Turning back the clock at Absolute Dental!

Botox might do more than simply paralyze facial muscles to create a more youthful appearance.

New research suggests the anti-aging treatments may also turn back the clock on facial skin itself, aiding its ability to stretch and recoil.

In a recent study Dr. James Bonaparte, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada wrote that Botox treatment seems to promote production of elastin and collagen, a pair of proteins that make young skin tight, firm and flexible,

"We found if we treat people with Botox using standard techniques, we see an increase in elasticity, which is what you'd see in people with more youthful skin," Bonaparte said. "We're actually seeing evidence that we, for some reason, are getting more elastin and collagen in the skin."
As people age, repeated facial expressions wrinkle the face. At the same time, levels of elastin and collagen decline in the skin, causing it to sag. These two factors contribute to facial ageing.

Bonaparte and his colleagues gave 48 women, average age 55, their first-ever Botox injections, treating the skin between the eyebrows and around the eyes. They then followed the women for four months to see how the injections affected the skin.

They found that the Botox increased the stretchiness and elastic recoil of the women's faces, causing changes in composition that mimicked more youthful skin 

"It's temporary, but it's not a byproduct of swelling, and it's not a byproduct of muscle contraction. It's something that's intrinsic to the skin itself," said Dr. Catherine Winslow, an Indianapolis plastic surgeon who wrote an editorial accompanying the new study.

There's no clear reason why Botox has this effect. Bonaparte believes that the cells that produce elastin and collagen may contain a receptor that somehow responds to Botox. If that's the case, future drugs could target that receptor with even better results than those produced by Botox.

"We may be able to develop some medications that don't require injection, that you can apply topically and get the same skin rejuvenation effect as Botox," he said.

Botox might have an antioxidant effect on skin tissue. The muscles of the face produce waste products as they move . These toxins may damage the skin's elastin and collagen. By paralyzing the facial muscles, she suspects Botox gives the skin a chance to heal itself from this damage.

There could be a simpler answer .  Paralysis caused by Botox simply gives collagen and elastin a chance to recover from constant motion and settle back into position.

The research team will next investigate whether extended use of Botox can have long-term benefits for the face, Bonaparte said. Prior studies have shown that people who frequently use Botox are able to get by with lower doses over time, and can go longer periods between injections.

If you would like to turn back the hands of time, call us today on 01548 852165 for your facial aesthetics consultation.

It's a string thing

Following an investigation by the Associated Press, the world’s media has been awash with stories questioning the medical value of flossing in recent weeks.

For the investigation, the AP looked at ‘the most rigorous research’ conducted over the last decade, focusing on 25 studies that compared the use of a toothbrush with the combination of toothbrush and floss.

The investigation found that the evidence of flossing is ‘weak, very unreliable’, of ‘very low quality’, and carries ‘a moderate to large potential for bias’.

However as Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific advisor to the British Dental Association (BDA) points out: ‘the difficulty is trying to get good evidence. People are different and studies are costly to do.’

In light of the news that there’s a lack of evidence supporting the benefits of using dental floss, key opinion leaders and health organisations have been highlighting the importance of regular interdental cleaning.

So what do the experts say?

"Small interdental brushes are preferable for cleaning the area in between teeth, where there is space to do so. Floss is of very little value unless the spaces between your teeth are too tight for the interdental brushes to fit without causing harm or hurting."
Professor Damien Walmsley

"Evidence supports the use of small interdental brushes for cleaning between teeth, where there is space, in preference to flossing. Floss is not a waste of time – it is a viable alternative to interdental brushing where appropriate. Public England Health makes a similar recommendation’’ - Philip Ower BSP President

Dental professionals have a duty to ensure patients understand the difference between flossing and interdental cleaning and recognise the importance of using interdental brushes as part of their oral hygiene routine at home.

from the magazine Oral Health Vol No 4

Beauty Blogging and the rise of DIY teeth whitening

Straight, white, glowing teeth have always been a signifier of both glowing health and radiant beauty, something that the majority of us will invest time and money in achieving. In recent years, with the rise of online video gurus and beauty blogs becoming the faces and flagships of whats in and on trend, fashion and beauty is now governed by women and men writing and filming from often the comfort of their own bedrooms, often broadcasting their personal thoughts to audiences all over the world in their vast numbers. So, its no surprise that  ‘how-to-achieve-a-bleach-white-smile’ in its many forms has been an issue much discussed online, with thousands of ‘DIY whitening’ kits and products being tested, reviewed, purchased, and almost as many ‘homemade’ teeth whitening techniques being tried and deliberated.

So what’s the issue here? Mainly, the risks to your teeth and oral health that come with advice given by someone whom is not a medical professional, and products available to the public that have not been clinically tested. Already, countless chemical teeth whitening products have been recalled and banned for containing potentially harmful, toxic substances, as it is very easy to sell a non tested product on the internet.

Many of these DIY home remedies, that can bee seen on blogs that often have one million plus subscribers, such as ‘brushing your teeth with a little bicarbonate of soda’ to achieve pearly whites, are so corrosive, and detrimental to the external surface of your teeth, the unsuspecting reader may end up permanently damaging their teeth all together!

Now, this is not to say and information of teeth whitening not given to you by a dentist is wrong. For example, the method of ‘coconut pulling’, placing a marble sized amount of coconut butter in your mouth and chewing, is a method currently being studied by medical professionals, not yet given the green light (the benefits and risks are not yet fully known or understood), but not condemned either - it appears that this is a perfectly harmless way of naturally whitening the teeth.

 

So, if you’re looking for a brighter smile, what you should be doing, is asking your dentist before trying anything at home - or purchasing something dodgy!

 

Paige

Microbeads and Toothpaste

There has been much talk in the news recently about "microbeads" and how some organisations, such as Greenpeace, are campaigning and petitioning the Prime Minister to ban the unnecessary use of these plastics in our cosmetics.

They slip down the plug hole and end up in our oceans, polluting the waters and ending up in the stomachs of sea birds, fish, whales and other marine life.

As the public become more aware of this, at Absolute Dental we are being more frequently asked to recommend toothpastes that do NOT contain microbeads, and so we thought we would share the information with all of you who read our blog! Please feel free to share these links with anyone else you know who has an interest in preserving our oceans!

Firstly, if you check the "ingredients" for many cosmetics, microbeads are often listed as

Polyethylene

There are now hundreds of cosmetic producers who do NOT use microbeads in their products, toothpaste producers included.

Here is a link for you to click on and find out if your preferred cosmetic provider and toothpaste manufacturer use microbeads. This is a list of all products that currently do NOT contain microbeads - toothpaste manufacturers start on page 26.

http://beatthemicrobead.org/images/pdf/greenUK.pdf

This is what oral care giant Colgate have to say about microbeads:

"Colgate used microbeads in a limited number of oral care and personal care products to enhance aesthetics and aid in cleaning. However, some groups raised concerns regarding the potential contribution of microbeads to pollution of the world’s oceans. Recognizing that consumers have questions, as of year-end 2014 we are no longer using microbeads. More recently, consumer questions have extended beyond microbeads to some polymer-based materials, many of which dissolve in water and biodegrade. Colgate continues to monitor the science and evaluate our use of polymer-based ingredients to ensure continued improvements in the environmental profile of our products”

 

We hope you find this information useful, and if you want to know more about the harmful effects of microbeads, please visit the Greenpeace website.

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/oceans/what-are-plastic-microbeads-and-why-should-we-ban-them-20160114