What's a Prosthodontist?

We get asked that question too many times. To be honest if I wasn't a Dentist I would be asking the same question. We live in a world of information overload and Dentistry to the lay person is no different. So here's an explanation about what A/Professor Max Guazzato does and why he is a "Prosthodontist"

Dental and medical specialities historically grew out of the need to provide the best available treatment where the treatment required is far more complex, more clinically and technically demanding. The specialty of prosthodontics came about in exactly this way. A Prosthodontist is a specialist dentist who is specifically trained at an advanced level to provide advanced diagnosis, treatment planning, restorative treatment and maintenance of the mouth to achieve optimal comfort, aesthetics and health. It takes three years of full time study in a Doctorate of Clinical Dentistry in addition to the Bachelor degree to become a dentist. So yes A/Prof Max Guazzato definitely has done all the training and ticked all the boxes (and more) to be recognised by the Australian Dental Board as a Prosthodontist and also a Professor of Prosthodontist (USyd).

The work of a prosthodontist is often related to restoring missing teeth, deficient or broken teeth, restoring function and maintenance of the mouth and smile. The treatment planning and restoration of implants, crowns, fixed bridges, dentures, porcelain veneers, temporomandibular therapy and rehabilitation of the bite all fall under the field of prosthodontics. So the next time your general dentist refers you on to see a Prosthodontist such as A/Prof. Max, I hope this helps explain why you're being referred!

Dr. Guazzato awarded first prize at Sydney University

Dr. Guazzato continues to contribute to progress in the dental field with his internationally acknowledged studies. In 2009, a research conference at the University of Sydney research recognised his contribution with first prize accolades.

Dr. Guazzato presented research questioning the thermal compatibility between porcelain and Zirconia ceramics. Zirconia ceramics and porcelains are used in dental crowns, bridges and also dental implant components. Dr. Guazzato’s study found that the long term success of dental ceramics rely on the design of the crown, bridge or implant and also by the way they are handled in the laboratory and in the clinic.

What does this mean to our patients? It means that at DentArtisans we are constantly thinking about the materials that we use in the mouth and how they affect you. We consider what we put into your mouth, how they are designed and handled to make sure that it is of the best quality possible in todays market.

If you’d like the nitty gritty details of the research, it would be our pleasure to send you the international scientific publications that Dr. Guazzato and his team have written. Alternatively, if you’d need a crown, bridge, implant for your teeth we can look after you. Feel free to email us at smile@dentartisans.com.au or call us on 9518 7832.

Tips to encourage tooth brushing in children

Do you find it a struggle at times to brush your children' s teeth? Here are some tips that we find that helps our child look forward to brushing his teeth:

• play and sing Lah Lah’s big live band “Brush your teeth" song on CD or DVD
  
  
• place stickers on a DentArtisans brushing calendar. When the chart is full of stars offer your child a treat
  
  
• brush with a 2 minute sand timer (Ask us for one at your next check up visit)
  
  
• use a “show and tell” method which means while you brush your own teeth allow your child to watch and imitate
  
  
• Brush in the bath tub
  
  
• Take your child along for a professional dental check up at DentArtisans. We will go through tooth brushing and dental care in a fun way!
  

More about Diet and Dental Decay

Even dentists have a share in such a statement. At DentArtisans, we consider ourselves as diet sleuths. That’s because we can often see how diet can contribute to dental issues. Those issues include decay and erosion of teeth.

There is an established link between good teeth, gums and a good diet. Food choices and frequency are key factors as to why many people develop decay. Each time we eat or drink, sugars touch the teeth and help plaque acids attach to the tooth surfaces. The more frequent we snack the more times the plaque acid has a chance to penetrate to form tooth decay.

Did you know that Australians consume approximately $1.6 billion per year in soft drinks? The Australian Bureau of Statistics, suggest that the intake of soft drinks in Australia has grown rapidly in the past 30 years from around 47.3 L per person per year in 1969 to 113 L per person (children and adults) in 1999. Soft drinks, as well as fruit juices, are responsible for the increase for sugar in the diet and also relates to development of tooth decay.

Not only does a can of soft drink contain as much as 11 teaspoons of sugar, it also contains phosphoric acid and citric acid. These acids can permanent damage teeth by a process called “erosion”.

At DentArtisans, we are vigilant in the prevention of decay and erosion. Here are some things that we recommend that you can do to prevent such problems:

• Limit fruit juices and soft drinks - milk and water is a better alternative.
• Drink plenty of water in between and during meals.
• Avoid sipping sweetened drinks over a long period of time.
• Minimise snacking in between main meals and when snacking give preferences to nutritious foods.
• Chewing sugar free gum after a meal can help lower your risk of dental decay.
• If you drink alcohol, try to do so with your meals. Wines, beers and spirits can be highly acidic. Drinking acidic beverages during meal times reduce the potential for acid to compromise the teeth in comparison to without meals.
• If you are taking prescribed medications, it may create dry mouth. See our updates on dry mouth for more details.
• Brush twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste, floss daily and have six monthly dental check ups.
• At your dental check up, we can also recommend products to replace loss of minerals due to acid attack in the teeth. This includes products such as “Tooth Mousse”, high fluoride and “ClinPro” pastes.
  

To book in your next decay preventive dental check up with Dr. Linda Quach, Dr. Max Guazzato, Dr. Andrew See or Dr. Jacob Smith call us on 9518 7832.

Prevent Decay with Fissure Sealants

What are fissure sealants?
The biting surfaces of the back teeth naturally have tiny deep pits and grooves called fissures. The fissures are so small that not even a toothbrush bristle can reach and clean it when you brush your teeth. Decay which eventuate as holes in the teeth may form when plaque or bacteria get trapped in these deep grooves. A preventive option to protect your teeth from decay and plaque is by sealing up these deep grooves with a coating known as a fissure sealant. A fissure sealant is a tooth coloured liquid-like substance which turns into a hard resin coating that bonds into the grooves of the teeth, therefore, protecting your teeth from decay.

Procedure for fissure sealants
The whole procedure to have a fissure sealant applied to your tooth is quick and painless.

•We make sure that there is no decay or plaque in the tooth.
•It is important to keep the area dry and away from your saliva when applying the fissure sealant. The sealant might not bond properly if the tooth gets wet.
•The fissure sealant is painted onto the biting surface of your back tooth filling the grooves and pits.
•Then the sealant is hardened by using a special kind of light that “cures” the sealant, therefore sealing up these deep grooves and pits. Once it hardens, the tooth is ready for use.

Who needs fissure sealants?
At DentArtisans we believe that the best time to have fissure sealants done is when the adult permanent molar teeth first emerge into the mouth. Usually for children, the first permanent molar tooth pops out at around the age of six. It is recommended to seal these new teeth, as soon as they come out, with a fissure sealant so that it provides a protective coating to prevent decay from forming in them.

To schedule in appointment for your fissure sealants with Dr. Linda Quach, Dr. Max Guazzato, Dr. Andrew See or Dr. Jacob Smith call us on 9518 7832

Bonjela Teething Gel Warnings

The issue with Bonjela Teething Gel, as sold in Australia, is the active ingredient, choline salicylate. In Europe, Bonjela Teething Gel contains Lidocaine hydrochloride and cetalkonium chloride and does not have choline salicylate in it. Choline salicylate belongs to a group of medications called NSAIDS (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory DrugS) which act by reducing the inflammation of the gums and hence reduces the pain of teething. The salicylate family includes common over-the- counter drugs such as Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) and Dencorub (methyl salicylate). Click here to view a comprehensive list of Salicylates to avoid.

As oral choline salicylate is structurally related to Aspirin (salicylic acid), and Aspirin is known to be associated with Reye's Syndrome, it is therefore possible that overuse can result in a child developing Reye's Syndrome. Reye's syndrome is a potentially fatal disease that causes detrimental effects to organs; particularly the brain, liver and kidneys. The disease causes “fatty liver” and severe encephalopathy (with swelling of the brain).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that aspirin and combination products containing aspirin not be taken by anyone under 19 years of age during fever-causing illnesses. On the 21st April 2009, the Medicines and Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advised that products containing choline salicylate should not be used on children and adolescents under the age of 16. Such a warning is purely precautionary.

A review article published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine in January 2007 by J.E. Davis noted that there were some well documented deaths and life threatening toxicity in children under 6 yrs of age after a dosage of less than 5mLs (one teaspoon) of Oil of Wintergreen. Oil of Wintergreen contains 98% choline salicylate. The data from the study was obtained from a review of the existing medical literature on methyl salicylate (e.g. Dencorub) poisoning and data compiled over the past two decades by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC).
Dentartisans recommend that you avoid choline salicylate in children and adolescents under the age of 16. Alternative teething remedies you can use are: teething rings, rusks, cold teaspoon, ice, chilled fruits, toys with various hard and soft textures and cuddles. Nurofen for Children or Panadol for Children will also help. Herbal teething gels are also available on the market. These gels may work and but there are as yet, no available documented studies related to them. They may also have side effects of their own.

List of Salicylics to Avoid

Reye's syndrome is a potentially fatal disease that causes detrimental effects to organs; particularly the brain, liver and kidneys. The disease causes “fatty liver” and severe encephalopathy (with swelling of the brain).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that aspirin and combination products containing aspirin not be taken by anyone under 19 years of age during fever-causing illnesses. This includes the recent Medicines and Healthcare products and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advice that products containing choline salicylate (e.g. Bonjela) should not be used on children and adolescents under the age of 16.

Below are a list of Salicylics (same family as Aspirin) commonly found in over the counter products to avoid:

Acetyl Salicylic Acid
Acetylsalicylate
Acetylsalicylic Acid
Aluminum Acetyl Salicylate
Ammonium Salicylate
Amyl Salicylate
Arthropan
Aspirin
Benzyl Salicylate
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Calcium Acetyl Salicylate
Choline Salicylate
Ethyl Salicylate
Lithium Salicylate
Methyl Salicylate
Methylene Disalicylic Acid
Octisalate
Octyl Salicylate
Phenyl Salicylate
Procaine Salicylate
Sal Ethyl Carbonate
Salicylamide
Salicylanilide
Salicylsalicylic Acid
Santalyl Salicylate
Sodium Salicylate
Stoncylate
Strontium Salicylate
Sulfosalicylic Acid
Tridecyl Salicylate
Trolamine Salicylate

Dentartisans recommend that you avoid choline salicylate in children and adolescents under the age of 16.