Snoring?... an absolute problem solved

Do you, or a partner suffer from snoring either as the snorer or the one who is losing sleep?

If so you may already know that it can have a profound impact on your health and quality of life! How does this come about?
Lack of sleep caused by snoring causes daytime sleepiness. Reduced energy leads to poor motivation to exercise and hence weight gain. Sleeping in different bedrooms reduces sex life and increases stress levels. Driving when tired is extremely dangerous.
It may be news to you that in addition, SNORING and a further more extreme condition called OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA (OSA) can contribute to serious health conditions such as Hypertension, increased risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease and poor relationship with a partner!
The great news is that Absolute Dental are now able to offer a solution... The SLEEPWELL is a gold standard treatment available from a trained dentist. Following a comprehensive diagnosis, impressions are taken of the teeth. This allows a tailor made two piece appliance or splint, with a soft lining to be custom made for you giving optimum comfort and fit! When worn at night time this splint will prevent you from snoring. Those who may have tried various "over the counter" treatments with little success will be happy to know that SLEEPWELL is the most clinically proven splint available.
So what might this mean for you? Better quality and quantity of sleep leading to reduced health problems, and risk of more serious disease and a feeling of more energy every day.

If you would like to know more, why not come along to our informal open evening October 19th @ 6.30pm and have all your questions answered. This invitation is open to all, all we ask is for you to give us a quick call or email to reserve your place.

01548 852165 info@absolute-dental.co.uk

How do others view our smiles?

A recent study has suggested that aesthetic dental treatment for children with injury to front teeth may yield important psychological benefits children aged 11- 12 were invited to look at colour photographs of four different children's faces and to make a social judgement. The pictures showed these children with visible incisor trauma or digitally modified restored aesthetics.

They viewed photos of children with damaged teeth more negatively than those with normal appearance. This concurs with research from adult populations ... Negative social judgements may be made on the basis of poor dental appearance aesthetic dental treatment for children with incisor injury may yield important psychological benefits.

Ruth Page

How the menopause can rock the foundations

A recent study indicates menopause is linked to tooth loss.
One in 4 post-menopausal women are likely to suffer tooth loss over a five year period. The risk increases to nearly 90% if other risk factors are present, particularly those with diabetes and who smoke.
Studies indicate the tooth loss is due to bone loss and oestrogen deficiency.
It is clearly a period of life when special attention needs to be given to maintaining a good standard of oral health. A simple routine of brushing twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between the teeth with interdental brushes or dental floss, good dietary habits, reducing the consumption frequency of sugary foods /drinks and regular dental examinations and hygienist appointments can all help prevent tooth and gum problems.

Denise

absolute healthier snacks

Be aware of what is in your lunchbox!

Warning to parents.

A little meal-time forethought can go a long way towards maintaining a child's oral health and educational performance.

We want to remind parents to take care when packing a child's school lunch. It's no secret that poor nutritional habits in children are a serious problem in this country for their teeth and general health. Sugary treats like biscuits, cake, sweets and fruit snacks the sugar is consumed by the bacteria in the sticky plaque that constantly forms on teeth to generate acid, which can wear away enamel and cause tooth decay. Gooey or chewy sweets are particularly damaging because they spend a prolonged amount of time stuck to teeth. Sweets may provide a temporary jolt for children, but that sugar rush soon turns into a crash and children are left feeling lethargic. That is not the kind of mental state childrens need to be in to be attentive for afternoon classes. Limiting sugar intake will not only be good for children's teeth, but for their overall health. We need to send our children to school with healthy snacks like fresh fruit and veg, baked crisps or bread sticks.

At the end of a year, simple substitutions at snack time like replacing sugary drinks with water, or an apple and carrots instead of a chocolate bar, will add up to a lot of saved calories, a much healthier diet and healthier teeth. Almost all tooth decay can be prevented with a healthy diet, good toothbrushing habits, and regular visits to the dentist for preventive care.

For more advice please contact any of our team on 01548 852165 or emailinfo@absolute-dental.co.uk

Back to school for Absolute Dental

It’s almost back to school time. At Absolute Dental all the team take their ongoing education seriously by way of CPD (Continuing Professional Development). We look forward to planning some dental courses to excite, stimulate and gain some more knowledge to benefit our patients.
Already in the diary… an update on Endodontic treatment, presented by one of our local talented specialists Peter Davis who has all the latest information on new techniques for root canal treatment.
Aesthetic Composites in dentistry…to pick up some new techniques to create even more beautiful smiles.
And, very exciting, new and coming soon to Absolute Dental, How to treat crooked teeth using the Inman Aligner, a simple orthodontic treatment for adults to help give a great smile.
…more on all these things later.
Ruth Page

Oral Health Month at Absolute Dental

September is Colgate Oral Health Month. In partnership with the British Dental Association is a leading UK campaign for promotion of improved oral health. Reinforcing the message 'The importance of a good oral care routine for a healthy mouth'


Although Absolute Dental reinforces this message on a daily basis to all our patients at oral health assessment, hygienist and oral health educator appointments we find it helps to be supported by the advertising campaign run by Colgate throughout the month.

Following these simple guidelines will help maintain a healthy mouth and help prevent gum disease and tooth decay.

• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, last thing at night and before breakfast in the morning.



• Spitting out excess toothpaste after brushing and NOT rinsing, this will prevent washing away the beneficial fluoride in the toothpaste.



• Avoiding brushing immediately after consuming acidic foods/drinks will help prevent enamel erosion.


• Avoid sugary snacks between meals - choose a tooth friendly alternativeVisit your dentist regularly, not only will this help with the early detection of gum disease and tooth decay but you will also be routinely screened for oral cancers.

Oral Health Month questionnaires will be available with a chance of winning one of 40 portable DVD players.

Denise

Hollywood smiles at Absolute Dental Kingsbridge

As a treatment co-ordinator at Absolute Dental, it was my pleasure to work recently on this quite quite a high profile one; the patient involved was a new patient to us who works as a high profile psychic, has her own website and psychic reading site and also appears regularly on daytime television in this country. The patient was hoping to move her career forward by conquering the American market also, but was aware of the “Hollywood Smile” look and felt that her teeth would be a barrier from achieving her goal (picture 1)

Her main concerns were the shade of her teeth, the gaps between her lower anterior teeth, a central incisor that appeared longer than the other and the upper left lateral incisor that was slightly in standing, and therefore looked darker due to shadows cast on it. The patient is 44 years of age, a smoker with Type 2 diabetes. From our first consultation with this patient it was clear that we were going to have to be realistic and honest about what we could hope to achieve for her, and managing her expectations has always been a challenge. The patient was keen to achieve all of her changes as soon as possible, but there was a more urgent problem that we needed to address before any of the cosmetic changes could begin. The patient had chronic adult periodontitis, which would involve numerous visits to our hygiene team for periodontal treatment, plus enormous changes in the patients homecare routine before we could begin to think of achieving the cosmetic changes requested. It was clear that many of her concerns over the appearance of her teeth were due to the effects of the periodontal disease in the past. The patient’s medical history and smoking habits were against us, but our hygiene team worked hard to treat the periodontal disease and educate the patient in how crucial her input was to driving the improvements forward; all the time using the cosmetic changes requested as the motivation for improvement.

Eventually, after several months of periodontal treatment, we felt that the health of the gums had stabilised sufficiently for us to begin the cosmetic treatment. This began with a course of tooth whitening; both an in-surgery treatment, followed by a home whitening kit. Over a course of 3 weeks the patients shade improved from C3 to B1, and once again, we had to manage the patients expectations that this was the best shade achievable in her circumstances. And so we began the process of addressing the shape of the teeth with which she was unhappy.
Firstly we adjusted the upper left central incisor – a tooth that had over erupted due to the bone support lost by the effects of the periodontal disease – then using composite material, we built the left lateral incisor out slightly so that it was no longer in shadow (picture 2).

The patient is extremely apprehensive of all dental treatment, and it was a testament to Rhodri John, that this was all achieved without local anaesthetic, just calm reassurance and confidence built up between the patient and the dental team. The patient understood exactly what treatment was to be carried out, and understood that by adding composite rather than aggressively changing the shape of the natural tooth, if the appearance did not please her, the procedure was 100% reversible.
At a longer appointment the following day, the patient returned for treatment to improve the appearance of her lower incisors. Once again, without adjusting any natural tooth, composite was added to the lower canines, lateral and central incisors; mesially, distally and buccally to improve the appearance and shape of the teeth, closing the diastemas between each one that the patient felt were so noticeable on camera. The finished result was again breathtaking (picture 3).

The patient was amazed at how natural the restorations looked, and despite initial reservations over how they might affect her speech, she was utterly delighted. Only time and the bright lights of the television studio will tell if the restorations have achieved the flawless smile she was hoping for, but the changes achieved have been dramatic, and can be altered still further if the patient requests this.

This is one of those cases that a dental nurse loves to be involved with, a patient who presents with specific “wants”; “wants” that need to be managed carefully and balanced against what the patient actually “needs” and then working with all aspects of the dental team to achieve a goal that we are all proud of.

Written by Diane Cox