New year’s resolution – looking after your teeth

Have you made any resolutions for this year? If not, a good one would be to commit to taking care of your teeth. If you want your teeth to last your lifetime, you need to work at looking after them. That means regular visits to a hygienist and dentist in Mackay, as well as careful brushing and flossing at home.

Here at Walkerston Dental in Walkerston GP SuperClinic, Queensland, we believe that preventive dentistry is the key to keeping your teeth healthy and looking good. We want you to keep your natural teeth healthy and strong, and to help you do this we are happy to give you dietary and oral hygiene advice.

Dietary advice

If you’ve been to our dentist in Mackay to have a cavity filled, you may have been given some dietary advice into the bargain. We try to educate our patients on the dangers of eating a lot of sugar, so you don’t have to come and see us as often. It’s good to be aware of what you’re drinking too, as lots of drinks have more sugar in than you might think, plus some drinks can be very acidic.

Oral hygiene advice

As well as regular check-ups with our dentist in Mackay, you should also see our hygienist for a clean every 6 months or so. The hygienist will be able to clean away any tartar build-up that brushing at home can’t remove, and they will give you advice on the best way to keep your teeth sparkly clean at home. You may think you’re too old for lessons on teeth brushing, but you’d be surprised how many people discover they’ve not been using the best techniques.

Flossing is also an important part of your dental hygiene routine, and it’s something that can be hard to get the hang of so our hygienist can give you some helpful tips.

Fissure sealants

The large back teeth can be prone to cavities, as they have deep grooves in them that are hard to keep clean. One defence against cavities is to use fissure sealant. This is a special sealant that is painted onto the tooth, covering the grooves and protecting the tooth from bacterial attack.