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Urenui School Visit 2025

We had a great morning at Urenui school with new entrants and year one students. They were an intelligent little bunch of children, absorbing everything we were teaching them. We started off with an educational session. We firstly talked about what happens at the dentist or dental nurse. We followed with talking about food and drink that will make the teeth 'happy' or 'sad'. We finished with Bridget demonstrated to them about effectively brushing teeth with good technique.  The childre...

Why am I getting decay?

Understanding and Preventing Dental DecayDental decay, or dental caries, is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide. It results from acid-producing (cariogenic) bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, metabolising carbohydrates and producing acid. While this process may seem simple, dental caries is actually a complex disease influenced by multiple factors that affect an individual’s susceptibility.Let’s explore the key reasons why someone might be more prone to dental...

Hypomineralised teeth

Hypomineralisation or 'chalky molars'  is one example of a developmental dental defect (D3) and is the most common of the enamel defects effecting 1 in 5 children. It causes a lot of suffering around the world. It typically effects the 6-year old molar, but other molars effected can be the 2-year old molar and in some cases even the adult front teeth can be effected. The most likely causes of this phenomenon is illness in infants, a health disruption that disrupts the development of a ...

Airflow

How it works:The Airflow system projects a controlled stream of air, water, and a fine powder (it contains chlorhexidine and glyicitol) onto the teeth. This method effectively removes plaque, stains, and early calculus deposits, both above and below the gumline. Airflow is a gentle and comfortable way to remove deposits. It's less abrasive than traditional scaling, making it suitable for patients with sensitive teeth or gum issues.Airflow is effective for stain removal, It can remove surface sta...

Tooth Mousse

What is Tooth Mousse ?A delicious tasting crème made of calcium, fluoride and phosphate, the main minerals teeth are made from, which is beneficial for your teeth.This crème can protect the teeth like saliva and replace minerals lost by regular acid attacks after eating and drinking. How to use it ?Squeeze a small amount of Tooth Mousse from the tube onto your finger and apply it to all tooth surfaces as advised by your dentist. Immediately after use replace the cap and clean the excess T...

Interdental Cleaning

Interdental cleaningInterdental cleaning is the process of cleaning between your teeth to remove plaque, food particles, and bacteria that a toothbrush can't reach. It helps prevent cavities, gum disease and bad breath.Common Methods of Interdental Cleaning1. Dental Floss – Thin thread used to slide between teeth. Great for tight spaces.2. Interdental Brushes – Small bristle brushes designed to fit between teeth, ideal for wider gaps.3. Water Flossers – Devices that use a jet of water to r...

Toothpastes

Fluoride ToothpasteFluoride toothpaste is a type of toothpaste that contains fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral known for its ability to prevent tooth decay and strengthen tooth enamel. The main purpose of fluoride in toothpaste is to help remineralize enamel that has started to decay, making it more resistant to acid attacks from bacteria in the mouth.When you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, it helps to:Prevent cavities – Fluoride can inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and...

Manual Tooth-Brushing

How to correctly brush your teeth? Seems simple right, but as a matter of fact there are numerous ways to brush your teeth. The way we recommended as being the most effective is the following. Manual toothbrush, this technique is called the modified bass technique Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to your gum lineBrush each tooth (or two to three at a time) using a gentle circular movementBrush all surfaces, the outer, inner and tops of the teethBrush each tooth well and ...

Daycare Visit

Earlier this year we made a visit to Little Minds Daycare where my son attends. It was a very fun, interative and successful morning with the Tamariki. We started off with talking about what happens when you go to visit the Dentist or the Oral Health Therapist. We then did an activity using items that you would find in the Supermarket and chatted about whether this would make the tooth ‘happy’ or ‘sad’. We also read the book by Sam Smith ‘Don’t scare the Dentist’. We...

Resin Infiltration

Developmental enamel defects (DEDs) are lesions on teeth which you may hear dentists referring to as ‘mottling’, ‘fluorosis’ or ‘hypomineralisation’ (see figure above). In this case the patient had 'brown DEDs' and she was self conscious about them. Treatment begins with at-home vital bleaching using 10% carbamide peroxide (for 3-4 weeks) using custom-made trays.The next step is to do the resin infiltration in the clinic. This is approximately a one hour appointment. In som...

In-House Whitening

Our Oral Health Therapist Bridget Dodunski is offering In-House Whitening using the Co Lab Whitening system. This whitening system will provide you with instant results, while being a comfortable and relaxing experience. See below photos of Bridget's patient's before and after treatment. Other whitening options are the PolaDay and PolaNight products where you whiten at home in your own time. Please make appointment if you are interested in whitening your teeth safely. It is import...