Don't let too much festive cheer ruin your Christmas teeth!

Christmas is nearly upon us and regardless of whether or not you’re excited about it, there’s no doubt you will be indulging in plenty of delicious food over the coming weeks. Buffets, Christmas parties, Boxing Day leftovers, various tins and boxes of chocolates, shortbread biscuits, cakes – the list is endless. Whilst all this food is fabulous for our tastebuds, our teeth really aren’t such big fans.

At such an exciting time of the year with presents, music, socialising and generally having a good time it really is no surprise that all aspects of our health are neglected. Oral care in particular is something most people don’t think about at all over the holidays, usually because there’s often no obvious quick consequence like there is with overeating or drinking.

We love to help you care for your teeth, so it’s important we gently encourage you to protect your beautiful smile over Christmas so you don’t end up suffering in the New Year.

Here are some festive treats to be aware of in relation to your oral health:

Food That Cracks Your Teeth

We get a lot of cracked teeth to treat over the Christmas period, which some people may find surprising. However, when you think about the many different types of food we indulge in, it becomes more obvious why so many people’s enthusiastic eating has caused them this dental injury. Toffee is a common culprit for cracking teeth, especially as many people don’t eat it often and forget that it can be rock solid, unfortunately something they only remember once the damage is done. Whole nuts are another common cause of cracked teeth, with people either biting into a particularly hard nut, or failing to see a bit of the shell still attached to the nut and biting down on it.

Food That Actively Damages Your Teeth

There’s a lot of sugary and acidic food around at Christmas – exactly what your teeth hates. All the sweets, cakes and chocolates can damage your tooth enamel. Red wine, coffee and strong coloured foods can stain your teeth, and all the acid in the fruits and alcohol can provide a hefty acid attack that leads to tooth erosion. Basically, all of the popular Christmas treats combined make for a pretty terrifying few weeks for your teeth.

Neglecting Your Oral Care

Unfortunately, this is the time of year when we most commonly put the least effort into our dental care. The amount of patients who have told us they have fallen asleep without brushing (at least once), or they have simply not had time to even think about flossing or paying any attention to their teeth over Christmas is high.

What To Do About It

We completely understand that Christmas is a really hectic time of year.  It is important to be kind to yourself, relax and accept that not everyone is perfect and you will eat more treats than usual, and you might well forget to floss once or twice. However, your oral health does still need to be considered so you don’t end up regretting this after a few weeks indulgence, in the New Year. Consider your oral health part of your general health; that way, it won’t seem like you’re having to make any extra effort.

●     Only treat yourself to the nicest, most special foods when you do have something naughty, don’t waste your indulgence on any old treats!

●     Stick to government guidelines when it comes to drinking (you can find out more about government alcohol guidelines on-line easily enough)

●     Chew on sugar free chewing gum after eating to increase saliva production which helps combat decay

●     Leave your toothbrush and toothpaste out if you’re going out and think you might forget to brush – if it is right there in front of you, you might be more likely to remember

●     Drink lots of water in between eating

Talk To Absolute Dental Dental About Festive Dental Care

Avoid starting the New Year with toothache, cracked teeth, missing fillings or stained teeth and care for your teeth over Christmas so you can keep grinning through all the festivities.
If you’re due for a visit to us in the next few weeks, please ask us about caring for your teeth over Christmas – we want to help you go into 2017 smiling!

A quarter of men want straighter teeth.

A new survey has revealed that 26% of men would like to straighten their teeth.

The survey was taken to find out more about men’s confidence in their appearance and showed that those aged 18-24 were most likely to have looked into treatments to change something, despite being the most likely age group to say they thought it wrong for a man to try to change his appearance.

Issues surrounding tooth appearance ranked highly as a concern, with statistics showing just over a quarter of men surveyed admitting they would straighten their teeth if they were given the chance to change one thing.

The survey taken in October 2016 by Align Technology, asked men of all age ranges, socio-economic groups and geographical regions asked men what they were most likely to change about themselves, and although they said they would like to change their appearance, many were reluctant to take the plunge.

The survey also showed interesting regional variations:

·        Those from the South West and West Midlands were least likely to consider themselves happy with their appearance (only 57% and 56% respectively saying they were happy)

·        Only 2% of those surveyed from Yorkshire and Humber were confident about their teeth

·         Those most likely to be confident about their teeth were from Scotland 

 

We carry out short term orthodontics here at Absolute, if you want to know more, call us on 01548 852165 or email us info@absolute-dental.co.uk today!

Imperfect teeth – "One of the biggest turn offs’"

A new survey from Iwhite Instant has found that imperfect teeth are one of the biggest turn offs.

The research shows that the top five turn offs for Brits as being:

1.    A cheesy chat up line – 77%

2.    Imperfect teeth – 65%

3.    If they pay too much attention to their mobile – 64%

4.    Arrogance – 53%

5.    Lack of hygiene – 52%

Carien Veldhuis, marketing manager at Iwhite Instant said "’It’s interesting to see what Britons consider to be the top turnoffs when meeting new people, and that cheesy chat up lines are considered to be the worst."

 

 

"That being said, it’s no surprise that imperfect teeth came second on the top turnoffs either; this is one of those evolutionary things we look for in a mate."

"That’s not to say people have to have the kind of perfect pearly whites we see in a magazine, but make sure you take good care of your teeth!’’

 

If you aren't happy about any aspect of your smile, come and see us at Absolute Dental for a consultation and we may have a simple fix that could make your teeth less imperfect and make you smile more!

 

 

The pictures above are before and after pictures of a patient who came to see our clinical director Rhodri John, as they were unhappy about their smile.

After a course of tooth whitening and composite build ups (where the teeth are added tooth with a tooth coloured material and no natural tooth removed) the results are amazing, and this patient went away VERY happy.

 

How Can Mouth Cancer Be Detected Early?

Last weeks blog looked at the risk factors of Mouth Cancer, and we know that early detection can save lives - so exactly HOW can it be detected early?

Mouth cancer can often be spotted in its early stages by your dentist during a thorough dental health assessment. If mouth cancer is recognised early, then the chances of a cure are good.  Many people with mouth cancer go to their dentist or doctor too late.

The dentist examines the inside of your mouth and your tongue with the help of a small mirror. Remember, your dentist is able to see parts of your mouth that you cannot see easily yourself.

If your dentist finds something unusual they will refer you to a consultant at the local hospital, who will carry out a thorough examination of your mouth and throat. A small sample of the cells may be gathered from the area (a biopsy), and these cells will be examined under the microscope to see what is wrong.

If the cells are cancerous, more tests will be carried out. These may include overall health checks, blood tests, x-rays or scans. These tests will decide what course of treatment is needed.

If mouth cancer is spotted early, the chances of a complete cure are good, and the smaller the area or ulcer the better the chance of a cure.

However, too many people come forward too late, because they do not visit their dentist for regular examinations.

 

 

 

HOW CAN I KEEP MY MOUTH HEALTHY ? 

It is important to visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend, even if you wear dentures. This is especially important if you smoke and drink alcohol.

When brushing your teeth, look out for any changes in your mouth, and report any red or white patches, or ulcers, that have not cleared up within three weeks.

When exposed to the sun, be sure to use a good protective sun cream, and put the correct type of barrier cream on your lips.

A good diet, rich in vitamins A, C and E, provides protection against the development of mouth cancer.  Plenty of fruit and vegetables help the body to protect itself, in general, from most cancers.

Cut down on your smoking and drinking.

 

 

The message is always: "If in doubt, get it checked out".

 

November is Mouth Cancer action month!!!

Did you know that in the UK more than 7000 people are diagnosed with mouth cancer annually, and more than 2000 people die from this from of cancer every year?

To put this in perspective, when the mortality rates of both testicular and cervical cancers are combined they still amount to less than those of mouth cancer.

These awful numbers are only expected to increase and that is why this years campaign is all about ensuring early diagnosis and reducing risk factors.

Here at Absolute all our patients are regularly screened for mouth cancer by our dentists at Dental Health Assessments and our hygienists are also trained to recognise any abnormalities. It is important however, that we make also make our patients aware of the signs and symptoms to enable them to recognise any oral changes, as early diagnosis saves lives.

Mouth cancer can affect anyone although approximately 91% of cases are related to lifestyle. This is good news, and means that making some small changes can dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing mouth cancer.

Risk factors include:

Smoking - 2 out of 3 cases of oral cancer in the UK, are diagnosed in smokers.

Alcohol consumption - This is a major risk factor, particularly when combined with smoking

Diet - A healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables reduces your risk of developing moth cancer

HPV virus - This can cause abnormal cell growth which can result in a cancerous growth

Environmental Factors - Passive smoking puts you at higher risk of mouth cancer

 

 

Signs and Symptoms

Mouth cancers’ high mortality rate is largely due to late detection with many being discovered at stage 4 at which point little can be done. If detected quickly 9 in 10 of those diagnosed survive. This means it is important that you pay attention to the inside of your mouth and keep an eye out for any changes. Ensure to check lips, palate, tongue and floor of the mouth.

Do not ignore

-    Ulcers anywhere in the mouth that do not heal within 3 weeks

-    Any lumps or swellings in the mouth or neck area

-    Red or white patches in the mouth

Remember early detection is the key, so, “If in doubt, get checked out”.

 

Information and images have been taken from the www.mouthcancer.org website, please visit this site for more information or speak to one of the team at Absolute who will be happy to help.