United Smiles Blog | Dentist Mernda, Toorak, Melbourne

Dec112017

Making The Holidays Count For Your Dental Health

The holidays are an exciting time full of many activities, and maintaining good oral care during them can be difficult. One typical activity is counting down to Christmas with an advent calendar.

But advent calendars that focus on chocolate and sweets aren’t that great for children’s teeth.

And the holidays in general can be bad for everyone’s teeth. This is why, at United Smiles we’ve come up with 4 ways to make your advent calendar a dental-smart one. As a bonus, we’ve tossed in 8 tips to make your holiday seasons a healthy and happy one for you, your loved ones, and their teeth!

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December 11, 2017 Leave a commentOral Health TipsBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Nov62017

United Smiles | Treatments And Cures | Dentist Mernda

Gum Disease: Treatments And Cures

Gum disease refers to an inflammation of the gum line that can advance to affect the bone surrounding the teeth. Gum disease appears in three stages:

Gingivitis

It is characterized by the inflammation of the gums. Symptoms include some bleeding when brushing and flossing, or, some swelling or redness of the gums.

Periodontitis

This is the second stage of this disease where the supporting bone, as well as the fibers that support the teeth, are irreversibly damaged.

Advanced Periodontitis

This is the most mature stage of gum disease, during which bones and fibers of the teeth are damaged. This can make your teeth to loosen or shift, and they may eventually be lost.

Because gum disease is progressive, at United Smiles in Mernda, we focus on treating gum disease early, and then preventing its return with care in your house and in our office

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November 6, 2017 Leave a commentGum TreatmentBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Oct202017

United Smiles | Childrens Week Dentist Mernda

Children’s Week Is Approaching – Help Your Children Face It With A Smile!

As Children’s Week approaches (from 21–29 October), United Smiles wants all Australians to know that it is never too early to start a good oral hygiene routine.

It is important to start caring for your child’s teeth from the moment they appear, as good dental health habits in childhood mean a great chance healthy teeth for life, while also avoiding dental disease.

Children’s Week focuses the attention of the wider community on children, their needs and achievements. In support of this, United Smiles offers some hints on how to look after your children’s teeth from an early age.

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October 20, 2017 Leave a commentChildren's WeekBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Oct12017

How To Recover Quickly After Wisdom Teeth Removal

In most cases, wisdom teeth or the “third molars” require removal, typically due to tooth crowding. This is especially true if wisdom teeth are impacted, when they erupt at an angle, or only partially.

Ultimately, wisdom teeth that are trapped within the gums may eventually result in serious dental health related problems. This can include everything from damaged surrounding teeth to infection and pain. In cases like these, dental intervention is required.

Fortunately, oral surgery and the extraction techniques associated with impacted wisdom teeth removal can produce remarkable results for patients in today’s modern world of dentistry. At United Smiles we are your first and best stop for all your dental concerns, including issues with your wisdom teeth.

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October 1, 2017 Leave a commentImpacted Wisdom TeethBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Sep12017

4 Ways to Go From Yellow to Perfect White Teeth

The message from United Smiles has always been loud and clear. If you brush properly twice a day, floss regularly, and visit us on schedule, you should have clean, healthy teeth and gums.

Sadly, this does not mean your teeth will always be as white as you would like, so what can be done about it?

While brushing and flossing does remove most of the plaque that forms in the intervals between brushing, plaque only needs a day or two to harden into tartar, a yellowish substance that stains your teeth and can only be removed by a trip to the dental hygienist. Plaque can also trap other food particles that will increase the stains on your teeth.

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September 1, 2017 Leave a commentYellow Teeth TreatmentBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Aug22017

Dental Health Week: Precious Time And Precious Teeth

Dental health week is upon us again! It runs from the 7th to the 13th August and focuses on “Oral health for busy lives”. Although we all get caught up in our busy schedules, it is important to make time to look after our oral health.

Dedicating a little more time each day to brushing, flossing, hydration, and eating well ultimately saves us time and money. Even better, it keeps us in good shape and gives us the energy we need to tackle whatever arises in our busy lives.

And while most of us like to think we keep on top of our oral hygiene, regular check-ups and brushing our teeth twice daily, but when our busy lives get the better of us, these essential routines can become neglected.

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August 2, 2017 Leave a commentDental Health Week 2017By Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Jul132017

7 “Secret” Threats To Your Dental Health

United Smiles patients are among the smartest patients in Australia, and know a thing or two about maintaining their dental health.

Still, even the smartest patient is not necessarily aware of everything that might damage their dental health, and some damaging behaviours can even appear good for you. Did you know that both oral piercings and exercise can damage your teeth?

With the dental health of our patients and readers in mind, United Smiles would like to introduce a couple of behaviours that you might be unaware can damage your health.

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July 13, 2017 Leave a commentBad Dental HabitsBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Jun142017

Best Strategies for Good Oral Health in Your Golden Years

There’s an old saying that the eyes are the window to the soul. That may be true, but the latest dental research shows that the mouth can also be a window into a person’s overall health.

As we age, taking care of our health means not only keeping an eye on our nutritional intake and physical capabilities, but also on our teeth and gums. Since we are living longer, and more and more of us are keeping our teeth, the practice of good dental health is important to even more mature folks as time goes by.

Senior dental problems are common, from dry mouth to periodontal disease. Because oral health directly impacts the health of the rest of the body, these problems need to be taken seriously and addressed by you and your Mernda dentist.

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June 14, 2017 Leave a commentOral Health for SeniorsBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Jun52017

Overcoming Fear Of The Dentist

Now that that the year is halfway through, your calendar may be reminding you that it’s time for your routine dental checkup. For most of us, these visits are simple and quick, but for those who suffer from dental anxiety a trip to the dentist can be a scary endeavor, or simply put off – sometimes forever.

Although you might feel like you’re the only person on earth who dreads a dentist appointment, you’re definitely not. In fact, a large percentage of people feel exactly the same way you do about going to the dentist. The University of Adelaide estimates that one in six Australian adults and about one in ten children suffer from dental anxiety!

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June 5, 2017 Leave a commentDentist MerndaBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

May232017

Your Teeth, Your Toothpaste – A User’s Guide

We have all been there, at the grocery store standing in the dental care aisle looking for a tube of toothpaste, and the amount of choices is so overwhelming that you grab the stuff that is closest to you on the shelf, and promptly leave, wondering if you grabbed the best option.

United Smiles has put up this post to help you decided if you are using the best toothpaste for your oral health needs.

Not surprisingly, different dental issues can call for different toothpastes an it is important you know your own mouth and what toothpaste is best for it.

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May 23, 2017 Leave a commentDentist Mernda, Oral Health Tips, Preventive DentistryBy Dr Halim Prayogo (Dentist)

Dental Articles

Gingivitis

Periodontitis

Advanced Periodontitis