Online DIY braces are a "bad idea"!

There are now websites that offer people the opportunity to carry out their own tooth straightening in the comfort of their own home....

The websites encourage you to take a series of "selfies" and these are used to carry out an assessment and based on this, a person is deemed suitable (or not) for the treatment.

The British Orthodontic Society (the branch of dentistry specialising in improving the appearance, placement and function of teeth) have warned people of the dangers of this treatment.

"When it comes to the health of your teeth and gums, cutting corners is a really bad idea." says Richard George (their director of external relations).

He goes on to say that the aligners that you would purchase online for this treatment, and then actually carrying out this treatment unsupervised, could actually end up causing permanent damage to your teeth.

Taking selfies and uploading them to a website in order to purchase DIY aligners cannot match the level of care and skill of a qualified clinician trained in the clinical diagnosis and treatment planning of such specialist treatment.

People need to be aware that these websites are not regulated and are run by non-dentists (sometimes even business operating from abroad) and there is absolutely no protection for those undertaking the DIY procedure.

"The cost of treatment may be lower but the risks to health and wellbeing are far greater".

So, the message is, if you want to know more about tooth straightening, speak to your dentist!

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.



 

10 super foods - for your teeth!

During recent years, health food has become somewhat of an eating trend; it seems everyone’s juicing, or eating more super salads and soups, or ‘eating clean’. Whilst this diet revamp is doing wonders for many, some of these ‘healthier’ lifestyle switch ups can be both good and bad for you, especially when it comes to the health of your teeth and increased intake of fruits, for example, which can lead to increased enamel damage and decay, as they are generally high in sugar and acidic.

Here’s a list of the ten foods you could incorporate into your diet more to ensure that you’re protecting the precious tools that help you eat in the first place!

1. Almonds

Almonds are a fantastic source of protein and calcium, whilst being low in sugar. Add them to your granola or porridge, or sprinkled on salads, or have a handful as a mid morning snack

2. Yoghurt

Yoghurt, a good source of essential calcium, helps strengthen the teeth. Be sure to pick a product with no added sugar (so avoid any that are marketed as "low fat" or "fat free" as these are HIGH is sugar!). The probiotics in yoghurt benefit your gums and keep them healthy by replacing the bad acid producing bacteria.

 

 

3.  Celery

A good source of vitamins A and C which aid the health of gums, and acts as a natural toothbrush, scraping food particles away from the nooks and crannies of your teeth - nature’s floss!

 

 

4.  Black tea and green tea

These teas contain Polyphenols, which are understood to reduce toxins and fight bacteria in he mouth, as well as being rich in fluoride which is essential for healthy teeth. Just avoid adding sugar!

 

 

5.  Pears

Unlike other fruits, raw pears actually neutralize acids in your mouth, instead of adding to the acid levels

 

 

6. Apples

The act of chewing an apple produces saliva, and the fibre of the apple stimulates the gums, giving you mouth a good scrub, and clearing away some stuck food particles. Just make sure you’re brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, which will help protect the enamel on your teeth from the sugars and acids that occur naturally in fruits. Although it is recommended not to consume too many sugary fruits, apples are high in fibre and water content.

 

 

7.  Water

Ok, not technically food, but this is one people often don’t think about - water washes away food particles and keeps the levels of saliva in your mouth high, protecting your teeth from acids and sugars, and also contains naturally minerals and proteins that combat plaque

 

 

8.  Garlic

A real superfood, Garlic fights periodontal disease and tooth decay, due to its antimicrobial  properties

 

9.  Gum

Sugar free gum boosts production of saliva, which protects our mouth. Just make sure you pick the sugar free variety (and don’t actually eat it either, it’s not so good for your intestines!)

 

 

10.  Carrots

Crunchy and full of fibre, carrots, like apples and celery, can help scrub out stuck food particles, and are packed full of vitamins when eaten raw