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Dental Excellence have created some useful tips to support you, if you can’t get to a dentist straight away and you’re managing broken, loose or chipped teeth.

Broken and chipped teeth

If your tooth has chipped or a piece has broken off, it can create a sharp edge that digs into the tongue, lips or cheek. If it’s causing you pain, you should:

• Floss around the area first, and then thoroughly brush the tooth as normal to keep it clean
• Take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol to ease pain
• Rub toothpaste directly onto the affected tooth. Don’t rinse your mouth with water afterwards or you’ll wash away the benefits of the toothpaste
• Use cotton wool to apply clove oil to the area, which can help relieve pain
• If you need to, you can buy temporary filling material from your local pharmacy or supermarket and repair the tooth yourself using the instructions directed on the packet. DenTek and Dentanurse are good examples.

If you’re in excruciating pain from a broken or chipped tooth, or it’s causing severe damage to your cheek or lip, contact a local Smiles Dental practice so they can advise you further. If your tooth is broken or chipped, but you aren’t experiencing any pain, you don’t necessarily need to fill it yourself. Just make sure to take extra care of the tooth, including thorough flossing and cleaning, until you can get an appointment.

Lost filling or hole in tooth

If a lost filling or a hole in your tooth is causing you pain, you can manage it by:

• Avoiding sugary foods, such as sweets and fizzy drinks, which can aggravate toothache
• Continue to brush your teeth as thoroughly as you can with fluoride toothpaste
• As with a broken tooth, you can buy temporary filling material from your local pharmacy or supermarket, and repair it yourself using the instructions directed on the packet

If you don’t feel comfortable using filling material, you can leave your tooth without a filling, but it could leave you at risk of further decay. Make sure you continue to floss or use interdental brushes, followed by brushing your teeth thoroughly to avoid infection and toothache.

Loose or missing crowns and veneers

If you’re suffering from pain with a loose or missing crown, you can usually manage this with over-the-counter pain relief like paracetamol. It’s also key to keep up good oral hygiene to minimise any pain, including using a fluoride toothpaste and reducing your intake of sugary foods.

Dentist Steven Neal explained, “If you feel confident doing so, you can also try recementing the crown in yourself using temporary crown cementing gel called Toofypegs. You can buy this online and in some pharmacies.”

If you don’t feel confident re-fixing your crown, keep it safe and clean so we can re-fit it for you when you come to see us. Don’t ever try to reattach your crown with super glue or other types of non-dental adhesives.

Even if you can manage a lost filling at home, it’s important that you book an appointment with your local practice for routine dental care, so they can provide a long-term solution.

Loose or rubbing dentures

Similar to loose teeth, loose dentures can also cause discomfort. If you’ve got problems with your dentures, try to:

• Use a denture fixative like Fixodent or Sealbond denture pads to help make them more comfortable
• Use an emery board to adjust any sharp area on your dentures
• Leave your dentures out as much as you can if they’re too sore to wear

If you’re struggling with your dentures, you should book an appointment with your local practice for routine care so they can provide you with a long-term solution or talk you through other alternatives for replacing missing teeth.

For further help and advice

If you have a problem which isn’t referenced in this article and is affecting your ability to sleep or concentrate, please get in touch with your local Smiles Dental practice.

If you’re experiencing dental pain, find out more in our article, how to relieve toothache.

If you don’t have a dentist, or you can’t get an appointment with your own Dentist you can contact us here at Dental Excellence for emergency support.

If you can manage problems with broken, loose or chipped teeth at home, we’d still encourage you to visit your local practice for routine dental care.

The health, wellbeing and safety of our patients, their families and our people remain our top priority at Dental Excellence. We’d like to thank our patients for their understanding during the COVID-19 situation. Once it is safe for our practices to re-open we encourage you to get in touch and book an appointment. The latest status of our practices can be found on our Facebook page. If you are experiencing an dental emergency, please phone us on 0906475387.

Can’t get an appointment with your dentist or too busy in work, we’ve created some useful tips to support you, if you’re experiencing any dental pain at home.

Toothache

The most common dental problem people typically face is toothache. If you’re experiencing dental pain, we recommend you follow this advice:

• Avoid extremes of temperature, such as hot drinks or very cold foods like ice cream
• Avoid sugary or acidic foods, especially sweets or fizzy drinks, even diet ones, as these can aggravate the pain
• Take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol
• Use an over-the-counter anaesthetic gel, for example Orajel, which you can buy in a pharmacy, to help relieve the pain
• Continue to brush and floss your teeth as thoroughly as possible, and rub toothpaste directly onto the sore tooth or area
• Massage the gum around the tooth to help ease pain
• Use cloves or cotton wool to place clove oil over the painful tooth or area of the mouth. You can buy cloves in supermarkets
• Keep your head elevated at night. Lying down can increase blood pressure in the tooth and cause pain
• Keep the area cold by using a cool pack or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel. Apply this to your cheek. Don’t apply ice directly to the tooth as this can increase pain and damage the tissues.

If your toothache is causing you excruciating pain, a loss of sleep and the above steps haven’t helped, call us on 0906475387 for further advice.

Wisdom tooth pain

Wisdom tooth pain is another common dental problem which you can usually help relieve at home. We recommend you:

• Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater as often as you can
• Buy some mouthwash suitable for gum problems, such as Corsodyl or Peroxyl from your local pharmacy if you can
• Take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol to help ease the pain
• Continue to clean your wisdom teeth thoroughly, even if it’s painful to do so
• Keep the area cold by using a cool pack or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel

If your wisdom tooth causes any swelling, difficulty opening your mouth or difficulty swallowing, contact us on 0906475387

Tooth sensitivity

If you have an extremely sensitive tooth and are in discomfort, again as with toothache, we recommend that you avoid any foods which are either very hot or cold, like ice cream or hot drinks, as well as any foods which are acidic or sugary. These can aggravate sensitive teeth. Continue to floss and brush your teeth as thoroughly as you can and rub sensitive toothpaste, such as Sensodyne or Colgate Prorelief, directly onto the affected area. You can use normal toothpaste if you don’t have a sensitive one.

Painful or bleeding gums

Painful or bleeding gums isn’t a dental emergency and is usually caused by gum disease. It can be stopped by improving your overall oral health. Make sure you clean in between your teeth with floss or interdental brushes and follow up with a thorough toothbrush clean twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

Sharp pain when biting

If you’re experiencing a sharp pain when biting down, avoid hard foods such as nuts or sweets. You should also avoid foods, which require a lot of chewing such as baguettes or tough meats. Try to use the other side of your mouth for chewing where you can.

Take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol to help relieve the pain if you need to.

Sharp pain when biting down could be caused by tooth decay, a loose filling or a crack in your tooth. It might also mean there’s damage to the pulp tissue inside your tooth, which could require treatment, such as a root canal.

If you experience sharp pain when biting, you should book an appointment with your dentist when they’re reopen for routine dental care, so they can provide a long-term solution.

Facial swelling

You should contact your dentist if you have any kind of facial swelling. If the swelling is minor, your dentist may be able to prescribe you antibiotics over the phone. You can also:

• Use a cold compress or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel to bring down the swelling
• Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater repeatedly until the swelling comes down

If the above doesn’t bring down the swelling or it extends up to the eye, along your mouth, or down your neck, contact us urgently on 0906475387.

Mouth ulcers

Mouth ulcers can usually be treated at home and should heal after 10 days. If you have a mouth ulcer and want to relieve pain, you should:

• Clean the area with warm saltwater as much as possible
• Take over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol to relieve pain
• Use mouthwash, Corsodyl or Difflam are good examples, which you can buy from your local pharmacy, to help reduce the ulcer
• Use mouth ulcer relief gel such as Bonjela or Iglu, which you can buy from the supermarket or pharmacy
• Use cloves or cotton wool to apply clove oil to the ulcer, which can help with temporary pain relief

If your ulcer hasn’t healed after two weeks, it could be a sign of something more serious. Contact us as soon as possible for further advice.

Pain/bleeding after a tooth extraction

If you’ve recently had a dental extraction, it’s normal to experience some pain, especially in the first three or four days. It’s vital to:

• Keep the area clean to speed up the healing process
• Follow the instructions given to you by your dentist or hospital following the extraction
• Use over-the-counter painkillers and Difflam mouthwash to ease pain
• Rinse your mouth with warm salty water once it’s safe to do so (follow the advice given to you post-extraction)
• Make sure you don’t smoke for at least 48 hours following an extraction

It’s also normal to experience some blood in your spit or oozing from the site of the extraction. If the socket is bleeding freely, bite down hard on a clean hankie or a gauze if you have one for 20 minutes. If the bleeding hasn’t stopped, call us as soon as possible.

Orthodontic pain or problems

Most orthodontic problems, such as wires digging in your gum, or pain from your braces rubbing, can be dealt with at home.

Find out more about common orthodontic problems and looking after your braces at home.

For further help and advice

If you have pain which isn’t referenced in this article and is affecting your ability to sleep or concentrate, please get in touch with us.

If you can manage your pain at home, we’d still encourage you to visit your local practice to get checked out once it reopens for routine dental care.

The health and wellbeing of our patients is important to us here at Dental Excellence, we encourage you to get in touch and book an appointment as soon as you can. If you are experiencing an dental emergency, please contact us on 0906475387 who can offer telephone support and advice to patients with urgent need.

Dental Excellence have created some useful tips to help you look after your dental implants, dentures and bridges at home, with advice on what to do if something goes wrong.

Taking care of dental implants

If you have a dental implant, you’ll understand the importance of keeping it clean and healthy to maintain its lifespan. Peri-implant disease is the most common form of infection that can develop around implants. It’s similar to gum disease around a tooth and is caused by a build-up of plaque. This causes bone loss around your implants and surrounding teeth.

The only way to prevent peri-implant disease is with regular cleaning and maintenance of your implant. If for some reason you are unable to visit your Dentist or hygienist, it’s still vital you look after your implants meticulously at home.

We recommend you:
• Brush your implants at least twice a day with a soft-bristle toothbrush, including under and around the crown of the implant
• Use an interdental brush coated with nylon every day to clean around the implant, or by using unwaxed floss tape or ‘super floss’
• If you have multiple dental implants or have had a full-arch restoration such as smile in a day treatment, your implant dentis-6t will have provided you with further guidance on looking after your implants. If you need additional advice on this, you should contact your local practice.

Problems or pain with your implant
Problems with dental implants can vary from a short-term infection to a chronic infection such as peri-implant disease. Symptoms to look out for include:

• Redness or soreness of the gum around your implant. This could simply be due to a plaque build-up and although the gums may be sore, cleaning properly may settle this down. Use a softer brush or soak your normal brush in hot water before using it as this may soften the nylon bristles. You could also use an antiseptic mouthwash for five to seven days, but don’t forget to clean between the teeth and implants with interdental brushes or dental tape
  • Difficulty chewing with your implant. This could be due to gum inflammation because a crown or bridge is slightly loose, or due to an infection
  • Noticeable swelling around the implant or gum. If it’s spreading up to your eye, down your neck or across your mouth, you must mention this when you contact your dental practice
  • The crown or bridge around the implant loosening, which could be due to cement failure (if the crown or bridge is stuck on), or the fixed crown or bridge around the implant screw becoming loose
  • The implant itself (the screw fixed into the jaw) loosening.

If you have a problem with a dental implant, you shouldn’t try to treat it yourself at home without speaking to a dentist first. Get in touch with us on 0906475387.

WHY IS DENTAL TREATMENT EXPENSIVE

There are a number of reasons why dental procedures are so expensive. First, services are performed by trained professionals. Dentists are doctors who go through many years of college, dental school and specialized (read: expensive) training. Like many other professionals — lawyers, accountants, expert mechanics — dental services are priced accordingly.
The big boys, of course, play with big toys. The tools on hand at a general dentistry practice include highly specialized equipment that is not only pricey to purchase, but also to maintain. Film X-ray machines cost upwards of €20,000, and newer digital models go for €10,000 to €15,000 more. A simple dental chair with the necessary light, trays and hookups, meanwhile, costs about €20,000. This, of course, doesn’t take into account the costs of surgical tools, as well as the anaesthesia and other medications used in procedures such as root canals and filings. Additionally, dentists often turn to third-party labs and other dental product companies for things like crowns and Dentures, which can also drive up the costs of certain procedures.

If the thought of all of this has you reaching for your toothbrush and floss, read on to learn about options for managing your dental costs.

Ways to Cut Dental Procedure Costs

For those who’d rather not spend an arm and a leg to keep their teeth healthy, there are a few ways to cut dental costs. The most popular is dental insurance, which is similar to general insurance and offers options like traditional indemnity plans, as well as preferred provider and health maintenance plans. Most policies pay for preventive care like checkups but cover only a portion of higher-cost procedures like root canals and orthodontic work. If you’re considering dental insurance, you should clarify the procedures covered and determine whether your current dentist (if you have one) accepts the insurance.

Examples of some dental insurance include:
1. VHI
2. D-Care
3. Laya
Certain dental costs can be paid for through a flexible Finance or Payment schemes, We offer different payment plans depending on work needed and we can also provide Finance through flexi-fi Finance. Just phone us on 0906475387 and we will be able to answer any questions you may have.

Finally, there are no better weapons in the fight against exorbitant dental costs than your toothbrush, floss and regular professional cleanings. Brushing and flossing can help prevent plaque buildup and cavities, and other problems that do arise can be nipped in the bud at your cleanings.

5 Reasons to Visit the Dentist Every 6 Months

Few people like sitting in the dentist’s chair, but making regular appointments with your dentist guarantees your teeth stay in tip-top condition. The Irish Dental Association recommends you visit your dentist at least once a year, but making six-monthly appointments prevents a whole host of oral-related problems from developing, such as tooth decay and gum disease. Here are five reasons why you should visit your dentist every six months.

1. Prevent Tooth Decay
Dentists can quickly diagnose tooth decay — the destruction of the outer layer of your teeth from sugary foods. This condition can worsen every six months or so as plaque builds up and slowly ruins your teeth. Visiting your dentist twice a year prevents the decay from damaging your teeth, so you can improve your oral health and reverse the effects of plaque buildup. If left untreated, however, this condition often causes pain and dental cavities and can even irritate the gums.

2. Prevent Plaque
Plaque is a sticky deposit that clings to your teeth and gum line and is full of harmful bacteria. When plaque builds up on your teeth, it can result in tartar, which discolours the teeth. There are multiple causes of plaque, including irregular brushing. Research shows that one in four adults doesn’t brush their teeth twice a day, while one in 10 people regularly forget to clean their teeth. Visiting your dentist twice a year, however, prevents plaque build up and leaves your teeth in a cleaner, healthier condition.

3. Stop Gum Disease
Your dentist can spot the first signs of gum disease, long before it becomes a serious problem. This way, you can tackle the issue before it gets worse and better protect your teeth in the future. If left untreated, however, gum disease causes your gums to become red and swollen, and can even make it painful to consume your favourite foods and drinks. A good dentist will suggest ways you can prevent gum disease, including regular cleanings from a dental hygienist, flossing, swishing with mouthwash and proper brushing.

4. Save Money in the Future
Identifying oral-related problems early could save you more money in the long run. Regular care and maintenance of your teeth reduces the chances of you developing gum disease and tooth decay, and you are less likely to require costly dental work, such as a tooth extraction. Visiting your dentist every six months means you can avoid expensive treatments and you won’t be hit with an unexpected bill in the future.

5. Improve Your Smile
Dazzling pearly whites are no longer the domain of movie stars. Visiting your dentist regularly helps you improve your own smile, with a number of treatments available that will whiten, brighten and clean your teeth. A study from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry says that 96 percent of adults think that an “attractive smile” makes someone more attractive, while 74 percent believe an “unattractive smile” limits a person’s chances for career success.

Visiting your dentist’s office every six months could save you cash, improve your smile, prevent plaque and tooth decay, and stop gum disease. Yes, there are other places you would rather be, but making regular appointments to see your dentist could transform your oral hygiene and bring you many benefits.

NO ONE likes the dentist. Fact.

You can’t talk, most of the time you are dribbling like a fool, and if it’s a particularly long procedure the jaw ache can be agonising.
But most of all, we don’t like the dentist because we don’t understand the jargon, the procedures.

Now we can demystify one of the most common practices you’ve heard but probably not understood – the counting.

Everyone will have experienced this during a check-up: you sit in the chair, tip back into the dentist’s lap and have your teeth numbered.
This is a simple way of identifying the type of tooth, and you will likely hear one number per tooth being reeled off quickly at the beginning of each visit.

The numbers work accordingly:

1=Central incisor
2=Lateral incisor
3=Canine
4=first premolar
5=Second premolar
6=First molar
7=Second molar
8=Third molar or wisdom tooth

Using a coding system of letters and numbers allows dentists to specify which teeth have decay or other problems. When your dentist attaches a letter to a number, he or she is referring to the side or surface area of a tooth. “M” stands for mesial, which is a medical term for the front of a tooth. “D” stands for distal, or the rear side of a tooth. Other letters are used to describe different tooth surfaces.

SPORTS INJURIES, ACCIDENTS, and tooth decay are just a few of the reasons we might lose a tooth. Thanks to modern dentistry, however, we don’t need to settle for having a gap in our smiles for the rest of our lives. There are a few ways to fill that gap, and one of them is with dental implants.
Implants Or False Teeth?

Partial and full dentures have been a common solution for missing teeth for many years, but they have their disadvantages. They are prone to slipping and falling out if not properly secured, and they can lead to jaw pain and soreness in the gums. They also do not stimulate the jaw bones, so patients with dentures tend to suffer bone loss.

Implants, on the other hand, are metal posts surgically placed in the jawbone under the gums and are basically a new root for a replacement tooth that looks and acts like a natural tooth. The only advantage dentures have over implants is that they are cheaper. It’s important to fill in the gap with an implant as soon as possible so the bone doesn’t erode and the surrounding teeth don’t collapse into the hole causing alignment and bite issues.

Implants And Braces?

In most cases where a patient needs orthodontic treatment as well as implants, the braces come first, because once an implant is in the jaw, it won’t move. On rare occasions, if the braces only need to shift the front teeth and the missing teeth are located in the back, the implant can be placed before or during orthodontic treatment!

Come Talk To Us About Implants!

Getting dental implants is nothing to be worried about! 3,000,000 people in the United States alone have at least one dental implant and that number continues to grow. If you need a dental implant, just talk to us! We’ll evaluate your situation and develop the perfect plan to get you the smile you deserve.

Keep taking care of those teeth!

GOING TO THE DENTIST is something we should all be doing twice a year every year. If you’re already in the habit of coming in for regular cleanings, that’s wonderful! If not, here’s what you can expect from a typical cleaning appointment.
Your Check-Up

When visiting the dentist for a check-up, there are a few things that will typically happen. If you don’t have any existing dental concerns or conditions, the first step is usually dental X-rays. Your medical and dental history, your age, and your current oral health will determine how often you need these. Dental X-rays help dentists to find and diagnose tooth decay hiding between the teeth and other places hard to see with the naked eye. They also identify dental and orthodontic issues beneath the gums.

Next, the hygienist will begin cleaning the teeth. They use a small metal tool called a scaler to scrape away any tartar in between the teeth and around the gumline. Then they’ll polish the teeth using a lightly abrasive paste and a polishing tool. This gives your teeth a nice, deep clean and removes any remaining tartar. They finish the cleaning off with flossing.

Once the hygienist is done, it’s the dentist’s turn. They’ll review your X-rays, check your teeth and gums for signs of decay and gum disease, measure the depth of your gingival pockets, check for swelling and redness, test how well your teeth come together when you bite down, and examine your neck, lymph glands, and mouth for signs of oral cancer. When they finish, they’ll discuss treatment for any dental work you need and give you tips on improving your daily dental care routine.

Why Visiting The Dentist Is Important

Even for people with great oral health habits like brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing daily, visiting the dentist every six months is crucial to maintaining good oral health. The reason for this is that dental problems don’t go away on their own and tend to get worse, which also makes them more difficult (and expensive) to fix. Regular dental checkups catch problems early so that more intense treatment doesn’t become necessary.

We Can’t Wait To See You!

Whether it’s been six months or longer since the last time we saw you, we’re looking forward to seeing you again! Schedule your next appointment right away, and we can make sure everything in your mouth is healthy and clean!

We have the world’s best patients!

DO YOU SPEND A LOT of time worrying about how to keep your child’s teeth cavity-free? Teaching them to brush and floss are critical steps towards ensuring that they can take good care of their teeth for life. Once those permanent teeth come in, there’s something we can do at the dental practice that will give them even more protection against tooth decay, and that something is applying dental sealants.
Bacteria Versus Your Child’s Teeth

The reason it’s so critical to teach our children good oral health habits at an early age is that 40 percent of children develop cavities by the time they start school because of poor oral hygiene and consuming sugary snacks and drinks. Every human mouth contains numerous species of bacteria that excrete acid onto our teeth when consume sugar, and this acid wears away at our enamel and leads to tooth decay.

Brushing, flossing, and limiting our sugar intake are all important ways we can keep that bacteria in check. But even when we do all of these things, there are crevices in our teeth where bacteria can hide, and these can be difficult to reach with a toothbrush. That’s where sealants come in!

What Are Dental Sealants?

Dental sealants are a protective clear plastic layer brushed onto the chewing surfaces of teeth to “seal them off” from plaque and bacteria that would cause cavities to form. Dentists started using sealants in the 1960s, and they’ve been popular ever since.

Typically, sealants are applied to the molars because these teeth are the ones that do the most chewing and have those deep crevices where bacteria can hide. The sealant will fill in and cover any crevices on the tooth to act as a shield from the bacteria. What makes them even better is that the sealant application process is quick and painless!

When Should Your Child Get Sealants?

The best time to bring your child in for dental sealants is around when their adult molars erupt, which is usually at age six. The sooner they sealants are in place, the less opportunity the oral bacteria will have to build up in the crevices of the molars. However, sealants are still beneficial when applied later on. Older children and even adults can get them and have their teeth protected too!

Schedule Your Child’s Next Appointment Today!

Whether your child needs sealants or just a normal twice-yearly dental cleaning, don’t hesitate to schedule their next appointment! And if you have any concerns with the way your child is brushing or with how the food they eat might be affecting their teeth, be sure to let us know so that we can help.

Our top priority is protecting your child’s smile!