Dental and oral health care clinic T&M

Visiting the dentist with your child

A well-timed visit to the dentist is important for everyone's teeth.
Two years is an excellent age to take your child to your dentist in Rotterdam for the first time. This can be done, for example, when you go for a check-up visit yourself. Your child can look around the practice during the very first visit. This way it will become familiar with the environment and the staff.

Dental treatments during pregnancy

Tell your dentist prior to your checkup that you are pregnant. For the first three months of pregnancy, he is reluctant to take x-rays, just to be on the safe side. Sometimes extensive dental treatments are postponed until after delivery. However, you can undergo most dental treatments during pregnancy without risk.

Get rid of that plaque

To keep your mouth healthy, you need to remove plaque. This white-yellow layer is difficult to see and forms on and between your teeth and at the junction with your gums. Plaque consists of bacteria and products of bacteria. They are in your mouth. Almost all of our food and drink contains sugars and starches. Sugars are added to many foods (soft drinks, for example), but there are also naturally occurring sugars in products (fruits, for example). The bacteria in your mouth convert sugars and starches into acids. Those acids cause cavities in your teeth.

Dental plaque also causes inflamed gums. If you don't remove plaque properly, the bacteria in the plaque cause your gums to become inflamed. Unremoved plaque hardens and calcifies into tartar. New plaque easily sticks to tartar. As a result, your gums become increasingly inflamed. The inflammation can spread and affect the jawbone underneath. Eventually, so much jawbone can disappear that your teeth become loose.

Take the plaque test

Did you brush properly? Is all plaque gone? Check your brushing performance with a plaque tester. It is a useful tool to make plaque visible. After brushing your teeth, chew the tablet and spread the dye over your teeth with your tongue. Then rinse away the excess dye with a small sip of water. Do you still see red spots on your teeth? That's plaque. So brush better!

Dentures are placed immediately

In the past, before getting dentures, people would walk around without teeth for a while. Nowadays, this is no longer necessary. Dentures, also called immediate dentures, are placed in your mouth immediately after the last teeth are pulled. So directly over the fresh wounds. You may think this is a strange idea, but this has a great advantage. In fact, your dentures sit like a bandage on the wounds at first.
When you look in the mirror, you probably have to get used to it. After all, your mouth is an important eye-catcher and it has changed. Take a few days to get used to it and only then evaluate how you look with your new teeth.

The first day with dentures

Your new dentures probably won't sit comfortably the first day. It may clench and sometimes cause pain. Still, you should not remove it from your mouth. Because your gums may swell afterwards, the dentures will no longer fit properly in your mouth.

Post-bleeding

For the first few hours after pulling your teeth, the wounds may bleed a little. This may color your saliva red. This will stop fairly soon. Then your saliva will also return to its normal color. This does not mean that the wounds have healed completely. It is also best not to rinse for the first 24 hours. This is because blood clots will form in the wounds. If you rinse, those clots will come off and the bleeding will start again. Drinking is okay.
There is a small chance that the bleeding will not stop despite the precautions taken. In that case, warn your dentist. Also contact if you keep having pain. In any case, do not take just any painkiller. Some painkillers can actually make the bleeding worse. Discuss with your dentist what you should or should not do in the first 24 hours.

Getting used to the dentures

Only after the first day may the dentures out of your mouth. Depending on what you have agreed upon, your dentist will do it or you will do it yourself. Be careful of the wounds if you are allowed to do it yourself. Rinse and brush the dentures clean. To clean your mouth, gently rinse it with lukewarm water. You can add a little salt to that, if necessary. You can also use a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine, such as Perio-Aid or Corsodyl, available at the drugstore for this purpose. Rinsing with lukewarm chamomile tea is also very good. After a few days, the wounds will begin to heal and the pain will disappear. You will then slowly get used to your dentures. This takes time. Some will adjust faster than others. Are you having a lot of trouble with it? Then ask your practitioner for advice.

Sometimes it is necessary to remove a tooth. This procedure is usually painless, thanks to anesthesia. You can also contact us for the extraction of wisdom teeth.

A veneer is a shield of porcelain or composite that is made on the tooth. This enhances the shape or color of a tooth.
A veneer is usually made to beautify teeth. For example, the dentist can fill a gap between your teeth, repair chipped corners, whiten discolored teeth and hide crooked teeth.

A composite veneer can be applied by the dentist in one treatment. A porcelain veneer is made in a dental laboratory. This requires at least two visits to the dentist.

Placement of a porcelain veneer
During the first visit, the dentist grinds off a thin layer of the enamel of the tooth to be treated. This allows the veneer to fit snugly over your tooth and feel comfortable. Using an impression of your abraded tooth, the dentist creates a veneer that closely matches the shape, color and size of the other teeth. During the second visit, the dentist will place the new veneer.

Placing a composite veneer
A composite veneer consists of the same material as a filling. In this application, the tooth is treated with acid beforehand to make it rougher. This will make the veneer adhere better. Then the dentist applies the composite layer by layer, creating a veneer that matches the rest of your teeth.

Fluoride is a substance that makes teeth stronger and protects them from acid attacks. Taking care of teeth with fluoride toothpaste or mouthwash two to three times a day helps prevent cavities. If fluoride toothpaste does not help enough (because of too little fluoride), fluoride treatment can be performed.

During fluoride treatment, fluoride gel is applied to the teeth using denture mouthpieces. These bits must be held in the mouth for ten minutes, with the jaws together. Fluoride can also be applied to the teeth with a cotton swab or brush.

Who does this treatment apply to?

A fluoride treatment is performed by a dentist or dental hygienist. There are vulnerable groups that require regular fluoride treatment. These include:

• Children
• People with hyposialia (people who have too little saliva production)
• People with an autoimmune disease such as Sjögren's syndrome due to inflammation of the salivary glands
• People who have had radiation in the head and neck area that has damaged salivary glands
• Orthodontic appliances
• People with poor motor skills, making proper brushing difficult
• With sensitive teeth or exposed dental necks

Root canal treatment is done under local anesthesia if your tooth tissue is still (partially) "alive". Anesthesia is sometimes not necessary if your tooth tissue has already died. Often your dentist will take one or more X-rays. This gives him good control over the course of the treatment. Your dentist first opens your tooth and removes the inflamed tissue. Then he cleans the canal with small files and rinses it with a disinfectant rinsing solution. Next, the canals are filled. After root canal treatment, your Groningen dentist reseals your tooth with a filling. If the molar is weakened, a crown may be necessary. A tooth treated this way can last for a long time.

Can root canal treatment be performed on every tooth?

Sometimes your dentist cannot perform root canal treatment because of additional problems. The tooth may need to be removed. With your dentist, you can discuss possible solutions for replacing your lost tooth. For example, consider a bridge.

An implant is best compared to an artificial root. An implant replaces an absent tooth root and is inserted into the jaw like a screw. Implants are made of a body-friendly material, such as titanium. Sometimes they are coated with a ceramic layer. The implant provides hold for a crown, bridge or overdentures.

When are implants used?

When one tooth or molar is missing. The dentist places a crown of metal or ceramic on the implant.
In the absence of several teeth or molars. In this situation, the implants are provided with a fixed bridge. A bridge is a replacement of one or more missing teeth and/or molars that is not removable for the patient.
When all teeth are missing, an overarching prosthesis can be placed on implants (usually two). This is clicked onto the implants.

When is implant treatment possible?

In principle, anyone with a mature jawbone (from about eighteen years of age) can have an implant placed. For a successful treatment, however, you must meet some conditions:

- You must have sufficient jawbone for anchoring the implants.
- Your jawbone must be healthy.
- The gums of the remaining teeth must be healthy. If it is not, it will be treated first.
- You must be willing to properly maintain the fitted appliances.

The dentist will use X-rays to assess whether you have sufficient jawbone and whether it is healthy. Nowadays, it is possible to create new jawbone in places where there is too little of it.

Oral hygiene is the daily care of the mouth and teeth to keep them healthy and prevent caries and gum disease, thus also minimizing the risk of focal infections. The purpose of cleaning the teeth includes removing food debris, plaque, and stains of all kinds (wine, coffee, and nicotine).

Many dental problems arise from the prolonged presence (longer than 24 hours) of plaque. Dental hygienists and dentists recommend the timely removal of plaque by brushing teeth at least twice a day.

Healthy gums. What do they look like?

Healthy gums are pink, tight around teeth, and do not bleed when you brush your teeth.

How can I tell if my gums are inflamed?
Red, swollen or bleeding gums usually indicate inflamed gums. Your entire gum tissue may be inflamed. But the inflammation can also be localized, such as between two teeth. Inflamed gums are sometimes accompanied by a foul taste in your mouth or bad breath. It rarely hurts, but the gums can be sensitive when you touch them. You will notice this when you use toothpicks, interdental brushes or dental floss.

What causes inflamed gums?
Plaque at the junction of your gums with your teeth and plaque that sits between your teeth cause inflamed gums. If you don't remove plaque properly, the bacteria in the plaque cause your gums to become inflamed. Plaque that is not removed can harden and calcify into tartar. New plaque easily sticks to tartar. This causes the gums to become increasingly inflamed. A plaque remover is a useful tool to make plaque visible. It is a chewable tablet with dye that colors plaque on the teeth.

Permanent molars sometimes have deep grooves and pits in the chewing surfaces that are difficult to keep clean with a toothbrush. To prevent cavities, the grooves and pits can be filled with a fissure lacquer. This is called sealing.
First, the molars are thoroughly cleaned with a brush and polishing paste. The molars are then roughened with an acidic agent (etching). This allows the fissure varnish to adhere well to the molars. After soaking, the etching is rinsed away and the molar is blown dry. Then the plastic varnish is applied. The varnish hardens by itself or is cured with a blue lamp. The treatment usually does not hurt and takes a few minutes per molar.

Smoking, drinking too much tea or coffee or eating highly colored foods can cause tarnish on your teeth. These are extrinsic discoloration, discoloration from the outside. There are toothpastes on the market that can help remove tarnish, but they cannot change the color of the teeth.
The oral care provider can whiten your teeth using a bleaching gel. Treatment with bleaching gel is easy, safe and virtually painless. However, it is important to perform this treatment under the supervision of an oral health care provider. Prefer not to buy universal bleaching kits from random outlets or over the Internet.

Anything can break down, including your dentures. Although dentures are made of very strong synthetic resin, they can be damaged, for example. A few examples of denture damage:

• The dentures are broken in half;
• There is a small (or larger) tear or crack in the denture;
• A tooth or molar has broken off;
• A molar or tooth has come loose from the denture;
• A small corner of the denture has broken off.

For all damages, you need a denture repair quickly. After all, with broken dentures, it's just hard to eat, laugh and talk.

Causes for denture damage

How can dentures break? Here are the most common causes:

A denture can fall. This can happen, for example, while cleaning the dentures. If the dentures then fall on a stone floor, they may break or teeth may fall out.
Dentures may be damaged because they do not fit properly. Tears or cracks can then appear in the denture during chewing or biting off, such as because there is too much tension on the base. Incidentally, ill-fitting dentures can cause other problems, such as bad breath.
The denture can be damaged if you bite down on something hard. For example, opening a crown cap with your artificial teeth is really not a good idea.