Top tips for good children’s oral hygiene

By ensuring that you teach your children the fundamentals of good oral hygiene you can ensure that they have the skills to maintain their teeth and gums for years to come.

Here at West Wickham Dental Practice we have some top tips to ensure you can set your children up for a lifetime of good oral health

Make brushing fun

There is nothing worse than a daily battle to get your children to brush their teeth. Avoid the conflict by making brushing fun. Allow your children to pick their own toothbrush, many now include their favourite TV and film characters. You can also brush along to a favourite song or download apps that will display pictures as they brush for two minutes. By getting them involved and excited by the process, children will want to brush their teeth.

• Set an example

If you children see you taking care of your oral health, they will begin to understand the importance of oral hygiene. By brushing along with them or allowing them to help you brush your teeth you can make tooth brushing a fun family time. You can also use disclosing tablets to show areas that have been missed while brushing, by including yourself in this you will able to show that everyone misses sometimes, but with proper brushing techniques it is possible to minimise the risk of decay.

• Attend for regular dental appointments

It is important that children start attending for appointments with their parents as soon as their teeth come through. This will allow them to get used to the unfamiliar sights, smells and sounds in the dental practice. By attending from a young age, it helps to reduce the fear so often associated with the dentist.

Technique for Tooth brushing

• Brush twice a day – once in the morning and once before bedtime
• Use a small headed, soft brush
• Apply only a smear of toothpaste
• Create a habit – always brush teeth in the same order to ensure that no tooth is forgotten
• Remember the gum line
• Be gentle – brush using only a slight pressure

If you would like to start your children on the path to a lifetime of good oral hygiene call West Wickham Dental Practice today on 0208 776 1188 to book a consultation.

Top Dental Emergency Questions Answered

No matter how careful you are, dental emergencies can happen to anyone at any time. In this blog we look at some top questions, to ensure you know what to do should you have a dental emergency.

What is classed as a dental emergency?

Dental emergencies can be split into two main groups.

Visible damage to teeth – teeth can be chipped, cracked or knocked out, crowns can fall out and fillings can be lost. It can happen while you are playing sport, in a trip or fall or by biting down on something hard such as a nut or something sticky such as a toffee.

Pain – dental pain may be caused by an infection in the tooth or gum or by a cavity or decay exposing the sensitive dentine of the tooth.

How do I treat a toothache?

If you are suffering with a toothache, rinse your mouth out with warm water. Using interdental cleaning aids, cleanbetween your teeth to remove any trapped food. A cold compress placed on the cheek at the side of the toothache can help to reduce the pain as can over the counter pain killers.

What do I do if I knock a tooth out?

If a permanent tooth is knocked out by force, with a trip or a fall, it is important that it is replaced into the socket as soon as possible. If the tooth cannot be replaced, keep it within a container of body temperature milk until dental help can be sought. It is important that you get to a dentist as quickly as possible, the best results are seen when a tooth is replaced into the socket within an hour of the accident.

What do I do if I crack or chip a tooth or lose a filling?

If you crack or chip a tooth, rinse your mouth to remove any remaining loose fragments of teeth preventing you from swallowing them. It is possible to use sugar free chewing gum to fill the gap caused by a lost filling or chipped tooth as a temporary measure until you can get to an appointment with your dentist.

What do I do if I have a dental emergency over the festive period?

West Wickham Dental Practice is open 10am until 3pm on the week leading up to Christmas. If you have a dental emergency in the days preceding Christmas, please contact the surgery on 0208 776 1188 and we will endeavour to book you in for treatment as quickly as possible.Over the Festive period, we will be closed Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th December and Monday 2nd January should you have a dental emergency over the festive period please ring the surgery on 0208 776 1188 and the answerphone message will give you details on how to access emergency treatment. We will be open 10 am – 5 pm Wednesday 28th December and 10 am – 3 pm Thursday 29th, Friday 30th and Saturday 31st December.

All the team at West Wickham Dental Practice would like to wish our patients a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you all in 2017.

Dental Sedation - All you need to know.

Does the thought of sitting in the dental chair make you nervous? You are not alone, in fact studies have shown that 36% of adult patients suffer with moderate dental anxiety and 12% of adults have a dental phobia. However, putting off routine appointments and dental treatment can mean that you need much more extensive and complex treatment when you do attend.

All our dental staff are gentle, caring and sensitive to your needs, always discussing your treatment options and engaging you in all stages of treatment planning.

Intravenous Sedation

If you are really concerned about treatment we are able to offer intravenous sedation at the practice. This is given by injection either in the back of your hand or in your arm. The dose will depend on the amount of treatment needed and how long it will take to complete.

You will become drowsy and will not be aware that you are having treatment, but will still be able to cooperate and do what the dentist asks of you. The effects of the medication may take some time to wear off and because of this you will be required to bring someone with you to your treatment appointment who will be able to look after you following treatment. You will be unable to drink alcohol, drive or work machinery until the sedative medicine has left your system.

Uses of Intravenous Sedation

IV sedation, can be used for almost all types of dental treatments ranging from routine hygiene to extensive complex dental treatment, please. Additionally, IV sedation also has the ability to offer varying degrees of retrograde amnesia. This prevents recollection of the dental treatment which for some patients enables them to visit the dentist for routine check-up without being nervous.

Prior to undergoing treatment the dentist will need to have full details of your medical history and any medication you are taking whether or not they are prescribed by the dentist. This is to ensure that you are suitable for the treatment. If you have a very complex medical history it may be necessary to refer you to a specialist service for treatment.

Benefits of Sedation

• It allows the patient to visit their dentist without any pre-visit nerves and allows the dentist to
  
  complete the course of treatment in fewer visits than they would normally be               able to do so.
•  Many kinds of dental treatments can use sedation, allowing patients with different  types of dental phobia to relax and not have  to suffer the usual apprehension which they experience when visiting the dentist
•  It is particularly useful for those who suffer from dental phobia. It is also useful for those who have extremely sensitive teeth and find co-operating with the dentist and receiving dental treatment, as it will take the pain away from their treatment allowing them to receive the health care they deserve without the stress and anxiety that may usually accompany it.
•  Patients that have conditions which make controlling their body movements difficult such as Parkinson’s disease and who have gag reflexes that make controlling their mouth stressful will also benefit from sedation and the physical and mental relaxation that it gives to the patient.
• The patient can experience a freedom from their past fear and apprehension of the dentist, allowing them to receive treatment with peace of mind, as well as receiving treatment that they have not been able to have for many years because of their dental phobia. Patients that do not normally suffer from dental phobia can still take benefit from sedation during some treatments, particularly treatments that are very painful.
• For the dentist sedation gives them complete control during treatment as patients are more likely to co-operate fully with their dentist, and it also reduces the amount of time and number of sessions that dentists require to carry out their treatments on patients, because more treatment can be administered in a single session.

Dr Anhaar Mohamedali has had extensive oral surgery experience working at Kings College Hospital, where she routinely performed oral surgery on patients under IV sedation safely and comfortably. At West Wickham Dental Practice, we have routinely used IV sedation to treat patients apprehensive of dental treatment to make them Smile Proud! Book an appointment online, or call us today on 0208 776 1188

Keep your teeth healthy and happy this Christmas

Tis the season ….. for good oral hygiene!

In the run up to Christmas West Wickham Dental Practice will be open as normal until 24/12…. Should you have any problems with your teeth in the run up to Christmas, please ring the surgery by 9.30am as we have a number of emergency appointments available each day and we will endeavour to get you seen as soon as possible.

West Wickham Dental Practice will be closed for Christmas from the 25^th to the 28^th inclusive and will reopen for half days in the afternoon on the 29^th and 31^st and half day morning on the 30^th. If you should you have a dental emergency out of hours, please call the practice on 0208 776 1188 and the answer phone message will give you details on how to contact the dentist for the out of hours emergency service.

With Christmas almost upon us this is the perfect time to remind all our patients how best to enjoy the festive food and drink and look after your dental health. Here at West Wickham Dental Practice we have come up with our top tips to ensure that your teeth stay in tip top condition this festive season.

• During the festive period try to brush your teeth three times a day using a fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth using inter-dental aids such as inter-dental brushes, floss or tape. This will help to ensure that you do not develop any food traps which if left can lead to infection.

• Why not treat yourself to a new toothbrush at the start of December. Toothbrushes should be changed every 3-4 months and this will ensure that you are getting the most effective clean possible when you brush your teeth. An electric toothbrush provides more effective cleaning than manual ones, maybe its time to ask Santa for one.

• With all the sweet treats around do not forget to include fruit and vegetables in your diet these will help to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals you need and help keep your teeth and gums healthy.

• With so much food available it can become easy to just graze all day. To help your teeth and general health aim to eat 3 meals a day plus no more than two snacks. If you do snack stick to crudities and nuts rather than sweets and chocolates. Nuts provide a great source of calcium and vitamin D which have been shown to help improve your dental health.

• Where ever possible try to enjoy your sugary treats after your meals. Dried fruits are also high in sugar and can get stuck to your teeth so try to have mince pies, Christmas pudding and Christmas cake after a meal to. This is because we produce more saliva when we are eating which helps neutralise the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and it also helps to rinse away food particles and sugary substances.

• Red wine can stain teeth so if you don’t mind which you drink try to stick to white wine this Christmas. Cheese is a great accompaniment for wine as it contains calcium and helps to combat the damaging effects of acid.

All the team at West Wickham Dental Practice would like to wish our patients a happy and hopefully trouble free festive period, but should you have any problems do not hesitate to contact the surgery on 0208 776 1188.

Dental Emergency: What you can do.

A dental emergency can occur at the most unexpected time and place; from simply tripping over an untied shoe lace, an accidental hit by a beach ball or in the midst of a rugby scrum.  Sometimes even eating something very hard can break your tooth, particularly if it’s been weakened by tooth decay. Medical conditions such as epilepsy can also make you more likely to fall. The consequence is the same. Excruciating and searing pain from the loss of your teeth!

There are steps that one can take to minimise the damage and increase the success of follow-up treatment to restore your smile.  A number of age old adages float around the community….do NOT use crushed Aspirin on your affected tooth. Aspirin is acidic and will burn your gums.  Another famous anecdote is to swish whiskey in your mouth. While some sensation of relief may be felt, this is due to the irritation caused by the whiskey to the inflamed gums, distracting your brain from the pain from the tooth loss. Finally, one making the rounds on the WWW is using crushed bay berry bark and vinegar. I will hold my hands up and say…”I had no idea what bay berry bark was, until I was rescued by Wikipedia!”

There are some definitive steps one can take in a dental emergency which have been recommended based on clinical evidence.

If you are in pain and have developed a swelling, take some ordinary painkillers – aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol (BDA) to provide temporary pain relief. Always read and follow the information on the packet about how much to take and how often, and do not exceed the maximum stated dose.  If you are bleeding from the tooth sockets, using a clean cloth or tissue apply pressure to staunch the flow of blood. Seek advice from your dentist ASAP.

Chipped or Broken Teeth

Wash your mouth with some warm water to remove any debris and seek advice from your dentist immediately. If the broken piece of tooth is available, bring it to your dentist as soon as possible as it may be able to be bonded back in place.

Knocked out or missing teeth.

The National Health Service (NHS) provides timely advice for dealing with tooth loss following trauma. Speed is of the essence if you want to retain your tooth, seek advice from your emergency dentist or A&E dental emergency services ASAP. The sooner the tooth gets implanted back into the socket, the lower the risk of long term damage and a gap between your teeth. A few important points to bear in mind:

• Do NOT touch the root of the tooth and ONLY handle the white solid crown (top of the tooth)
• Do not attempt to physically clean the tooth.
• If the tooth is dirty, rinse it with milk or a saline (salt water) solution and try to put the tooth back into its socket in your mouth as soon as possible. Do not rinse the tooth with water or alcohol.
• If you can insert the tooth into the socket, bite down onto a clean piece of cloth or tissue or a wet tea bag to keep it in place.
• If you cannot reinsert the tooth, hold it between your cheek and gum until you manage to see a dentist, or store the tooth in a clean container and cover it with milk or a small amount of your saliva.

The above advice only applies to adult teeth – children’s milk teeth should not be reimplanted as an adult tooth will soon grow in its place.

Lip or Tongue Bite

Gently clean the affected area with a clean cloth or tissue and press down using some ice to stop the bleeding and reduce the swelling. The bleeding should stop after a few minutes, however, if it carries on seek assistance from your local A&E dental emergency service.

Objects Caught Between Teeth

Use dental floss or an interdental cleaner to dislodge solid objects stuck between your teeth. Avoid using a toothpick as there is a greater likelihood of cutting your gums leading to infection. If the object cannot be dislodged using dental floss, seek advice from your emergency dentist ASAP.

Broken Jaw

A broken jaw will often result in swelling and will be quite painful. There may be bleeding from the mouth, and in severe circumstances the cheek or jaw may have an abnormal appearance with the jaw feeling stiff. The jaw may have limited movement, therefore your mouth may not open wide and there may also be loose or damaged teeth.

The swelling may be controlled by placing an ice pack or frozen vegetables. Do not try to force open your jaw, wrap a towel beneath the jaw and tie on top of your head to reduce movement.

Seek advice from your dentist or A&E dental emergency services ASAP.

West Wickham Dental practice provides dental emergency services and an out of hours emergency dental service. We offer late night appointments on a Wednesday and Saturday morning appointments. We will always endeavour to find a time that is most suitable for each and every patient.

To learn more about West Wickham Dental Practice, and to book your consultation appointment do not hesitate to contact the surgery today on 0208 776 1188n 0208 776 1188