News

Having a positive approach to your general condition and maintaining a conscientious approach to a healthy lifestyle is the biggest step you can take towards ensuring you look after your teeth and gums.

Here are some lifestyle habits you can adopt in order to make sure you are doing as much as you can to protect your oral health:

Diet

Vary your diet. Ensure that the foods you eat are spread across all of the food groups, taking extra care not to overload on any on type. With specific relation to your teeth, make sure that your intake of foods with exceptionally high sugar levels are restricted to just meal times, and avoid excessive intake of fruit juices and carbonated fizzy drinks. The following foods contain levels of sugar that can cause harm to your teeth:

• Chocolate
• Sweets
• Cakes
• Biscuits
• Sponge-based puddings
• Sugar added to drinks such as tea or coffee
• Certain breakfast cereals
• Jam/Marmalade
• Honey
• Ice Cream
• Dried Fruit
• Syrups/Sauces
• Carbonated soft drinks/Fruit juices

Be very careful not to intake too many of these types of foods, and on a broader scale, make sure you when you do intake them, you do so as part of a healthy, balanced diet. One other disadvantage of eating or drinking too many of the products listed above is the fact that they can often be of very high calorie content, which if over-consumed over a period of time can lead to weight gain and other complications.

Smoking

Smoking is know to have a dulling, discolouring effect on the teeth which is difficult to counteract. Aside from causing bad breath, smoking also puts you at risk of gum disease. Aside from your oral health, smoking can also lead to very serious issues, such as problems with breathing and lung cancer. Statistically, regular smokers are much more likely to develop lung cancer than those who do not.

Alcohol

While it may not be widely-known, drinking of alcoholic beverages has been proven to be a major contributor towards tooth decay. It erodes the enamel which protects your teeth, and can lead to having to have dental treatment. Also, a large number of people who have been found to suffer mouth cancer admit to have been drinking alcohol regularly.

The health of both your teeth and gums is vitally important. It can be easy to believe your teeth are in great condition if you brush twice a day and it’s not rare for people to dismiss what are actually warning signs as harmless everyday occurrences. We’ve listed a couple of these warning signs for you below, along with some notes on how to both fix and prevent the problems.

Twinges

Often characterised as sudden and sharp pains in various areas of the mouth, twinges are commonly dismissed as knocks or bumps to the gum when brushing or the effect of a particularly tough piece of steak. However, they’re often a sign of underlying dental problems. They could be caused by decay to the gums, cracks in old fillings or bacteria build up in the inner tooth.

Therefore Twinges shouldn’t be ignored. They can be easily fixed with a visit to our dentist, who can run a series of diagnostic checks to identify the problem before planning an appropriate course of treatment to repair any damage. To prevent them occurring in the first place, you should be sure to stick to the big three of brushing, rinsing and flossing twice a day whilst making regular appointments to see your dentist, ideally twice a year!

Sensitive Teeth and Painful Gums

Many people have sensitive teeth and we see many patients that believe they’ve always had them. Many of these patients believe this to be a valid reason to ignore the symptoms and disregard it as nothing more than an everyday inconvenience. However, sensitive teeth are often caused by periodontal disease, which has eroded their gums and impacted upon the nerve structures. Many people are unaware of any problems until extensive damage has occurred and more than half of adults over 55 have had at least a mlld case.

The moral here is to let your dentist know about your sensitive teeth. S/he can then provide appropriate advice – after all, they are the experts! And once again – be sure to brush, rinse, floss and book regular appointments with your dentist in order to prevent the symptoms from occurring at all!

If you have any questions regarding twinges or sensitive teeth or would like to learn more about our treatments please contact us via our website or call us directly on 01772 981201

Brushing your teeth twice a day should be a very important part of your dental routine. There are many reasons to brush your teeth twice a day, some of them are common knowledge and some of them aren’t. We go through ten of the most important reasons below:

1. Save money – Prevention is cheaper than cure! Brushing your teeth twice a day will improve the health of your teeth and gums and help to prevent problems in the future – leaving you with lower dental bills.

2. Fresh Breath – Bacteria can build up in your mouth if you don’t brush your teeth regularly. You can prevent this build up by brushing twice a day – chewing sugar free gum after every meal can also help to prevent the build up of bacteria.

3. Stay kissable – Who wants to kiss someone with food between their teeth or bad breath? Brushing is the cheapest and most effective way to remove food & bacteria.

4. Prevent gum disease – Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums and the first stage of gum disease) is caused by plaque build-up in the area where your teeth meet your gums. This can lead to swollen gums that bleed when you brush them. Plaque is an accumulation of food and bacteria which appears in everyone’s mouth.

5. Reduce your chance of a heart attack or stroke – Bacteria from your mouth can make its way into your bloodstream and increase the likelihood of a build up cholesterol on your arteries, which in turn increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke.

6. Prevent or minimise Diabetes – Any gum disease can make it harder to control your blood glucose. The relationship between serious gum disease and diabetes is two-way. Not only are people with diabetes more susceptible to serious gum disease, but serious gum disease may have the potential to affect blood glucose control and contribute to the progression of diabetes.

7. Have a healthy baby – Gum disease has been shown to increase the chance of premature birth and low birth weight. It can also be one of the many causes of delayed conception and impotence. So get your mouth and gums healthy first.

8. Prevent Dementia – Some studies have shown that poor oral health increases your risk of developing dementia by a third.

9. Toothpaste – on your brush is the best way to apply fluoride and other desensitizers. Fluoride in toothpastes becomes part of a tooth’s surface, protecting the enamel from the acid released by plaque.

10. Remove stains – There are mild abrasives in toothpaste that remove debris and surface stains. Examples include calcium carbonate, dehydrated silica gels, hydrated aluminium oxides, magnesium carbonate, phosphate salts and silicates.

So that 2 minute brush, twice a day can actually save your life. The Dental and Hygiene team at Sharoe Green Dental Practice can provide even more information on brushing your teeth and keeping them clean. So for more information, either contact us via our website or call us directly today on 01772 981 201.

Everyone wants a bright, white, natural and glowing smile. It’s well documented that some celebrities go to great lengths to achieve it too, whether that’s through vastly expensive treatments or brushing their teeth a dangerously excessive amount of times every day (as Helen Flanagan infamously did, please see our previous blog post ‘Brushing Your Teeth Correctly’ from 26 July 2013).

Stains come in all shapes and sizes: spots, blotches, a line that crosses the tooth or even a dark ring that circles between the teeth. Some stains are small, covering a small section of a single tooth and some are far larger, covering several teeth. Some stains can be tackled with a regimented brushing routine and off the shelf whitening products whilst some will demand much more specific treatment.

There’s no single cause of stains either. Stains can occur for a variety of reasons and some of these can be very complex, such as those that develop as a tooth forms. These are known professionally as intrinsic stains and often require very specialist treatments. Others are formed as a result of consuming certain certain foods and drinks. With food and drink, a combination of two factors – the level of acidity and the strength of the enamel – will determine the likelihood of any stains. Strong enamel will stain far less easily and low acidity foods are much less likely to stain your teeth.

The good news is that these stains are both preventable and in most cases treatable. As with many things, prevention is often better than the cure, so be sure to brush your teeth well twice a day, adhere to a balanced and healthy diet, target low acidity foods and use enamel boosting toothpastes. But if you think your teeth need specialist Tooth Whitening treatment, or you would like to find out more about the treatments we have available for you, please get in touch with us here at Sharoe Green Dental Practice either via our website, or by calling us directly on 01772 981201.

“This research is truly ground-breaking. The potential link between what goes on in your mouth and the health of your heart has been an intense topic of debate for some time. This research clearly shows the more you improve and maintain your gum health, the less chance there is of developing a potential life-threatening illness.” Dr Carter, 2013.

Leading researchers (Desvarieux, M et. Al 2013) in the public health field have recently published ‘the most direct evidence yet’ that there is a positive correlation between the health of your gums and the strength of your heart.

Compelling evidence published in a study by the researchers from Columbia University has shown that as an individual’s gum health improves, their chances of developing ‘Atherosclerosis’ is significantly reduced.

According to NHS Choices (2013), Atherosclerosis is a ‘potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances, such as cholesterol. These substances are called Plaques or Atheromas’. These blockages narrow the arteries that carry blood to and from your organs, including your heart, restricting the blood flow and causing potentially fatal effects.

The researches sampled 420 adults for an average of 3 years and in short, the evidence shows a positive correlation between the amount of plaque in an individuals mouth and the build up fatty substances on the arteries.

These findings place more emphasis than ever before on the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day before rinsing with anti-bacterial mouthwash and flossing to ensure you keep the level of plaque in your mouth to a minimum.

If you are unsure if you’re keeping your teeth as clean as you could be, or have any queries about your oral health, please contact us via our website or call us directly on 01772 981201.

References:

Desvarieux, M., Demmer, R.T., Jacobs, D.R., Papananou, P.N., Sacco, R.L., Rundek, T., 2013. Changes in Clinical and Microbiological Periodontal Profiles Relate to Progression of Carotid Intima. Journal of the American Heart Association.

NHS Choices, 2013. Atherosclerosis.

Dental treatments aren’t your typical topic of conversation. It’s not very common to rank them by glamour or popularity and it’s quite rare to find a group of friends discussing which dental treatment gets the most media coverage – but if you had to pick the least glamorous of all of the dental treatments, then you could argue a good case for crowns, veneers and bridges. They are quite possibly the quietest members of a metaphorically larger band of treatments.

But despite this arguable consignment to the quieter regions of the dental industry, they are perhaps the three of the most regularly performed treatments. So with this in mind, it might well be time to give them a little spotlight.

Crowns

Put very simply, crowns (or caps) are a very successful way of restoring heavily damaged or broken teeth by placing a tooth coloured cap over the existing tooth.

Over just a few appointments with your dentist, impressions of the affected teeth are taken and crowns are created with the goal of reaching the perfect fit and look.

They are also a very durable treatment, with an expected life of 10-15 years, depending on how well you look after them, of course.

Veneers

A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain that is individually made to fit over the front of a tooth. These can be used to easily change the shape and colour of a tooth and can also be used to disguise unwanted gaps between teeth.

Veneers can improve the colour, shape and position of your teeth. A precise shade of porcelain can be chosen to give the right colour to improve a single discoloured tooth or to lighten several front teeth.

In many cases, by covering the whole of the front of a chipped tooth with a section of porcelain to conceal the broken part, a chipped tooth can look intact again. Veneers can also be used to close small gaps, when orthodontics (braces) are not suitable. (BDHF, 2013).

Bridges

A bridge is fitted where a tooth is missing. The teeth either side of the space are crowned to support a false tooth that’s fitted in the space between.

Teeth only remain where they are in your mouth because they all support each other, if one is lost, then commonly the teeth each side of the space start to move into the space and tilt. This can lead to food getting trapped between your teeth and gum disease around the tilted teeth. The way your teeth “bite” may also change. A well-designed bridge will last many years and is a very good method of replacing one or two teeth. They can be made to replace more teeth than this if there are enough teeth in your mouth to attach them to.

If you would like more advice on any of these treatments, please book an appointment at the practice today via our website. or call us directly on 01772 981201.

References:

British Dental Association, 2013. Veneers – British Dental Health Foundation[online]

Every morning across the globe, millions of people either switch the kettle on and add two spoonfuls of coffee to their favourite mug or flock to their nearest coffee house and order a caramel latte or a frothy cappuccino. Coffee has become a staple of many people’s lives, transforming from a need to a necessity and creating an entire mini economy in of itself.

But what many of these coffee bean lovers forget is the impact coffee can have on your dental health. Its high acidity can attack the enamel of your teeth, leaving you susceptible to cavities and decay. This high acidity can also result in a build up of harmful bacteria on your teeth and gums. This bacteria is responsible for many strains of gum disease and tooth decay.

However, the negative impact of coffee on your teeth can be combatted by a good routine centred around some solid dental advice designed to restore the PH balance in your mouth. The acidity in coffee, which is largely responsible for the aforementioned issues, disturbs the natural PH balance of your mouth. This imbalance can be brought back to a neutral level with the use a PH balanced mouthwash.

A regimented routine of rinsing mouthwash around the mouth for 30 seconds after drinking coffee, could go a long way to combatting the negative impact of coffee on the PH balance of your mouth and the subsequent dental health problems it can lead to.

For more information on foods that are detrimental to your health and the impact of coffee on your health, please pop into our practice, contact us via our website or call us directly on 01772 981201.

For patients who have a missing tooth or are missing a number of teeth, dental implants offer our dentist the opportunity to provide a safe, reliable, and cosmetically-friendly long term solution that can create or restore wonderful smiles.

Tooth loss can occur as a result of a variety of dental problems. Gum disease, infection and injury are just three of the common reasons that can cause a patient to eventually suffer tooth loss.

Dentures have long been a suitable treatment option for patients with missing teeth. Partial dentures are dental appliances which can help in cases when a fewer amount of teeth are missing, whereas full dentures can suitably replace teeth in cases where full sets are missing.

Dental implants, however, are a brilliant, hassle-free permanent solution. Not only do they have fantastic durability and will last a long time if given the correct care, they also look brilliant and feel great.

If you are looking to replace missing teeth in your smile, why not visit us for an initial consultation for dental implant treatment? To arrange your appointment, do not hesitate to contact us here at Sharoe Green Dental Practice via the website or directly by telephone at the practice today on 01772 981201.

With the 2013/14 academic year now well and truly underway, students all over the country should now be back in the swing of things at their respective at schools, colleges or universities.

Because of the nature of the student lifestyle and it’s associated stresses, it can sometimes be difficult to take the fullest care of your teeth and gums. Here are some helpful tips to keeping your mouth healthy and your breath fresh.

1) Drink lots of water

Drinking water regularly is a great way to rinse away the bacteria that can cause tooth decay and bad breath. It is also generally healthy to stay well-hydrated, so try to make sure drinking water is always readily available.

2) Eat healthy snacks

While the typical student lifestyle may not involve large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, try to eat as healthily as you can. When snacking, try to go for foods such as dark chocolate, nuts, yoghurt, dried fruit and cheese sticks.

3) Get a good toothbrush/brush and floss regularly

Electric toothbrushes are recommended by dentists for their ability to effectively brush and reach difficult areas of the teeth. Good quality electric toothbrushes are a fantastic long term investment and are available on the market at reasonable prices. Make sure that you brush twice a day for two minutes each time, and that you floss everyday. Mouthwashes can also be useful as their liquid form enables them to reach all areas of the mouth – consult your dentist for the best advice on this.

If you would like an appointment to assess your oral health and the best possible advice on dental care, we recommend that you make an appointment with our dentist and/or hygienist.

To book your consultation appointment, please do not hesitate to contact us via our website, pop into our Dental Practice in Preston or contact us directly by telephone at the practice today on 01772 981201.