USEFUL ARTICLES

My most adventurous year in dentistry was 1996 which I spent in the remote Torres Strait.  My job was with Queensland health.  The Torres Strait (above the tip of Far North Queensland) consists of about 80 islands, 14 of which are inhabited with a combined population of about 4,500 people. 

It is encouraging in our practice to see the migration of kids in for school holiday’s dental check-ups. I write this month’s article about a common kids scenario, that can be avoided with regular check-ups. Imagine … as general rule, a lot swings at the dentist for children upon the

As the South Australian Economy falls on harder times, we are all seeking opportunities to make prudent savings in our budgets. A bill at some Dentists can be a knockout punch, especially when the event was unexpected such as a broken tooth or an ache developing. As in every industry the client

Having just returned from Cambodia I can say that the warmth of the Cambodian smile is something that will never leave me.  This is especially so given how close to the surface Cambodia’s genocide still is and how pervasive was the social impact during the Pol Pot era (1974-1979). The

The poor souls who have been in this dreadful predicament will tell you that having to make this high pressure on-the-spot decision, often while still in pain, sleep deprived and intoxicated on pain killers, is a dilemma. We are generally poorly informed as members of the public.  We think back

Teeth generally begin to erupt at around 6-8 months of age and once teeth are present the potential for dental decay arises. Saliva in the mouth is natures protection against tooth decay however saliva flow slows down drastically at night (during sleep). Intuitively therefore night time feeding increases the risk

We’ve all been told what not to eat and drink by our dentists. In particular we are told to minimise our exposure to sugar and acidic foods. I would certainly agree that having regard to the things we should minimise in our diet is still definitely the safer ground when

The truth is everyone does it, it is only a question of degree.   Worse still, it is generally beyond our control because for most of us it happens during rapid eye movement sleep.   This is a lighter and less relaxing phase of sleep during which we dream and our brain

When we offer crowns at Dental on Metro, clients often conjure memories of previous crown experiences or crowns they’ve seen in friends or strangers. Traditional dental crowns were like handmade jewellery.   The final result was a combination of (usually) a precious metal like gold, with a fusion of feldspathic porcelain

Sorry smokers, this had to come up in one of my articles.  It wouldn’t be an epiphany for smokers that smoking is ‘bad for your teeth’.  But what goes on? Two gum conditions are commonly recognised by dentists; Gingivitis and Periodontitis.  Gingivitis simply translates into inflammation of the gums (the