MENU

Asking questions and getting answers is a part of good oral health care. Your healthy, beautiful smile is our priority.

At Westside Dental Centre, we believe that education is the key to a productive and successful patient/dental provider relationship. Our professional team is available to assist you with any questions or concerns. Listed below, for your reference, is information on everyday dental care, as well as a list of commonly asked questions:

A: Tooth grinding or bruxism, is a serious issue that can result in damage to your teeth, poor sleep patterns and soreness in the muscles of the face and neck, not to mention an unhappy spouse. Fortunately, this problem can normally be corrected with the use of a dental night guard.

Night guards look much like a sports mouth-guard, but are specially designed to prevent muscle tension and withstand the intense pressure exerted by tooth grinders. Only your dental office can provide a custom-made night guard that will fit you perfectly.

Ask us about dental night guards or other treatments available to relieve tension and discomfort in the jaw and neck.

A: Don’t feel bad because you are not alone. In Canada there are millions of people who snore while they sleep.

Snoring occurs as the muscles and soft tissue in your throat and mouth relax during sleep, reducing the size of your breathing airway and increasing the speed of the air flowing through the airway as you breathe. It is this faster moving air moving through the constricted airway space that vibrates your soft tissues to cause noisy breathing or snoring.

The good news is that a high percentage of snoring cases can be treated at our dental office with a relatively inexpensive, non invasive and effective oral appliance. Similar to a retainer, these custom made appliances are worn while you sleep to move the lower jaw slightly forward to increase the space in the airway tube, reducing the air velocity and soft tissue vibration as you breathe. These small and comfortable devises have a very successful track record for minimizing and often eliminating snoring.

If you would like to learn more, call us today!

A: Recent studies have shown that by the age of three, a child is already at risk of having cavities which can be caused by something as innocent as putting a baby to sleep with a bottle of juice or milk. Along with taking our first look at your child’s oral condition, this first appointment is also largely focused on the parents and helping them to establish a good oral hygiene program and diet for the child. We believe that a child should have his or her first dental visit by the age of 1 or by the time their 1st tooth has come in.

It is a little known fact that a child’s primary teeth are vital to the long-term health of their permanent adult teeth. The premature loss of primary teeth as a result of accidents or decay can cause serious problems, including poorly spaced and crooked adult teeth. As a result, it is just as important to care for a child’s baby teeth as it is for the adult teeth that follow.

A: The answer is Yes and No. The whitening agents contained in almost all tooth whitening material products is either carbamide peroxide or a stabilized hydrogen peroxide.

The difference is that the materials prescribed by a dentist are generally stronger concentrations that provide faster, more dramatic and longer lasting results. More importantly, your dentist can provide the personalized advice that you need to determine if whitening is right for you. Your dentist is also trained to recognize and treat any potential problems that may arise from your use of tooth whitening products.

We invite you to call our dental office for more information on teeth whitening alternatives.

A: Your dentist recommends a soft toothbrush to protect your teeth and gums from the damage that a firm bristle can do to your teeth and gums especially when combined with overly aggressive brushing. A firm bristle toothbrush can actually damage the enamel on your teeth and cause your gums to shrink leaving your tooth roots exposed. A soft bristle brush combined with gentle pressure and the right brushing technique will provide all the cleaning power you need. For more information, ask your dentist for advice on proper brushing and flossing techniques at your next appointment.

A: While brushing is very effective at removing plaque and food debris from your teeth, a toothbrush simply cannot effectively clean all of the surfaces of your teeth. In particular, the spaces between your teeth are difficult, if not impossible to clean properly by brushing alone. This can mean that people who brush regularly are still very susceptible to cavities and gum infections in these areas.

The use of dental floss or tape once a day can clean these difficult to reach surfaces and provide you with a truly clean and healthy mouth. It takes just a few minutes per day, and the payback is a cleaner and healthier mouth. Please contact our office if you have any questions about the proper care of your teeth and gums. Any one of our staff members will be happy to answer your questions.

A: We’ve all heard, “You are what you eat,” and this is especially true when dealing with our dental health. It is especially important to keep an eye on your midday snacks, and to take regular care of your dental needs throughout the day.

Many of us enjoy little snacks between meals; the problem is that these snacks, often starchy and/or high in sugar content, can leave the teeth and gums exposed to the decay-causing elements left behind by the snack. When snacking, try nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables instead of sugary and salty items like chocolate, chips and pretzels. Also, if you drink coffee, try drinking more water to cut down on stain issues.

To maintain a regular cleaning routine, try keeping a toothbrush with you for brushing after lunch each day in addition to brushing and flossing in the morning and evening. Also, be sure to maintain a regular appointment schedule with your dentist.

A: Chipped teeth should always be evaluated by a dentist to ensure the damage is assessed correctly. Depending on the size and location of the chip, there are a number of solutions available:

• Enamel Shaping – A reshaping of the tooth to smooth out small chips.
• Bonding – A quick solution for small chips that can be done in one visit. The dentist bonds a tooth-colored resin to the chipped area to mask the chip.
• Veneers – Custom-made porcelain veneers are fitted to your teeth to cover imperfections, including chips. Crowns would be used for larger chips.
• Crowns – Crowns cover the chewing surface of a tooth and are best suited to chips in the molars. Like veneers, they are custom-fitted to your teeth.

Talk to us today about the best option for natural-looking repairs of your chipped teeth.