Brushing and flossing daily with regular dental checks are key to good oral health.
The Periodontic Unit, Prosthodontic Unit, and Endodontic Unit, all three departments from the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS), answer common questions about oral health, hygiene and dental treatments. NDCS is a member of the SingHealth group.
9 FAQs about dental health and dental treatment
A pea-sized amount is sufficient. Toothpaste contains a lot of abrasive chemicals that can cause unnecessary wear and sensitivity, so using too much is not good.
It is fine to keep them in the toilet, so long as they are kept separated, clean and dry to avoid cross-contamination by bacteria.
Either is fine, but if you brush your teeth after a meal, try to do it only 20 to 30 minutes later. This is because food reduces the pH level in the mouth. When the pH level drops, our oral environment becomes acidic and our teeth are more vulnerable to attack.
Saliva in the mouth will gradually clear out the acid and lay down new calcium to repair patches of teeth that were dissolved during this 20- to 30-minute time frame. Thus, it is always advisable to allow the pH level to recover before you brush your teeth.
Rinsing your mouth gets the food remnants out when brushing is inconvenient. if you are diligent about flossing and brushing twice a day using the right technique, you should not even need a mouthwash.
However, if you have mouth sores or gum diseases such as
gingivitis or periodontitis, a prescription mouthwash can help reduce bleeding and inflammation.
Yes, possibly to flavours/fragrances in the toothpaste, such as cinnamal (flavouring from cinnamon) spearmint, peppermint, carvone (oils from caraway seeds) and anethole (flavouring from star anise, fennel and anise).
It used to be a traditional home-style alternative to using mouthwash at a time when dentistry was not advanced. But rubbing salt on teeth actually causes abrasions on the tooth surfaces.
There is no proven cause of tooth grinding or clenching. However, they are often associated with stress, habitual tendencies or disturbed sleep cycles. Prolonged and intensive grinding or clenching of teeth can cause the teeth to break down – this can range from minor enamel chipping to vertical tooth fractures. It can also cause the masticatory (chewing) muscles to become tender and the jaw joints to wear down more quickly.
Suggested prevention strategies for tooth grinding include counselling sessions, massage therapy, and adopting regular sleeping patterns. To minimise the destructive effects of tooth grinding, wearing a night splint (dental appliance used at night) is often recommended.
Dr Marianne Ong, Senior Consultant from the Periodontic Unit at NDCS shares, "This would depend on your medical and dental health.
In summary, the prevention of disease and the early treatment of identified disease are key to maintaining optimal oral health. Your dentist will advise you on the appropriate dental recall interval based on your current oral and general health."
Dr Lui Jeen Nee, Senior Consultant and Head of the
Department of Restorative Dentistry at NDCS answers, "Root canal treatment is a viable alternative to tooth extraction and is the only way to save a tooth with irreversible pulp inflammation or infection. After a root canal procedure, the tooth is restored either with a filling or a crown. Choosing to retain your natural teeth, when possible, is always the best decision. But when there is inadequate tooth structure to support the restoration of the tooth due to extensive damage or decay, an extraction may be recommended instead."
Ref: I23 (ed)
Check out other articles on dental health:
Root Canal Treatment: How Painful Is It?
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