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Good overall health is about far more than just taking plenty of exercise and having a healthy diet. It also means taking care of your mouth as this is effectively a window to the rest of your body. When you have a healthy mouth, your body can fight infection and disease more easily.

A healthy mouth is your first line of defence because it includes lymphoid tissue and your tonsils, and it’s their job to recognise harmful bacteria and to fight infection. If you fail to take care of your mouth, it increases your risk of developing respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease and diabetes complications increases. Also, common dental diseases like a toothache or a dental injury can negatively impact your quality-of-life and your ability to eat drink and talk comfortably.

Protecting Your Oral Health

Even if you haven’t looked after your mouth in the past, it’s never too late to begin. Make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste, and floss once-a-day because this removes harmful plaque bacteria from areas that you cannot reach with your toothbrush. Don’t smoke, as this can stain your teeth and gives you bad breath, and it can cause oral cancer. Regular six-monthly checkups and cleanings are the cornerstones of any good preventative dental care plan.

Summer is the perfect time for going to the beach, having barbecues and just generally enjoying the great weather. During the summer, it’s easy to get plenty of vitamin D, which helps to boost your immune system and allows your body to absorb calcium more easily, protecting your teeth and bones. However, there are still some risks, so follow our easy tips to keep your mouth in great shape.

1. Look after your lips as the skin is very thin and can easily become burned. Use a sunscreen specially designed for lips and reapply it regularly.
2. If cold drinks or ice cream cause your teeth to twinge, you may have sensitive teeth. Using toothpaste for sensitive teeth can help, but you must use it for several weeks to get the full effect. If your teeth are still sensitive, come and see us in case you have a dental issue needing treatment.
3. Choose sugar-free drinks instead of soft drinks. Diet drinks can also be bad for teeth because they tend to contain acid that erodes tooth enamel. Ideally, sip on water to keep you hydrated.
4. Many people are more active during the summer and play sports, but these carry the risk of an injury that could crack or even knock out a tooth. Make sure you wear a well-fitting mouthguard and don’t forget we can provide you with a custom mouthguard for maximum protection.
5. Lastly, resist the urge to use your teeth as tools. Using them to open bottles or packets can chip or crack them. The result can be painful and costly to put right, so it’s far cheaper to reach for the proper tools.

The New Year is a great time to make resolutions, so why not make one that you will improve your dental health? The great thing about this resolution is that it will almost certainly help your general health too!

1. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetable contain many valuable nutrients that can help improve gum health. They are rich in antioxidants that can enhance your body’s ability to fight infection and disease, protecting your teeth and gums. The summer is the perfect time to eat more fresh fruit and veggies.

2. Quit Smoking

Always a popular resolution but make this the year you succeed. Smoking stains your teeth, and you are twice as likely to lose your teeth to gum disease. Even using smokeless tobacco can harm your dental health.

3. Don’t Drink Too Much Alcohol

People who drink too much alcohol will often have a poor diet and neglect their oral hygiene. The effect is even worse if they smoke too. Have a glass of water between each drink or consider quitting entirely for a while.

4. See Your Dentist Regularly for Checkups and Cleans

Coming to see us twice yearly is crucial for good oral health, so why not get ahead and book your appointments now.

There’s no doubt the silly season is a time for indulgence, what with all the late nights and sugary foods not to mention an alcoholic drink or two. However, there are some simple steps you can take to minimise damage to oral health.

1. Enjoy Fizzy Wine with Caution

A glass of bubbly is a great way to celebrate the season, but it is very acidic and over time can damage your tooth enamel. If you can, sip your bubbly through a straw and make sure you wait at least half an hour before brushing your teeth.

2. Reduce Your Snacking Habits

Tasty treats are everywhere, and it’s easy to graze over the day. However, frequently snacking exposes your teeth to more sugar and acid, increasing the risk of tooth decay. When you want a treat, have it as part of your main meal to reduce the damage.

3. Stick to Your Oral Care Routine

No matter how late the hour when you get back from your party, make time to spend a couple of minutes cleaning your teeth.

4. Chew Sugar-Free Gum

When you can’t brush your teeth after a meal or snack, chew sugar-free gum which promotes saliva flow, helping to wash away harmful bacteria and sugars.

Most people if they are honest, are not entirely happy with their smile. Here at One Smile, we often find people are concerned about stained teeth that look yellow or discoloured or have teeth that are crooked or overcrowded. Another common problem is missing teeth entirely. The good news is that numerous solutions can help to improve the appearance of your smile. Some treatments such as dental implants can even help to protect oral health.

Solutions That Could Help You

One of the most popular treatments is teeth whitening that can help remedy most problems with tooth discolouration or staining. Professional tooth whitening is safe and effective, and we offer in-chair treatments or custom home whitening kits. Teeth that are deeply stained or are perhaps chipped or worn may benefit from veneers. Made from a thin shell of tooth coloured composite resin or porcelain, a veneer fits over the front surface of a tooth, changing and improving its appearance. Orthodontic treatment can help teeth that are overcrowded and crooked. Adult oriented braces are virtually invisible and can often provide more cosmetically oriented results within a few months. Dental implants are the ultimate way to replace missing teeth, providing a long-term solution that looks and feels very natural.

Elf on the Shelf has become a well-established tradition in many families since the book was published in 2005. The Elf hides in a new spot each day, waiting for kids to find him, and he returns to the North Pole each night to report on his family’s behaviour.

Welcoming Your Elf

Usually, the Elf puts in his first appearance on the 1^st December, and it is a nice idea to give him a proper welcome with a special North Pole breakfast. His arrival is your opportunity to get creative, perhaps have him parachute down from a light fitting, complete with his note from Santa. Don’t forget to write a note from your Elf to your kids or look online as there are lots of printable notes that will save time.

Hiding Your Elf Each Night

It is up to you as to how creative you want to become. Some parents plan a month of hiding places or scenes, and there are downloadable calendars online. Others hide the Elf somewhere new each night without any planning. Possible activities for your Elf include zip lining, using a piece of string and clothes pegs. Perhaps he will roll downstairs in a toilet roll. You could dress up the Elf as your child’s favourite superhero. Maybe he likes fishing for goldfish crackers or set him up to play a game with a favourite stuffed animal. An idea we especially like is setting him up in the bathroom, just about to brush his teeth!

If you are one of the many people affected by seasonal allergies you are probably dreading a stuffy nose, sore throat and itchy eyes, but did you realise allergies can affect oral health?

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a frequent side-effect of mouth breathing and antihistamines. Unfortunately, when your mouth is drier, harmful bacteria can thrive, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Try to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and you might find it helpful to suck sugar-free sweets or chew sugar-free gum.

Tooth Pain

Mucus buildup in the sinuses can cause pressure on your upper back teeth, potentially causing aches and pains in these teeth and gums. Try using antihistamines and nasal decongestants to relieve the symptoms, but if they don’t disappear, come and see us. We can check to make sure your toothache isn’t caused by dental disease.

Sore Throat

Breathing through your mouth combined with mucus dripping down your throat while you sleep can leave you with an irritated and sore throat. Post-nasal drip can also cause bad breath. Drinking plenty of water can help remove mucus buildup and try gargling with a warm salt-water rinse, which will draw out the mucus, relieving some symptoms.

If allergy season affects you, visit us for a checkup and preventative dental care.

Summer is nearly here, and it is a time when many of us look forward to family holidays, weddings and making the most of the sunshine. You might have already planned your summer wardrobe, but is your smile its gleaming best? If your teeth could use a little help, a tooth whitening treatment could be just the thing. Choose from in-chair Zoom teeth whitening or whiten in the privacy of your own home with a custom-made, take-home kit.

In-chair Zoom whitening is fast, brightening your smile between 6 and 10 shades in a single appointment. After protecting your gums, we paint your teeth with professional strength whitening gel that is activated with a special light, helping the gel to penetrate your teeth, and lifting deep-seated stains. Treatment is completed with a fluoride application designed to eliminate any tooth sensitivities.

A custom whitening kit includes trays made to fit precisely over your teeth so the whitening gel cannot leak out. We’ll show you how to fill and insert the trays using a professional-grade whitening gel that is safe for home use. It takes approximately two weeks to complete treatment, but you can always re-use the trays when you want to refresh your smile.

We have all had that sinking realisation of forgetting an essential toiletry item while away from home. If you are staying in a hotel, they usually offer complimentary toothbrushes and toothpaste. However, if you are camping then don’t despair! There are alternatives that can help to freshen your breath, and which will tide you over, just until you can purchase a real toothbrush and toothpaste.

Tooth Brushing

Instead of a toothbrush, you can use a damp washcloth or even a paper towel. Just wet a small corner and apply toothpaste if you have any before wrapping the cloth around your index finger. Gently rub the cloth or paper towel over your teeth, making sure you clean the front and back of each tooth. Another alternative is to use leaves or small twigs. Choose a softer, bendable twig that doesn’t have any bark and cut the end of the twig off to reveal the inner fibres. These fibres will act as a temporary toothbrush. Just take care when selecting your twig and choose a safe, non-poisonous tree such as maple, birch or dogwood.

Toothpaste

If you have any mouthwash, you can use this in place of toothpaste. Otherwise, a mixture of baking soda and water mixed into a gritty paste will work reasonably well. Alternatively, just brush your teeth with a wet toothbrush or toothbrush alternative. The brushing motions will help remove plaque and food particles and is far better than skipping brushing altogether.

A virtual scavenger hunt is a great way to connect safely with family and friends or for children to stay in touch with their friends. It is also an excellent team-building activity and can be a fun way to begin or end an online meeting.

Send Out Invites

Send out your invitations with the time and program for everyone to connect. Include a link to the software in case anyone needs to install it ahead of time. Everyone should have a sheet of paper marked with an “X”.

Nominate a Moderator

Your moderator cannot share their screen with others and must print out the list of scavenger items. Make sure the list has items you will commonly find at home.

Start the Hunt

Before you begin the hunt, make sure everyone can hear and see everyone else. The moderator says the item to find and everyone has one minute to fetch it. Players cannot look up items on their device, or use the same item twice. If someone knows they don’t have that item, they display the paper with the “X” on the screen. The adult or child who gathers the most items wins.

Virtual Prizes

It is fun to include a virtual prize such as an eGift card or another treat with home delivery.