Dental Care

Piercings: the hole truth

If you or your teenager is thinking of having a lip or tongue pierced, think again. Dentists are seeing problems caused by piercing, including cracked or chipped teeth, serious infections and gum damage. A US study found about 41% of young people with pierced lips had receding gums, compared with only 7% of those whose lips were intact. “Gums and bone are very thin and very easily traumatised – even brushing too hard can cause gum recession and the teeth to work loose, and we have seen cases where normal movement of pierced lips has caused this,” says Dr Derek Lewis, a Queensland dentist. If your wild child insists on going ahead, at least ensure they use a reputable practitioner to perform the piercing and tell them about possible sideeffects and how to manage them. Still, there’s an upside, says Dr Lewis: a pierced lip isn’t as permanent as a tattoo!

A drop of the hard stuff

A toothpaste or chewing gum that gives you super teeth? Sounds like science fiction – but watch this space. Technology developed at the University of Melbourne is already being used overseas to boost tooth strength and repair the early stages of decay. Recaldent is a peptide, derived from the casein in milk, which for the first time provides calcium in a form that can be sucked up by the tooth enamel. It now appears Recaldent also works in synergy with fluoride – not only offering potential for preventing and repairing tooth decay, but resulting in teeth that are stronger and more resistant to future caries than natural teeth. Currently available only from your dentist, it’s hoped the potent Recaldent/fluoride combination will soon be available over the counter in Australia.