A fissure sealant is a protective coating that is used to fill the grooves in children’s teeth. These grooves tend to trap plaque that causes decay, so filling the grooves will help minimize the risk of decay in these teeth.

Fissure sealant placement is a quick and painless procedure and is covered by the Child Dental Benefit Scheme for eligible children.

Our Terrigal Dental family continues to grow!

Meet Sam, our trainee dental assistant and receptionist.

Sam moved from Grafton to the Central Coast in 2015 and we are delighted that she has landed here in Terrigal.

In a short amount of time Sam has become a major part of our team and we are continuously amazed by how quickly she is learning.

You’re bound to leave your appointment happy after being treated by Sam and her infectious smile!

If you are concerned that your child’s teeth are coming through crowded or crooked, take action!

Booking your child in for an orthodontic consultation could help you understand the why’s and the how’s of braces and plates.

At your child’s first consultation we will have a look at their teeth, gums, jaw structure and potential growth patterns by taking X-rays, photos and impressions of their teeth.

You will then have a sit down chat with Dr Charles to go through the options, costs and time expectancy of the treatment so that you can plan for your child’s orthodontic future.

It’s that simple!

Pregnancy can affect your gums, in fact, some women who are pregnant can experience a condition known as pregnancy gingivitis where the gums become red, swollen and uncomfortable. The best way to avoid this is with thorough brushing and flossing and regular visits to the dentist for professional cleaning.
Your gums can also affect your pregnancy. People with periodontal disease (loss of the bone supporting the teeth) may be seven times more likely to have a pre-term, low birth-weight baby. If you are pregnant and concerned about your gums please book in a consultation with your dentist!

Tell us what’s your flavour? Flavour of tooth mousse that is!

We all know how important it is for our bodies to get the right nutrients to stay healthy, but did you that certain minerals help to protect your teeth? While the most well known is fluoride, calcium and phosphate are also key ingredients in maintaining a healthy smile!

Introducing… Tooth mousse

Tooth mousse works by remineralising the enamel to make it stronger and more resistant to an acid attack. It therefore reduces the tooth’s likelihood to breakdown or decay. It is also able to neutralise acid produced from plaque or other internal/external sources.

Everybody knows that brushing is important, BUT toothbrushes alone cannot get into all the gaps between your teeth where sneaky plaque can hide.

That’s where inter dental brushes also known as ‘Piksters’ come in.

Pikster’s are small rounded brushes designed to slide in and clean the spaces between teeth. It has tiny bristles on all sides that reach out and help to remove plaque in the small crevices between teeth. They have a wire core which can be bent to get to those hard to reach places right up the back! These small handy brushes can be carried in your wallet or pocket to be used in between brushing.

We recommend Pikster’s to many of our patients that would like a quicker, more convenient alternative to flossing.

There is a range of sizes available for purchase at our practice or in your local pharmacy.

Coconut oil pulling or activated charcoal for your mouth?

These are the latest trends that keeps popping up all over our social media feeds. We being asked on a regular basis by many of our patients and friends if it really works?!

These alternative oral hygiene products claim many things from tooth whitening to internal health benefits, even their ability to eliminate decay and gum disease. We wanted to discuss our thoughts with you from the perspective of a dental professional.

oil pulling 
Oil pulling is a technique that involves swishing oil around your mouth for around 20 minutes and is said to reduce decay and gum disease and improve dental health. Oil-pulling works through the mechanical action of the swishing removing bacteria from teeth, rather than the chemical nature of the oil itself. Whilst oil pulling is harmless and fine as a complement to an oral care routine, the oil on its own can’t stop decay and gum disease and should never replace tooth brushing, flossing and routine dental visits.

activated charcoal
In theory the activated charcoal toothpaste binds to everything in its path including tartar and bacteria, as it removes this from your teeth they will initially seem whiter and often the added perfumed oils such as peppermint can freshen your breath. In reality the course crushed charcoal can damage your tooth’s natural enamel and is potentially dangerous to your body. If you would like to whiten your smile the safest way to do so is by using a well-tested product as directed by your dentist. With over 20 years of research it has been determined that whitening with dental peroxide is completely safe. Bleaching your teeth with a dental peroxide creates an oxidation reaction making the by-product of that reaction oxygen and water.

our recommendations
We suggest that if you have any concerns or are considering trying any of these methods to discuss it with your dentist first. They are able to suggest the best products to suit your individual needs..

DID YOU KNOW … DENTISTS RECOMMEND ADULTS TO SPIT TOOTHPASTE OUT AFTER BRUSHING BUT AVOID RINSING WITH WATER AFTER WARD??
By spitting toothpaste out then not rinsing with water it ensures that the fluoride found in the majority of toothpastes will remain on the teeth and continue to be effective.

Here at Terrigal Dental we are all about Prevention! Attending regular visits to the dentist prevents toothaches and wallet aches. Lets put it into perspective, lets say you skip your 6 monthly check up and by the time you get around to coming back it has been 2 or 3 years since your last visit and you come in with a nasty toothache which can then result in paying upwards of $5000 to save that tooth. With regular preventative check-ups potential problems can be detected early and treated straight away. This approach represents the best value for money and prevention is better than a cure.

It doesn’t take very long for plaque and calculus to develop into decay, gum disease and other oral health problems. People must be aware that daily at home brushing is not sufficient enough to maintain adequate oral hygiene. It must be supplemented by professional cleaning at the dentist. Regular check ups are also essential for early warning signs that you may be unaware of including: Tooth decay, changes in the gums, underlying problems, damage or breakdown of previous dental work.

At Terrigal Dental we take a pro-active approach to address all potential problems before they have a chance to develop into serious conditions.

Terrigal Dental’s receptionist Ash has recently begun her orthodontic treatment and we will be sharing with you her experience through blogs and Facebook to give you an inside view on the process of braces and what it involves!

WHY ASH CHOSE BRACES

First we would like to share with you why Ash decided to get braces. When Ash was growing up her teeth came through fairly straight, but as she got older and her wisdom teeth started to erupt they put pressure on her upper and lower front teeth causing them to start crowding and rotating. Even though she had her wisdom teeth removed the damage was done and over the years those lower front teeth slowly became more and more crowded making them difficult to clean and floss. Her upper front teeth also continued to rotate changing the look of her smile.

When she started working here at Terrigal Dental Ash became more self conscious of her changing teeth and decided to have a chat with Dr Charles about using orthodontic treatment to straighten them.

ASH’S FIRST APPOINTMENT

During her first appointment, Ash and Dr Charles discussed the issues with her teeth and the different options for going ahead with treatment. After deciding on a plan of action Ash had photos and mouth moulds taken, then was sent of for x-rays.

If you would like to ask Dr Charles any questions about braces and orthodontic treatment feel free to send us an email at info@terrigaldental.com.

We look forward to sharing the rest of Ash’s story with you over the coming months.