The Family Dentist at St. Mary's Limited

🦷 Ahoy, Trinidad and Tobago! 🚢🇹🇹

Looks like we’re not the only ones saying goodbye to old habits! As we wave farewell to the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, remember to drop those old brushing habits too!

Say goodbye to the "brush once a day" ship and welcome a bright future with twice a day brushing and flossing. Your smile deserves its own independence day! 🎉😁

Let’s answer some FAQs about flossing!

🌟 Thank You! 🌟

We are overwhelmed by the amazing response to our Dental Receptionist position. We sincerely appreciate each and every one of you who took the time to apply. 🙏

We are excited to announce that the position has been filled. Thank you once again for your interest and support! 🦷✨

Beautiful composite (tooth coloured) fillings done on two molars and a premolar.

A Zirconia cantilever bridge case done by Dr Thalia Hanomansingh.
Swipe ➡️ for more

Acrylic dentures are a great option for tooth replacement. They can rebuild confidence in your smile while also providing function while eating and speaking.The body of the denture mimics natural gum colour while the shade of the denture teeth is matched to the patient’s natural teeth.

Consult with your registered dentist to see if an acrylic denture is appropriate for you.
Work done by Dr Thalia Hanomansingh & Stanley’s dental lab.
# prosthodontics denture

Professional dental cleanings are necessary to remove hard build up on your teeth. This buildup is known as tartar or calculus and cannot be removed from toothbrushing. Removal of tartar allows for healthier gums and ease of flossing between the teeth. Always keep up with your 6 month cleaning and check up at your registered dentist.

It’s dental trivia thursdays 🦷 🤓!
Which is true about dental enamel ? Comment your answers below or vote on our poll on our story.

Some facts on dental erosion 🦷🥤

Happy international women’s day featuring our girl team 🦷👩.

Sometimes cavities can go unnoticed between your teeth like in this case 😢. Cavities like these form due to improper or insufficient flossing 🦷🪥. In order to prevent this, we recommend flossing once per day paired with brushing twice per day with a fluoride toothpaste.

Visual examination 🔎 and dental x rays 🩻 reveal these hidden cavities. In this case the cavity was identified just in the nick of time to warrant a simple filling under rubber dam isolation.

Hey everyone it’s another trivia Thursday 😄.Let’s see your answer in the comments. You can also go vote on the poll on our story to see if you’re correct. Let’s see how you good you are 🤓.

Professional dental cleanings are recommended every 6 months to remove the hard deposits seen in the first photo. These hard deposits are known as tartar or calculus and cannot be removed from simple toothbrushing. It is formed from plaque which remains on the tooth surface and hardens with the help of minerals from saliva. Tartar should be removed as it harbors bacteria and can cause gum disease.

All dental work seen done by Dr Marc Mootoo.

Do you use a hard bristle tooth brush ? 🤔
You may want to reconsider.
Hard bristles and poor brushing technique can cause more harm than good. It causes tooth structure to be lost leading to abrasion and tooth sensitivity.
To prevent this problem, we recommend soft tooth brushes and proper gentle brushing technique.Desensitizing toothpaste such as sensodyne can be used to ease the sensivity.
If abrasion exists on your teeth , your dentist can repair them with fillings but you must continue using the soft toothbrush else the problem will persist 🫠.

Have you ever wondered how a filling is done at the dentist? 🦷🤔💭
Here we have broken down the steps for you using actual clinical photos taken with our state of the art intra oral camera with patient’s permission. All dental work seen was done by Dr Marc Mootoo.
We hope this information can be benefit our patients as well as dental students. 😄

🦷Internal whitening is a method of whitening that takes effect from the inside of the tooth rather than the outside. It is done after root canal treatment to prevent discoloration and improve the final aesthetics.
🦷In this case hydrogen peroxide was placed within the tooth at 3 intervals after endodontic treatment was completed. The peroxide breaks down large complex molecules that make up stains.
Always consult your registered dentist to see if you are a candidate for internal whitening.

➡️➡️ Swipe to see results!

🦷Work done by Dr Marc Mootoo and patient’s permission was granted for clinical photos.

Be road ready this carnival 🎭 with these tips. Have a safe and enjoyable long weekend !

It’s trivia Thursdays 🙋🏻‍♂️. Dentures have been in existence since Roman times but were they as nice and comfortable as they are today? What do you think George Washington’s dentures were made of? 🤔. Comment your answer 😂

A. Wood
B. Ivory
C. Glass
D. Human teeth 👀

Did you know that there are multiple causes of tooth ache? They can range from :
- tooth decay /cavities
- Tooth wear and gum recession
- Cracked teeth
- Gum disease
- Tooth infections / abscesses
- Loose or broken fillings
- Non dental causes such as sinus infections
Don’t let a tooth ache ruin your carnival season 🎭! Visit your registered dentist today for them to narrow down the cause and give appropriate treatment and preventative advice. Tooth aches are dental emergencies 🚨🚨

Happy Monday everyone 🦷🪥. It’s always good to start your week off right with clean , healthy teeth.
So what defines a healthy tooth?
It must be :
- clean and free of plaque and tartar
- ⁠have no ‘holes ‘or cavities
- ⁠are light yellow to white in colour
- ⁠the gums around the tooth are pink and do not bleed on brushing and flossing.
Always keep up with your brushing and flossing as well as your 6 month dental check ups to ensure your pearly whites are always healthy 😁.

*A case of internal tooth whitening*

Internal tooth whitening is a procedure that can be done to whiten a discolored tooth after root canal treatment.

This patient presented to us with a discolored tooth and wanted to know her options.

She remembers falling and hitting the tooth many years ago and the tooth slowly discolored over time. She also noticed a swelling on the gums next to the tooth from time to time.

X-ray and nerve testing revealed that the nerve was infected.

A root canal was done to remove the infected nerve and prevent a recurrence of the swelling/infection.
............................

Photo 1: Initial color of tooth.

Photo 2: Color after 1 week of internal tooth whitening.

Photo 3: Color after 2 weeks of internal tooth whitening. (Patient can't stop smiling 😁)

Photo 4: Final color without shade guide.

We decided to do 1 more week of whitening before placing the final filling. (Photo to come)

* Posted with patient permission.
* Original work done by Dr Marc Mootoo.
* Remember to always visit a registered dentist.
* Internal tooth whitening is not for everyone and results vary from case to case. Ask your dentist if this is a suitable option for you.

When should you consider dental extraction?

The aim is always to save your natural tooth however there are some reasons to consider dental extraction.

1) If a cavity becomes so deep that it cannot be saved with a filling.
2) If a tooth is painful and root canal treatment is not an option to save the tooth.
3) Severe tooth fracture.
4) A shaky tooth due to gum disease.
5) Infection.

Visit your registered dentist to see what options are best for you.

Can you spot the fake tooth? 👀

This bridge was placed 7 years ago and it is still going strong today! 💪

A resin-retained bridge or Maryland bridge is a great option for replacing a missing front tooth.

✔️It is conservative. The supporting tooth doesn't need to be cut when fitting a resin-retained bridge.

✔️It is cheaper than a dental implant or conventional bridge.

Resin-retained bridges are not for everyone and results vary from person to person. Visit your registered dentist today to see if a resin-retained bridge is right for you. .................................................

Original work done by Dr Marc Mootoo.
Posted with permission.

Happy patient. Happy dentist! ....

This patient is happy because he just got a clean bill of oral health at the dentist.....

You can be just like this patient. Visit your dentist every 6 months for a checkup and cleaning. ....

Practice the four 'pillars' of prevention:

1) Brush your teeth twice a day.
2) Floss your teeth once a day.
3) Reduce the frequency of sugary foods and drinks.
4) Rinse daily with an anti-cavity mouthwash*....

*Children under 6 should not use mouthwash and children between the ages of 6 and 12 must be supervised when using mouthwash.

Composite fillings are technique sensitive. This means that all steps must be followed to a "T" for the filling to be successful.

1) Initial Situation. Local anesthetic given for patient comfort.
2) Rubber dam isolation guarantees a clean, dry, stress-free working area for optimal bonding.
3) Adequate removal of surface enamel to access deeper decay.
4) Complete removal of decay. Only stained sound dentine left to avoid nerve damage.
5) RMGIC liner placed to protect the nerve.
6) 37% Phosphoric Acid gel applied to "etch" the surface for bonding.
7) Bonding Agent applied and light cured.
8) Tooth cusps built up incrementally to minimize polymerization shrinkage.
9) Final shaping and polishing completed.