5 Reasons Regular Dental Checkups Are Important

Keeping your oral health in check is equally as important as doing so for your physical health. Yet most people tend to overlook the importance of regular dental checkups. Not only do regular dental checkups prevent various dental problems from arising, but they are also crucial in detecting and treating them before they get really bad.

 

If you have yet to make an appointment for a dental checkup in Blacktown and Denham Court, we strongly urge that you do so as soon as possible. Dental checkups at Winning Smiles Dental Surgery don’t only prevent oral problems, our services are also aimed to detect other related health complications. To find out what they are, check out this blog to learn 5 reasons why regular dental checkups are so important for you.

Prevent Plaque Buildup, Tartar and Cavities

Most people are aware that dental checkups are important for this reason, but they are often unaware of the importance of being consistent. Plaque formation is a daily occurrence. While brushing and flossing help keep it at bay, there are some parts of your teeth that are not cleaned entirely. Hence, the help of a dental professional is required to do so. If not removed, plaque buildup often results in bigger problems. Over time, plaque solidifies on your teeth to form tartar: a calcified version of plaque that multiplies your risk of developing other dental problems. Plaque buildup also puts you at more risk of developing tooth cavities. In its beginning stages, cavities easily go unnoticed. With regular dental checkups, they will be detected by your dentist. Cavities that are left untreated worsen with time and will start to cause pain when it affects your root canal. In the event that this happens, a root canal treatment is required. The treatment costs you much more money than getting your oral health checked regularly.

Detecting Gum Infections and Diseases

Plaque doesn’t just build up on your teeth, they also get stuck inside your gum sockets. Poor oral hygiene and unhealthy diet are two common factors that lead to dangerous levels of plaque build up. A thorough scale and clean is also conducted as part of your dental checkup, effectively removing plaque from these hard-to-reach areas. When plaque starts to affect your gums, it results in gingivitis. Gingivitis is an infection of the gums that is also easily overlooked, as it causes little to no discomfort in its early stages. Detecting gingivitis on the early onset prevents it from worsening to periodontitis. Not only does periodontitis cause pain, swelling, bleeding and even bone loss, but it is also much more complicated and expensive to treat than to prevent it altogether by doing a regular dental check.

Checking For Hidden Problems

During a dental checkup, an X-ray is performed to rule out any complications that cannot be detected in an oral examination. Such complications include small cavities between teeth, cavities beneath existing tooth fillings, bone loss caused by periodontitis and abscessed teeth.

Save Yourself The Embarrassment

Stained teeth and bad breath give off an impression of poor oral hygiene habits, though most of us know that both of these are difficult to eradicate even with diligent brushing and flossing. The professional scaling and polishing performed during a dental checkup will help you maintain both fresh breath and a bright white smile.

Keep Your Health In Check

If you have not been aware that both your oral and general health have a direct relation, you are now. Oral health complications can progress into a myriad of diseases and health problems. Regular visits to the dentist prevent this harmful domino effect that poor oral health can have on your wellbeing. Besides that, there are a number of diseases that show symptoms in your mouth.
A dentist will be able to detect them and refer you to a relevant medical practitioner to get the treatment you need. As a matter of fact, dental checkups shouldn’t be perceived as separate from your medical routine. It is a crucial aspect of maintaining your entire wellbeing.

If you are looking for professional and reliable dental checkup services in Blacktown and Denham Court, get in touch with us and we will be more than happy to help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

Ways to Reduce Wisdom Tooth Swelling

Swelling around your teeth and gums can cause real discomfort. As a result, simple things like eating and speaking can get difficult.


This swelling can originate from a number of reasons such as canker sores, gum disease or pregnancy related issues. Nevertheless, there can be another reason for this swelling, i.e. problem with the wisdom tooth. In this situation, you may wonder if there could be any way to deal with the pain and discomfort due to this swelling.

In this scenario, a few things are worth mentioning.

The wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth are the molars that grow in the back of the mouth. They have a wide surface on the top and they assist well in chewing. Unlike other teeth in your mouth, these molars appear at the age between 17 – 21 years.

Reasons for swelling in wisdom teeth

The real reason for swelling is the bacteria. And the bacteria infection we are talking about in this regard is related to the way your wisdom tooth grows. If the wisdom tooth grows at an angle or it partially erupts through the gum, it can cause bacterial infection which can further lead to swelling.

Swelling of wisdom teeth before removal

There are many people who do not have any issues with their wisdom teeth. However, there are many who have issues like swelling, pus, bad taste, pain, and/or fever due to problems with the wisdom teeth. Now, extraction of wisdom teeth may seem like the only way to solve the problem once and for all but you are going to have to deal with the pain while tooth is still there. A few things that you can do to contain the pain are worth mentioning in this regard.

• You can rinse your mouth with salt water. You will need to add two tablespoon of salt in eight ounces of warm water. Rinse your mouth with this water.
• Another way to reduce the pain is to apply cold compress. Cold compress should numb the area to give you comfort from pain.
• You can also use numbing gels to contain the pain. These numbing gels mainly consist of benzocaine.
• You can also go for the over-the-counter drugs to deal with the pain. These are usually anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen. However, you have to keep in mind that this is only the temporary solution to relieve the pain.

Swelling after the wisdom tooth removal

While a couple of days after the wisdom tooth removal may bring a lot of swelling, this swelling is not here to stay for too long. The reason is that the source of swelling and infection will no longer be there. However, you can continue with the above mentioned steps to contain swelling after the tooth removal.

One thing that you need to keep in mind here is that you need to deal with the infection by having consultation with your dentist. Not taking care of infected area after the tooth removal can make things worse if the infection gets severe.

Call Winning Smiles today to get an evaluation for wisdom tooth extraction removal in Blacktown, Parramatta, Castle Hill, Rooty hills, Marsden Park, Stanhope gardens, Baulkham Hills, Westmead, Windsor, Richmond!

Is Dental Implant Treatment Painful?

Dental Implants

When most people hear the word dentist they immediately think of pain and discomfort. This might be because of a bad experience in the past with toothache or having a tooth extracted. In many cases, it is an entirely unfounded misconception  Whilst a dental emergency may be painful and require a visit to the dentist, the truth is that with the modern techniques and advanced training of dentists today, it is rarely the procedure itself that is painful. For a planned procedure such as dental implant treatment, you can be assured of a totally painless experience.

If you have been considering dental implants, but have found yourself worrying about whether or not the treatment hurts, do not fear – it is a completely natural concern. In this article, we take a closer look at the process to help to put your mind at rest.

Why choose to have dental implants?

Dental implants are a permanent solution to missing teeth and are suitable for almost all patients. Unlike other options such as crowns and bridges, they do not have compromise your remaining, healthy teeth. They provide you with stable and natural looking replacement teeth, whilst at the same time helping to restore the strength and stability of the jaw by replacing not just the missing tooth itself but also the root.

Apart from the obvious visual implications of missing teeth, which can severely undermine our confidence and sense of self-esteem, there are hidden dangers of missing teeth – especially when gaps are allowed to remain for longer periods of time. This can include shrinking of the bone which may cause your natural teeth to drift or move. Eventually, increased weakness can cause the loss of additional teeth. The receding jaw bone can also often have the effect of causing us to look older than we are.

As well as helping you to look and feel great again, dental implants prevent such problems arising both now and in the long term future.

How do dental implants work?

Dental implants are made up of three components – the implant, the abutment, and the crown.

The implant plays the most important role, as it helps to restore strength to the jaw as well as forming a strong base for the replacement tooth. Dental implants are made of high-quality titanium, which is biocompatible. This allows it to bond and fuse with the natural bone around it so that it becomes an integral part of your jaw.

Once the implant is fully bonded, the abutment can be fitted, and finally the crown, leaving you with a replacement tooth that looks and feels completely natural.

What does the treatment process look like?

Here at Winning Smiles Dental Surgery, we follow a four-step process for dental implants.
1. Agree on a treatment plan Next, you’ll have an appointment will your dentist who’ll conduct thorough examinations and take x-rays if required. This will help to check if any preliminary work is required prior to the implant treatment. Your personalized treatment plan will then be agreed.

2. Have your implants placed Your dentist will fit your implants. The entire procedure is conducted under local anesthetic so you will feel absolutely nothing during the treatment

3. Healing and bonding time It takes from 12 to 14 weeks for your implant to integrate with your bone. During this time, you’ll have a temporary cover to protect it.

4. Get your new teeth You’ll return to our clinic for your dentist to fit your final tooth crown or bridge. Now you can enjoy your new teeth.

What about recovery and aftercare?

As with any surgical procedure, everybody’s experience is different. The vast majority of patients state that they feel nothing more than mild discomfort afterwards, most often during the healing stage. In most cases, patients are pleasantly surprised by the lack of any pain during the procedure itself.

To help you to stay comfortable, your dentist will prescribe painkillers and antibiotics and may recommend ice packs for use after your implant procedure.

Your implantologist will always go through what you need to do to ensure a quick and successful recovery. Should you have any questions or concerns following your treatment, we are never more than a phone call away.

Ready to restore your smile? Call us today

If you are interested in dental implant surgery, give the team at Winning Smiles Dental Surgery call today on Blacktown: 02 9622 3333 and  Denham Court: 02 9157 1000 to book your appointment now!