6 Ways To Make Your Teeth Sparkle This New Year

Recent surveys have shown that a bright, white smile can help to make someone appear younger and more attractive. Your smile is often the first thing a new person will notice when they meet you, so why not make 2017 the year you ensure that your teeth are in the best possible condition.

1. Hygienist appointments

The dental hygienist specialises in preventative dentistry, in particular the treatment of gum disease and other periodontal conditions. The hygienist will thoroughly scale and polish your teeth to give your smile a lift.

Advantages

• The hygienist will be able to polish your teeth to remove food and drink stains
• Regular scaling and polishing helps to keep your teeth and gums health by removing plaque and calculus that can build up and cause gum disease.
• Demonstrations on effective tooth brushing can help you to remove plaque without causing tooth wear and receding gums keeping your teeth bright in between appointments

2. White Fillings

White fillings can now be used in nearly any tooth in your mouth. A white or composite filling is made up of a mixture of glass particles, synthetic resin and a setting ingredient.

Advantages

• Once in your mouth, no one will be able to notice white fillings as they blend seamlessly with your natural teeth.
• White fillings are usually light cured, which is where a bright light is used to harden the composite mixture and set it. This means that you will be able to eat and drink as normal as soon as the anaesthetic wears off.
• White fillings can be bonded to your tooth and this means once applied the tooth will often be stronger than they were before.

3. Dental Implants

Dental implants can help to restore your smile, replacing gaps caused by missing teeth. Dental implants can be used to support either crowns, bridges or dentures depending on the number of teeth to be replaced.

Advantages

• Dental implants are the next best thing to healthy natural teeth. Restoring a lost tooth so it looks, feels, fits and functions like a natural tooth.
• Teeth restored with dental implants are teeth that let you, not your teeth, lead your life
• A face without teeth can sag and appear sunken and sad. Dental implants allow you to maintain the natural shape of your face and smile.

4. Teeth Whitening

Teeth Whitening is an effective and affordable way to enhance the appearance of your smile. Teeth Whitening can help to give your teeth back their sparkle by removing stains caused by food, drink, smoking, ageing and medications.

Advantages

• Teeth Whitening is an excellent way to improve your appearance. Having a beautiful smile is now within the reach of anybody who wants it.
• A whiter smile tends to minimise the appearance of facial wrinkles, giving way to a more youthful and energetic appearance.
• Teeth Whitening can help to boost a person’s self-confidence

5. Teeth Straightening

Teeth straightening can have a dramatic impact on the appearance of your teeth and smile, no matter what your age is. There are a wide range of teeth straightening procedures available and your dentist will be able to advise on the best one to suit your needs.

Advantages

• Teeth straightening can help to improve your confidence and self-esteem, allowing you to achieve things you never thought were possible.
• Teeth straightening helps your gums to fit more securely around your teeth and in the long term this can help to reduce the risk of teeth loss.
• Teeth straightening and properly aligning the bite, reduces discomfort and wear caused to your mouth and jaw.

6. Smile Makeover

A smile makeover uses a number of different cosmetic dental treatment to completely change the appearance of your teeth and smile. A smile makeover takes into account your facial appearance, skin tine, hair colour, teeth, gums and lips to develop your ideal smile.

 Advantages

• Patients have confidence in their new smile which spills over into social and work related situations.
• It is possible for dramatic results to be achieved in relatively few appointments, so a smile makeover can be a great way to prepare for an important event.
• Teeth that have been straightened, repaired and replaced are easier to keep clean. By maintaining a good oral hygiene routine, you can help to keep your teeth looking their best for years to come.

What are you waiting for? Call West Wickham Dental Practice today on 0208 776 1188 to book your consultation and start your journey to a sparkling smile.

10 Things To Avoid To reduce Tooth Staining

We all want to ensure that our teeth stay as white as possible so in this blog we look at 10 things you should avoid to help reduce the amount of staining on your teeth.

Wine – Red and white wine are acidic drinks that contains tannins, most commonly thought of as being in tea. This gives the drink the potential to cause a large amount of staining on your teeth.

Wherever possible try to intersperse glasses of water in between the wine, not only will this help to reduce any potential hangover the following day, it will also help to reduce the level of staining of your teeth.

Tea – Like wine, ordinary tea is rich in stain promoting tannins. Many dentists say that staining from tea can be an even bigger problem than staining from coffee which is low in tannins.

If you can’t bear the thought of giving up your morning brew why not consider switching to an herbal, green or white tea which have all been shown to have much less staining capacity.

Fizzy Drinks – Not only do you need to be concerned with the dark coloured fizzy drinks which have the ability to stain your teeth, lighter coloured drinks are sufficiently acidic that they promote the staining of teeth by other foods and drinks that you may have at the same time. Also fizzy drinks are often drunk cold and this has the effect of causing teeth to contract, making them more porous and easier to stain.

When enjoying a fizzy drink try to use a straw as this reduces the amount of drink that comes into contact with your teeth.

Pasta Sauces – Due to their acidity and bright red hue, the tomatoes in most pasta sauces can leave your teeth vulnerable to staining.

Eating dark green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and spinach beforehand creates a protective film over the teeth and reduces the tomatoes staining effect. Why not opt for a green salad as a starter?

Balsamic vinegar – Balsamic vinegar although a healthy salad dressing, can darken your teeth. This is due to its natural dark colour and the fact that it will stick to teeth.

Whenever you have a salad with balsamic vinegar, be sure to include a crunchy lettuce; chewing the lettuce will help clean the staining balsamic vinegar from your teeth as you eat.

Dark Berries – Blueberries, Blackberries, Cranberries, Cherries and other intensely coloured fruit also have the potential to cause stains. This is true no matter what form they come in whether juices, smoothies, pies or cakes.

Curry – curry’s deep pigmentation can yellow teeth over time.

Whenever you have curry, try to mix in fresh fruits and vegetables that prevent stains such as apples, carrots, cauliflower and celery.

Smoking – Smoking tobacco can cause teeth to become discoloured.

The only way to ensure that you reduce this form of staining is to quit smoking.

Certain Medication – Some medication can cause staining to your teeth over time.

If this is something you are concerned about talk to your doctor, they may be able to recommend alternatives that do have the staining ability.

Poor Oral Hygiene – The key to keep your teeth stain free is to ensure that you have a good oral hygiene routine.

Brush your teeth twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste and clean your teeth inter-dentally daily. You should always wait to brush your teeth until one hour after eating otherwise you may brush away tiny particles of the softened tooth enamel, which in the long term can expose the dentine below which is a yellow colour, which will add to any staining present.

Treatment for teeth staining

Here at West Wickham Dental Practice if you are worried about staining why not book an appointment with one of our highly trained dentist or hygienists. They are able to perform deep cleanings to remove any staining present on your teeth. They will also be able to advise you on the best oral hygiene products to ensure that your teeth stay pearly white in between visits.

If you would like more help and advice on how our hygienist can help to remove the staining present on your teeth book an appointment online, or call West Wickham Dental Practice today on 0208 776 1188

Quit Smoking Forever

Smoking can lead to a wide range of oral health problems, including tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss and in more severe cases mouth cancer.

If you are considering making this year the year you quit smoking forever, we look at 10 top tips to help you quit.

1. Focus on your reason

To help keep you on track no matter how hard things get, consider your reasons for quitting. It may be to protect your family from second-hand smoke, reduce your chances of developing lung cancer, save money or to improve your appearance and health. Make sure that whatever the reason, it is strong enough to outweigh the urge to light up.

2. Put support in place

Smoking is an addiction and like any addiction you are going to need support to help you quit. The brain is hooked on nicotine, so without it you will go into withdrawal. Your doctor will be able to advise you on stop smoking groups, medication, counselling, hypnosis and apps. This will ensure that you are ready for the day you chose to quit.

3. Consider Nicotine Replacement Therapy

When you stop smoking nicotine withdrawal may give you headaches, affect your mood and drain your energy. The craving for just one smoke can be tough, Nicotine Replacement therapy can help to take the edge of your cravings. Studies have shown that nicotine gum, lozenges and patches can help to dramatically increase your chance of succeeding.

4. Take advantage of family and friends

Tell your family and friends that you are trying to quit. They will be able to provide you with support and encourage you to keep going if you are tempted to light up.

5. Relax and Unwind

Many people smoke as a way to relax, once you quit you will need to find other ways to unwind. You could start a new exercise class, join the gym, listen to your favourite music, connect with friends or start a new hobby. Stressful situations can make quitting more difficult so try to stop smoking at a time when you feel relaxed and in control.

6. Avoid triggers

When you drink alcohol it reduces your willpower and so makes it harder to say no to that cigarette. When first quitting it is a good idea to reduce your alcohol intake. If you often smoke when you have your morning coffee, why not swap to tea for a few weeks to help break the association. If you like to have a cigarette after meals find something else to do, go for a walk, speak to a friend or do the dishes.

7. Clean, Clean, Clean

Once you decide to quit get rid of all your cigarettes, lighters and ash trays. Also try to remove anything that smells of smoke. This may mean washing clothes that smell of smoke, cleaning carpets and upholstery and cleaning the car. If you can get rid of the familiar smell of smoke and anything that reminds you of smoking, it can make it much easier to quit.

8. Exercise

Get moving! Being active can help to curb nicotine cravings and ease the withdrawal symptoms. It doesn’t need to be anything dramatic, simply going for a walk can help. The calories you burn can also help to ward of the weight gain that many experience when they quit smoking.

9. Don’t Diet

You need to tackle one issue at a time, trying to cut the cigarettes and calories is a recipe for failure. If you are worried about your food intake focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein.

10. Choose your reward

With all the money you are saving from not buying cigarettes, why not reward yourself by spending some of it on something special.

If you would like more help and advice on how to stop smoking book an appointment online, or call West Wickham Dental Practice today on 0208 776 1188