I talk about this a lot, but it never ceases to amaze me how little the general public know about oral health. Here are some things people say all the time, so much so that some of these phrases are accepted as a common truth and they cannot be further from the truth!

In my profession as well as in my life, I have come to a realisation that health is not just something we fix when it is broken, it is something we nurture and maintain constantly. Holistic dentists focus on the three aspects of health- biochemical, biophysical and emotional (spiritual) health. They treat teeth, gums and jaws, but look out for possible signs of other problems and work closely with other professionals to help improve overall health, not just dental health. Writing this post, I got a brief introduction into holistic dentistry and changed a few of my own pre-concieved ideas.

Is your dentist ‘greening’ on you?Dentists all over the world are putting their heads together in an effort to make dentistry and its related industries (like materials and equipment manufacture and supply chains) more accountable and environmentally responsible.There are some very simple measures almost every practice can now put in place to become ‘greener’ now, but a lot more can be done in the future to make each dental practice as well as all the materials and equipment, truly eco-friendly.

My 5 month old must be teething. She is chewing on everything from fingers (her own and other people’s) to toys and she drools so much she can run herself a bath almost anywhere.  And I consider myself lucky, some mothers in my mum’s group are at the end of their wits with sooki, irritable […]

On August 29th, the office of the Hon Tanya Plibersek, Minister for Health and The Greens issued a media release announcing a $4b package, over six years, which is aimed at improving access to dental care for children, disadvantaged adults and remote communities. Dentistry hadn’t been in the news this much, well…never and the politicians filled dental clinics all across the country for some snaps with kids in dental chairs. The announcement was welcomed by the Australian Dental Association, the Public Health Association of Australia and many dentists, myself included, across the country. So, how has the benefit of a couple of weeks post-announcement affected my sentiment about it?

Booze is an almost everyday part of life in Australia. A ‘cold one’ just seems to ‘sit’ well with the barbecue on a hot summers day and is almost as iconic as our surf, our weather and our relaxed way of life.When it comes to oral health, however, the effects of alcohol are mostly negative. This article highlights some dangers of alcohol overuse and gives some tips for best prevention of oral health problems.

Healthy people produce an average of 0.6 litres of saliva per day! Most of it is produced in the mid afternoon and only very little is produced at night (this may come as surprise to you, droolers). Sounds like a lot, but can you imagine what life would be like without it? In this article we picture a world without saliva and what consequences that would have to our enjoyment of life.

In case of dental and oral complications, the effects of eating disorders are often irreversible. In simplest terms, the scars of eating disorders are most visible in a person’s smile. Today, eating disorders affect mostly young people and the incidence is growing. These young people are literally being robbed of their beautiful smiles! This post discusses some common dental signs and symptoms and possible dental treatment to prevent severe damage from active eating disorders.

Lively discussion on the SMH website today regarding the misleading advertising of the ‘whitening’ toothpastes by the big brands. I thought it would be worth posting my brief comments on this. Toothpastes do not whiten teeth, they ABRADE teeth. This is risky for those who already experience erosion and abrasion from other sources, so be aware! The […]

HALITOSIS: science speak for bad breath. Most of us have experienced it at some time and a few of us may have wondered whether those around us detected the same funky smell we noticed coming from our breath that morning. Well, apparently, people stepping back during conversation or covering their noses is NOT a sign that you suffer from halitosis. Your loved ones telling you: “your breath smells, love”, on the other hand, IS a sure sign you do have halitosis and it is probably time to talk to your dentist about it.

Recently, we have been hearing renewed calls for decriminalization of certain illicit drugs and an old debate of whether all drugs should be legal or not continues. Cannabis is the most commonly used drug in Australia (about 40 percent of Australians over the age of 14 have tried cannabis), so in this blog we are highlighting how prolonged cannabis use affects oral health.

Having recently experienced the highs of pregnancy and childbirth along with the lows of a nagging lung infection, I can really sympathize with people who battle asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on a daily basis. These conditions can really distract us from and dampen even the most joyful events in our lives. It doesn’t help, also, that treatment of asthma and COPD involves medication which can put us at risk of dental problems, such as tooth decay, erosion, gum disease and fungal infections (candidasis).