Tips for Managing Dental Anxiety

by Dr. Charles Triassi | Feb 2, 2021 | Dental | 0 comments

It is quite common to feel a little stressed or anxious when thinking about the doctor or the dentist. Most of this fear comes from the idea of the “unknown,” or feeling a lack of control. Rest assured that many other people out there feel this same anxiety about dental and doctors’ offices. The last thing you should do is avoid going to the dentist because infrequent dental visits can lead to gum disease and cavities, which worsen with time. Avoiding the dentist can lead to issues with eating, speaking, pain, and low self-esteem.

Forms of Dental Anxiety

Anxiety can present itself in the form of an upset stomach, hot flashes, sweating, palpitations, low blood pressure, fainting, hyperventilating, difficulty breathing, and even panic attacks. One or several of these symptoms may be experienced.

How Can We Help Your Anxiety?

Talk with your dentist about your concerns. If your dentist is aware of your anxiety, they will be able to alter treatment to fit your needs, such as detailed explanations about treatment and slowing things down.
Ask what tools are available to help with your anxiety in the office. These office tools may include TV/ movies, noise-canceling headphones, blankets, aromatherapy, or relaxing music.
Dental sedation such as nitrous oxide, conscious sedation, or general anesthetic

How Can You Help Your Anxiety?

Meditation to address your dental anxiety, make sure to take deep breathes and practice mindfulness
Distract yourself from your surroundings. Use your phone, watch the TV or movie, listen to some music.
Use a stress ball or something similar to hold in your hand.
Use visualization techniques to daydream.
Consider using anxiety medication. This must be discussed with your medical doctor before your appointment. Certain medications can help for the short term to take the edge off.

If you experience dental anxiety, and if you haven’t been to the dentist in a long time because of your dental anxiety, we encourage you to contact us today to discuss options.

Dental Cleaning

by Dr. Charles Triassi | Nov 15, 2020 | Dental | 0 comments

Dental Cleaning In Toronto, ON

During your dental hygiene appointment or at the end of your appointment, you probably remember the dental hygienist telling you to remember to brush and floss at least twice daily. This is great advice because proper oral care at home is the important part of maintaining your oral health. However, even with the best brushing and flossing technique, we still miss some areas of plaque build-up.

What Is A Dental Cleaning?

A dental cleaning is an essential part of good overall oral hygiene. It involves the removal of plaque build-up and tartar build-up from teeth and other hard to access areas, such as under the gums. Dental cleanings performed by a dental hygienist, but sometimes the dentist will perform the cleaning. Cleaning is achieved using an assortment of specialized dental tools. Your dental professional will perform an assessment of your oral health, and create a customized treatment plan tailored to your unique oral health needs.

Why are dental cleanings needed?

Dental cleanings are recommended at least two to three times a year. However, these requirements vary depending on your oral health. Regular dental hygiene visits help maintain oral health, and overall health to a smaller extent. Plaque build-up is sticky and causes dental decay if it is not removed regularly. Plaque that stays on the tooth for extended periods of time,hardens and is difficult to remove with floss and a toothbrush. Only a dental cleaning will remove hardened plaque effectively. Hardened plaque or tartar eventually causes bone loss if it is left untreated.

Dental hygiene visits contribute towards maintaining overall health also. Poor oral health is linked to heart disease, diabetes complications, and premature births. Bacteria found in the plaque may enter the bloodstream and become lodged in the arteries. Another reason why regular dental cleanings are vital to oral and overall health.

In addition to preventing dental decay and gum disease, dental cleanings reduce inflammation and swelling of the gums. Bleeding gums are also treated with dental hygiene cleanings and regular oral care at home.

Stain removal is another area where a dental cleaning helps. Patients with staining of the teeth due to external causes such as smoking, coffee, tea, or wine consumption will have surface stains removed during their dental visits. For patients with heavy staining, more than one dental hygiene visits will be necessary to remove all of the stains. Regular dental cleanings will prevent heavy accumulation of staining in the future.

dental cleaning in toronto on west village

What to expect during a dental cleaning?

Your hygienist often starts the cleaning with an ultrasonic instrument to remove the bulk of the plaque and tartar build-up. The ultrasonic tool uses vibrations to break apart the buildup and uses water to wash away bacteria and build-up. Most of the stain is removed with this tool as well. The hygienist also uses manual instruments to access harder to reach areas and to remove stubborn build-up. Every surface of the tooth is cleaning in this way until all the teeth are cleaned. The final steps including polishing the teeth with a fine paste to remove any leftover stain and to give your teeth a smooth and clean feel. For some patients, fluoride treatment may be necessary if there is a history of dental decay or if the patient is at a higher risk of developing cavities.

Importance of Routine Dental Visits for Your Child

by Dr. Charles Triassi | Oct 5, 2020 | Dental | 0 comments

Routine dental visits are essential for all people of any age, starting around three years old. As long as there are teeth present, there is the possibility of cavities, gum disease and any other mouth or tissue abnormality.

What Happens at Your Child’s Appointment?

Your child is recommended to have a check-up exam and a dental cleaning at least every six months with their dentist and dental hygienist. During these appointments, your child’s teeth will be completely cleaned with various tools, stains removed with polishing, fluoride treatments provided to prevent cavities, oral hygiene instruction demonstrated and reviewed, and their teeth and mouths thoroughly checked over to assess for health.

A diagnosis will be made regarding their teeth and gums’ health, and any necessary referrals will be made, such as to an orthodontist. These visits are critical times to check in to make sure they are doing an adequate job with their brushing and flossing and to set new goals for them regarding keeping their teeth and gums healthy at home.

keep baby teeth healthy toronto

Common Issues During Exfoliation/ Eruption

Several common issues occur in children’s mouths when they are losing baby teeth and getting adult teeth, and these issues are looked for and assessed each time your child comes in for their check-up. Periodically, x-rays will be taken to assess the adult teeth’ position under the gums and the health of the baby teeth. Listed below are several common issues that occur in children’s mouths that may affect future spacing and alignment:

Premature loss of a baby tooth
Delayed loss of a baby tooth
Eruption of an adult tooth behind a baby tooth
Ectopic (meaning out of place) adult canines or any other adult tooth under the gums
Hypoplastic enamel of adult teeth (meaning the enamel didn’t form properly)
Extra or missing adult teeth

A check-up exam and x-rays will give a precise diagnosis if any of these conditions arise, and the necessary steps can be taken. A referral may be made to an orthodontist. A baby tooth may need to be extracted to create space, etc. It is vital to catch these problems as early as possible to create a solution. Make sure to bring your child in every six months for their cleaning and check-up exam.

If your child is due for their cleaning and check-up exam, or you have any questions about the health of your child’s teeth, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Learn How To Prevent Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

by Dr. Charles Triassi | Mar 23, 2019 | Dental | 0 comments

What is bottle decay?

Cavities found on the upper, front teeth in small children are commonly known as bottle decay, nursing caries, early childhood caries or baby bottle mouth. The cavities are localized to the upper front teeth because when a baby drinks from a bottle or nipple, their tongue covers the lower teeth, protecting them. These cavities often develop before the molars erupt.

How do babies get cavities?

Like adult cavities, bottle decay is caused by a combination of bacteria + carbohydrates + susceptible tooth surfaces. When we ingest carbohydrates, such as the natural sugars found in milk, they can be used by cavity-causing bacteria to grow. This bacteria then creates plaque, which is acidic. When this acid is allowed to sit on the teeth undisturbed, it starts to break down the protective enamel layer. When this reaction often happens, such as with a nightly bottle before sleep, the enamel decays and a cavity develops. Our mouths do have some self-cleaning tricks, such as producing watery saliva, however, when we fall asleep, this saliva production slows down and if proper brushing is not done, the acidic plaque is allowed to sit on the teeth for a long period.

baby bottle tooth decay

How can I prevent decay in my children’s teeth?

Children should always go to bed with a clean mouth. This starts with wiping the teeth and gums with a wet cloth after nursing or bottles. Once the molars erupt, a soft toothbrush should be used at least twice a day to remove plaque.

The current guidelines from The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry note that fluoride toothpaste can start being used as soon as teeth erupt. For children under the age of 3, it is recommended to use a small “smear” amount of toothpaste, with adult assistance. Fluoride is the only substance that can help “heal” acid damage, otherwise called “demineralization.”

When parents are brushing children’s teeth they should lift the upper lip to ensure the toothbrush is removing all of the plaque, especially along the gum line where it tends to collect.

Children should only have water in bed with them as it does not contain carbohydrates. Night nursing, especially on-demand nursing should be reduced as early as possible to minimize cavity risk. Breast milk on its own has not been proven to cause cavities. However, if there is plaque is present on the teeth, and then breast milk is allowed to sit on the tooth surface as well, this can cause cavities over time. Increased frequency of feedings also increases the risk of cavities.

Children can start to develop cavities as soon as their teeth erupt; this is why every child should be assessed by a dentist within six months of their first tooth erupting. Dental professionals may be able to diagnose early signs of cavities and provide solutions to reduce the risk or slow the progression. Contact us if you have any questions, or would like to schedule a consultation or dental visit.

How Smoking Affects Your Oral Health

by Dr. Charles Triassi | Dec 27, 2018 | Dental | 0 comments

Smoking tobacco can cause many serious health issues, including fatal diseases such as cancer. Smoking can also cause significant and financially costly damage to the gums, mouth, and teeth, specifically:

Tooth staining: the nicotine and tar in tobacco rapidly stain teeth yellow. Teeth can even become brown with heavy smoking.

Gum disease and tooth loss: research suggests that smoking may cause almost 75% of adult periodontal diseases. Smoking supports plaque that leads to gum disease. When you smoke, it reduces oxygen and nutrients that flow to the gums to keep them healthy and resistant to bacteria. Gum disease also progresses more rapidly amongst smokers. As the disease progresses, teeth can be lost.

More challenges when treating oral health issues: smoking can wear down teeth and weaken jawbone through infections or decay. As a result, it may be more difficult to replace lost teeth, for instance with implants and bridges. Because smoking weakens the immune system, treating gum disease may be more difficult and slower.

Bad breath: many people who smoke find that they suffer from bad breath. This may affect confidence levels and interpersonal relationships.

Oral cancer: smoking is a leading cause of mouth cancer. Many studies indicate that people who smoke are at a significantly higher risk of developing oral cancer than people who do not smoke.

Increased sensitivity to hot and cold: when damaged gum tissue leads to receding gums and exposed tooth roots, sensitivity to hot and cold develops.

Smoking increases your risk of developing nicotine addiction, cancer (of the throat, lungs, and/or other parts of the body), heart disease and/or stroke, bronchitis, premature ageing, mouth sores, reduced sense of smell and taste, decreased immune system responsiveness, increased heart rate, difficulties breathing.

Steps to take if you smoke

Visit your dentist routinely: do not miss routine visits because these full examinations will allow your dentist to ensure your overall oral health is good and to identify any budding issues early on. Your dentist not only examines your gums and teeth, but your mouth including cheeks, tongue, and throat, particularly for early signs of oral cancer and periodontal disease (gingivitis, gum disease).

Your dentist will advise you on how frequently you should visit.

Special kinds of toothpaste for people who smoke: your dentist may recommend a toothpaste targeted to smokers, which may reduce staining on teeth. Your dentist can recommend a product.

Mouthwashes: these can be used to freshen breath but are a short-term solution.

Receive support to stop smoking: your dentist may be able to provide references to organizations or groups that can support you to quit smoking and provide recommendations for medications to aid the process.

If you or a loved one is smoking, schedule a visit for a full examination or further information on the impacts of smoking on oral and overall health and how to quit smoking.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »