Let’s face it, a dental surgery is not everyone’s favourite place to relax. But where did this myth start?
Many people are fearful of being in the dental surgery, but why is this so?
Is it the fear of the unknown?
Did it begin with a bad experience as a child?
Do we not like the smell? the noise? or the “sterile environment”?
Whatever it may be, this phobia will not go away by hiding under a rock!
Teeth whitening is available almost everywhere. Almost everyone who walks through the door asks me whether they would get a result from whitening. Sure! But let’s keep our expectations realistic.
Whether it be strolling through the supermarket aisles, getting approached by “whitening booths” at shopping centres, or even browsing the internet… every body seems to be offering WHITENING of some sort… but does it work?
It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged… so I thought it would be nice to kick start 2011 with a light hearted entry.
Many patients around their 30’s, 40’s and beyond don’t like the appearance of their teeth. Sure- we can discuss whitening options, veneers, composite bonding build ups etc all day with them, but one thing that patient’s don’t realise is that there is no substitute and nothing better than having YOUR OWN TEETH.
I’m talking about braces!
It’s been a while since my last post- things have been flat out here in surgery.
Something that has been brought to my attention recently though were patients’ continual concern towards amalgam in their mouth (silver fillings).
An exert taken from the Australian Dental Association website has some very useful information towards this topic as well as many other topics.
Below are some useful Q&A’s from the ADA website:
1) Question
What’s all the fuss about amalgam fillings?
Answer
The ADA policy remains, on the basis of the research available, that the use of dental amalgam produces no harmful effects.
There has been much publicity regarding the safety of dental amalgam. The World Health Organisation and the International Dental Federation have released a joint statement confirming the safety of dental amalgam as a filling material.
The Association believes there is no positive gain in having dental amalgam fillings replaced with other materials, other than for aesthetic reasons.
Many patients see me knowing that they need things “fixed”… but never come around to it as they’re terrified not so much of how much it’ll hurt, but more so how much it’ll hurt their hip pocket.
What patients aren’t aware of, is the number of options available to “fix” their teeth, without costing an arm and leg.
Take this patient for example. She originally presented with “black spots” on the front 4 teeth. She was conscious of it for a long time, but was fearful of the costs involved. When the picture below was taken, two of the teeth had already been treated.
