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Sharoe Green Dental Practice is proud to be an Invisalign Platinum Elite Provider, making us one of Preston’s premier practices for the leading name in tooth straightening. But just what is invisalign and how can it help you to get the smile you are dreaming of?

A discreet alternative to traditional braces

If you are not one of those lucky people who naturally possess a perfect smile, no doubt you have considered getting your teeth straightened at some point in your life. Whilst you may be happy to pay whatever is needed to improve the appearance of your teeth, you may well be put off by the idea of having to wear uncomfortable and obvious metal braces. Whilst traditional braces are proven to be highly effective, they may not suit the professional and personal lifestyle needs of adults.

Luckily, Invisalign braces offer a fantastic alternative that is ideal for those who want to obtain a great smile as discreetly as possible.

Removable for maximum comfort

Not only are Invisalign braces almost invisible under normal conditions, they are also removable for maximum comfort. Whether it’s an important professional engagement or a special family occasion, you can remove the braces and let your hair down with confidence. In fact, you can remove the Invisalign brace at any time you feel the need to, even if it’s just for a social event like a meal.

Custom made for your smile

Just like traditional braces, Invisalign braces are fitted specifically for your teeth. However, Invisalign braces use advanced computer technology to create a model of your teeth as they are now, how they are expected to move and how they will look at the end. A series of braces is then produced which your dentist will use at regular intervals as your treatment progresses.

A tooth-friendly solution

Because Invisalign is a removable solution that is not fixed to your teeth, it offers significant oral health benefits and can help to ensure that you are left with a perfect, shiny smile to be proud of by the time you finish treatment.

Whereas with fixed braces you would have to avoid certain types of food and drink, with Invisalign you can simply remove the braces. This means that you can continue to enjoy your favourite foods and drinks without the risk of damage, staining, etc.

You can also remove the braces to allow you to continue to brush, floss and rinse your teeth as you usually would, meaning that you can maintain maximum oral hygiene throughout the process.

With 3 million people worldwide already enjoying the results of invisalign, you can be sure that it is a perfect solution if you wish to straighten your teeth with a minimum of disruption. To learn more about how Sharoe Green Dental Practice can help you get the smile you’ve been dreaming of, book an appointment online or give the team a call on 01772 804430 to arrange an appointment.

As part of our ongoing effort to encourage children to look after their teeth, Suzanne and Gemma had a lovely time visiting Fulwood and Cadley Primary School to speak to the children about caring for their smile.

Some of the topics covered included:

• Demonstrating how to brush their teeth
• Using the correct amount of toothpaste
• Healthy & unhealthy food and drink
• Brushing chart to help track how they are doing

“I just wanted to thank you very much for your informative visit to us this morning. Our Reception children really enjoyed listening to your talk and answering your questions. They have continued to be excited all morning, showing me that they have remembered everything you talked to them about – demonstrating to me how to brush their teeth and how much toothpaste to use. They have also been talking about healthy and unhealthy food and drinks, as they had their snacks at our snack table! They can’t wait to take home their charts and toothpaste!

Thank you once again for your time.”

Tammy & Class 1

We hope you had a lovely Christmas, heres to 2016!

Hello, we have just published our Christmas opening hours. We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a lovely Christmas and a very happy new year. If you require emergency treatment during this time because of tooth pain etc, please call us on 01772 718753 and follow the instructions.

All the best

Sharoe Green Dental Practice Team

We have the pleasure to welcome a new dentist to our practice. Mr Dan Walmsley will be starting at our practice in January 2016. Dan qualified as a Dental Surgeon at University of Liverpool in July 2010. He went on to quality in Dental Implantology at Trafford General Hospital/Salford University and we are very excited to have him as part of our team. If you would like to book an appointment with Mr Walmsley then please call us on 01772 981201 or book online.

Our teeth tend to yellow with age and staining can cause discolouration. If your teeth are more pearly yellow than white, here are five easy ways to keep them looking clean, bright and healthy:

1. Think as you drink

The worst culprits for staining teeth are coffee, tea, blackcurrant juice and red wine, not to mention cigarettes. The general rule is that any food or drink that can stain a white T-shirt can stain your teeth. If you can’t cut them out, try cutting down.

2. Brush up

Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly. You may find that an electric toothbrush is better for removing plaque and surface stains. There are also various whitening toothpastes on the market and, while they do not affect the natural colour of your teeth, they may help to remove surface stains and therefore improve the overall appearance of your teeth.

3. Say cheese

Research has shown that eating cheese after a meal can reduce the levels of acid in the mouth. Foods that are high in calcium, such as cheese, almonds and leafy greens can help keep tooth enamel strong and healthy.

4. Perfectly polished

Visit the hygienist for a scale and polish treatment. Professional cleaning will remove plaque and tartar and, while it does not whiten teeth, can help to remove the stains caused by food and tobacco.

5. Chews wisely

Studies show that chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after meals can help prevent tooth decay. Chewing can increase the flow of saliva, which is the mouth’s natural defence against acid.

Tooth whitening can be a very effective way of lightening teeth that have become discoloured over time. If you’d like to find out more about our teeth whitening treatments, please get in touch with our friendly team.

The internet is full of weird and wonderful remedies that promise to stop tooth decay the natural way. One of the most popular is oil pulling, where you dissolve a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth and then swish it around. Some say it detoxifies your mouth and whitens your teeth, such as current celeb favourite CocoWhite.

But can 100% natural methods such as oils, certain foods or homemade toothpaste really do anything to stop tooth decay?

To judge if natural or alternative remedies can reverse tooth decay, we need to understand the science of what tooth decay is and what causes it.

What causes tooth decay

Sugar in everyday food and drinks causes the bacteria in tooth plaque to produce acids. It’s these acids that attack the hard outer cover of the tooth – the enamel. Enamel is tough stuff, but if it’s under constant attack, say from snacking, it will eventually weaken.

If your dentist spots decay at the enamel stage, it may be possible to repair it with fluoride varnish to stop the damage spreading and re-mineralise the tooth.

But, if decay goes untreated, it will go deeper into the tooth affecting the dentine. Dentine is the layer of tissue under the enamel that makes up most of the tooth. It is decay reaching the dentine that causes toothache. Once tooth decay has reached this stage, it is irreversible.

Prevention is the key to avoiding decay

While it may not be as glamorous as some of the health trends out there, a good oral health routine is proven to prevent tooth decay. While oil pulling, on the other hand, is not.

Brushing for two minutes twice a day, flossing, and using mouthwash are the best ways to protect your teeth from decay.

Best natural way to prevent tooth decay

On top of your daily oral health routine, you can help your teeth naturally through your diet. You don’t need any exotic ingredients, just healthy meals three times a day with two healthy snacks in between, such as raw veg sticks, nuts and cheese. Keep fizzy drinks, sugary sweets, cakes and biscuits to a minimum too, and you’ll enjoy healthy teeth for years to come.

A new report reveals that children’s oral health in the UK is improving. The Child Dental Health Survey 2013 of England, Wales and Northern Ireland shows the level of tooth decay in 12 and 15-year-olds has dropped compared to 2003.

Key findings on children’s oral health

• One in three 12-year-olds and less than half (46 per cent) of 15-year-olds now show signs of obvious dental decay.
• The number of children with serious tooth decay fell from one in three to one in 5 of 15-year-olds and from three in ten to one in 5 of 12-year-olds.
• Oral health problems were most severe in Wales and Northern Ireland, with 2 in five children (41 and 40 per cent respectively) suffering from the disease compared to three in ten (31 per cent) in England.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation charity, Dr Nigel Carter OBE said the survey results were a mixed bag. Dr Cater said:

“It’s always pleasing to see any level of improvements in oral health, particularly for children. Having said that, it is very much a mixed bag of results.

“Many of these children are starting school with tooth decay and carrying on through their education. Three in 10 five-year-olds have visible signs of decay yet by the time they reached 15 that shoots up to close to one in two. This still highlights significant room for improvement.”

Five simple solutions for looking after your child’s teeth

Ben Atkins, Trustee of the British Dental Health Foundation, explained to bring about greater improvements.
Dr Atkins said:

“Parents and education workers need to be fully aware of how they can help to reduce the chances of children developing tooth decay.”

1. It’s not the amount of sugar; it’s how often
The most important message to remember is that it’s how often your children consume sugary food and drink, not how much they consume that damages teeth.

Sugar causes the bacteria in plaque to produce acids. It’s these acids that attack tooth enamel and cause decay.

2. Choose low-sugar snacks
Cheese, breadsticks, nuts and raw vegetables are much better for children’s health and their teeth than chocolate, crisps, sweets and fizzy pop. Even natural fruit is high in sugar.

3. Have regular dentist check-ups from a young age
The British Dental Health Foundation emphasises that by the age of two, and a half years children should be having regular dental check-ups. Any budding oral health problems can be spotted early. It’s crucial for their development, and they will be more likely to carry on with good oral health habits right the way through to adulthood.

4. Use a fluoride toothpaste
All children up to three-years-old should use a toothpaste with a fluoride level of at least 1000ppm (parts per million). After the age of three, children should use toothpaste that contains 13500ppm – 1500ppm. Encourage them to spit out the toothpaste and not to swallow if possible. If they do rinse after spitting, the fluoride will remain in the mouth for longer and give the best protection against decay.

5. Supervise your child’s brushing
It is important to supervise your child’s brushing until they are at least seven, and encourage them to brush as soon as they get up in the morning and last thing at night.

Following these simple solutions will help improve the current levels of tooth decay in children and bring about further reductions in the future.

Happy 2015 from everyone here at Sharoe Green Dental Practice! How are your New Year’s resolutions going? It’s hard to break old habits or make new ones, which is what resolutions are all about. But if we can all just stick to one new habit, let’s choose not to be so hard on ourselves.

Why we’re bad at New Year’s resolutions

Most resolutions fail because they’re just too difficult. Getting fit is a prime example. Vowing to get up early for a five-mile run three times a week seems perfectly do-able from the comfort of your armchair. It’s a totally different story at 6am in the dark with rain thundering down outside.

Be nicer to yourself

So, instead of setting yourself up to fail, try making your goals easier to achieve. If you need to lose weight, try switching to smaller portions rather than cutting out your favourite foods altogether. If you’re out of shape, start small; getting into the habit of regular exercise is more important than the activity or intensity – do something you enjoy.

Most of all, remember you’re only human. We all fall off the wagon when we’re tired, fed up or tempted. The main thing is not to give up, and forgive yourself if you make a mistake. Accepting you’re not going to be perfect will help get back on track when you inevitably slip up.

Easy ways to a healthier you

If you want to be a better you this year, looking after your teeth and gums is a good place to start. Keeping on top of your oral health is good for your whole body, not just your mouth. And, a well cared for smile can make you look younger, more attractive, and more successful.

Here are two easy-to-keep resolutions that will make you healthier and keep you smiling in 2015:

1. Commit to keeping your teeth and gums clean
Brush your teeth twice a day for about two minutes with fluoride toothpaste. If you can do that, you’re well on your way to better dental health. It doesn’t matter if you use a manual or electric toothbrush so long as you cover all the visible surfaces of your teeth. Flossing at least three times a week will take care of the areas of your teeth that you can’t see.
2. Book your 2015 checkups – and stick to them
Get dental problems treated early and even prevent future treatment by getting your teeth checked. A check-up helps keep your mouth healthy and allows your dentist to look for signs of serious problems such as oral cancer.

We hope you find these practical tips useful. Whatever you have planned for 2015, we wish you every success, and look forward to seeing you in the practice soon.

Fruit juices and smoothies are marketed as a healthy choice in the world of children’s drinks. After all, fruit is natural and good for you, so surely it’s better to give a child a glass of orange juice than a glass of cola?

But a new report by the group Action On Sugar highlights just how misguided our assumptions are about the health benefits of juices and smoothies. The study found that many supposedly healthy smoothies and juices from supermarkets and well-known brands contain up to eight teaspoons of sugar or one and half times the amount of sugar in a can of Coca-Cola.

In fact, more than half of the drinks in the study would fall into the red zone in the food traffic light labelling system because of their high sugar content.

Action On Sugar warns that high levels of sugar in everyday foods are contributing to record levels of tooth decay, obesity and type two diabetes among children.

The worst fruit drinks for hidden sugar

Tesco Apple & Banana Smoothie = 1 Can of Coke

Among the worst offenders in the latest study was Tesco Goodness Slurper Apple & Banana Fruit Smoothie Snack for Kids, which contains a whopping 16.1g of sugar per 100ml. By comparison, Coca-Cola contains 10.6g for every 100ml.

Innocent Smoothie = 2 Pop Tarts

An Innocent Smoothie might add a portion or two to your daily fruit and veg intake, but it also contains over 34g of sugar in a full 250ml bottle. That’s the same as two Kellogg’s Pop Tarts.

Ribena carton = Bag of Maltesers

Ribena is a drink we probably remember from our childhoods, and while it may be bursting with berries, it’s also packed with sugar. An ordinary 200ml carton contains around 21.8g – more than a standard (37g) bag of Maltesers.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot = more than five ginger nuts

Robinsons Fruit Shoot comes in 200ml bottles and contains 20g of sugar. That’s nearly six ginger nut biscuits.

Capri Sun = half a Krispy Kreme doughnut

Capri Sun is another drink marketed for its health benefits, and though there might be some, a 200ml pouch contains 12.2g of sugar, the equivalent of more than half a Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut.

Copella Apple Juice = 1 KitKat

Many parents avoid fizzy drinks and give their children fruit juices as a ‘healthy’ option. In fact, Copella Apple Juice contains around 20g per 200ml or the equivalent of a four-finger KitKat bar.

Sainsbury’s Orange Juice = more than five chocolate chip cookies

Another fruit juice that’s high in sugar is Sainsbury’s orange juice from concentrate. A 200ml carton contains 20.8g of sugar or more than five chocolate chip cookies.

So, remember to check the label – natural sugars can be just as harmful in high quantities as refined, added sugars.