It seems quite straight forward – baby teeth fall out, adult teeth come in. But it doesn’t always work out that way! If you’re noticing what seem to be adult teeth coming in behind baby teeth that are still there, you might have a few questions or concerns. Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know. For further information and a more detailed examination, make an appointment with a dentist who specialises in gentle, peaceful pediatric dentistry. What does it mean if adult teeth are coming in behind baby teeth? Firstly, while it’s not overly common, this phenomenon is not a huge cause of concern in the dentistry world. Having said that, the problem may not simply ‘go away on its own’. It is a sensible decision to consult a dentist as early on in the process as possible so the situation may be monitored. What causes it? The permanent teeth are growing in from behind the roots of the baby teeth. This means there isn’t that ‘gap’ (pardon the pun) in time when the baby tooth falls out prior to the growth of the adult tooth. Admittedly, most of the time this situation does not require treatment. However, in some cases, your dentist may find due cause to extract the baby tooth in order to make room for the adult tooth to grow in a way that does not misalign the jaw. Will adult teeth coming in behind baby teeth impact my child? This is really a case-by-case basis and, without a close examination of your child’s teeth, a blanket answer cannot be given. You may find that there is some misalignment during the period of growth; this may be temporary or may cause permanent displacement. Luckily, there are solutions if needed! Your child may eventually need braces, or another treatment option. On the other hand, they may need nothing but regular brushing as usual! Speak to Robert Duhig Dentist about any potential preventative measures that you can undertake while your children are still little. A conversation early may prove to be a big saving down the track. Need advice about adult teeth coming in behind baby teeth? Call the friendly team at Robert Duhig Dentist...

For those who have missing or damaged teeth, tooth replacement is probably something that you’ve considered many times. You’ll be more than aware of their importance to your overall dental health – if not your appearance and self-confidence! Your smile is often one of the first things people notice about you, so it’s important to put your best foot forward. Health-wise, your teeth are designed to work as a unit, to help you chew, speak, and smile. When any of them are missing or damaged, these tasks become much harder. It doesn’t matter where the missing or damaged tooth is – even the loss of a back tooth can affect your health, and cause your mouth to shift, your jaw to lose support, and your face to appear older. Thankfully, Robert Duhig Dental have a range of options available to help you get your pearly whites back in fine smiling form! Crowns If you have broken or weakened teeth, crowns can be used to strengthen and improve their appearance. There are two types of crown: Ceramic crowns, which are the most popular, and look the most natural. This is usually the way to go for damaged front teeth. Precious metal crowns, which are the strongest and ideal for people who grind their teeth. They are also the most expensive. Discuss which option will work best for you with your dentist. Whichever way you decide to go, your overall dental health will be the better for it! Veneers If you have teeth that make you self-conscious, it can be a harrowing experience. You may feel the need to only smile with your mouth closed. With veneers, your smile could be back to its sparkling best in no time! Veneers involve the bonding of a thin sliver of porcelain to your tooth. They can restore the structure of any tooth that has been damaged or lost, and reshape it to improve its appearance. They also protect the teeth from further damage. Implants For those with completely missing teeth, implants are probably the way to go. If your missing tooth is impacting your lifestyle, your confidence or appearance, or wreaking havoc on your health, Robert Duhig Dental can use a custom-made artificial tooth that is attached surgically to your jaw bone to fit the gap in your smile. It’s a permanent solution that is natural looking and fully functional. If you’re finding it hard to chew or bite, or your face has sunken due to missing teeth, discuss dental implants with your dentist. For more information about tooth replacement or repair, make an appointment with Robert Duhig Dental today by calling 07 3269 2443...

It’s a whole new year, and it’s time to work on getting your smile into tip-top shape with Robert Duhig Dental, expert dentist in Sandgate! If there’s anything about your smile that has been niggling at you over the past year – a chipped tooth, discolouration, maybe even missing or damage teeth – a shiny new year is the perfect time to start on your shiny new smile. Not only will your teeth look a million bucks, you’ll feel a million bucks! Robert Duhig is the dentist for all your dental needs in Sandgate. Why is now the best time? The most obvious answer to this question is health insurance! Health insurance can be a tricky thing, so here’s a simple run down on how it works. Most health insurance policies have an annual limit or maximum, which is the most amount of money you can claim for certain services within a calendar year. This means that if you bought and claimed a dental procedure in December 2017, you will be able to buy and claim a completely new procedure in January 2018. It’s the best time to get your new year’s resolutions out of the way and work on making your smile beam. What procedures should you consider? Obviously, this depends on your individual health needs, but here at Robert Duhig, we have a range of procedures, based on the latest research and dental technologies, for health and cosmetic procedures. Zoom teeth whitening Some of the foods and drinks we love best, like coffee, wine, and sugary treats, have the unfortunate side effect of discolouring our teeth. So, if your teeth aren’t a lovely bright shade of white any longer, our in-chair Zoom teeth whitening treatment can help get you back to your bright and bubbly best in no time! Crowns Do you have chipped or otherwise damaged teeth? Crowns can be just the answer you’re looking for. Veneers Porcelain bonded to your tooth, a veneer can help repair its overall structure, leaving you with a happy, healthier looking smile. Dental implants If you’re missing any teeth, dental implants can help make your smile flawless again. They’re artificial but look amazingly authentic, and will help make you look years younger. Dental bridges If there are multiple gaps in your smile, discuss the possibility of a dental bridge with Robert Duhig Dental today. It may improve your confidence in your appearance, but also have other health benefits, such as improved chewing and digestion. Teeth straightening If you’ve got unseemly looking teeth or there’s something bothering you about your grin, having your teeth straightened. This can be done using braces or other less invasive means – technology in this area...

As a parent, you want your child to have absolutely every advantage in life. It’s part and parcel of having kids! When adult teeth start to come in and things begin to look not quite right, many parents become concerned and want to know how they can fix the problem. So let’s talk all things gappy teeth! Adult teeth looking gappy First of all, your child is in great company! Many famous, successful AND attractive adults have gappy teeth! Madonna, Woody Harrelson and Brigitte Bardot to name but a few! Having gappy adult teeth is not the worst thing that could happen to your child, so keep that in mind. Do gappy adult teeth need braces? There is no set answer to this question. Having a thorough consultation with a friendly, family dentist will reveal whether there is need for corrective action such as the application of braces. Adult teeth may require braces if there are signs of significant problems down the track, such as pain when eating. Be aware that having gaps between teeth can cause a range of dental problems. It creates more of an opportunity for gum disease, plaque and infections to occur, for example. What else can be done about gaps between adult teeth? Short of corrective surgery, braces or a treatment like Invisalign to attempt to close the gaps, there is no treatment for adult teeth with gaps between them. It’s simply the luck of the draw and some mouths just have a little more space than others! It’s certainly nothing that you’ve done (or not done) and not something that could have been prevented. What should I worry about? As a parent? Everything! As a parent of a child with gaps between their adult teeth? It’s going to take that consultation with a dentist to come up with a treatment plan to really understand what you’re looking at. For the most part, gaps between adult teeth are an aesthetic concern. Significant gaps that need dental correction will be identified by a dentist but, even then, there’s nothing to worry about. Leave the care of your children’s chompers in the hands of the professionals and let them do the worrying for you! Never fear! Robert Duhig Dentist is here to make it all okay! From baby gums to adult teeth, we’re known as Brisbane’s Gentle Dentists – come and find out...

You may have heard the news recently about Triclosan in toothpaste, and how some international bodies are moving to have it banned. In particular, the US Food Drugs and Alcohol body have banned the substance from all soap products. At this stage, however, they have left it in toothpaste. So what exactly is Triclosan – and why is it an issues? What is Triclosan, and why is it being banned? Triclosan is an antimicrobial substance that has been used in toothpaste, soaps, face wash, shower gel, and various other cosmetics and hygiene products for quite a while now. According the US FDA, the substance has shown a remarkable ability to reduce plaque and gingivitis. Unfortunately, recent animal studies have also shown that Triclosan may be an ‘endocrine disruptor’, meaning that it may lead to reproductive and developmental problems. Due to its anti-bacterial nature, Triclosan can also contribute to antibiotic resistance, which may have an impact on drug-resistant infections. Testing is, however, still at an early stage. For these reasons, Triclosan has been banned in soaps in the US, but not in toothpaste. The main difference behind this reasoning is that toothpaste is applied to a relatively small area, and isn’t consumed or kept in close contact with the skin. Which toothpastes contain it and should I be worried? Currently, Triclosan is not used in every toothpaste brand in Australia so, if you’re worried, you can easily avoid it. Brands like Sensodine are Triclosan free, for example. Many of the toothpastes we sell here at Robert Duhig Dentist are free of Triclosan – feel free to ask! Overall however, Australian dentists do not consider Triclosan a cause for concern at this stage. Studies have concluded that toothpastes using a combination of fluoride and Triclosan outperform those with just fluoride on multiple counts. When used for 6 months, the combination toothpastes reduced plaque by 41%, while gum inflammation was reduced by 22% and gum bleeding by 48%. This is significantly more than the toothpaste containing only fluoride. This makes Triclosan a really useful ingredient to consider if you have gingivitis or gum disease, though it arguably might be unnecessary in other circumstances. What is the nature of the current ban? The FDA didn’t actually conclude that Triclosan in soap was dangerous for human use. Instead, they suggest that some soap manufacturers had not submitted satisfactory safety evidence that their products were more effective than those without Triclosan. Closer to home, Australian federal body the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) has conducted its own study and concluded that there is no concern for the public in regards to Triclosan at this time. You can read the findings of that...

Bad breath is embarrassing but it’s something everyone will experience at one time or another. Garlic and onions often get a bad rap, and though it’s true that some foods can produce unpleasant odours to develop inside your mouth, this kind of bad breath is usually short-lived. Halitosis is more persistent and, often times, the sufferer is unaware of the problem. Read on to discover the causes of halitosis, who is most at risk of developing it and what you can do to treat the problem. What causes halitosis? Bad breath is caused by three different odourous gases that are released when bacteria begins to break down proteins in the mouth. These bacteria colonise on the tongue and at the back of the throat. In most cases, oral bacteria is a normal occurrence, but halitosis sufferers have an imbalance of bacteria that no amount of brushing or mouth wash can fix. Certain foods can exacerbate the problem, but eliminating them from your diet will not guarantee an end to the bad breath. Are you at risk? There are some factors which can make you more susceptible to halitosis and these include: dental problems including poor oral hygiene and gum disease dry mouth, which can be caused by dehydration, alcohol, stress and some medications smoking which deprives the mouth of oxygen nasal and mucous problems including sinusitis and post-nasal drip medical conditions such as some carcinomas, kidney failure and diabetes people with sensory issues who may struggle with oral care due to problems with brush texture or the taste of toothpaste. Unless someone mentions your offensive breath, it can be difficult to know just how bad the problem is. There are certain symptoms which can indicate you have halitosis including: dry mouth a noticeable build up around the teeth a white coating on the tongue, especially at the back a constant sour, metallic taste thick saliva excessive mucous or the frequent feeling of needing to clear the throat. A simple and cost-effective solution Good dental hygiene is first and foremost in maintaining good oral health and avoiding bad breath. But halitosis can occur even when you do everything right. It’s a frustrating and embarrassing problem which can impact on your self-esteem and confidence. Thankfully, cutting edge technology is available to assess the problem and treat it effectively. A quick and non-invasive test measures the gasses in your mouth and, from there, a suitable treatment plan is created to beat bad breath for good. Is bad breath negatively impacting your life? Simple and affordable treatment is available. To book in your Halitosis Testing, call Robert Duhig Dental TODAY on (07) 3269...