Sensitive teeth: the four common causes Sensitivity is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Reaching for a sensitive toothpaste is reasonable, but it treats the feeling rather than the cause — and the cause matters, because two of the four common ones get worse if they are left. 1. Receding gums The root of a tooth…
Teeth grinding: what it does, and what a night splint is for Most people who grind their teeth have no idea they do it. It happens in your sleep, nobody hears it unless they share a bed with you, and the first sign is usually something we spot rather than something you feel. How we…
Preferred provider: what it actually saves you “Preferred provider” is one of those phrases that appears on every dental website and is almost never explained. Here is what it actually changes for you. It is an agreement about price A health fund and a practice agree a set fee for common treatments. In exchange, members…
What the Child Dental Benefits Schedule actually covers A lot of families in Ashburton are entitled to have their children’s dental care bulk billed under Medicare and simply do not know it. The scheme is called the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. Who is eligible Broadly: children aged 2 to 17 for at least one day…
Why your gums bleed when you brush — and why it is not normal Most people who see blood in the sink assume they brushed too hard. Occasionally that is true. Far more often it is the first sign of gum inflammation — and at this stage it is completely reversible. Healthy gums do not…
Knocked out a tooth? The first thirty minutes decide everything An adult tooth that has been knocked clean out can often be saved — but the window is short, and most people lose it in the first few minutes by doing the wrong thing with the best intentions. Pick it up by the crown, not…
