We have many patients ask us if they should be using an electric toothbrush. There are so many different options available that sometimes the whole process can be really confusing.  So to make it easier here is some basic information to help you make the choice, and of course as always you’re welcome to ask us at your next appointment.

Both electric and manual toothbrushes are effective at cleaning teeth if you use proper technique and brush well. Overall, an electric toothbrush may make brushing easier, resulting in better plaque removal. Using an electric toothbrush also helps to prevent you from brushing too hard. Too often we see irreversible damage in our patient’s mouths from brushing too hard, with a hard bristled toothbrush.

MANUAL TOOTHBRUSH
When using a manual toothbrush always use a soft bristle with a small head and use a very gentle action. Plaque is very soft and can be removed easily, calculus and staining however cannot be removed with a toothbrush, so brushing harder to try and remove these will only damage your teeth and gums.
​
ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
When choosing an electric toothbrush you have options. You can buy the cheaper entry level models or the more expensive high end options. The only difference between these is the functions, timers, batteries, fancy lights and stands. The head that you choose will work well on any model. We recommend the sensitive head; this causes less damage and is a nice gentle bristle that can be used on the gum margin without discomfort.

The oral B vitality with sensitive head is a great intro into the electric toothbrush world, it’s cheap convenient and easy to buy. Coles/Woolworths/priceline/chemists etc all sell them, prices vary and you can occasionally get them half price from the supermarkets down to around $25. If  after this you find that you love the electric toothbrush you can venture into the higher end models that have better batteries and controls. 

​How do you take care of your children’s teeth.

It’s never too early to start practicing good oral hygiene.

Kids rely on you to make the most important decisions of their little lives, what to eat, where to sleep, when to bath – all of which are in their best interests. But what about their dental health? The right start to your child’s oral hygiene will help lay the path the way for healthy teeth for life.
 
Why is oral hygiene so important?
There is a misconception that baby teeth are not important because they aren’t the permanent teeth. This couldn’t be more wrong. Baby teeth have multiple important functions. One of the main ones is reserving the correct space in the gums for the eruption of permanent teeth. Primary molars need to be kept until your child is between 11 and 13 years old. Losing primary teeth too early due to decay is commonly caused by the prolonged exposure to sweet foods and liquids as well as food acids.
Infants with healthy teeth chew food easily and learn to speak clearly, paving the way for the correct oral development. A child who gets into the habit of looking after their primary teeth is far more likely to look after their adult teeth – a necessity for good oral health, confidence and a brilliant smile.
 
Preventing tooth decay.
Daily brushing for at least 2 minutes and flossing
A balanced diet
Age appropriate Low-fluoride toothpaste
Regular visits to the dentist
 
Remember these important tips.
Clean your child’s teeth before bed – this is more important than brushing in the morning, when we sleep our teeth are more susceptible to acid attack leading to decay.
Limit sugars, found in everything from fruit juice, yogurt to sports drinks etc.
Teach your child to sip on water by the time they reach 12 months.
Try to encourage babies to try to drink from a cup after 12 months.
Don’t leave bottles in the baby’s cot with anything other than water.
 
As soon as your baby has teeth they need to be cleaned. You can do this with a soft cloth or a babies toothbrush. Getting them used to it from an early age will make life easier as they get older.
 
When can a child brush their own teeth.
I like to say when they have good manual dexterity to write their own name fluently. That may be 6 or 7 or even 8 years old. As a parent it may be more important to keep their teeth healthy than teach them independence. Let them learn independence by making their beds and doing other chores. Teeth are too important to be left up to a 4 year old to make sure it’s done properly.
 
Nic’s tips when brushing her children's teeth
“Hi guys, I have 2 boys and we’ve worked out a really good system that works for us so I thought I’d share. We brush our boy’s teeth when they are in bed. We have found this easier because they are laying down and we have really good vision to see their teeth and make sure all surfaces are cleaned well. We put a small amount of toothpaste on their toothbrush and then wet it a little. It’s perfectly fine for the children to swallow because of the small amount. We try to encourage them not to have a drink after brushing as well because that allows the toothpaste to soak into their teeth. We then floss their teeth, it’s most important to floss the teeth that are touching. So because my boys have large gaps between their front teeth we only need to floss between the ones at the back. We use the Supagrip flosser just because it’s easier to get into their small mouths. When they were younger we had periods where they would be fussy and wouldn’t allow us to brush their teeth, usually a quick cheeky threat that we would leave the room without cuddles or their taking their teddies would have them opening up quickly.”

You may have seen Craig’s daughter and Bernie's granddaughter Brittany working around the practice the last few years during school holidays earning some pocket money. She’s a fantastic worker and all the staff really enjoy having her here.

Brittany has basically been swimming her whole life and the last few years have seen her making her mark in the swimming world. In December 2019 Brittany competed at the Queensland State Championships where she won the Queensland Long Course 16 years girl’s 100 metre freestyle final at Chandler, in a personal best time of 56.24 secs winning the gold medal.

Her next competition is in Perth for nationals, we are all so proud of Brittany and can’t wait to see where her swimming career takes her. 

Merry Christmas from all the team at Courtney Dental, we've had a wonderful year and we want to take this time to thank all our patients for their support through the year. It was a tough one with the floods, but it was so amazing to see our community pull together to help each other. 

Last Friday we closed the practice and held our annual Christmas party. Its always a day filled with laughter, fun and too much food. This year was no exception and we have some photographic evidence of the shenanigans that we'll share, we even had Santa, a special friend of Lian's come visit and spread some festive cheer.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year with their loved ones. We are open during the Christmas period, with the exception of the public holidays, so call us on 07 4725 3366 if you need an appointment. 
​

​Did you know at Courtney Dental all our dental providers have studied and trained at Universities within Australia? And that we only use Australian owned companies and laboratories for all our dental related needs. 

​Here at Courtney Dental we participate in The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) which provides basic dental services to children aged between 2 and 17 years. The CDBS lets you claim up to $1000 towards dental treatment. It’s aimed at families who are already receiving other benefits, such as Family Tax Benefit A payments.

At Courtney Dental we really need to work on practicing what we preach because we are well known to enjoy a treat or 2. 
Dental plaque is a sticky invisible film containing thousands of bacteria which grows on teeth in areas we miss when brushing and flossing.

Tooth decay is caused by acid in that dental plaque. Plaque acid attacks the teeth every single time we eat food containing sugar. If you eat 3 meals a day your teeth will suffer 3 acid attacks. For every time you snack in between meals the number of acid attacks increase. This is why dental health professionals recommend keeping snacks to a minimum, especially the sugary snacks. 

Not only does increased frequency of sugary snacks increase your risk of tooth decay, the stickiness of sugary snacks also increases the risk. 

Sugary food that sticks to the teeth takes longer to clear from the mouth, increasing the length of time the acid attacks occurs for. 

Tips for healthy eating and drinking
 - Avoid giving your child any sweet drinks (Fruit juice, soft drinks, cordial) in baby bottles or feeder cups. Baby bottles should be used for expressed breast milk, infant formula or water.
 - Encourage your child to drink from a cup aged 6-12 months
 - Avoid putting your child to sleep with a bottle or feeder cup
 - Limit your child's sugar intake to meal times
 - Provide healthy snacks between meals (Fruit and vegetables, cheese, low sugar yogurt, bread) and limit snacks to twice a day
 - If your child needs regular medication ask your doctor or pharmacist about sugar free alternatives

​At Courtney dental we try to work hard so we can play hard. Well mostly we work hard, when we aren’t in the kitchen eating. Our wonderful Lian recently won a trip to Paris and dragged her long suffering husband along with her for a whirlwind trip lasting 10 nights, just long enough to realise that driving in a different country is enough to lead to divorce. Whilst they have returned safely (And still happily married) they had to face the music to their children, because they went to Disneyland without them and had a fabulous time. They also attended a cooking class, learning to cook duck and  apple tarte tartin. We are still waiting for her to continue her practice and bring us some snacks.  We missed Lian whilst she was away, Krista was very grateful when she returned to have her sidekick back. 

We have news! We love being part of the community and helping local families improve their oral health. It is important to share the message that staying active, eating a healthy balanced diet and taking care of your oral health can have such a positive impact on your life.