Dear patients,

COVID-19 has been a very difficult time for all of us. Many of you were forced to wait for dental care, and we deeply appreciate your understanding while we kept our practice closed to help control the spread of the coronavirus.

Most of you are probably aware that we are back to full work hours and are seeing all patients once again.

Your health and well-being continue to be our highest priority, and we are ONLY opening because we have carefully planned and revised our practice procedures to greatly minimize the risk of infection for our patients and our team members. Our own families are also patients here, so you can be assured that we’ll be taking care of you just as well as we’ll be taking care of them.

For your peace of mind, the measures we will be taking to provide a safe dental treatment experience include, but are not limited to, the following:

Upon Your Arrival at the practice
● Patients will be screened BEFORE entering the practice and temperatures will be checked on entry. Any patients showing signs of a fever or other symptoms of illness will be asked to reschedule their appointment.
● ONLY patients and guardians be allowed entry into the practice. We ask that a second parent and other family members wait outside whenever possible.
● Patients are asked to wait in their cars or outside the practice until their scheduled appointment time. We will call you when we are ready to take you into the clinic room.
● The waiting area chairs have been reduced in number and will be spaced apart to allow for social distancing.
● We will ask that you continue to practice social distancing measures in common areas of the practice, including the front desk.
● The front door handles are cleaned between each patient entry. Internal doors will be regularly disinfected and handled by staff only.
● There will be no physical contact with patients with the exception of treatment.

During Treatment
● All treatment rooms will be disinfected before each patient is seated, and public areas, including restrooms, will be cleaned and disinfected frequently throughout the day.
● Our team will STRICTLY follow guidelines set forth by the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention, Occupational Health Services Australia, and Australian Dental Association in regards to personal protective equipment (PPE), practice disinfection and sterilization of reusable instruments.
● During patient care, goggles or protective glasses will be worn by staff and disinfected between patients.
● All surfaces that came in contact with the patient will be wiped with disinfectant including the patient chair and the accessory chair where the patient placed their personal items.

Checking Out After Your Appointment
● After every transaction, the checkout desk and will be wiped with a disinfectant.
● We prefer financial transactions using electronic means and not cash wherever possible. We ask patients to swipe their own health fund cards through the eftpos terminal and that you “hover” your cards over the terminal so no contact is made.
● For staff and patient protection we have fitted a “sneeze screen” on the front desk to help minimize aerosol spread of infection. Transactions will be undertaken through a slot under the screen.

We are proceeding with an abundance of caution, but we want you to feel as confident as we do that any visit you make to our practice will be a safe one.

We also realize that many of you have been impacted financially during this outbreak, and we are offering some solutions to keep dental care affordable for you and your family.

To discuss these payment options, schedule an appointment, or ask us any questions you may have about your next visit, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 07 3359 1996

We look forward to seeing you soon!
Dr Martin Jest and Staff

There are a number of possible causes of an aching jaw. Until the
problem causing the pain is corrected, jaw ache can cause make it difficult to
chew or drink. Severe jaw pain can even cause headaches and can be a symptom of
a bad infection or even heart problems.

Is an aching jaw serious?

Not all jaw ache is a symptom of a serious condition. It can be
caused by innocuous activities like excessive gum chewing or jaw clenching
resulting from stress. This results in simple exhaustion of the jaw muscles and
are easily correctable once diagnosed by
a health care professional.

Sometimes the sources of jaw ache are not always so easy to pin
down. They can be neurological, muscular, or pathological (caused by an
infection). A visit to the dentist can determine if achy jaws are caused by a
breakdown in oral health. Then they can usually be easily corrected by a
dentist or an oral surgeon.

What’s causing the ache?

The most common cause of dental-related jaw pain is the existence of cavities, which can be corrected with a simple filling. Pay attention to the pain and act quickly however, as pain is an indication the hole may be quite large.

Tooth abscesses are a bit more serious as an internal infection in
the tooth can migrate to the jaw bone causing the jaw to ache. A speedy visit
to the dentist is required where a  root
canal therapy or extraction may be required. Although we prefer not, a course
of antibiotics  may be prescribed by your
dentist if it is necessary to clear up the infection. Just remember however
antibiotics from a health care provider are never the solution alone as your
dentist has to remove the cause of the infection.

Gum disease can also affect the jaw area making your jaws ache
with a periodontal (around the tooth) abcess or loose tooth.

Teeth grinding causes jaw pain and you may not even be aware you
are doing this while you sleep. Your dentist can mold a dental guard, so teeth
aren’t worn by constant grinding and recommend stress release techniques so you don’t experience jaw pain from tension.

Misalignment of teeth due to over and under-bites or missing teeth
can also cause pain. This can be corrected by orthodontics (braces), dental
appliances, or dental implants.

The eruption of wisdom teeth is a very common cause of jaw ache
and something many people suffer from. Wisdom teeth can partly erupt and impact,
creating infection and pain in the jaw bone. Your dentist can remedy this
all-too-common problem by removing your wisdom teeth.

When it’s not your teeth

Some causes of jaw ache are not dental-related even though the pain is experienced in the jaw area. Like pain from earaches or sinus infections, or heart pain on exercise. Once your oral health professional has ruled out dental-related causes for the pain they may suggest you see your general practitioner or a neurologist for further treatment.

True or false: The condition of your mouth can say quite a bit about your overall health?

Answer: True!

How is this possible? Just like most other parts of your body, your mouth contains bacteria. Millions, in fact. But the mere existence of bacteria in the mouth isn’t a problem… actually, it is a good thing. The problem is that when you aren’t in the best health, the types of bacteria in your mouth can become unbalanced. This can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral infections. Conditions that affect your dental health include:

• Diabetes. This condition reduces your body’s ability to fight infections, which puts your overall health – including your dental health – at risk.
• HIV/AIDS. People with uncontrolled HIV/AIDS can often get painful mucosal lesions in their mouth.
• Osteoporosis. If you have osteoporosis, your bones loose density and weaken as they loose Calcium, this includes the bone that supports your teeth. You have a greater risk of loosing teeth through gum disease.
• Alzheimer’s disease. People suffering from Alzheimer’s tend to have progressively poorer dental health, this is due to not remembering to clean properly,  or loosing the desire or capability to brush and floss.

Sometimes, issues in your mouth are not necessarily caused by overall poor health. For example, taking some blood pressure medications or antidepressants for mental health can affect the body’s production of saliva causing dry mouth (Xerostomia), Saliva fights bacteria, so its lack causes  loss of ability to keep the levels of bacteria in the mouth in check, resulting in oral health issues.

It also works the other way too. Not taking care of your dental health can lead to issues in other areas of your body. Prime examples include:

• Endocarditis. This is an infection of the inner lining of your heart. This can happen when bacteria from one part of your body, such as your mouth, get in your bloodstream and latch onto any damaged areas of your heart.
• Cardiovascular disease. Growing evidence suggests that problem bacteria in your mouth could be linked to clogged arteries, heart disease, and increased risk for stroke.
• Pregnancy and birth. Poor oral health and gum disease can be factors involved in premature birth and a low birth weight.

Obviously, making an appointment to see your doctor is important for your overall health. But don’t forget regular visits to your dentist either! They know what to look for regarding your dental health, which can offer telling glimpses into your general well-being.

Those who take good care of their oral health and especially their teeth, tend not to face dental emergencies and unsightly decay. Apart from this, recent scientific research is finding that poor oral health has links with cardiovascular disease and even possibly Alzheimers disease. If these findings prove true a healthy mouth consequently is a roadway to a healthy body.  Therefore, we should keep our teeth and mouth clean and well maintained. If we do, we can expect to have a happier healthier life less prone to chronic disease as we age.

Reasons for Teeth Staining and Yellow Appearance

Our teeth are really very resistant to staining but if we eat and drink some things they will darken, as the enamel is porous and traps staining material.

• Those who regularly drink coffee and tea will usually have yellower teeth.
• Smokers are more prone to stained teeth.
• Improper brushing is also a factor which contributes, as plaque and hard deposits build up on the teeth which also stain.
• Heavy alcohol consumption can stain teeth depending on the type.
• Cannabis smoking causes a green grey staining, dry mouth and often contributes to dental neglect whch allows staining to enter softened enamel.
• Tetracycline antibiotics given during tooth development cause a dark brown/grey internal staining.

Brushing is Not the Only Thing

The yellowish shade caused by surface stains on your teeth does gets lighter with daily brushing but it does not completely go away if it has penetrated into the enamel. With time, the enamel of your teeth does thin and wear especially if we eat very abrasive foods, brush with too abrasive toothpaste (smokers toothpaste), grind our teeth or drink acidic beverages, this thinning makes the yellower dentine underneath show through more and cause the tooth to appear darker. In addition as soon as the enamel is penetrated and the underlying dentine is exposed teeth are more prone to stains. In this situation brushing daily and even flossing are not enough to help. With the newest possible dental care products, getting rid of most yellowing and staining in teeth is not a big deal, unless it has been caused by Tetracycline antibiotics where bleaching has to be undertaken over many weeks to be successful. Sometimes we may need to mask the stain with veneers or crowns.

Do not Purchase a Wrong Product

There are many types of dental care products which promise you wonderful results – beware! Whitening strips are one such product.  They make the yellowish teeth appear white but, they are not able to do so for a long period of time. Similarly, many toothpastes make the same claim but not much difference is seen.

How to Get the Shine Back in Your Teeth?

Consult your dentist. You will be guided in the best way possible. They will suggest the best reasonable treatment for you. Never ever make the decisions about your oral health on your own.  If the problem has just started, they might suggest that you get normal bleaching. It is neither costly nor takes much time. It will help maintain the proper shine of your teeth.

However, there might be some cases in which beaching is not the right solution. Your dentist will certainly let you know what your choices are. Nowadays dentists have different ways which you can get that winning smile once again. The best bleaching system is the home bleach, but it should be supervised by your dentist using custom made bleach trays to stop gum damage. Never use over the counter products unless your dentist prescribes them.

Today’s technology will result in over 90% of people being able to have that whiter and brighter smile.