Sleep bruxism, also known as nocturnal tooth grinding, is the medical term for clenching or grinding teeth during sleep. A type of movement disorder that occurs during sleep, bruxism is a common condition. One survey estimate, that 8% of adults grind their teeth at night and a study shows that more than a third of parent’s report symptoms of bruxism in their children. Occasional bruxism may not be harmful but when it occurs regularly, it may be associated with moderate to severe dental damage, facial pain and disturbed sleep. 

Although the causes of bruxism are unknown, one study links it with such factors as anxiety, stress, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, caffeine, sleep apnoea, snoring and fatigue.  Importantly, psychiatric or psychological factors do not play a role in most cases.  Use of certain medications, including amphetamines are also associated with episodes of bruxism.  Sleep apnoea may also be related to sleep bruxism and evidence suggests that treating sleep apnoea can help alleviate sleep bruxism.

People who have sleep bruxism can also suffer headaches, earaches, jaw pain, jaw joint disorders and damaged teeth.  Sleep bruxism may also be linked with other medical conditions and have an impact on quality of life.  If you feel you may suffer from sleep bruxism talk to your doctor or dentist about ways to treat it.

FACT:  Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety.

The way you feel while you’re awake depends in part on what happens while you’re sleeping.  During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health.  In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development.

6 REASONS TO GET A GOOD NIGHTS REST

1. SLEEP HELPS REDUCE STRESS
2. SLEEP CAN IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY
3. SLEEP CAN LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE
4. SLEEP HELPS YOUR BODY TO HEAL AND FIGHT BACK
5. SLEEP CAN HELP YOU MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT
6. SLEEP PUTS YOU IN A BETTER MOOD.

LINKS BETWEEN YOUR TEETH AND A POOR NIGHTS SLEEP There are many causes of a poor night’s sleep:

• Sleeping too much during the day
• Lack of exposure to sunlight
• Frequent urination
• Physical pain
• Prescription medications
• Stress, worry and depression
• Work schedules
• Sleep Apnoea

But how many of you think it could be caused by your teeth? Bruxism or teeth grinding as we know it affects around five per cent of the population.  These people are regular, forceful tooth grinders and it often happens during their sleep. If you frequently grind your teeth while sleeping, it can have a very negative impact on your dental health. Bruxism can also wear down your teeth more quickly, and lead to damage and premature enamel loss. Bruxism can cause frequent headaches or earaches.

A number of health issues are linked to Bruxism, such as stress and teeth misalignment, but one of the biggest risk factors is a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnoea. This occurs when the throat muscles relax during the night, blocking the airway and interrupting breathing.  Nearly one in four people with sleep apnoea grind their teeth at night and men are more likely to be affected. 

Luckily, managing sleep apnoea may help nix night-time teeth grinding.  Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight and quitting smoking can help as can treating nasal allergies.  In addition, your dentist may recommend a mouthguard or oral splint to prevent damage to teeth caused by grinding and gnashing.

HOW IS IT TREATED?

Since grinding your teeth is generally habitual, it is treated through behaviour modification rather than medical intervention. Your dentist may suggest wearing a mouthguard or mouth splint to create a physical protective barrier between your teeth.

If stress or anxiety are causing you to grind your teeth, you may be recommended to seek treatment from a mental health professional. Your dentist may also recommend anti-inflammatory medication or a muscle relaxant to help minimise pain in your joints, jaw and teeth.

The post WHAT IS BRUXISM, AND WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS? appeared first on Ashfield Dental Centre.

What does a smile mean to you? For many, it can mean different things. It can mean a person is friendly, confident, charming maybe even proud! But what about those people who don’t smile? Do you automatically assume that they are not so friendly? Perhaps unapproachable? Or maybe they are just shy! Truth is a lot of people don’t like to smile because they are embarrassed of their teeth.

A smile can really characterise an individual’s personality and if your smile is not something you are proud of it can impact your everyday life in more ways than one. How you ask?

An unconfident smile can affect the following:

• Your overall confidence and self-esteem
• It can impact the shape of your jaw, cheeks, lips and overall facial profile
• Attracting the opposite sex and finding your life partner
• Finding your dream job/career
• Your health and general wellbeing

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What does your smile say about your personality?

A natural, open-mouth smile conveys warmth and likability, often showing a lighter, more relaxed temperament and a closed smile can convey politeness and professionalism at work, but could give off a negative, closed-off vibe in social situations.

Your smile affects your self-image, and can greatly influence the

quality of your interactions with others. Many people hold back from

laughing or smiling because they are uncomfortable about their

appearance when they do.

To see if your smile is affecting you, take the simple test below and if

you answer YES to most of these questions’ chances are your smile

is affecting your everyday life, good news is you can do something about it!

THE SMILE TEST
(answer truthfully to yourself as no one else is watching)

• Would you like to change anything about the appearance of your teeth or smile?

• Are you self-conscious about your teeth or smile?

• Does the appearance of your smile inhibit you from laughing or smiling?

• When being photographed, do you smile with your lips closed instead of flashing a full smile?

Now did you answer yes to most of these questions? If so, then perhaps now’s the time to take the necessary steps to improve your smile and self-confidence.

DID YOU KNOW, THAT YOUR DENTIST CAN HELP WITH ALL THE BELOW ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVING THE PERFECT SMILE?

• If your teeth are yellow, stained or somewhat discoloured
• If you want a whiter, brighter smile
• If you have gaps between your teeth
• If your teeth are crooked, turned or uneven
• If you have chipped or missing teeth
• If any of your teeth are too small, too short, too large or too long
• If you have any previous dental work that looks unnatural
• If you have silver (amalgam) fillings
• If you have red, swollen gums
• If you have a ‘gummy’ smile (too much gum shows when you smile)

All of these issues can be fixed, the first step is building up the confidence to make that phone call and booking in a general consultation and discussing the first steps to be on your way to a confident, healthy smile!

The post The Value of a beautiful smile appeared first on Ashfield Dental Centre.

There is no doubt that the world is going through a tough time, the current situation affects each one of us differently and individually.  During these times it is very important to not lose focus on your health and mental well-being.

Improving your immunity and your hygiene protocols is the first step in preventing the spread of certain viruses such as Covid-19. Simple measures taken can make a huge impact on how we can control and eradicate these situations in the future.

As a dental clinic we have always had strict infection control guidelines in place, what we as a community need to start learning is how to enforce similar guidelines in our personal life to try and prevent these viruses from spreading so rapidly.

Coming into flu season (winter) it is so important that we carry these practices throughout our everyday life.  Be aware of your surrounds, be aware of people and do not think that you are resilient just because you are fit or young, you still must take the necessary precautions.

Your first line of defence is to choose a healthy lifestyle.  Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system strong and healthy.  Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as the below:

Healthy ways to strengthen your immune system:

Don’t smoke

Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables

Exercise regularly

Maintain a healthy weight

If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation

Get adequate sleep

Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly

Try to minimise stress

STRESS & IMMUNE FUNCTION

Modern medicine has come to appreciate the closely linked relationship of mind and body.  A wide variety of maladies, including stomach upset, hives and even heart disease are linked to the effects of emotional stress.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress or anxiety, take some time out. Time to yourself with a good cup of hot tea can work wonders and put some balance back into your life.

EXERCISE: GOOD OR BAD FOR IMMUNITY?

Regular exercise and staying active is one of the pillars of healthy living, it improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight and protects against a variety of diseases.  But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy? Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system.  It may contribute even more directly by promoting good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently.

IMMUNE SYSTEM AND AGE

As we age, our immune response capability becomes reduced, which in turn contributes to more infections and more cancers.  As life expectancy in developed countries has increased, so too has the incidence of age-related conditions.

While some people age healthily, the conclusion of many studies is that, compared with younger people, the elderly are more likely to contract infectious diseases therefore this is the time to really ‘ramp’ up your health and well-being, this not only includes eating healthily and exercising regularly but getting regular check-ups with your GP and your Dentist to ensure all is well when it comes to your general health and well-being.

The post How To Build Your Immune System – Getting Through Tough Times with COVID-19 appeared first on Ashfield Dental Centre.

Cleaning your teeth is an important part of maintaining dental health. While daily at-home teeth cleaning is essential to keeping healthy and preserving your smile, seeing your dentist regularly for professional cleaning is especially important as there are many things a dentist can do during a professional teeth cleaning at Ashfield Dental Centre that you cannot do at home.

What professional cleaning can do for you:

• Prevent gum disease
• Prevent tooth decay
• Freshen your breath
• Brighten your smile
• Improve your overall wellbeing

Your dentist helps to preserve your oral health through regular teeth cleaning, usually at your 6-month check-up at Ashfield Dental Centre. Here are some things your dentist can do at your professional teeth cleaning appointment that you cannot do at home.

 

Spot & treat disease

Although there are many dental conditions that can be spotted at home, your dentist is specially trained in noticing and treating oral conditions and knows exactly what to look for at your teeth cleaning appointment.

Dentists can spot signs of:

• Periodontal disease
• Sleep apnoea and other sleep disorders (especially in children)
• Decay, which may need treatment with fillings, tooth replacement, root canal, or another alternative
• Oral cancers
• Bruxism
• Cosmetic defects which can be treated with orthodontics
• & more!

Remove calculus

Calculus is a hardened build-up of plaque that can’t be brushed or flossed away at home. It often sits below the gumline and out of reach of a toothbrush which is why it takes a professional teeth clean to remove. Calculus deposits can become decay or contribute to infection if left untreated. This is one of the reasons your dentist at Ashfield Dental centre will take special care in removing calculus deposits at your cleaning appointment.

Use specialised tools and products

Different dentists use a wide variety of specialised tools to give their patients the best possible teeth cleaning. At Ashfield Dental Centre, our range of specialist tools and teeth cleaning equipment includes the following:

• Dental scaler – this is used to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth.
• Ultrasonic vibrator – used to dislodge stubborn plaque.
• Small lights and mirrors – these help your dentist get a better view of your mouth than you can get at home and spot hidden problems.
• Abrasive pastes – similar to toothpaste, these are used to polish your teeth. They make it harder for plaque to stick to your teeth and may make them feel very smooth.
• Liquid fluoride rinses and leave-on fluoride treatments – these help keep your teeth healthy and can make them feel very smooth.
• Whitening treatments – In-chair whitening treatments often give better results than at-home treatments. Ashfield Dental Centre provides whitening with Philips Zoom! teeth whitening systems. This does not take place at a standard teeth cleaning appointment, but your dentist can discuss whitening options at your cleaning appointment if you wish.

Provide trustworthy advice

The internet is not always trustworthy, so it is always better to ask a dentist directly if you have a question about your oral health. At your professional teeth cleaning appointment at Ashfield Dental Centre, your dentist will discuss all aspects of your oral health and can provide expert recommendations for keeping your smile bright and healthy. They can recommend products such as specialised toothbrushes or toothpastes, and may even be able to provide small samples after your professional cleaning appointment. This is a great opportunity to discuss and further treatments that are needed to maintain your oral health.

Comprehensive, professional dental cleaning in Ashfield

Ashfield Dental Centre is committed to providing quality, professional teeth cleaning and dental services to the people of Ashfield and its surrounds. We serve patients in Ashfield, Croydon Park, Summer Hill, Haberfield, Dulwich Hill, Ashbury, Croydon, Burwood Heights, Lewisham and more. Call us today to begin discussing your journey to a clean, healthy smile or to book a professional teeth cleaning appointment!

The post Professional Teeth Cleaning – What Your Dentist Can Do that You Can’t appeared first on Ashfield Dental Centre.