The Importance of Baby Teeth

Baby teeth (or primary teeth) are temporary, so why do we care about them? Many parents overlook the importance of baby teeth and don't realise they serve functions other than biting and chewing. Several important functions include: .............MORE [click to read full article]

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is the virtually invisible way to straighten teeth without braces. The Invisalign System uses virtually clear, removable ‘aligners’ to straighten teeth without metal or wires. Over 1.4 million patients worldwide have been treated with Invisalign. Invisalign uses 3-D imaging to depict the complete treatment plan from the initial ............MORE [click to read full article]

Your Second Chance for Natural Teeth

Dental implants are at the forefront of modern dentistry. Combining technology with biology, titanium implants are used to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or as anchors to lock a denture in place. Teeth can be lost for a variety of reasons. Decay, gum disease, and trauma are a few common scenarios. Unfortunately we can't grow ............MORE [click to read full article]

The Superpower of Smiles

A number of recent studies have found that smiling does make you a happier, healthier person. Though such a simple thing to give, a smile is a powerful tool as these researchers found out. A 2010 study from a U.S. University looked into pre-1950s baseball cards of Major League players. The researchers found that the span of a player’s smile could actually predict the span of his life. Players who didn’t smile ............MORE [click to read full article]

Thumb Sucking and Dummies

Many parents have questions about thumb sucking and how it affects their children’s teeth. Thumb and dummy sucking is a normal pattern found in 90% of children. It has been observed that babies in the womb will suck their thumbs and studies show that it is a normal physiological behaviour. Less than 1 in 5 children will continue to thumb-suck after age six. Although it is normal, we recommend ............MORE [click to read full article]

Non-extraction orthodontics

When straightening teeth, the ultimate goal is to create a smile that is even and broad. A narrow smile can reveal dark corridors down the sides of the mouth and lead to a less attractive facial profile. Often when teeth are crowded in the mouth, a simple solution is to extract four premolar teeth, fit the patient with braces and over time, pull everything into alignment. In some cases this is necessary, however .............MORE [click to read full article]

The NZ Oral Health Survey

According to a new dental survey, New Zealand adults are significantly more likely than Australian adults to have untreated tooth decay, gum disease and to have lost all of their natural teeth. McIntosh Dental participated in the dental survey, which examined the dental habits of almost 5000 New Zealander’s. It revealed an alarming 35% had untreated ............MORE [click to read full article]

The full survey is available to the public here...our oral health 2010 (pdf)

Teeth Whitening...the real story

It seems that everywhere you look, there are advertisements for ‘teeth whitening’. Many businesses from beauty therapists to booths in the mall are offering this service at cut-prices to lure new customers. The teeth whitening process is similar at the dental practice; however there are certain things to consider before you get the ‘cut price’ treatment ............... MORE [click to read full article]