Author: Mary Gill

What Is Gum Disease And How Does It Affect Me?

Gum disease is swelling of the gums and the structures that support your teeth. There are two main forms of gum disease, gingivitis and periodontitis.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is the swelling and redness of the part of your gum at the base of your teeth. Symptoms include bleeding gums when you brush, swollen gums, bad breath and receding gums.

Periodontitis

Periodontitis can develop if gingivitis progresses without intervention. It damages the soft tissue and can destroy the bone that supports your teeth, resulting it tooth loss. Periodontitis is irreversible once it has resulted in bone loss so it is important that good oral hygiene is maintained to reduce the risk.

What Causes Gum Disease

Plaque forms on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film that forms over the surface of your teeth composed mainly of bacteria. Plaque that isn’t removed through daily brushing remains on your teeth and hardens into tartar (calculus), which collects bacteria. Tartar makes plaque more difficult to remove and causes irritation along the gum line. You will need to visit your dentist to remove the tartar. The plaque and tartar irritate your gum line, causing inflammation and bleeding. This is gingivitis, and if not treated, will progress into periodontitis which causes bone loss.

Preventing Gum Disease

  • Brush your teeth twice a day, spit after brushing, do not rinse.
  • Clean in between your teeth everyday using floss or interdental brushes.
  • See a dentist and dental hygienist for regular appointments.

If you require any further information or you would like to book a check-up with us to check for any symptoms of gum disease please call us on 01723 670500 or email us at info@newbydental.co.uk.

Why It Is Important That Your Child Stops Sucking Their Thumb

Babies have a natural reflex for sucking their thumbs that can even begin before birth. Because it can sometimes help children feel secure and safe, it can often develop into a habit. Most children will stop sucking their thumbs on their own, usually between the age of 2 and 4.

How Can Thumb Sucking Affect Children’s Oral Health?

Thumb sucking doesn’t usually become a problem until a child’s permanent teeth come in. According to the British Orthodontic Society, if the habit stops before the age of seven, the teeth will often correct themselves. However, evidence suggests that one in every eight children between the ages of seven and eleven have an extended habit. If the habit continues once permanent teeth are visible, their position can be permanently affected and self correction is less likely to occur. At this point, thumb sucking might start to affect your child’s palate (roof of their mouth) and how the teeth line up. Problems that can occur include crossbite, an anterior open bite, misshapen palate and difficulty with eating.

What Can I Do to Encourage My Child To Stop Sucking Their Thumb?

Reward your child! Give them praise or offer them small rewards such as a trip to the park or an extra bedtime story. Set them goals such as going a week without sucking their thumb, mark the days off on a calendar using stickers so your child can visualise their achievement.

Identify what is causing them to suck their thumb. Some children will turn to the habit when they are stressed. Recognise the issue and offer them comfort in other ways, such as reassuring words or a hug.

Some children will suck their thumb without thought. Gently remind them to stop but don’t criticise them when doing so.

If you are concerned about your child’s habit and feel that it is negatively affecting their oral health, ask your dentist to speak to them at their next appointment. Some children may appreciate hearing the advice from someone other than their parents, who can offer guidance and explain how it can affect their mouth in a way they can fully understand.

If you require any further guidance, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@newbydental.co.uk

Shocking Truth About Baby Food

In a recent article, the British Dental Association are calling for a change to be made to the surprising levels of sugar in some brands of baby food.

Baby food pouches have become very popular among parents as they provide a convenient grab and go approach. However a recent study has found that some popular branded baby pouches contain high levels of sugar, meaning that children could be getting hooked at an age as young as four months old.

Additionally, as the food can be eaten directly from the pouch, the contents are being left in contact with the teeth for even longer.

Research into 109 pouches found that:

  • Over a quarter contained more sugar by volume than Coca Cola. Infants as young as four months are marketed fruit-based pouches that contain the equivalent of upto 150% of the sugar levels of pop.
  • It appears that high end brands have higher levels of sugar than supermarket own brands, with Ella’s Kitchen being criticised.
  • Some products aimed at four month olds were tested and were found to contain upto two thirds of an adults recommended daily allowance.
  • WHO guidance recommends weaning from six months old, so no products should be marketed at four months plus, yet nearly 40% of the products examined were marketed at this age group.
  • Over two thirds of the products examined exceeded the 5g of sugar per 100ml threshold set for the sugar levy applied to drinks.

Experts say the level of sugar in these foods is a concern as it could lead to your child having a preference for sweeter foods throughout their life. This could lead to oral health problems, such as tooth decay, but also obesity.

The Best Food For Babies

Parents should look for single ingredient foods when their children are younger than six months. A child’s taste preferences are formed and solidified during their first year of life. Parents should avoid baby food that contains a mixture of fruits and vegetables as it can teach a child that vegetables only taste good when sweetened.

What is Invisalign Treatment?

Invisalign gives you the opportunity to transform your smile comfortably and discreetly with removable aligners. The aligners are completely transparent and almost invisible. They are custom made and gradually straighten your teeth. As the aligners are removable, you can take them out when eating and brushing, making it much more comfortable to go about your day to day life.

How Does It Work?

Firstly you will need to make an appointment with your dentist who will take scans of your teeth using our new intra oral scanner to quickly create a virtual image of your mouth or they will take impressions. Your dentist will then work with you to create a custom treatment plan that you are comfortable with.

Next, you can start wearing your aligners. When you first pick them up, your dentist will ensure that they fit perfectly so that your dream smile is within sight. Invisalign aligners are made with flexible SmartTrack material, and laser trimmed to the gum line so that your treatment is as comfortable as possible.

You will have regular check-ups every 6-8 weeks to check your smile is progressing as planned and to pick up your new aligners.

Treatment takes an average of six months, but this depends on how complicated your dentist decides that your case is.

Once you have completed treatment, it is important that you continue to wear your aligners according to your treatment plan. Teeth have a tendency to move once treatment is complete, so by wearing your aligners you ensure long lasting results.

Am I Suitable For Treatment?

During your first appointment your dentist will be able to determine if Invisalign will work for you. However, you can use the invisalign Smile Assessment to decide for yourself.

To book your appointment please call us on 01723 670500, or if you have any questions don’t hesitate to email us at info@newbydental.co.uk

5 Tips For Children Who Are Afraid of The Dentist

Our practice provides a friendly, comfortable environment to help keep all of our patients as calm as possible. However, it can be a scary experience for young children to visit the dentist. Children worry about being separated from their patients and being alone with a dentist that they might not have met before. They also fear certain procedures such as injections and drilling. This is why it is important that your child attends regular dentist appointments from a young age so that they get used to the sounds and smells that make up the dental environment. Here are our tips and tricks to help your child move past their anxieties:

Good Role Models

Children are very perceptive and will listen to what you say about your experience of dental treatments. Make sure that you talk positively about your dentist to ensure that your child feels safe. You could try bringing your child to one of your appointments to show them what the dentist does and try to make it a positive experience so that they look forward to their turn in the dental chair.

Also, whilst at home, make sure that you stress the importance of oral hygiene to your child. Encourage them to watch you whilst you brush and floss your teeth so that they can see a good oral hygiene routine and learn how to do it themselves.

Use Positive Words

When talking to your child about the dentist, make sure you are using positive words. Even if you feel negatively about the dentist, do not project this onto your children as they are very impressionable and may refuse to visit the dentist due to something bad that they have overheard you saying. If you are unsure of how to talk to your children about the dentist, give our team a call on 01723 670500 and they will help to provide any advice they can.

Relax and Distract

Another tip for parents would be to bring along cuddly toys, books, games etc for them to play with. These can act as a distractor and help them to link the dentist with positive things so that in the future they look forward to attending their appointments.

Help Your Dentist Form Common Ground With Your Child

Talk to your dentist about things that your child enjoys, such as hobbies or certain foods that they might appreciate. This will help your child feel more comfortable visiting the dentist as it will help to establish a friendly relationship.

Discuss

Briefly explain to your child what their appointment is likely to entail. Describe the appointment in a way that makes your child excited to attend. However, do not create unrealistic scenarios. For example, telling your child that it ‘won’t be painful’ is a promise that could be easily broken and it may cause you and the dentist to lose your child’s trust.

If you require any extra information, visit the NHS website or give our team a call on 01723 670500.

Need A Break From The Hot Weather?

As we enter the heatwave, a trip to the dentist may be the last thing on your mind. However, all of our surgeries are supplied with air conditioning, designed to keep you cool, so now may be the perfect time to book an appointment! Why sit in a sweltering hot room when you could be sat back and relaxed in a refreshing dental surgery?

As the hot weather approaches you may be inclined to indulge on more ice creams or ice lollies. It is important that you try to reduce the frequency that you eat these high sugar treats, as well as maintaining an oral hygiene routine. Book an appointment to see your dentist to make sure your teeth are in the best condition to start the summer. Call us on 01723 670500.

How Stress Affects Your Oral Health

Stress is something that most people will experience in their lifetime and many of us know the implications it can have on our well-being. But did you know that stress can have a negative impact on your oral health?

1. Gum Disease

Your body produces immune cells to protect it against harmful bacteria. However, when the body is under stress, it doesn’t produce enough immune cells. Bacteria plays an important role in the development of gum disease. Healthy gums are firm and pink. Symptoms of gum disease include, bleeding, swollen and sore gums. These symptoms would normally indicate gingivitis which is reversible. However, if it progresses into periodontal disease it is irreversible.

If you are concerned about your oral health, call us on 01723 670500 to book an appointment with one of our hygienists who will be happy to treat you and provide advice to prevent gum disease.

2. Bad Breath

There is a link between gum disease and bad breath, clinically known as halitosis. There is a buildup of plaque and bacteria along the gumline. The bacteria break down proteins and release odours. Stress can also cause you to have an irregular oral hygiene routine. You may also experience dry mouth, which is a common symptom of anxiety and stress. This significantly increases the risk of tooth decay and other diseases. Saliva helps to neutralise the acid that attacks your teeth, helping to fight tooth decay.

3. Clenching And Grinding

Individuals who are stressed may find themselves grinding their teeth a lot, whether it is during the day or while sleeping. This can cause headaches, earache and toothache. It can also cause damage to your teeth overtime, such as chipping, breaking and sensitivity.

Visit your dentist who will be able to assess your jaw and make you a nightguard to wear whilst you sleep.

4. Decay and Erosion

As a result of stress many people often turn to foods, whether it is snacking, high sugar foods or alcohol consumption. Coupled with poor oral hygiene, this can lead to dental decay and erosion.

5. Mouth Ulcer

Stress suppresses the immune system leaving your body open to diseases and infection. Mouth ulcers are a perfect example of this and although they are almost harmless, they can cause discomfort in your day to day life. Minimising your exposure to stressful situations and trying to adopt lifestyle changes can help reduce the frequency of developing ulcers.

How To Minimise Stress

Stress is often unavoidable but there are ways you can try to minimise the impact:

  • Lifestyle changes: stress can sometimes cause us to make unhealthy lifestyle choices. Limiting the consumption of sugary foods and drinks, alcohol and smoking will all help to contribute to a healthier mouth .
  • Exercise: When you exercise, you use physical activity to help relieve stressful thoughts. Any form of exercise will boost endorphins and better help you to organise your emotions in high-tension situations.
  • Develop An Oral Health Routine: Brush your teeth twice a day, once before going to bed and once at another time of day. Floss once a day, using either an interdental brush or floss. In addition, regular use of an alcohol free mouthwash will help to eliminate germs associated with gum disease.
  • Stay hydrated: A common reaction to stress is dry mouth which can cause the buildup of bacteria, leading to bad breath. If you keep your body hydrated, you will minimise your chance of developing dry mouth.
  • Talk to your dentist and make regular check-ups: Your dentist is the best source of advice and they will be able to check for any stress related issues.

If you are concerned about how stress is affecting your oral health, make an appointment with one of our dentists who will be happy to provide any treatment required and give you some advice about how you can prevent any stress related issues. Please call us on 01723 670500.

What Is Profhilo?

Profhilo is a hyaluronic acid based skin treatment that improves the texture, appearance and hydration of the skin.

It is essentially very concentrated hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance in our body that stimulates skin cells to produce collagen and elastin – the substances that keep our skin youthful looking and prevent sagging. It is often used in moisturisers and serums, and as profhilo it is injected into the skin to boost collagen and elastin formation.

Once injected, Profhilo runs through the deep dermal layers of the skin and stimulates skin cells to produce elastin and collagen which regenerate and remodel the skin, giving us a plumper, more youthful, tighter and brighter glowy look to the skin. It can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles and improve the texture and appearance of crepey areas of the skin (like the underarm or the chin) and is used both on the face and the body, including the hands and knees.

The injections are not too uncomfortable as they are done very slowly and using very thin needles, and the recommended initial treatment is 2 series of injections 4 weeks apart, and then a review at 3 months after which the results will be discussed. Many people show a visible response within the first 4 weeks but some people take longer, which is why we review at 3 months and then plan for further treatment depending on the patient’s response and need for maintenance treatment.

The cost is £350 for both of these sets of injections at appts 1 week and 4 weeks. It isn’t like dermal filler, which contains the filler part and so comes with the risks of vessel blocking/tissue necrosis – instead this is pure hyaluronic acid and so does not come with the same risks as filler and is very safe for injection in the majority of patients! It doesn’t restructure or recontour the face but it improves the skin texture, appearance and gives you a glowy youthful brighter tighter appearance. It’s injected over 5 points each side of the face and spreads through the skin like runny honey so obviously the normal things of a bit of swelling and bruising/tenderness after are normal but the results can be fantastic. It’s essentially like injecting really strong anti-wrinkle moisturiser into the skin!

Why You Should Stop Smoking

Smoking has a detrimental effect on your health, causing diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease and strokes. Whilst these issues are often at the forefront of people’s minds, they often don’t consider the effects on their oral health.

Mouth Cancer

Reported by the NHS, 93% of cancers in the throat are caused by smoking, and if you smoke you are six times more at risk of developing mouth cancer than non-smokers. The risks increase further when combined with alcohol consumption and poor diet. However, if you stop smoking you decrease your risk of cancer even if you have previously been a heavy smoker. Mouth cancer can grow quite quickly so it is important you attend routine appointments so your dentist can look for early signs. At Newby Dental Practice we provide a cancer check with every check up, so book your appointment now!

Risk of Gum Disease

Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream meaning that infected gums can’t heal. This speeds up the effects of gum disease which can result in bone loss, leading to tooth loss.

Tooth Loss

As explained above, smoking reduces the oxygen flow in the bloodstream, worsening the effects of gum disease. Gum disease can result in bone loss which leads to tooth loss.

Bad Breath

When you smoke, over 4,000 chemicals pass through your mouth. The chemicals collect on the surface of your mouth and can mix with your saliva causing bad breath. Smoking can also cause bad breath by drying out your mouth.

Stained Teeth

Tobacco contains nicotine and tar that contribute to the yellow stain on teeth. After a long period of time, many smokers complain that their teeth are almost brown. Book an appointment with one of our hygienists to help remove the staining.

Should I Brush My Teeth Before or After Eating Breakfast?

Many people would say they like to brush their teeth after they eat their breakfast as they don’t like to have food stuck in their teeth when they leave the house. However, it would surprise some people to know that it is beneficial to your oral health to brush your teeth before your breakfast. The main reason that we brush our teeth is to remove plaque. Plaque is a material that coats your teeth and it contains harmful bacteria that breaks down the sugar in our foods to form acids. These acids can damage the enamel which is the hard protective layer of our teeth.

Overnight, plaque builds up on our teeth. When we sleep, our mouths produce less saliva because they are inactive. This allows bacteria to multiply and bind to your teeth. When eating your breakfast you are feeding the bacteria sugars which they will break down into acids, damaging your enamel

Something that a lot of people don’t realise is that some cereals are very high in sugar. If you combine this with a high sugar drink like fresh orange juice, you can alter the pH in your mouth making it more acidic, leading to weakened tooth enamel. If you brush straight after you eat you could be scraping off the essential enamel. Using a fluoride toothpaste before you eat will give an extra layer of protection against the acid attack.

If you still feel like it fits your routine better to brush your teeth after you eat, wait at least half an hour before doing so. At this point the pH in your mouth will have returned to normal.