If you have a dental emergency during this time, please call our office 604-291-6696 for the emergency number.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

For more information about this event and upcoming events in Burnaby, B.C., visit Tourism Burnaby.

Whether it is something you do only occasionally during moments of stress or anxiety, or whether you are a compulsive nail biter who constantly nibbles and gnaws without even being aware of it, you may want to give more attention to your nail biting.

While it is commonly acknowledged that nail biting is an unsanitary habit, did you know that it can also have detrimental effects on your oral health? Nails are hard, so when you bite down on them you are causing excess stress to your teeth. Over time this weakens them and can eventually result in your teeth chipping, breaking, and wearing down. Eventually, it may even affect your bite; this being the arrangement and appearance of your teeth. Therefore, aside from having unsightly hands or fingernail infections and ugly fingernails, you might end up having cracked, broken, misaligned teeth.

Nail biting also causes stress to your gums, and there is an added risk of bitten nails tearing into the gum tissue. In the long run, this can result in gum disease, which will eventually cause loose teeth, missing teeth and other related medical ailments. Another consideration is that the bacteria in the nails can spread in the mouth and the bacteria in the mouth can spread to the nail bed and consequently into the blood stream, resulting in other health complications.

People with braces are affected to a even greater extent by nail biting. This is because the pressure exerted by nail biting in adds negatively to the already existing massive pressure by the orthodontic brace. This added pressure can damaging the roots of your teeth, even to the point of making them loose, not to mention hindering the success of your orthodontic treatment.

Other forms of health problems related to nail biting include infections of the nails and surrounding tissue, oral herpes and unpleasant mouth infections such as thrush.

The effects of nail biting can be much more far reaching than it might initially appear. While not really an expensive habit, it might end up costing you thousands in dental bills.

There are solutions, however. Foul tasting clear nail coating is available at drug stores which can hinder your tendency to nibble, and mouth guards can also be a viable solution to breaking the habit.

If you bite, please don’t hesitate to ask your dentist at North Burnaby Dental for input on what might be the best approach for you.

Some recent articles:

How to Pack a Health Smile While Travelling

How to Find a Dentist in Burnaby

What is Gum Disease and How it Affects Your Health

Teeth Whitening Services in Burnaby

What are Dental Implants?

Cavity Prevention for Children in School

If you have a specific dental need or have an inquiry, please feel free to contact our Dentists and team at North Burnaby Dental Group.

Also find us on facebook and twitter.

From childhood on we all hear repeated reminders that proper care for our oral health helps to protect us against cavities and gingivitis — but did you also know that a healthy mouth actually contributes to your overall health?

While it goes without saying that good oral health is important to your appearance and sense of well-being, recent studies have also shown links between poor oral health and many other serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, respiratory diseases, sleeping problems, pregnancy complications, as well as behavioural and developmental problems in children. How is all this possible?

In part, when your mouth is not properly cared for harmful bacteria may begin to run rampant within it, and these bacteria can enter your bloodstream, attaching to fatty plaques in your heart’s blood vessels and contributing to clot formation. Blood clots can obstruct normal blood flow, restricting the amount of nutrients and oxygen required for the heart to function properly,  which leads to heart attacks. These bacteria once in the bloodstream can also be responsible for spreading inflammation throughout the body, resulting in a wide variety of problems, some of them very serious. Poor oral health also affects your ability to chew and digest food properly, thus impacting your ability to properly absorb nutrients from what you eat. Yes, proper care for your mouth may have a tremendous impact on a lot more than just how you look.

To maintain good oral health and contribute to the prevention of other health complications, you should take the following steps:

• Brush and floss your teeth daily.
• Visit your dental professional regularly to have your mouth examined. See your dental professional immediately if you notice any problems.
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
• Do not smoke, as it leads to gum disease and loss of teeth, among countless other oral and health complications. If you do smoke, make sure to visit your dental professional regularly.
• Replace your toothbrush every three months as they become worn out and are not as effective as they once were. If you have gum disease, you should change your toothbrush every four to six weeks because bacteria can harbour in the bristles. You should always rinse your toothbrush out with hot water after every use and replace it after you have been sick.
• Brush your children’s teeth for them until they are coordinated enough to do it for themselves (say, when they are able to tie their own shoelaces or write their own name).  At that point though do not leave them to their own devices; properly supervise them to ensure that they are brushing properly.

Without question, as well as helping to maintain a nice smile, paying attention to your oral health may help to prevent much, much more than just a pesky cavity. If you have any questions related to the importance of proper oral health, the dentists at North Burnaby Dental are always happy to help.

Has anyone ever told you that you grind your teeth while you’re asleep? Do you sometimes wake up with pain or tightness in your jaw? Do you seem to suffer all too often with headaches?

Unfortunately, teeth grinding or “bruxism” is something that most people unconsciously do at some point or other in their lives. Oftentimes we are not even aware of it, as it most commonly happens when we are asleep. For many though, it can lead to extreme tooth wear and related dental problems, as well as jaw and facial muscle pain and headaches. Although people can clench and grind without being aware of it during both the day and night, sleep-related bruxism is often the bigger problem because it is harder to control. There are however, effective forms of treatment and prevention.

Even if you are fortunate enough to not feel pain or discomfort as a result of teeth grinding, it is much more than just an inconvenience or annoyance to your sleeping companion. It is a health  concern that needs to be addressed immediately, if possible. If you ignore teeth grinding, the negative effects on your health are wide and varied, as it can eventually lead to chipping and extreme wearing of your teeth, restricted jaw and facial movement, and gum recession. Even more serious, it can result in temporomandibular joint disorder (more commonly known as TMD). This disorder has a host of symptoms, everything from acute or chronic pain in the face and jaw, biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort, a clicking, popping, or grating sound when opening or closing the mouth, earache, headache and migraine, hearing loss, neck and shoulder pain, and dizziness, to name only a few. In short, teeth grinding is something to be taken very seriously.

As it is often caused by stress, there are, fortunately, some things that you are able to do on your own to reduce the likelihood of grinding or to reduce it frequency and intensity. Learning and practising various relaxation techniques may not just help with bruxism, but with your overall health. Simply being aware to repeatedly relax your face and jaw muscles throughout the day can help to make facial relaxation a habit. Massage of the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and face may help not just to relieve pain, but also to relax the muscles and reduce the tendency to grind.

Not to be overlooked also is the role of your dentist. Your dentist is the first line of expert to consult with in cases of bruxism. They will be able to help you to determine if the use of a mouth guard, splint, or any similar protective dental device to be worn at night will be helpful for you. While there are a lot of mouth guards available over-the-counter in drug stores, depending on your mouth they may not fit well and could dislodge when teeth grinding.  Your dentist will be able to offer input as to the suitability of such a device, and if necessary they will be able to customize one for you that will fit comfortably, last longer, and perform better than its drug store counterparts.

Yes, the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies to the grinding of teeth. Rather than having it lead to the need for extensive dental repairs in the form of crowns and implants, or to dealing with chronic pain and other complications, why not speak to your dentist at North Burnaby Dental Group about it today?

The Heights is rich in diversity and culture, and nowhere is this more apparent than when it comes to dining. With everything from casual to fine dining and Greek to Continental, there is sure to be something to satisfy even the most discerning of palettes.

Our first-ever dining event will run for three nights, from Tuesday, April 24 to Thursday, April 26 and will feature various restaurants, all offering something tasty and unique.

With a set menu offered each night at $15, $20 and $25 price points, you will have various choices as part of your three-course meal.
Participating Restaurants and Menus:

Baci Ristorante - View $25 Menu | Contact the Restaurant

Chad Thai – View $20 Menu| View $25 Menu | Contact the Restaurant

Gilmore Restaurant - View $15 Menu | Contact the Restaurant

King Mahal Restaurant - View $15 Menu | Contact the Restaurant

Stan’s Pizza Joint & Bar - View $20 Menu #1 | View $20 Menu #2 | Contact the Restaurant

Take Sushi - View $20 Menu | Contact the Restaurant

Reservations are now being accepted.

If you have a dental emergency during this time, please call our office 604-291-6696 for the emergency number.

Have a happy and safe holiday!

The latest news in oral care seems to be all about enamel protection, with countless advertisements on television and in magazines touting toothpastes and products that apparently help to protect your enamel. In reality, just how concerned should you be with enamel erosion, and what can you do to prevent it?

Tooth enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth that helps protect your teeth from daily use. Enamel also insulates the teeth from potentially painful temperatures and chemicals. Although enamel is a hard protector of teeth — it is said to be even harder than bone — it can chip, crack, and erode. When this happens, unfortunately the damage is done forever. Unlike a broken bone that the body is able to repair in time, enamel has no living cells, therefore the body is not able to undo the damage. Prevention then, is key, as when enamel erodes, the tooth becomes more susceptible to cavities or tooth decay.

Erosion happens when acids wear away the enamel on teeth. Contributors to this include excessive soft drink consumption, as these contain high levels of phosphoric and citric acids; consumption of fruit-based drinks and juices (shockingly some of the acids found in what we might consider to be “healthy” beverage choices are more erosive than even battery acid); a diet high in starches or sugars; acid reflux disease and bulimia; and environmental factors such as friction, wear and tear, stress, and corrosion.

Signs of weak enamel include a glassy appearance at the tips, broken corners, discolouration, or sensations of pain when consuming hot or cold food and drinks.

Treatment of tooth enamel loss depends on the extent of the problem. Sometimes tooth bonding is used to protect the tooth and increase cosmetic appearance. If the enamel loss is significant, the dentist may recommend covering the tooth with a crown in order to protect the tooth from further decay. Before it gets to that point though, why not implement the following tips?

- To prevent enamel loss and keep teeth healthy, be sure to brush and floss your teeth daily, preferably two to three times throughout the day.

- Make sure that you are using a flouride-containing toothpaste, as flouride helps to strengthen teeth. Talk to your dentist about daily fluoride treatments if you have a history of cavities. In addition, ask your dentist if sealants may be helpful in preventing enamel erosion and tooth decay.

- See your dentist every six months for regular checkups and cleaning.

- Where ever possible, eliminate or cut back on highly acidic foods and drinks such as carbonated sodas, lemons, and other citrus fruits and juices. Rinse your mouth immediately with water after eating acidic foods or drinking acidic drinks.

- Use a straw when you drink acidic drinks. The straw pulls the liquid to the back of your mouth, avoiding contact with your teeth.

- Pay attention to your snacking habits. Snacking throughout the day increases the chance of tooth decay, as the mouth remains acidic for a few hours after eating foods that are high in sugar and starches. Try to avoid snacking unless you’re able to rinse your mouth thoroughly or brush your teeth.

- Chewing sugar-free gum between meals boosts saliva production up to 10 times the normal flow. Saliva helps strengthen teeth with important minerals. Specifically, sugar-free gum containing xylitol has been shown to reduce acids from beverages and foods.

Yes, while enamel erosion is a definite concern, taking the above steps can help to lessen its effects. If you have other questions or concerns about enamel erosion, please do not hesitate to speak to any one of the dentists at North Burnaby Dental Group.

Additional articles are available from Burnaby Dentists at North Burnaby Dental Group.

SFU Open House
Date: Saturday May 26, 2012
Open House Exhibit Hours: 11:00am – 4:00pm