All carbohydrates can cause caries while the main culprits are sweets. A sip of sweet drink every hour causes more damage than eating chocolate for five minutes. 

People who are more prone to caries, should limit the intake of sweet food. After eating, the mouth should be rinsed with water. However, brushing is the most effective. In addition, some carbonated non-alcoholic drinks without sugar generate acid which causes caries.

Bad breath is the consequence of various chemical substances (mainly sulphur compounds), generated during metabolism of proteins and amino acids that contain sulphur, and certain bacteria in the mouth.

In 90 per cent of cases bad breath originates from the oral cavity (deposits on the tongue and teeth, inflammation of periodontal tissue, caries, dry mouth,…) while in 10 per cent of cases the reasons are elsewhere: system diseases, bad breath due to fasting or dehydration, after smoking, drinking coffee or alcohol, bad breath after eating certain food (garlic, onion…).

We discuss bad breath with the patient, then a detailed examination is carried out, and anamnesis and the source of bad breath are established, and then we help eliminate it.

Usually the reason is poor oral hygiene which results in plaque where the bacteria can multiply extremely quickly. The plaque penetrates under the flesh around the teeth, irritates it and the flash gets inflamed. Then the gums start to bleed during brushing or eating. A dentist appointment is suggested. 

Teeth have to be brushed in the morning when we get up as there are remains of food in our mouth which cause bad breath as well as tooth decay and inflammation of gums. Then teeth have to be brushed after each meal.

Teeth should be brushed as soon as possible after eating as eating causes the acidity in the mouth to increase, and at the same time we prevent the remains of the food to be slowly decomposing in the mouth.

All chewing that is not for the purpose of feeding, can damage teeth.

Caries means that a part of the tooth is decomposed and it follows the decay of the hard enamel. There are several reasons for caries: susceptible tooth, bacteria,…

Caries is usually the reason for toothache. The person feels a stinging pain or pain when drinking something cold or eating sweet food.

The best idea is to prevent caries before it starts to hurt – this means regular visits to the dentist every six months.

In the aesthetic sense, the white (composite) filling is more attractive than the grey (amalgam) filling and that is the reason why patients mostly decide to have the white fillings.

The white filling is chemically bound to tooth structures and thus connects and holds all tooth planes together. The amalgam filling only fills the space as it extends as metal and thus contributes to parts of the tooth crown to break and fractures appear in the tooth structure. Therefore, white fillings are better also due to their functionality.

In recent years, the technique of making white fillings has progressed substantially and offers a high quality solution. A white filling allows for the principle without grinding, which means that the dentist removes only the sick part of the tooth and preserves the healthy part and thus extends the life of the tooth. The enamel part of the tooth is replaced with composites while the dentine part is replaced with glass ionomer cements.

In case of teeth with treated roots and when more than one half of the tooth crown is missing, the white filling is strengthened with a composite pin in order to prevent the tooth crown from breaking.

Unfortunately, the insurance does not cover the costs of white material on back teeth and it has to be paid extra by the patients.

Grey (amalgam) fillings are a universal material for replacing the tooth structure which has been destroyed by caries. Their advantages are durability, cheaper material and fast work procedures. The disadvantages are:

• bad aesthetics,
• taking out more healthy tooth mass so that amalgam can be kept in the tooth,
• supposed toxicity of mercury,
• cracking of fillings and parts of tooth crown,
• occurrence of secondary caries in the crevices along the filling.

There is no scientific evidence that amalgam fillings have an adverse effect on health.

No, too much brushing does not cause any damage. However, too strong brushing with a sharp brush can irritate gums. It is wrong to think that stronger brushing of teeth is more efficient. With the right technique, the deposits are loosened first and then rinsed.

There are a lot of different toothpastes for different purposes. Toothpastes marked as  ”whitening” are very rough and it is not recommended to use them more than once a week.  Toothpastes with high fluor content can be used every day, particularly for sensitive teeth or for people with irremovable orthodontic braces. Toothpastes, containing various herbs for periodontal syndromes, are less efficient than regular use of mouthwashes for periodontal syndromes.

X-ray of teeth is a negligible risk for the pregnant woman and the baby.

The amount of radiation during x-ray (one tooth) is the same as the radiation absorbed from the natural surroundings in two days. Due to continuous cell division the baby is more sensitive to radiation, particularly in the first three months, but in case of taking an x-ray of teeth, the rays do not act directly to the baby as the head is further away, and therefore the dose, absorbed by the baby is lower.

Before any x-ray the benefits and risks have to be weighed, and as a rule, x-ray is not done during pregnancy.

Undoubtedly, something is wrong with the tooth which hurts. Slight sensitivity immediately after the treatment is not unusual. However, if this occurs later, it means that the initial treatment was not successful. Bacteria have remained in the root and they have multiplied. The process is repeated in the bone under the tooth root and the treatment will have to be repeated. An x-ray image can help establish the reason.