tips and tricks

Heavier plaque accumulation is often noted on the 7s. In class 1 and class 3 occlusions, the distal half of the upper 7s are not in occlusion and in class 2 occlusions, the lower 7s are untouched. This removes the cleansing action of mastication and the fissures are often packed with organic debris as a result. It is prudent to instruct the patient to take their toothbrush further back to the distal surface of the second premolars to clean this area. You can consider Air abrasion or pumice to clear the fissures and placing of a GIC or resin fissure sealant to hinder plaque accumulation. It is also difficult to clean on the buccal surfaces of the molars due to the proximity of the coronoid process. This is why patients often present with large buccal carious lesions on the buccal of the upper 7s and 8s. It may be a sign of salivary dysfunction as the upper molars are adjacent to the parotid salivary duct. Instruct the patient to close their teeth together and brush close mouthed. This...

Let's face it, The majority of the population don't floss daily. I would go so far as to say the majority never floss. Of those who floss regularly, many are not performing the task optimally. I myself was pushed to floss without knowing why but it was just something I did. It wasn't until I was educated as a dentist that my technique had logic behind it. However, in the end, any kind of mechanical cleansing action interdentally is better than no cleaning. Below are some points I consider when educating patients to floss: -Any cleaning is better than nothing. The most superior method of cleaning interdentally is one that the patient will actually do. Don't overcomplicate things and confuse them or they'll lose the motivation to pick up the habit -That's exactly what it is: a habit. Habits are something that have to be trained into you and once they're ingrained in your mind, you won't feel comfortable unless you've flossed your teeth. This is goo...

It is quite common to see toothbrush abrasion in this day and age. Patients who have nervous disorders or who have had previous caries experience may go overboard because they feel as though they are not cleaning well enough. Some points to raise with them are: -You're brushing too hard. To help --> electric toothbrushes may stop if you press too hard (although i still think they let you press too hard before stopping) and they just have to hold the toothbrush against the tooth while it's working. You don't need a scrubbing action to clean teeth -->Use a soft toothbrush --> slow down. People in a rush when brushing tend to press harder and scrub faster --> avoid whitening or smokers toothpaste. They tend to be more abrasive "Tubes run down the exposed root and cold water and air stimulate these tubes." -Symptoms in normal people should subside with mineral deposition in tubules. In their case, either toothbrush abrasion or acidic diet/reflux ...

On the first encounter with the patient you can find a problem that stands out as their biggest be it caries, periodontal or tooth wear. A product can then be recommended as an intervention with or without operative intervention. Oral health promotion is key as the patient is in charge of their own oral health and it is impossible for the dentist to be constantly watching for problems to arise. Prevention is the best cure. High caries risk: -High fluoride toothpaste: Neutrafluor 5000 plus toothpaste -Fluoride Mouthrinse: Neutrafluor 220/900 -Duraphat 22000ppm topical application -Neutrafluor 9000 gel (Dentist only) application. Can provide a bleaching tray with a syringe for pt home use Poor oral hygiene: Periodontal disease/Caries -Short term use of a chlorhexidine product (up to 2 weeks)   Chlorofluor gel (CHX with fluoride)   Savacol mouthrinse   Curasept gel - CPC products   Cepacol   Colgate plax -Listerine (Essential oils)- a...