunately disliked procedure, a root canal will preserve the aesthetics of your smile and will help you to prevent restorative works from being needed, such as implants or dentures. Great!

But what are the stages involved in having a root canal performed? Our dentist Canberra offers the following five step guide for your information.

Preparing and accessing

Before we do anything else, our dentist Canberra will numb the area with a local anaesthetic. Once you are numbed, we will begin drilling down into the roots of your tooth to access the pulp. This can be a very delicate procedure and we will take it very slowly. Once the holes have been drilled, we will widen them to allow our team to gain better access to the pulp for cleaning.

Cleaning the pulp

OK, so in case you aren’t aware or haven’t been told what a dental abscess is, it is due to the pulp becoming inflamed and overrun with bacteria. To speed up the healing process, we will aim to clean the pulp by removing the infected debris from around it.

Depending on the level of damage that has been done to the pulp, we may also need to remove a part of it or all of it. But don’t worry! This doesn’t kill the tooth and will actually help you to feel much better post-treatment.

Filling

Once the roots of the infected tooth have been cleaned, we will begin filling them.

As your tooth has now been hollowed out, we will need to make it structurally sound to be usable in daily life. We will use a filling material that is similar to composite, which will offer the same structural advantages as composite, by being hardy and tough to shatter.

Once your roots and tooth have been filled, we will decide on the next step.

Crowns and fillings

When it comes to placing a crown or a filling on top of a root canal, it really comes down to how badly damaged or decayed the tooth was before the root canal was fitted.

In cases where there was a minor crack in the enamel that allowed the bacterial infiltration, we will usually place a filling. If you have had extensive decay and the tooth has had to be filed down and shaped, we will aim to fit a crown to rebuild the external damage.

Antibiotics

Now that the treatment is completed and your tooth is restored, we may need to keep you on antibiotics to help your body recover from the infection.

Please finish the course, as dental infections can and do recur. Eat softer foods as your treated tooth heals and soon, you should be feeling better!

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

Finding a dental practitioner can be taxing if you don’t know the area and want to do a little more research than simply using a search engine and picking the first name on the results page. At Deakin Dental, we have a practice that is friendly, experienced and professional,  when it comes to helping you have a smile that is healthy and looks great!

Our Dentist Canberra is ready to meet you and give you the attention you deserve. First up, we will get to know you during an initial consultation, where we will give your mouth a thorough examination; this involves looking at your teeth and gums, examining the jaw joints, the muscles and looking for any signs of oral cancer. We will take a detailed medical history and we will note down any issues that we can see with your mouth, such as missing teeth. We will also make notes about any restorative work you may have had done before going on to discuss your concerns and goals for your teeth. Once we’ve had a good chat, we can then devise a treatment plan together. To finish off, we’ll also give your mouth some hygiene care to set you on the road to a healthier mouth straight away!

What we can do for you

Once you have had your initial consultation, by visiting Deakin Dental, our Dentist Canberra will be able to offer a range of treatments to suit your dental needs. Whether you require general dentistry or cosmetic dentistry, emergency or sleep dentistry, we have a range of treatments to suit your needs. We can assist with making mouthguards, tooth whitening and paediatric dentistry as well and we like to think of our dental practice as one big family – and you’re part of it!

Nervous patients

While we like to think that everyone loves dentistry as much as we do, we understand that this isn’t always the case. Dental phobia can be a real issue for many patients and our aim is to make you feel as relaxed as possible at Deakin Dental. We will take all the time you need to discuss potential treatments to ensure that you understand fully what is involved and you can ask as many questions as you need to, so that you know what to expect and feel as comfortable as you can about it. We also aim to treat you in a pain-free way, so that you won’t feel anything and can feel more confident about the treatment. We can also offer sedation and we will never proceed with a treatment if you wish to stop. We will take everything at your pace and put you in charge of things, so you can feel more in control about getting the treatment you need in your own time.

So, to find out more about Deakin Dental, why not contact us for an initial consultation and we can start to get to know you and show you what is possible for your smile? We want to put a smile on your face that you can be proud of and we can be the choice result you were searching for!

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

Have you ever been unsure about whether or not you need to see a dental professional urgently?

It can be tricky to identify a dental emergency yourself but, should you ever find yourself in need of some emergency dental care, our dedicated emergency team at Deakin Dental will always aim to see you within 24 hours. Great news!

At Deakin Dental, we are proud to be able to offer our patients same-day appointments with our dentist in Canberra. Our reception team will aim to triage you to assess if you need to be seen within 24 hours and, thanks to our team leaving gaps each day in our appointments, we will aim to squeeze you in at a time that is convenient for you. Perfect!

But what are some of the tell-tale signs that you need to see our emergency dentist in Canberra?

Discomfort

OK, if you have oral discomfort, you are probably going to book an appointment to see our dentist in Canberra.

If the discomfort is preventing you from eating, sleeping and focusing on your daily life, then it is important to see our team as soon as possible, as this can be a sign of a dental abscess.

Left untreated, abscesses are life-threatening, so please call us for help if you suspect that you have one.

Swelling

Oral swelling does not always have to be uncomfortable to warrant a same day visit.

As it can signify anything from a dental abscess to an impacted tooth, we will always aim to assess the cause and resolve the swelling before it impacts on your ability to eat.

Keep an eye out for swelling to the cheeks, gums and under the jaw, especially if it happens suddenly.

Cracked or chipped teeth

More common among children and adults who play rugby, cracks and chips to the teeth can seem fairly harmless.

But, in actuality, the sharp edge and the exposure of the dentine can allow bacteria to get to sensitive parts of the tooth, where it can cause issues with the pulp of the tooth. Secondary complications following chips may also include sensitivity to hot and cold drinks and even further cracking and chipping.

Lost restoratives

It can happen to anyone; you can be happily eating a sandwich when a filling or crown falls out.

And while a large motivator to have a restorative repair may revolve around discomfort, even if you are feeling OK, you will still need an emergency appointment.

Much like the cracks and chips, lost restoratives can allow plaque to get underneath your teeth and to the pulp, causing abscesses and further issues.

So, if you lose a filling, book a same-day visit to our team.

Bleeding

OK, so while oral bleeding is rare on its own, if you have had a tooth removed or had an oral injury, excessive bleeding will warrant an emergency dental visit.

This will involve our team looking for the source of the bleed and stopping it using either stitches or glue.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

When you’re looking for a new dentist, we know how difficult it can be to find the perfect practice. A simple search engine hunt may bring up some names of practices, but that’s not what you’re looking for, right? You want to know that you are going to a dentist Canberra who is passionate about dental treatments and giving you the treatments that meet your specific needs. At Deakin Dental, we’re a super friendly practice that prides itself on making a trip to see your dentist Canberra a fun experience, rather than a chore. From the moment you enter the building, we want you to feel at ease and our friendly staff are here to help you relax and feel at home.

What can I expect when I come to Deakin Dental?

If you are visiting Deakin Dental for the first time, we will give you a one hour examination. This is an in depth consultation with our dentist Canberra where we will discuss your goals for your smile and where we will find out about you. We will take a full medical and dental history, so we’ll be getting to know you really well on this first visit! We will also examine your mouth and check for signs of oral cancer, as well as looking at your jaw joint, muscles, tissues and, of course, your teeth. But, we won’t stop there. We will also do an in-depth bone and gum examination, as well as a complete dental chart of your mouth, so we have got the full picture of your individual mouth – we’re all different after all! Finally, we will also take digital X-rays and photographs of your teeth and mouth. No wonder it takes an hour!

From all of this information gathering, the end product is a treatment plan. This will be devised based on the discussions we have with you and the examinations that have taken place. This treatment plan is therefore completely tailored to your needs with your goals in mind for your smile. We want you to feel at ease that whatever treatment is recommended, it will be suggested as a result of your input, as well as your specific dental needs which have been ascertained through thorough examinations.

How is Deakin Dental different?

When you come for your treatment, you may fancy watching a favourite T.V. show or listening to some great music. Here at Deakin Dental, we are all about making you feel at home, so we offer these options! For nervous patients, we also have NuCalm to help you relax and feel more at ease and we will never rush a treatment if you are feeling nervous. Our philosophy is all about a patient-centred approach and we want you to get the treatment you need in the way that suits you. If we need to take a lot longer, you can binge watch a box set and we get you the treatment you need!

What do I need to do?

If you want to come and see us, book in for a new patient consultation. We will provide you with some forms to complete before coming to see us and we look forward to welcoming you to our dental family!

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

If you have never been a fan of flossing your teeth, it can seem like an easy step to avoid when performing your dental hygiene regime especially when going to bed. But it is an important step which, if avoided, can lead to quite serious issues.

We admit that flossing your teeth correctly can be tricky; many patients complain that they have cut their gums while flossing or that they cannot clean their back teeth using this technique. We sympathise and, should you come to our team at Deakin Dental, we can show you how to floss your teeth without injuring yourself and can show you tips to get to your back teeth.

At Deakin Dental, our dentist Canberra is all about the prevention of dental problems and, with the wealth of issues that flossing helps to prevent, we aim to teach as many patients as we can about the advantages of this rather simple hygiene technique. We can show you in our surgery how to clean your teeth correctly using floss, so you can utilise it in your daily dental routine. Simple!

So, what are some of the advantages of daily flossing? Read on to find out!

Removes hidden plaque

As we mentioned earlier, our dentist Canberra is all about preventing dental issues.

As one of the key benefits of flossing is the removal of hidden plaque between your teeth, it is easy to see why we are so eager for our patients to give it a go!

Hidden plaque can lead to a myriad of dental issues, especially between the teeth, which may then lead to our dentist Canberra needing to perform fillings, root canals or in extreme cases, extractions.

By removing the hidden plaque, you reduce these issues.

Prevents cavities

Cavities are never fun and, as we mentioned before, our team often has to perform these restoratives in between teeth as a result of not flossing.

To prevent cavities and keep your teeth looking and feeling strong, floss twice a day to remove plaque and bacteria.

Reduces risk of gum disease

Cavities aren’t the only thing that plaque and excess bacteria can cause in your mouth.

Should you have too much plaque, you may develop gum disease, such as gingivitis. While brushing can reduce this, to be safe, we recommend flossing to remove those hidden areas of plaque and to remove stubborn patches of bacteria.

Reduces bad breath

Bad breath is never something that is wanted and, as you may have guessed, it is usually linked to having excessive levels of bacteria in your mouth.

As we have established, daily flossing will reduce the level of bacteria, thus eliminating bad breath.

Better cardiovascular health

Oral plaque has been linked to cardiovascular disease multiple times in studies, so flossing to remove plaque will typically benefit your heart and general health altogether.

At this stage, we will note that if you are struggling with traditional flossing, we can recommend interdental brushes as an easier alternative, which offer all of the same benefits as flossing.

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.

Have you been noticing a dull ache on one of your teeth for a while now? Or have you been playing sports and have chipped a tooth?

While the image of a dental emergency usually involves a person in a great amount of discomfort visiting a dental surgery in the middle of the night, there are many more situations that can warrant emergency dental care. And, as you can imagine, if it presents away from that standard image, many patients can be confused as to whether they need to book a same-day dental appointment to have the issue resolved.

Luckily, our team at Deakin Dental can help.

At Deakin Dental, we are proud of our emergency dentist in Canberra who will aim to help you to overcome any dental discomfort you are having. We know that dental emergencies are not 9-5, and so, we are able to offer emergency appointments to all who need them on the same day that we are contacted. That way, you can get on with your day pain-free and without incurring any sleepless nights! Perfect!

So, what are some of the lesser-known conditions that require a trip to our emergency dentist in Canberra?

Chipped or cracked teeth

We mentioned this earlier but if you have recently chipped or cracked a tooth, you need to see our emergency dentist in Canberra.

Why? Because damage to the enamel can enable harmful bacteria to get into your tooth, causing decay and infection. And as a trip to our team to fix such an issue usually results in a comfortable composite filling, there really is nothing to be lost from calling us.

Lost filling or crown

A common occurrence, a loose or lost restorative requires a same-day trip to see our team. Much for the same reasons as having a chip or a crack in your enamel.

If you have lost a large filling and the pulp of your tooth is exposed to the air, this can cause discomfort. And so, rather than risk that, call our team for a same-day visit.

Swelling

Any sudden or gradual swelling to the face, under the jawline or in the mouth needs to be examined by our team at Deakin Dental.

Even if it is painless, such swellings could be the first sign of an abscess formation or could point to issues with erupting wisdom teeth.

Lumps

Nothing is more worrying than finding a lump in your mouth during a regular brushing session. Should this be the case, you should call our team. While it is unlikely to be cancer, having it examined by our team will enable a fast diagnosis, which, in the event of the big c, will increase the chances of a full recovery.

Loose tooth

A loose tooth will also need to be seen by our emergency team.

This will allow us to identify the underlying cause and, if possible, secure that wobbly tooth via a bridge to a stable nearby tooth. Good for your oral hygiene and your smile!

DISCLAIMER

All treatment carries risks. Individual consultation is required with one of our practitioners to ensure that the treatment is right for you.