Help a child with a life-threatening illness to smile. Go here to contribute http://newburydentist.blogspot.com/

Help a child with a life-threatening illness to smile

Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK aims to grant magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses. Support the efforts of Richard and Tom Stock who are cycling from the Berkshire 230 miles to Paris in 3 days. I've known Richard Stock, for 25 years.

They Leave on Friday 29th April and Arrive Sunday 1st April in Paris. Leave a comment & type “NSM”, so they know that social media have helped.

Richard & Tom Stock Cycle to Paris

www.justgiving.com

JustGiving - the easiest way to fundraise and donate to charity online

Top tips to prevent sensitive teeth

My thanks to our Dental Therapist Laura Woosey for another great guest blog posts for us.

Sensitive teeth are very common dental problem causing discomfort to many people at some point in their lives.

There are many reasons as to why sensitivity occurs.

Here are a few steps you can take to prevent sensitivity.

1.       Brush and clean in between your teeth every day but do not brush aggressively.  Plaque is very soft and can be removed without much force.

2.       Cut down on acidic foodstuffs especially citrus fruits and restrict them to meal times only.  A straw may be used for acidic drinks.

3.       Use Fluoride mouthwash between tooth brushing.

4.       Use sensitive toothpaste twice daily.  Spit out the excess toothpaste but do not rinse with water or mouthwash.

5.       Sensitive toothpaste can be used as an ointment and applied to specific areas of sensitivity and left overnight.

6.       Most important is to see your dentist for regular check-ups and professional cleaning.

A very good morning to all esp new followers and friends. Have a great day. We are smile fixing tomorrow so our w/e starts Sunday 8-)

I proudly posted just over a year ago that grandparenthood had arrived. 13 months later..8-)

Just over a year ago I proudly announced that Grandparenthood had arrived. 13 months on. 8-)

The truth about tooth staining

My thanks to our Dental Therapist Laura Woosey for her third guest blog posts for us.

Teeth can stain or discolour for a number of reasons, some of which can be prevented.

1.       Adequate dental hygiene, brush regularly, ideally twice a day with either a manual or electric toothbrush.  Electric toothbrushes have been clinically proven to be more effective than manual toothbrushes in removing plaque, stain and foot that build up between the teeth.

2.       Food and Drink:  Your diet has a huge impact on staining of teeth.  Frequent consumption of chromogenic (coloured) food and drink will produce staining over a period of time depending on the amount consumed. For example: tea, coffee, red wine, curry, and tomato rich sauce.

3.       Smoking:  People who smoke generally build up more stain than people who don’t.  Likewise heavier smokers will build up more stain than social smokers.  The nicotine causes this from the cigarettes smoke sitting on the teeth.  Similarly chewing tobacco or beetlenut will also cause staining.

Top tips on how to prevent stain build up:

1.       Brush your teeth twice a day with an electric toothbrush for at least 2 minutes.

2.       Floss between your teeth daily.

3.       Try to rinse with water or Fluoride mouthwash after eating or drinking.

4.       Consider quitting smoking/chewing tobacco or beetlenut not only to prevent staining but also for the benefit of your general health.

5.       Avoid frequent consumption of black tea, coffee and red wine.

6.       Add milk to your tea and coffee.

7.       A whitening or abrasive toothpaste may be used to prevent staining but it is not a long-term solution.

8.       Visit your hygienist every 3 months for professional cleaning and stain removal.

If you have dark or stained teeth, please do contact us to book for an assessment.

Bad breath (halitosis) - your problems answered - Part 2

My thanks to our Dental Therapist Laura Woosey for the second of several guest blog posts for us.
In our last post about halitosis we talked about looking after natural teeth, here's more about looking after dentures.

5 top tips to keep your dentures sparklingly fresh and clean:

It is important to care for your dentures if you want them to stand the test of time.  A build up of plaque bacteria, which is naturally present in the mouth, can cause unsightly staining and bad breath.

1.       Keep them fresh and clean by using soft denture brush rather than a toothbrush or electric tooth brush to brush off any plaque bacteria after each meal.

2.       Use either soap and water or a denture cream to keep them sparklingly clean rather than tooth paste, which is not only expensive but also abrasive and damaging to the dentures.

3.       Clean your dentures over a full sink filled with water or over a soft towel to avoid damaging them if accidently dropped.

4.       Do not attempt to clean them in boiling water or bleach, as this is harmful to dentures.

5.       Leave your dentures out at night to allow the gum tissues to breath and rest.  Soak the dentures in container of water or denture cleaning solution.

What is RADCT? RA Dental Competency Training. I am excited to announce our new competency training course in RA /IS for Therapists and Hygienist. More info here http://bit.ly/hue1bK. Please like and pass this forward to DCP friends and contacts.

Bad breath (halitosis) - your problems answered - Part 1

My thanks to our Dental Therapist Laura Woosey for this first of several guest blog posts for us.


Bad Breath – Too embarrassing to mention ?

Most people do suffer from bad breath (halitosis) at some point in their lives. Perhaps this includes you or someone close to you.

Halitosis can have a big impact on your self-confidence and social life, and can be caused by a number of things. There are many reasons why it happens. Here are the common ones.

There are hundreds of types of bacteria in the mouth some good, some bad.  However it is the sulphur-producing bacteria that cause the unpleasant odour.

Other types of bacteria cause tooth decay (cavities) whilst others cause gum diseases. If your gums feel spongy or bleed easily, its time to see you dentist, hygienist or dental therapist, for help.

Other reasons for bad breath may include smoking, drinking coffee, sinus and mucous problems, a dry mouth, eating protein rich foods and other foods such a garlic and onions. Often, in combination.

Sometimes bad breath occurs if people have stomach problems such as gastric reflux, frequent indigestion, heartburn or a hiatus hernia. All of these need help from your doctor.

To eliminate simple bad breath, follow these simple steps...

Firstly you must have an excellent oral health routine:

1.       Brush your teeth twice a day for at least 2 minutes.  Remember to brush the gums gently as well.

2.       Brush the tongue or invest in a simple tongue scraper to remove excess toothpaste, plaque and tongue coating. A high percentage of halitosis comes from tongue bacteria!

There are lots to choose from. Here is a great story about how one inventor used YouTube to get his product known

3.       Floss daily to remove any trapped food/plaque from between the teeth that can contribute to bad breath.  By concentrating on tooth brushing and inter-dental cleaning  (flossing or bottle-brushing) around the gums you will also prevent gum disease which is a major factor of bad breath and tooth loss.

4.       Use an alcohol-free, fluoride-based mouthwash after lunch to freshen the mouth and flush out excess food and drink.  Look out for oxygenating mouthwashes or Retardex products, which kill the odour-producing bacteria.

5.       Use a fluoride toothpaste with a mint flavour when brushing.  Try to avoid toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate (a foaming agent), which many do have.

6.       If you suffer from a dry mouth, it is important to stay hydrated with frequent sips of water (not fizzy or flavoured).  People with a dry mouth are very prone to tooth decay so be sure to keep up you dental examinations if you have this problem. This problem occurs as we get older and if we are taking some prescription medicines. Be sure to talk to your dentist, hygienist or therapist if this troubles you. It is important , so don’t ignore it.

7.       Avoid caffeine and regularly chew sugar free gum. Ones containing xylitol are especially good at fighting tooth decay.

8.       Be sure to get professional advice too, don’t cover-up if there is an underlying problem, such as sinusitis or gum disease. Rarely, bad breath may be caused

The Power of a Smile by Ron Gutman

Here is an enlightening look at the power of a smile by Ron Gutman, founder and CEO of HealthTap.
He also serves as the Curator of TEDxSilicon Valley.  This column was adopted from a presentation at the most recent TED conference.

"I found a simple and surprisingly powerful way to significantly improve my own life and the lives of others. So now, whenever you want to look great and competent, improve your marriage, or reduce your stress…or whenever you want to feel as good as when you’ve enjoyed a stack of high quality chocolate without incurring the caloric cost, or as if you randomly found 25 grand in the pocket of a jacket you hadn’t worn for ages…or when you want to tap into a superpower and help yourself and others live longer, healthier happier lives…SMILE."

Ron Gutman

There is much more about the background to his conclusion. It really is very interesting read it here .
So if you are embarrassed by your smile you may be losing out in more ways than you think.

Richard Charon

Just for Red-Nose day

Restored her faith in Dentists

Today we received this lovely testimonial from one of our patients.  Addressed to my wife Chris who runs the practice and is our Treatment Coordinator too.

Hi Chris ,

Just to say thanks again to you and Richard for having a go at fixing that
for me yesterday and for explaining about the veneers. Sounds like that is
next course of action. Just a shame I didn't find you earlier as I may have
been able to save my teeth from being in the state they are now! I know you
now have a complaints procedure but I'm not sure if you have a 'compliments'
one. In case you do then thanks again for helping to restore my faith in
dentists and making it much easier to visit the dentist! (the happy gas is
also fabulous!)

Zara 

If you would like to try us to see if we can help restore your faith in dentists, why not call Chris on 01635 47757 . And yes, the happy gas is also fabulous!

We have a v. busy day including IV sedation smile transformation. Yes we work alternate Saturdays. If you would love to transform your smile but are just too anxious to even think about it,  then pick up the phone, speak to Chris and arange a FREE no obligation chat over coffee to see how we can help you. NO check up or dental instruments to be seen !!

Today I saw 2 new patients. 25-30 men. Both teachers with loads of tooth decay. Beware superfit folk sugar=decay