Health Column

These are the questions we are asked most often in the treatment room, grouped by topic. They are written around symptoms and how to check them, so you can work out for yourself whether you need treatment now or whether it is reasonable to wait and watch.

• COLUMN 01

  When your gums bleed — how professional cleaning, gum treatment and gum surgery differ

  When you see blood while brushing, it is easy to put it down to needing a softer toothbrush. But bleeding gums can be the first sign of periodontal disease, and depending on the stage it may end with a professional cleaning, or it may call for gum treatment or gum surgery.

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• COLUMN 02

  When tooth discoloration bothers you — what separates in-office whitening from internal whitening

  Once the color of your teeth starts to bother you, the first move is usually a different whitening toothpaste or mouthwash. But the approach depends on whether the discoloration is surface staining or comes from inside the tooth. Here is how in-office whitening and internal (non-vital) whitening are decided.

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• COLUMN 03

  When you are unhappy with the shape of your front teeth — veneers, tooth reshaping and clear aligners

  When the shape of your front teeth bothers you, the options that usually come up are veneers, tooth reshaping and clear aligner treatment. They look like they aim at the same thing, but one moves the tooth, one covers it and one trims it. Here is what separates them.

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• COLUMN 04

  Wisdom teeth — what we check when the decision is not obvious

  "Do I have to have my wisdom teeth out?" is one of the questions we hear most. The answer depends on how the wisdom tooth has come through and what effect it is having on the neighboring teeth and gums. Here are the points where opinions divide and how we check them.

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