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Seeing Your Dentist Every 6 Months – Why is it Important?

If you are like most adult dental patients, when you receive a text message, email or letter reminding you to attend a dental check-up, you will most probably think of ways to get out of it!

But there are many advantages to attending regular dental check-ups with a dental Coorparoo and in this article, these will be highlighted and discussed.

So read on to find out why you should not be avoiding your dentist and how delaying dental treatments over a long period can have a detrimental impact on your oral and physical health.

Decay

When most people think of dental check-ups they think of fillings, crowns and especially tooth decay. And this is a key thing that dentists are looking for when they assess your mouth. Depending on the severity of any decay, you may be offered a filling or a crown. But even if there is no decay in your mouth your dentist can still prevent it from occurring by applying a fluoride sealant, which will protect your enamel from acids and sugars.

Gum disease

Gum disease is the number one cause of adults losing teeth. More specifically, it is the plaque which has been left on the teeth and gums that can create these issues.

Excess plaque in the mouth not only creates problems with gum disease, but can also lead to secondary health complications.

Many studies into oral care and cardiovascular health have found that patients with excessive plaque in their mouths are at a higher risk of developing heart disease, cancers, strokes and even suffering from heart attacks. So, getting to your dentist to have any gum disease treated or plaque removed may actually save your life.

Oral cancer

On that note, it is time to talk about a very preventable cancer which is growing in the Western world; oral cancer.

Exceedingly treatable, oral cancer is detected by your dentist at a check-up and all dental surgeries screen for it routinely. It may appear as something as insidious as a small lump, a patch of skin or even an ulcer which is bleeding. Luckily, if it is called early enough, it has one of the highest survival rates of all cancers and so by delaying dental check-ups you may actually be increasing your risk of developing oral cancer and delaying treatment.

Snoring

If you have an issue with snoring, you can discuss this with your dentist at your check-ups.

They will be able to assess if your snoring is due to the position of your jaw and may be able to offer you a device to wear at night, which will prevent your teeth from grinding together and creating that common sound associated with slumber! If your dentist cannot detect the cause of your snoring they may refer you to a sleep laboratory to test you for sleep apnoea.

Lifestyle advice and guidance

And finally, a key reason to attend a dental check-up is to discuss lifestyle choices and how they impact on your oral health. Many dentists are able to offer patients smoking cessation advice and can even advise you on other things such as diet, dental hygiene at home and how to prolong the effects of whitening treatments.

DISCLAIMER OFFSITE

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

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Tips For Looking After Your Dental Health

Looking after your dental health and specifically, your teeth are of paramount importance to your physical health and mental wellbeing. Each of your teeth does many different jobs to help you eat, talk, and even give shape to your face. Having a healthy smile can make you feel better on the inside and the outside and here are some ways to achieve that and help look after your dental health. 

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Brush your teeth 

Of course, the most important proactive step you can take is to brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. You should brush your teeth for at least two minutes at a time and ensure that you have brushed every tooth thoroughly. If you need to, set yourself a timer to ensure your brushing isn’t cut short. 

Together with brushing your teeth, you should also floss in between your teeth every day after brushing to help remove any build-up that your toothbrush has not been able to reach. 

Regular dental checkups

The dentist can be a sensitive subject for some however regardless of how you might feel about a trip to the dentist it is a necessary appointment to keep. A dentist will be able to detect any potential problems with your teeth or oral health at the early stages which could prevent you from considerable suffering and expense. The longer dental problems are left untreated the harder they become to fix and the more pain and suffering they are likely to cause. What is more, even when you look after your teeth thoroughly there may still be issues that arise that only a dentist can address. 

Dentists can offer a wide range of treatments from fillings to root canals. They can also perform cosmetic dentistry such as dental implants or teeth whitening, all of which can have a positive effect on your dental health and mental well-being. 

Look at your lifestyle

Your lifestyle choices can also have an effect on your dental health so it is important you are aware of the impact some of your daily choices might have. Firstly, cutting down on sugary foods and drinks will help to prevent tooth decay from occurring. This includes the obvious things such as sweets and fizzy drinks but also limiting fruit juices to one glass a day and being mindful of the fact that foods such as jams, cereals, and dried fruit can also have high sugar content, which should be monitored. 

Alcohol has also been thought to have an adverse effect on your oral hygiene as it can erode the outer surface of the teeth. When this happens the enamel will start to decline and you may need fillings or experience tooth sensitivity. Food and drink with a high acidic content will also contribute to the reduction of enamel and should therefore be limited also. 

Smoking is also known to be bad for your oral health as it will cause yellow staining on your teeth, bad breath, and an increased risk of gum disease.

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Looking for Implants? Go to a Private Dentist in Nottingham!

Losing one or more of your teeth can have a major impact on your self-esteem. Aesthetically, your smile isn’t the same when all of your teeth aren’t there, and you know it. It can make you not want to smile freely and be self-conscious when you do. You may choose to avoid the click of a camera, but in this digital age, you know it’s futile. The fact is, having missing teeth can also cause further damage to any remaining natural teeth that you have; your face can lose its structure, and you can develop a shrunken look. The good news is: you can change all of this with dental implants.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium screws that can be attached to the jawbone, where you have missing teeth. They act as roots for the replacement teeth, and as such, they are firmly fixed in place. The body’s tissue grows over the screws to which replacement teeth of crowns, dentures or bridges may be fixed.

What are the advantages of choosing dental implants?

Dental implants can be a great solution to missing teeth because they act like natural teeth. When you have implants, you won’t need to change your diet. This means that you can continue to go out for lunch with friends, and you won’t need to feel self-conscious about eating nor will you have to worry about smiling as your teeth should look amazing too!

Another benefit of implants is the fact that they are easy to maintain. Simply brush and floss as normal, and visit your private dentist in Nottingham for your routine oral hygiene checkups. If you look after your implants in this way, you could find that they last a lifetime! The advantage of choosing implants for convenience can also include the fact that you won’t need to buy any special cleaners, and you won’t need to remember to remove them at bedtime.

If you still want more advantages, don’t forget that implants can make you look younger. Yes, you read that right! Implants can add structure back into the face if it has developed a shrunken look where teeth are missing. By choosing implants, you could not only have an aesthetically pleasing smile but also a fresh look for your whole face – what’s not to love about that?

Anything else I need to know about dental implants?

Implants can be given under local anaesthetic. When the screws are fitted, you will need temporary replacement teeth attached to them. Once your mouth has healed, you can then return for the permanent replacement teeth to be attached in a couple of months or so.

To find out more, simply book in with your dentist for an initial consultation to find out whether implants are the right treatment for you. Some patients don’t have enough bone density in their jawbone to attach the screws to it. But don’t worry if this is the case as your dentist may also be able to offer a bone graft first.

Whatever your concerns about your smile are, if you have missing teeth, dental implants are well worth a visit to the dentist to see whether you can change your smile for the better. You’ve got this!

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The Importance of Child Dentistry

No child likes being dragged by their parents to see their dentist Harley Street, but as the incidence of childhood tooth decay continues to rise in the UK, it is now more important than ever before that your child attends dental checkups.

Baby teeth

Many adults are unaware but baby teeth are actually significantly thinner than adult teeth. The enamel is at a higher risk of decay, and as children generally are more prone to eating sweets, this can create a storm of potential dental issues.

And while it is easy to assume that due to baby teeth not being permanent their importance is not as high, having them removed early due to decay can be detrimental to the adult teeth that form behind them.

Luckily, there are many ways that a dental professional can protect baby teeth. The use of fluoride sealants in child dentistry creates an additional barrier against the acids and bacteria in the mouth that can cause tooth decay. Hence why it is so important for your child to attend biannual dental checkups.

Orthodontics

Many parents are aware that in the UK, dental teams typically assess children for signs of orthodontic issues by the age of 7.

The early prevention of orthodontic issues can have lifelong benefits to the children and their oral and general health. Not only are braces free in the UK for children under the age of 18, but the use of braces is generally considered more tolerable than orthodontic care later in life. And while your child is unlikely to thank you for this when the braces are first fitted, it is almost certain that they will be grateful in their adult years as they would have a healthier mouth and straighter smile.

Fear of dentistry

There has been a wealth of research into why adult patients are phobic of attending dental checkups.

And, not surprisingly, it seems to point towards exposure to poor dental care in the early years of life, particularly under the age of 6. It is also suggested that phobias in adult life may also be due to attending dental checkups when there are more severe issues, such as the need to extract teeth.

This is why many dental teams will recommend that you bring your child to their first dental appointment by the age of 1 or when their first baby tooth has begun to show; whichever is earlier.

This will help them to become more familiar with the procedures that surround dental checkups, the noises and smells of the surgery and, of course, what is involved. If you too are phobic of the dentist it may be wise to have another family member attend the appointment with your child. This is because children instinctively pick up on the energies of the adults that are accompanying them, and if you are phobic, your child is likely to feel very scared and unsure in this new environment.

Moreover, research has shown that early exposure to dental surgeries and dental professionals has a lasting impact. Adults who were exposed to dental surgeries within the first 6 years of their life without issue generally have better oral health in their adult years.

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Dental Implants Improving Health

Teeth allow for chewing and digesting our food as nature intended, but sometimes we lose teeth for a variety of reasons. We may suffer tooth damage or even tooth loss as a result of an accident or poor oral hygiene, which is an area that dentists have become particularly focused on recently. Avoiding tooth loss requires routine maintenance by the patient coupled with regular dental visits. Those visits to the dentist and hygienist are crucial in the maintenance of a patient’s teeth and gums so that teeth are retained.

What we eat and drink

While food and drink are necessary to keep us alive, the wrong diet will affect our teeth adversely, so it is important to discuss diets with your dentist. Not only is our diet the way we stay healthy, but it is also the way that we can keep our mouths healthy. Too many sugary drinks and too much sugar in food will eventually cause problems to develop both for teeth and overall health.

A more natural alternative

Trying to live with lost teeth can be challenging and, depending on the number of teeth lost, could result in a change of diet. How well we can chew affects our digestive system, and it is, therefore, vital that we try to chew our food properly. However, this is difficult if a patient has lost several teeth. Dental science has strived to find a way of replacing teeth that was closer to the way natural teeth work.

A new discovery that changed dentistry

Dental implants Hertfordshire has embraced the technology of the 50s, now giving us the most natural-looking way to replace lost teeth. The advances since the first implant have been phenomenal and have brought relief to millions of people around the world. Many patients can enjoy a more natural tooth replacement that requires the same maintenance as natural teeth.

Procedure of choice

Dental implants have become the procedure of choice wherever possible to replace either a single tooth, several teeth or a mouthful of teeth. The technology is so advanced that it is now possible to support an entire mouthful of teeth by using only four dental implants. Of course, a very thorough and careful examination is required before treatment can begin; this must include a complete medical history of the patient, including all treatments and medication taken over the preceding years.

Precision of modern technology

The latest developments allow for computer-aided guidance when locating the titanium post required to act as the root, which is inserted into the jawbone. This ensures that the replacement tooth is placed in exactly the correct location where the original tooth was located. Design and colouring to match a patient’s existing tooth have been developed over the decades to ensure accuracy.

Maintenance

A dental implant can be treated in the same way as natural teeth, which means regular brushing, flossing and dental visits. Dental implants require the same care and attention that is given to natural teeth and gums to maintain them.

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Clear Aligners; Common Queries Answered

Curious to learn more about clear aligners?

Here, common questions about invisible aligners are answered, so you can get some much-needed info about this ever-popular orthodontic trend!

How long do invisible aligners take?

Invisalign in Glasgow and other invisible aligners take between 3-6 months for most patients.

But, as you may have guessed, this will vary based on the condition being treated with the aligner and its severity.

Can I skip one of the aligners?

No, you can’t skip an aligner without the direct instruction of your dentist.

Even if an aligner in the sequence seems pointless, you still need to wear it and should not skip it, as this can lead to the next aligner not fitting correctly and moving your teeth in the wrong direction.

Do I need to clean the aligners?

Indeed you do! But it isn’t hard.

Simply rinse them under a cold tap, and if there is stubborn debris or plaque, use a toothbrush to remove it.

Do not use hot water to clean the aligners, as this can cause them to warp, rendering them useless. Aim to clean them twice a day, and if you would prefer your aligners to have a minty aftertaste, why not invest in a rinse or solution to put them in for around 15 minutes a day?

Cleaner and fresh aligners are always a good thing!

How long should I wear the aligners for?

On average, you will need to wear your aligners for around 22 hours a day. And yes, that does mean you will have to wear them to bed at night! But don’t worry, they are slim enough that they shouldn’t rub against your inner cheeks or your tongue and should be discreet enough to not affect your speech patterns in daily life.

It may seem that leaving them out of your mouth for an extra hour won’t be detrimental, but don’t be fooled! A lack of constant pressure on the desired teeth from the aligners can cause your teeth to revert to their former positions, or they may stop moving altogether.

So, in short, keep them in your mouth as required to get the most out of wearing them!

How much do invisible aligners cost?

OK, onto the question most people want to be answered: how much will it cost?

It can be ever so tempting to opt for aligners that are sent to your home when you are enquiring with dentists about the cost of invisible aligners, but this is best avoided. Having a dentist to oversee your treatment is essential to not only the success of the procedure but also the longevity of your dental health.

The care of a dentist is also included in the overall cost of invisible aligners, and depending on how many aligners you have, how long the treatment takes and whether any replacement aligners are needed, it can seem a bit pricey. However, as mentioned earlier, it is best not to skimp on costs with realignments. And while it is recommended to shop around for an affordable price, most dentists will be able to offer you payment plans or financing options to spread the cost.

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Improving your smile with teeth whitening

Perfect looking teeth are something most people desire, as having an attractive smile is a magnet that helps draw others into our lives and allows us to form friendships and relationships. Many people go to great lengths to gain perfect, pearly white teeth, normally by buying toothpaste from the supermarket or chemist that makes promises of improving the look of the teeth and adding more whiteness to them.

While the toothpaste solutions may not be ideal, they suit the needs of most people looking to achieve whiter teeth, and can prove convenient in most cases. But there is a growing number of people who feel they need a professional intervention that will help them to achieve the white teeth they require.

For many people teeth whitening, Harley Street, may provide the solution they have been seeking and at a rate many can afford.

Different types of treatment

The first treatment type that a patient could consider is known as Zoom whitening, which is a treatment administered in the dentist’s chair. This treatment involves covering the teeth with a gel that contains a bleaching agent, there will be a protective covering placed over the lips and gums during this procedure for patient safety.

A high powered lamp is then positioned above the teeth and used to activate the bleaching agent; this procedure can normally last for up to 1 hour. By the end of the treatment, the patient should be able to see a noticeable change in the color of their teeth, as they should appear a few shades lighter.

This is a popular option amongst those seeking a tooth whitening treatment that can give almost instant results.

There are also home whitening treatments that the patient can administer themselves, in a place of their choosing and at a time of day that is convenient to them. These treatments involve putting a gel inside a tray and wearing it overnight while they sleep or for a few hours a day at a time that suits them.

While this treatment may take longer to gain the full results that the patient is looking for, it is very popular with those people who live very busy lives, but are looking to improve the look of their teeth without the need to spend an extended period of time at a dentist’s practice.

It is also quite common for patients to use a combination of treatments to gain the desired results and maintain them. They often choose to use the Zoom system to gain instant results, then use the home treatment to maintain the new white look of their teeth. This provides patients with both a short-term solution and a plan for any long-term maintenance going forward.

Giving people the smiles they want

Whitening the teeth often results in the patient achieving the look they want for their smile, and they feel happy showing their newly gained smile to others. This helps to make these patients feel more confident in their daily lives going forward and the confidence acquired can open the door to opportunities hitherto lacking.

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The Importance of Dental Marketing for Nervous Patients

Digital marketing is important for any business to succeed in this age of digital technology. Dental marketing is even more important, because although everyone understands how necessary it is to visit their dentist, here in the UK, more than a third of the adult population suffer from a significant degree of dental anxiety or complete a dental phobia. There are many people who wake up and look in the mirror every morning and wish they had whiter teeth, straighter teeth and a more beautiful smile, but are afraid to do anything about it.

With good dental marketing you will be able to find these people, calm their nerves, encourage them to consider the different treatments and procedures that are available for them and finally convince them to book an appointment and visit you in person. Previously when people were thinking about improving their smiles they would have to visit the dentist in person to be able to find out more. With Google available at everyone’s fingertips a lot of people are finding out about dental treatments and procedures without having to approach a dentist, but then letting it slide to the back of their mind whilst they continue to daydream about beautiful teeth. When a prospective patient from your area types in their dental needs, your dental practice should come up on the search results page, so that you have the opportunity to encourage them to consider dental treatment more seriously and to book an appointment to visit you.

How to create a stronger online presence

To do this you need to make sure that you have a fantastic website in place and that you have a strong online presence. You need to have techniques in place which give you good search engine optimisation or SEO making your website more visible and more easily accessible, so that the patient is encouraged to find out more about what you have to offer. On a visit to your website they need to be able to find encouraging and reassuring information which addresses them directly and helps calm their nerves so they consider dental treatment with you. For nervous patients it is key that you have a separate section which addresses them directly and explains how far dental technology has come, persuading them there is no need to be afraid of the dentist anymore. Once you have attracted the prospective patient they need to be encouraged to explore the whole of your website so that they find out all the information they need. There should also be plenty of prompts for them to leave their contact details with you, so that you can continue to nurture their thoughts and encourage them to eventually book an appointment and visit you in person.

You may be thinking, well how do I do all this? It can be a lot easier than you think. By delegating your dental marketing to an award-winning digital marketing team, they will use their specialist knowledge and expertise to create a fantastic website or revamp your existing website. They will develop social media pages to help strengthen your online presence and make sure that your website is well maintained and updated on a regular basis to continue to find new patients for you. Speak to a digital dental marketing team today and boost the success of your dental practice.

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4 Ways to Maintain Healthy Teeth

Caring for our teeth is not just about making them look healthy, it is also about keeping them physically healthy. The early signs of tooth decay are not always visible to the naked eye, which is why dentists will x-ray your mouth to check. Any prodding will check for loose teeth, and they will also be looking for mouth cancer.

We should not delay going to the dentist when it is so easy nowadays to schedule an appointment. For instance, dentists, such as the team at dentfixTurkey will help us with all kinds of dental treatment, from preventing tooth decay to improving the look of teeth that have been neglected in the past.

Regular Brushing

When possible, we should brush our teeth after every meal. This will stop the build-up of food that might start attacking our enamel, especially if they are the wrong foods that we are eating. Foods that risk decay will be those containing lots of sugar, such as biscuits, chocolate, or ice cream. We do not need to completely avoid our treats as long as we brush to compensate and eat them in moderation.

Also, remember to regularly swill your mouth out with water to wash away foods or sticky substances that stay on teeth or go in-between them. Regular tooth brushing and flossing can be considered preventative and is a good habit to get into from an early age.

Regular Visits to the Dentist

There is no substitute for regular visits to the dentist to check that we are doing a good job of maintaining our teeth healthily. It can be a preventative action on our part or a restorative one when decaying teeth require removal.

Cosmetic dentistry makes people feel good about themselves, so it can be added to the list of things that will improve a person’s mental health.

Ensure that you always book in advance with your dentists to ensure that there is an appointment slot fixed for you. This will help you to keep to the six-month schedule that you should stick to for

regular check-ups. Putting it off might mean that you run the risk of neglecting a tooth that the dentist could have filled and instead end up requiring an extraction.

Dental treatments have come a long way in recent years and are far less noticeable. For example, we can now have white fillings that will hardly be noticed. It is better than needing to have a whole tooth removed to leave an unsightly gap that then needs dealing with.

Tooth-Friendly Foods

Stick to only tooth-friendly foods where the sugar contents are low or non-existent. We can now buy low-sugar drinks, so should seek these out. They might seem tasteless at first, but you can get used to anything once you have left the unhealthy alternatives behind.

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride treatments can be considered a double-edged sword because they prevent tooth decay yet can cause tooth staining. On balance, it is better to have tooth staining because a dentist can more easily deal with whitening your teeth through laser treatment. The solution for losing a tooth will mean needing a false one implanted or one that is attached to a plate. Someone can, of course, have several false teeth fitted if needs be. A plate of false teeth is, however, inconvenient at times.

There we have it, four healthy ways to maintain teeth and the solution of the dentist as our ally too.

There is no disputing the fact that regular brushing will keep your teeth from decaying. The more often you can manage it after meals, the better.

Avoid missing dental appointments as these are important for detecting tooth decay and mouth cancer, for cleaning teeth thoroughly as a preventative measure, and to help our look cosmetically.

We can help our tooth health by eating more of the foods that are tooth-friendly and less of those that are not. The main thing is to stay clear of sugary foods, and indeed drinks containing sugar, as much as you can.

Fluoride treatments can help with tooth decay if not tooth staining. But then, that is something cosmetic dental surgery can easily deal with through the use of effective laser treatment.

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Help! My Toddler Doesn’t Want To Clean Her Teeth

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The act of cleaning teeth is something that children find hard to get used to. 


For this reason, many children outright refuse to allow their parents to brush their teeth. As such, getting your toddler to comply with daily toothbrushing can be a nightmare. 

In this post, we take a look at this issue in more depth. In it, we learn some of the things that you can do to make it less of an ordeal and transform it into something that both you and your toddler can enjoy. 

Do It Every Day

When it comes to brushing your child’s teeth, persistence pays off. The more you get your child used to the routine, the more likely they are to do it. 

Make sure that you introduce the idea of cleaning teeth once in the morning and once in the evening. Always bring it up so that kids know to expect it. Eventually, it will become something they stop complaining about and may actually enjoy. 

Explain Why You Are Doing It

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Kids will naturally resist anything unpleasant that they don’t understand, so you will also need to explain why you are brushing their teeth. Tell them that brushing their teeth will help to prevent tooth loss and pain in the future. It will also help keep their smile healthy throughout their lives. 

Let Them Pick The Toothbrush They Want To Use

You can also give your kids more ownership over situations by allowing them to pick a toothbrush they want to use, according to https://qz.com.  Children are much more likely to enjoy brushing if they feel like it is their toothbrush in their mouth, not just one that you’ve chosen. 

You can also get them to choose a toothpaste too. Some manufacturers make kids’ versions that they are more likely to use. 

Let Them Watch You


Children are naturally inclined to copy their parents. Therefore, it’s a good idea to let them watch you clean your teeth. The more you do it, the more likely they are to follow. 

Make it look like a pleasant experience and ask them to copy you. The more they get used to toothpaste in their mouth, the more likely they are to continue doing it in the future.

Get Early Checkups

You can take children for dental services from an early age. This gets them used to professionals inspecting their mouths and checking their teeth. Dentists can also explain to children and parents how to brush correctly to prevent plaque buildup in the future. Sites such as https://www.cedarridgedentistry.com offer further information. 

Offer Small Rewards

Sometimes your toddler will outright refuse to open their mouths and let you brush their teeth. In this case, you might want to offer them some sort of reward as compensation for dealing with all the unpleasantness. Things like stickers, reading them a bedtime story or allowing them to hold a toy can make the experience more pleasant. 

So, which of these strategies will you use to get your toddler to clean their teeth?

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