general dentistry

Why Patients Near Stepaside Should Have A Hygiene Appointment

Our hygienists are an important part of the team and we encourage all our patients to see a hygienist on a regular basis. Visiting a hygienist is not just important for patients with existing oral health conditions, it is also a great way of preventing oral health problems and keeping your teeth looking glossy and healthy.

What does a hygienist do?

A dental hygienist plays a very important role in promoting good oral health and encouraging people to adopt good oral hygiene habits. Our hygienists can offer advice about choosing toothbrushes and toothpastes, brushing technique, flossing, giving up smoking and healthy eating and they are always on hand to answer any questions you have.

Hygienists are experts in dental hygiene and they provide a range of dental services, including cleaning treatments, scale and polish, gum disease management and root canal treatment. Hygienists use treatments to remove plaque and tartar deposits, which are impossible to remove by brushing alone and they also advise about preventative dental care.

For younger patients, dental hygienists can offer preventative treatments, including sealant treatment, which helps to protect the teeth against decay.

Why is it important to see a dental hygienist?

Good oral health is really important; neglecting your oral health does not just affect your teeth and gums, it also impacts on your general health. Numerous studies have shown that poor oral health increases the risk of serious medical conditions, including strokes, diabetes and heart disease. Seeing a dental hygienist on a regular basis can help to keep oral and general health problems at bay and will also help to keep your teeth looking healthy and attractive. Contact the team at Dublin18 Dental Care near Stepaside for more information.

Importance Of Schoolchildren’s Check-Ups For Children Near Dublin18

At Dublin18 Dental Care we believe that prevention is always better than cure and we encourage all our patients, big and small, to come for regular dental check-ups. We treat patients of all ages and we make every effort to ensure that children have a positive experience during their time at the practice. We want children to enjoy coming to the dentist and to learn about the importance of looking after their teeth and gums from an early age.

Dental checks for children

We advise parents to bring their children for regular dental checks from a very early age. Cavities can cause pain, but losing the milk teeth prematurely can also increase the risk of problems further down the line, as the adult teeth are forced to erupt earlier than planned.

We encourage children to brush their teeth twice a day and are happy to advise parents and children about teeth cleaning and choosing oral hygiene products. We try to make teeth cleaning and going to the dentist fun for children and we can recommend tricks and tips for parents to save battling at bedtime. One of the most popular tips is to encourage children to brush along to their favourite song; this is a great idea because most songs are between 2 and 3 minutes, which ensures that children brush for the recommended time.

We find that going to check-ups from an early age benefits children, not just in terms of their oral health, but also in their attitude to going to the dentist. Check-ups allow children to get used to the sights and sounds of the surgery, which can be a little scary at first and children who go to the dentist from an early age are less likely to be anxious about seeing a dentist when they are older.

Diet

As well as encouraging parents to supervise their child brushing their teeth, we also urge parents to keep an eye on their child’s diet. One of the most common problems we see is cavities, which are often caused by eating lots of sweets and chocolates and drinking fizzy pop and sugary juices. We are happy to advise healthy eating programmes and ideas for snacks and main meals at Dublin18 Dental Care in Dublin18.

Composite Bonding for Patients near Enniskerry

Composite bonding is among the most simple and affordable cosmetic dental treatments. It is an effective treatment for those that are considering dental cosmetic procedures but cannot quite afford Veneers or crowns.

What is composite bonding?

Otherwise known as cosmetic bonding, it is a procedure designed to improve the aesthetics of the smile, also helping to strengthen the teeth due to its functional benefits.

Bonding is a means of repairing chips and cracks and building up worn surfaces in order to make the smile appear more attractive. Teeth can chip easily and while this may not cause you any pain, it can have an impact on the appearance of your smile and the way you feel about your teeth.

In addition to repairing chips the treatment can also be used to close gaps between the teeth and improve the shape of teeth.

What does treatment involve?

During the procedure dental composite will be employed to address flaws in the smile. Your Dublin18 Dental Care dentist will employ their skill and years of experience to mould and shape the material in order to produce amazing results. The material is like putty and will be set hard by means of a special light source. The procedure is painless, most people do not need any anaesthetic and it often takes just 30-45 minutes.

What are the benefits?

The major benefit of composite bonding is that it makes your smile look better. It is also one of the quickest, most affordable cosmetic dental treatments. Although it takes less than one hour, the results are really impressive. Composite bonding is the ideal solution if you have worn or chipped teeth or if you hate the tooth gaps in your smile. Contact the team, at Dublin18 Dental Care near Enniskerry today and you’ll be smiling with confidence in no time.

Get A New Tooth In One Day With CEREC Crowns For Patients Near Dun Laoghaire

Over the course of your life your teeth can become weaker than they once were. When a tooth becomes weakened there are restorative treatments that can help. One of these treatments is a dental crown. Dental crowns are a form of tooth restoration that can help protect damaged or cracked teeth and teeth that have broken down over time. They cover the entire tooth and form a protective barrier against further injury or decay.

There are a number of different dental crowns available for you to choose from, but at Dublin18 Dental Care we also offer Cerec Crowns, which are crowns that can made in just one visit. It couldn’t be easier to protect damaged or weakened teeth.

Using modern technology

This efficient and time freeing option is a modern, computerized technology that allows dentists to restore decayed teeth, remove problem amalgam fillings and place crowns all in just one appointment.

This innovative technology uses a camera in order to take a digital picture of your tooth. By doing this, the need to make impressions of your teeth has been removed, thus meaning no more discomfort whilst you sit there with a mouth filled with moulds. The image of your tooth will then be converted into a three-dimensional virtual model of your tooth by the Cerec 3D software; this then allows the dentist to design your new restored tooth on the screen there and then. It is then created by the machinery and is bonded into place, completely eliminating the two or three week wait that was once mandatory.

Range of crowns

At Dublin18 we also offer a variety of other crowns which include; porcelain crowns, which can help achieve natural looking results, Post and Core crowns that are usually applied following root canal treatment and Procera Crowns that consist of stronger material and last longer than regular crowns. They can also be made the same colour as the rest of the teeth so that they look as natural as possible

So if you don’t know which is the best option for you, make an appointment at Dublin18 Dental Care near Dun Laoghaire to discuss the options.

The Different Fillings Available At Dublin18 Dental Care Near Deansgrange

Much like with the innards of a sandwich, a different variety of fillings are available. We are, of course, talking about dental fillings.After all, you are on a dental blog!

A recap of what a filling is

Before we start talking about variations, let’s make sure we’re on the same page regarding the basic theme: The purpose of a filling is to protect and restore the functionality of a tooth. The most common way they operate is to fill holes in a tooth which have been caused by decay. Fillings also help to prevent further infection by blocking off the entrances by which bacteria would enter.

So why are there so many types of filling?

Amalgam fillings

These are the grey ones. In fact, if you had a filling done quite some time ago, it is probably an amalgam filling. They are formed from a combination of metals, are incredibly durable, perfectly functional and quite cheap to boot! The main problem with them is that they stick out like a sore thumb.

Composite fillings

These little guys, unlike their Amalgam brethren, are pretty much indistinguishable from your real teeth. They can even be matched to the colour of your teeth for maximum camouflage! They are not, however, ideal for big cavities as, over a prolonged period of time, they can chip and wear down. They stain quite easily and tend to have a lifespan of three years but, despite this, they remain popular as a result of their aesthetic advantages.

CEREC Onlays

Onlays are similar to crowns in how they are fitted, but they operate just like dental fillings. They, like composite fillings, can be coloured to match your teeth and can produced in house. This means that you can leave with perfect fillings after a single visit!

Fissure sealants

These are not so much fillings as they are ways to prevent needing fillings. The surface of your tooth consists of various pits and fissures where plaque, hidden from the reach of your tooth brush, can lurk and cause trouble. Fissure sealants create a barrier over these areas and stop plaque from building!For more information on the different fillings available please contact the team at Dublin18 Dental Care near Deansgrange.

Little Patients Near Foxrock Learn The Importance Of Looking After Their Teeth

Baby teeth are not, as often thought, a chance for your child to ‘test the water’ with their oral health. Losing a baby tooth early can have a drastic impact on the formation and development of a child’s face. Letting a child skimp on their oral healthcare at young age can also lead to bad habits developing, which might end up being responsible for losing teeth that don’t come back in later life! To be blunt: Children’s dentistry is quite important.

Let’s begin at the beginning

A child’s teeth start emerging in the womb. Once their teeth become visible (which will be sometime after they are out of the womb!) it is important that you start to core for them immediately! You are going to be the one cleaning your child’s teeth for quite some time. This period is crucial, however, as it can help develop a child’s attitude to oral health. Try brushing their teeth at regular times: After breakfast and before bed are popular times! Make sure you don’t skimp on your own oral health either! Set a good example and, hopefully, your children will follow.

The practicalities of cleaning a baby’s teeth

Firstly, get hold of a child’s toothbrush as these have smaller heads and more gentle brushes. Put a dollop of toothpaste on the brush and sit the child down on your knee with their head placed against your chest. Then simply brush their teeth, gently, in little circles for about two minutes. Note that two minutes is the recommended brushing time of all ages! Once your child’s teeth start emerging, we thoroughly recommend you get them checked by a dentist.

Dietary advice

Kids love sweets. Sadly, it can be what we love that hurts us most. It isn’t just those infamous bonbons that rot milk teeth however, starchy foods such as bread and pasta can be just as damaging! Bacteria is always present in the mouth and it feeds on sugar and starch, producing plaque from them and wreaking havoc on those pearly whites. Teaching kids to enjoy healthy snacks such as low fat yoghurt, hard fruits and vegetables can help prevent plaque from forming in the first place! For more information on children’s dentistry please contact the team at Dublin18 Dental Care near Foxrock.

Emergency Dental Treatment Over Christmas For Patients Near Dundrum

Christmas should be a time for spending time with friends and family, enjoying a few days off and celebrating but we all know that accidents can happen at any time and unfortunately, Christmas tends to be peak season for accidents and injuries. Thankfully, we are on hand to provide emergency dental care and we can also offer information to help you in the event of a festive dental emergency.

Tips for avoiding dental emergencies

Sometimes dental emergencies are completely unavoidable, but there are some simple steps you can take to try and reduce the risk of spending Christmas day in the dental chair. Now is the perfect time of year to have a dental check-up, especially if you haven’t been in the last 6 months; we can have a look around your mouth and check for any signs of dental problems, such as decay or gum disease and arrange treatment if necessary. Check-ups are very quick and painless and they are really important; if you have decay or symptoms of gum disease, these are likely to get worse, not better, so it’s best that we get them sorted as quickly as possible.

Look after your teeth

Christmas is a time of indulgence and that’s fine, but remember not to neglect your teeth. At this time of year, you are probably thinking about going crazy with mince pies, Christmas cake and chocolates, washed down with a drop of Snowball or a glass of red, but spare a thought for your teeth. Sugary foods are a delight for the tastebuds, but they are a nightmare for your teeth, so remember to brush twice a day and try to stick to eating treats at mealtimes.

What to do if you have a dental emergency

If you need urgent dental treatment, contact your dental practice; if it is not open, there should be information online or in the local newspapers about out of hours dental services. If you have damaged or fractured your jaw, you have lost a tooth or you are experiencing prolonged bleeding, visit your Accident and Emergency department; if you’ve lost a tooth, keep it in a glass of milk and avoid holding it by the root; if you are able to see a dentist or doctor quickly enough, they may be able to fix the tooth back into its socket. Contact the team at Dublin18 Dental Care near Dundrum for more information on the emergency services we offer over the Christmas period.

How Does Tooth Extraction Work For Patients Near Foxrock?

When we’re young, we all lose our milk teeth and what replaces them is adult or permanent teeth that we are meant to have until our dying day. But, due to wear and tear and general ageing, sometimes, our adult teeth fall out, break, decay or simply need removing. Although it may sound like a harrowing experience, at Dublin18 we endeavour to make it was pleasant and painless as possible.

Tooth extraction

So why might you need a tooth extracting? Honestly, the list is extensive—anything from gum disease to tooth decay could be the culprit. Sometimes, you might need to have teeth extracted so that other teeth can move into their correct position.

Tooth extraction, however, is often the last resort and it isn’t an option readily available for children as they have not stopped having growing teeth yet. But for some adults, it is unavoidable. If this is the case for you, then here’s what you need to know: your dentist will most likely remove the tooth at the dental surgery. You will be put under local anaesthetic and the tooth will be removed then. Surgery to remove the teeth may also be an option depending on each individual patient. While the surgical removal of a tooth is a more invasive treatment, it is one that is often performed safely.

Wisdom tooth extraction

A common type of tooth extraction is the removal of wisdom teeth and the upper wisdom teeth most frequently. The upper wisdom teeth normally have three roots unlike the two other wisdom teeth have. Since these roots can be easily located, the process of removing these teeth doesn’t need to be overly painful. At Dublin18 Dental Care near Foxrock, we will work with you to ensure that the removal of any of your teeth need not be overly painful. We are mindful of our patients and strive to provide them with a gentle, skilful procedure and satisfying dental experience.

Patients Near Stillorgan Can Protect Weak Teeth With Dental Crowns

Overtime, through wear and ageing, teeth, just like our bones, may begin to weaken. Weakening teeth is a common problem faced by many people and one that can be addressed and treated. The most popular way to treat a weakened tooth is to affix a crown over it.

A protective barrier

Crowns form a protective barrier over teeth that aim to protect damaged, cracked teeth which have simply broken over time. Crowns are able to shield teeth from food and bacteria which can lead to decay. Crowns tend to be custom made using precision and skill to ensure comfort and lasting stability.

At Dublin18, we use a variety of crowns. By having options available, we are able to pair our patients with the perfect crown for their needs. One of our most skilful and impressive crowns are the Cerec crown, here’s a bit more information about it:

Cerec crowns

These crowns are miraculous and perfect for busy patients without time to commit to multiple trips to the dentist; they are fitted in just one visit! Dublin18 Dental Care near Stillorgan is proud to put itself forth as a leader in Cerec crown technology: there are only 15 other practices in the whole of Ireland with Cerec digital computerised technology.

With Cerec crown technology, we are can restore decayed and damaged teeth, fit crowns or take out amalgam filling in only one appointment. Here’s what happens: using a camera, we take a digital picture of the tooth in question. Then, we use the photo, instead of old-style impression trays, to perform our work. By using the photograph, you are alleviated from the discomfort often felt when waiting for impression material to set.

Next, the computer and the 3D Cerec software work diligently to convert the digital picture to a 3D virtual model of the tooth, where we can design the restoration in front of patient’s eyes. After polishing the tooth, we then bond it into the mouth. No temporary fittings, no uncomfortable impression trays, no prolonged waiting—just stunning results, fast!

Treating Tiny Teeth For Patients In South Dublin

Just like adult teeth, milk teeth or baby teeth need to be properly cared for. They are susceptible to tooth decay as well and must be protected and looked after. Although they are often adorable little peggies, baby teeth play a vital role in a child’s development. They are essential for holding the position for permanent teeth and losing baby teeth too early could lead to permanent difficulties with the alignment of adult teeth.

Oral Hygiene

The same routines adults adhere to when caring for their teeth can be employed for children. Thorough, regular brushing supervised by an adult will help preserve baby teeth. Just as adults must be vigilant about the types of foods they eat, children should as well, not only for weight issues but to avoid tooth decay.

A healthy diet

Parents are encouraged to avoid allowing their children to continually graze on sugary foods and refined carbohydrates. Other tips dentists suggest for helping to prevent problems with teeth later in life is to teach your child use a cup when drinking by their first birthday. It is essential to wean babies from bottles as soon as possible lest they fall victim to baby bottle decay, where their teeth are more susceptible to decaying teeth from sucking on milk or juice bottles for prolonged periods.

As children grow older, it is vital that they attend regular dental check-ups from as early as three years old. At your child’s first dental visit, the dentist will take time to get your child used to the idea of visiting a dentist. They will count how many teeth they have and discuss dietary advice with their parents. When your child attends their first dental check up at Dublin18 Dental Care in South Dublin, you can feel confident that they will enjoy themselves—we do our very best to make each child’s visit an enjoyable experience.