Blog

If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, it’s worth knowing that there are better times to indulge or to schedule your sugar hour. As a rule of thumb, it’s better for your teeth if you eat sweet treats immediately after a main meal or as part of the main meal. There’s a very good reason for this as every time you eat something sweet it stimulates oral bacteria that attack tooth enamel by producing acid. The more frequently you eat something sweet, the greater the time your teeth are exposed to these acids, and eventually, these acids cause such significant erosion it creates cavities. The secret is to minimise the time your teeth are exposed to acid and to make sure you can clean your teeth thoroughly afterwards.

However, here is another thing you may not have considered as it’s better to wait at least half an hour after eating before brushing your teeth. It takes at least this long for acidity levels in your mouth to normalise. If you brush your teeth too soon, you brush softened and weaker tooth enamel that is more easily damaged, even by a toothbrush. While you wait, rinse your mouth with plain water or chew on cheese. Cheese contains calcium and other helpful ingredients that strengthen teeth, and it stimulates saliva production, helping to normalise pH levels in your mouth more effectively.

Perhaps you’ve already made your New Year’s resolutions, but how about adding just one more? This year, resolve to improve your dental health as it’s easier than you think. It’s one resolution you will want to keep.

Brush Twice Daily and Floss Once-A-Day

Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once-a-day is simple, quick and effective for protecting your teeth against tooth decay and gum disease. When you don’t brush regularly, harmful bacteria quickly build up over your tooth surfaces. Only flossing can eliminate bacteria and food debris between teeth and below the gum line, just the areas where tooth decay and gum disease often begin.

Book Regular Dental Checkups

This is another super simple and effective tip as seeing a dentist twice yearly can help prevent any dental problems and allows us to treat any issues at a much earlier stage. When you come and see us regularly, we can monitor your oral health closely and can tailor your preventative dental care plan to address areas of concern.

Have Your Teeth Cleaned Professionally

When you book your dental checkup, don’t forget to schedule your hygiene appointment. Professionally cleaning your teeth removes all plaque and tartar buildup, allowing you to maintain a healthier and cleaner mouth, and a fresher, brighter smile.

Make sure your teeth are ready for the brand-new decade by kickstarting your oral care routine. Even a few simple changes can make all the difference to your dental health.

Cut Back on Sugar

We are not suggesting you cut out sugar entirely, but it’s worth cutting down. Next time you buy groceries, reduce the number of sugary treats. Swap out sugary juices and sodas for water and curb the urge for something sweet by chewing sugar-free gum.

Kick the Habit

Quitting smoking does take dedication, but it’s worth the effort. If you smoke, your risk of developing gum disease is twice as high compared with a non-smoker. You are also more at risk of other diseases including oral cancer and lung diseases. Enlist the help of family and friends to quit for good. Arrange some healthy activities to do that will distract to when the cravings kick in.

Choose Mouth Friendly Foods

In addition to cutting back on sugar, actively look to add healthy foods to your diet that will help strengthen teeth and gums. Dairy products are high in calcium and a particularly good for teeth. Fibrous foods like crunchy fruits and vegetables are also a good choice.

It’s not always easy to stick to New Year’s resolutions all the time, but if you fail one day don’t give up for good. Instead, just start again tomorrow.

Just like your nails, a well-manicured mouth looks tidy and well cared for, and there are lots of little things you can do to improve your oral health. Even better, these changes are easy to fit into a busy lifestyle.

Brush Gently and Don’t Scrub

Resist the temptation to scrub your teeth too hard as you can wear away tooth enamel and even gum tissue. Instead, use small circular movements and a soft toothbrush to clean your teeth thoroughly.

Avoid Fizzy Drinks

It might be hard to do at this time of year, but try to minimise your consumption of fizzy drinks. These drinks contain huge amounts of sugar and often phosphoric and citric acid that can soften and erode tooth enamel. Plain water is the best way to hydrate and especially during warmer weather.

Brush after Meals

Brushing your teeth after eating is the best way to prevent food and plaque buildup. However, wait at least half an hour after eating as this gives your mouth a chance to recover so acidity levels can normalise. Otherwise, you will brush softer tooth enamel that is more easily damaged. Don’t forget to floss once-a-day, preferably just before bedtime so you go to sleep with a clean mouth and you’ll wake up with fresher breath too.

The holidays can get busy, but it is possible to maintain a healthy smile with these easy tips.

Eat Plenty of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Tasty fresh fruits and veggies are everywhere and are packed with antioxidants, vitamins and other essential nutrients. Additionally, chewing crisp fruits and vegetables can help to scrub away some plaque from teeth.

Quit Smoking

This year, make sure you stick to your New Year’s resolution to quit, and your teeth will love you. Smokers are more likely to develop gum disease and cavities, and the risk of oral cancer is higher.

Don’t Drink Too Much Alcohol

Alcohol can negatively impact oral health, drying your mouth and increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Also, when you drink too much, you are less likely to brush your teeth regularly.

Brush Twice Daily and Floss Once Daily

A regular brushing and flossing routine is so simple and quick and helps protect your teeth against dental disease. You only need to spend a few minutes each day caring for your teeth and having a healthy mouth protects your overall health too. If you’re not sure you are brushing and flossing correctly, we’d love to help you. We can show you lots of easy techniques to brush and floss thoroughly.

The summer is a time when many of us will enjoy trips away or spending time with friends and family. However, these events can impact dental health. We’ve listed a few summer tips for enjoying healthy teeth, no matter where you are.

Stick to Your Routine

When staying up late for summer parties and celebrations, it can be tempting to skip brushing, but it only takes two minutes to brush your teeth thoroughly and another few minutes to floss properly. If you have kids, it’s even more important to make sure they stick to their regular oral care routine. You could try brushing alongside them, so the entire family have healthy mouths.

Give Sugary Drinks and Snacks a Miss

As the temperature rises, it’s tempting to cool down with sugary juice or fizzy drinks, but these aren’t the best way to quench your thirst. Instead, choose water or milk. Snacking smarter will help protect your teeth so avoid sugary foods and instead opt for crunchy fruits and vegetables, cheese or sugar-free yoghurt or dip.

Plan for Your Back-To-School or Back to Work Dental Appointments

Start the New Year with a healthy mouth and plan your back-to-school or back to work checkup now. Booking your appointment sooner will help you get ahead of the rush.

Most people take saliva for granted and swallow it without even thinking about it, but it can provide valuable information about your oral health and overall health. Each day, we swallow nearly two litres of saliva, and it’s a liquid that has important properties. Spit has buffers neutralising acids, reducing your risk of tooth decay. It washes away food particles and bacteria, helping to prevent gum disease. However, there are lots of reasons why you may not produce enough high-quality saliva.

Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is a common problem, and many medications reduce saliva production, causing this issue which is called xerostomia. Sometimes, your GP can adjust your medications to help fix the problem.

Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is a yeast infection that can turn your saliva cream-coloured or white, and it’s caused by an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a type of fungus. Medication can help to clear up this condition.

Systemic Conditions

A reduction in saliva production is sometimes associated with systemic diseases and particularly Sjogren’s syndrome, which is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the saliva glands.

If you don’t produce enough saliva, ask us for help as we can provide useful advice on how to maintain a healthy mouth and you might benefit from more frequent professional cleanings.

TMJ disorder can develop if your upper and lower jaws are not in the correct relationship to each other, placing stress on your facial muscles and your jaw joints, called temporomandibular joints. It’s a problem that can cause inflammation and jaw pain, chronic headaches, earache, and you may clench and grind your teeth, an issue called bruxism. Facial pain can spread into your neck and shoulders. If you have noticed jaw or facial pain, we can help you.

Treating TMJ Disorder

Neuromuscular dentistry helps to realign the jaws correctly, reducing the stress on your facial muscles and your joints, which in turn reduces the inflammation and pain. TMJ disorder frequently causes bruxism, so one way we can help you is by providing a custom mouthguard worn during sleep. The device is designed to fit over your teeth, placing your jaw in a more relaxed position and preventing you from clenching and grinding. Another possible treatment is Botox injections. Botox helps facial muscles to relax so your jaw is more able to rest in the correct position. It is a nonsurgical procedure that produces minimal discomfort and Botox is administered using very fine needles. The effects last for several months.

A healthy and attractive smile is such a huge asset, and your teeth and gums deserve a little tender loving care. You don’t need to spend a terrific amount of time or money maintaining a healthy smile.

1. Practice good oral hygiene as if you are dedicated to keeping your mouth healthy, it will show. Make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss once-a-day, and it’s a simple routine that will only take you a few minutes every day.
2. Visit us regularly as professional preventative care is essential. We can carefully screen your teeth and gums for any changes in your dental health, and if needed, will provide suitable preventative or restorative treatments. Regular hygiene appointments keep your mouth super clean, reducing your risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
3. Eat healthily and if you have a sweet tooth, make sure you enjoy your sweet treats as part of the main meal. Every time you eat sugar or carbohydrate-rich foods, bacteria in your mouth will thrive, so the more frequently you snack on these foods, the greater the damage to your teeth and gums.
4. Drink more water as it hydrates and lubricates the body and helps to keep your mouth clean and fresh. Also, your body needs plenty of water to produce saliva.

Many families are looking forward to Halloween, but if your kid wears braces, they do need to take care. They can still enjoy this celebration, but it is important to avoid certain foods and snacks that could damage braces.

Sweet Treats That Are Best Avoided

Sticky sweets like caramel, gummy bears and taffy are incredibly difficult to remove from braces and can get stuck in between brackets, bands and wires. Very hard sweets like lollipops, sweets containing nuts, chocolate covered pretzels and caramel covered apples can all be problematic for braces and can easily break wires and loosen brackets. Popcorn is often overlooked but can be very hard, especially if you inadvertently bite on an unpopped kernel. Also, pieces of popcorn can become painfully lodged between teeth and braces.

Sweet Treats to Enjoy with Braces Safely

Even though certain things are off the menu, there is still lots to enjoy. Treats that can be eaten safely include peanut butter cups and chocolates that will melt easily and don’t require much chewing. Baked goods such as pumpkin cake or pie, or ice cream and milkshakes are all safe to eat with braces. Alternatively, you could decide to skip the sweet treats entirely and to hand out small toys, stickers, crayons and other inexpensive items. These will be a nice treat for all those kids wearing braces this Halloween.