Frequently Asked Oral Health Questions

Your smile is typically one of the first things other people notice about your face. People who feel comfortable smiling with confidence may project a happier, friendlier image to others. When individuals suffer from a visible dental issue such as discoloured, chipped, broken or misaligned teeth, they may avoid smiling or interacting in social situations. General cosmetic dentistry procedures can quickly and safely correct these and other problems. Many of our clients report that their enhanced smiles increase their self-confidence and allow them to take control of their personal and professional lives.

There are many reasons why teeth become discoloured or stained over a person's lifetime. Some of the most common causes include:

• Trauma or injury to the teeth
• The wearing down of tooth enamel, exposing the yellow-tinted dentin layer
• Consuming staining substances such as coffee, tea, tobacco, wine, or blueberries
• Taking certain medications, such as tetracycline during childhood
• Excessive fluoride use (fluorosis)

Dr. Dan Haas offers both in-office and at-home tooth whitening treatments to reverse discolouration and help clients achieve bright, confident smiles. For more persistent stains, porcelain veneers can be used to effectively mask discolouration and enhance the appearance of your teeth.

Tooth enamel is hard but also has microscopic pores. Sugar combines with the bacteria in plaque, which forms on your teeth daily, to produce acids that seep into the enamel's pores. This causes the enamel to demineralize and become weak, contributing to the formation of cavities.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the natural remineralization process. This keeps your teeth strong and healthy. Fluoride also fights cavities by reducing the amount of acids that are produced by plaque.

There are several cosmetic dentistry procedures available to replace a missing tooth. These include:

• Dental implants
• Dental bridges
• Removable appliances, such as dentures

Each treatment option has its own set of advantages and considerations. It's important for the dentist and patient to carefully evaluate all options to determine the most appropriate and effective solution based on individual needs and oral health.

Yes. Porcelain fillings have become the preferred method for filling cavities. As opposed to the old silver mercury amalgam fillings, which are unsightly, porcelain fillings are safe, durable and blend naturally with the tooth. Existing silver fillings can also be replaced with the porcelain material to allow clients to laugh heartily without embarrassment.

Plaque forms on your teeth daily. When sugar combines with the bacteria in plaque it produces acids that damage the enamel on your teeth. Although decreasing sugar intake will help, it is impossible to avoid sugar completely as it is naturally found in many of our foods, including fruits and vegetables. In order to maintain healthy teeth and gums you must brush and floss daily using good techniques to ensure the best results.

The brand of the toothbrush is less important than the type of brush, and how often you brush your teeth. We recommend that you have a soft-bristle brush. This type of brush will effectively remove plaque and a soft brush will not damage your gums. We also recommend that you brush at least twice a day. The condition of your brush is also important, as when the bristles begin to bend over it is time to start using a new brush. When the bristles on your toothbrush are bent over they lose their ability to remove food and plaque. It is the tip of the bristles that clean your teeth the best.

Tooth enamel is hard but also has microscopic pores. Sugar combines with the bacteria in plaque, which forms on your teeth daily, to produce acids that seep into the enamel's pores. This causes the enamel to demineralize and become weak, contributing to the formation of cavities. Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by slowing the breakdown of enamel and speeding up the natural remineralization process. This keeps your teeth strong and healthy. Fluoride also fights cavities by reducing the amount of acids that are produced by plaque.

Tooth sensitivity is often experienced when the surface of the tooth has been worn down. One of the most common reasons for adults is that the roots of the teeth are exposed because the gums are receding. This allows the effects of heat and cold to penetrate to the pulp where the nerves are located. The problem gets worse as you tend not to brush your teeth properly if they cause you pain. If you are experiencing pain or sensitivity, let us know so we can assess your situation and recommend the best treatment to take care of your discomfort.

There are a few things that you should keep us informed about in order to ensure that we are most effective when treating you. Please keep us informed about:

• Whether your teeth or gums are more sensitive to heat, cold or sweets.
• Any changes in your gums, such as changes in colour, tenderness or bleeding when you brush or floss.
• Whether your floss catches on rough edges of teeth that causes the floss to tear.
• Any changes in the skin on the inside of your mouth, such as changes in colour.
• If you clench or grind your teeth, or if your neck and jaw muscles are tense or sore.
• Whether you have any allergies.
• If you are pregnant.
• Whether you are taking any medication.
• If your medicine has changed since your last check-up.
• Any health problems or medical condition that you are being treated for.
• Any other changes in your general health.

X-rays help us see problems in the early stages of development; this helps us treat problems long before they become serious. If we catch a cavity early, we may be able to treat it without even having to fill or restore the tooth. If decay is not detected soon enough, you may not know you have a problem until it is causing you some pain or discomfort. Major tooth restoration may be needed to repair a tooth if the decay has advanced enough. X-rays reveal:

• Cavities between teeth, under the gums and around old fillings.
• Bone loss due to periodontal disease.
• Problems below the gums, such as long or crooked tooth roots.

You are already exposed to low levels of radiation from the environment on a daily basis. This is caused by natural sources of radioactive substances: in the earth, from the sun and from naturally occurring radiation in our bodies. This is commonly referred to as background radiation. The amount of radiation you receive during a single X-ray is equivalent to a few days of background radiation. In addition to the low levels of radiation used, we target the X-ray machine only at those areas we need to review in order to ensure that you have healthy teeth.

For your added safety and comfort, Haas Dental Centre uses Digital X-rays, increasing the quality of dental X-rays while lowering you exposure to X-ray radiation.

We also cover your body with a lead apron, providing you with additional protection.

It is the most common dental problem, and it can progress quite painlessly until you have a serious problem. The end result is bone loss and the loss of teeth. Even though you may brush and floss regularly, regular visits to the dentist will help detect gum disease in the early stages.

If you already have gum disease, getting rid of plaque and tartar gives your gums a chance to get better. That's why in the early stages of gum disease, the best treatment is:

• Regular cleaning in our practice
• Brushing twice a day
• Flossing once a day

Many people suffer from bad breath; in fact, 40% of the population has problems with bad breath at some time in their lives. Some reasons for bad breath may be:

• Poor dental hygiene
• Eating certain foods, such as garlic or onions
• Smoking
• Chewing Tobacco
• Diseases, such as cancer or diabetes
• Dry mouth (often called morning breath)

You can help reduce the incidence of bad breath by brushing and flossing each day to remove plaque. By avoiding certain foods you can also eliminate a lot of bad breath problems. If you wear a denture or removable partial denture, it is important to clean it thoroughly everyday and remove it at night so your mouth tissues can restore themselves daily. If a bad breath problem persists then let us know and we will try to discover what the problem is and recommend a treatment.