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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Confusion in the savoury snacks aisle in Tesco!

We like to keep everything current here at Absolute Dental and so Christina and Ruth decided to update the "Healthy Snacks" leaflet we give out to our younger patients last week.

Christina our very talented dental therapist, loves a challenge and took to the internet to do her research and looked to ways to jazz up the leaflet.

We came across one surprise and thought we should share it with you.....

Plain breadsticks (often a common lunch box favourite of mums and considered a good healthy snack and an alternative to sweet biscuits) left us all scratching our heads.

We checked the ingredients of Tesco Plain Breadsticks, and NO sugar - result!

We looked at the mini alternatives too - better for little eaters! Once again, NO sugar - perfect!

However, the problem comes when we looked at the more convenient "lunch box" alternative, the same Original Mini Breadsticks but in handy individual packs........

 

.....In these, the third ingredients on the list (in other words, the 3rd largest ingredients in the product) is SUGAR!!!!!

 

Christina quickly emailed Tesco to highlight this to them, and raised her concern that in her effort to promote "healthy snacks" to patients to reduce tooth decay, the message can easily become confused by inconsistencies such as these - and went on to ask them when they would be removing sugar from their recipe!

 

The response from Tesco was swift, and is as follows:

 

Dear Christina

Thanks for emailing me.

I’m sorry to learn that you’re unhappy with the sugar content found within our own brand breadstick; after reading through your email I can understand your concern with this.

I’m unable to make a decision as to changing any part of a products recipe but I’ve now spoken to my Business Support Team and have advised them of your concerns with the sugar content; they’ve taken this as feedback that we can give to our suppliers as a suggestion.

Thank you for taking the time to email me; if I can be of any further assistance please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards,

Aaron Watson

Tesco Customer Service

Tesco Customer Engagement Centre

We are sharing this with you as we feel many people would examine food labels as closely as we were able to on this occasion - and want to raise awareness that even the healthiest seeming snacks are not all that they seem.

 

Maybe some of you will be motivated by this to read labels more closely - or even do as Christina has done and drop an email to a high street shop.....we need to take action on this, either on a personal level or on a larger scale to try and change the health of a nation an their teeth.

 

Please share this to raise awareness - and maybe a few back to school pack lunches will look a bit different next week.....

 

 

 

 





So many things to smile about from Brazil!

If you, like us, are missing the Olympic Games already and eagerly awaiting the Paralympic Games, here is a great blog from Ruthie about Brazilians and their smiles! 

Brazilians take cleanliness extremely seriously. Showering twice a day is standard and even the most basic restaurant has an outside sink with soap and paper towels so you can wash your hands before you eat. 

 

 

 

 

What may come as a surprise is what can be found in a cafe "rest room":  

Push the soap dispenser and instead of fragrant foam, some minty liquid will land on your hands. This is mouthwash. Look around the bathroom and spot dental floss too!

"We smile a lot. Every time we ask something, we smile, we apologise smiling, people see their smile as their calling card," says Ronaldo Art, marketing manager for Oral Care at Johnson & Johnson in Brazil.

The company puts its Listerine mouthwash in public toilets for free so they can try the product. One of the latest tactical moves by a global company to take a slice of Brazil's massive oral hygiene market, and it seems to be working. 

Research for the BBC carried out by international brand consultancy Millward Brown reveals that out of the top twenty most powerful foreign brands, three are for toothpaste - Colgate, Oral B, and Close-Up. 

"Historically in Brazil if you had a nice smile, it would show you were a wealthy person," said Eduardo Campanella, brand director for oral care for Unilever in Brazil. 

"Everybody in Brazil will have their toothbrush and their toothpaste in their purse .There is even a joke, if you see someone in the UK brushing their teeth in the toilet, no doubt he's Brazilian," he says.

It is estimated Brazil has the highest number of dentists in the world - more than 240,000. That is equivalent to 15% of the dentists in the entire world. 

Overall, the dental market is number three in the world after the US and China.And a Brazilian household would spend nearly the same amount on oral care as a US household, even though economic productivity, or wealth, in Brazil is a fifth of that in the United States. 

The dental market is healthy and not without its surprises 

Unilever launched a range of stain removers, the company had an idea of how well it would sell. "It was double," says Marcos Angelini, the homecare vice-president at Unilever Brazil.

So check out those beautiful Brazilian smiles . They are gold medal winners ! 

Tooth Enamel and Acid Wear - Start Protecting Today!

Erosive Tooth Wear, also known as Acid Wear, Acid Erosion, Enamel Erosion or Tooth Erosion, is of growing concern and could quickly become the next big threat to the long-term health of our teeth – it’s a real challenge for the 21^st century. Yet few people have heard of it.

This ground-breaking research has revealed that an acid-rich modern diet can result in Acid Wear, one of the main components of Tooth Wear.

Tooth Wear is known to get worse over time, so this study is even more revealing as it shows that as many as 30% of young adults (18-35 year olds) are showing some signs already.

We can’t see the early signs ourselves but when a dentist is checking for tooth decay or tooth pain, they will also be looking for Tooth Wear, including these 5 signs of Acid Wear: weak, thin, transparent or see-through, yellowing and dull enamel.

A modern acid-rich diet could be putting your teeth more at risk than you might think.  

As few as four acidic ‘moments’ throughout the day can put enamel at risk from Acid Wear also know as Acid Erosion. http://www.pronamel.co.uk/how-acid-wear-affects-you.html

It’s not just the fizzy drinks, coffee or wine; surprisingly it can even be our healthier choices: fruit, fruit juices, sparkling water with lemon and even salad dressings can count towards our daily acidic ‘moments’.

Revealing how today’s diet can affect our teeth. That’s The Acid Truth.

Enamel and Acid Wear

Enamel is the white, mineral-rich protective outer layer of our teeth. It’s not just strong, it’s the hardest substance in our bodies. Surprisingly though, enamel can be weakened or softened just by the acids found in our everyday food and drink. If weakened, our enamel can then be more easily worn away. Over time, it can get gradually thinner, duller and see-through – eventually revealing the yellow layer underneath. These are just some of the effects of Acid Wear.

Tooth Wear can be described as the loss of tooth substance (i.e. enamel) and is different from Tooth Decay. Tooth wear can be caused by either mechanical (e.g. grinding) or chemical (e.g. dietary acids) challenges. Erosive Tooth Wear, also known as Acid Wear, is the wearing away of enamel often due to dietary acids.

 

We believe that everyone, young or old, should have strong, healthy and beautiful teeth whilst still being able to enjoy delicious, healthy food and drinks – for a lifetime.

Every day protection is everything when it comes to Acid Wear prevention

Acids in our daily diet can weaken teeth, dissolving essential minerals and making the enamel surface easier to wear away.

Once enamel’s gone, it’s gone forever.

 

Speak to us today about your concerns and our team of dentists and hygienists can help identify areas in your diet to make changes and suggest toothpastes that can strengthen weakened enamel.