Dentophobia, or odontophobia, is the fear of dentists and dental procedures, and it is not an uncommon phobia. Here at CK Dental, we want our patients to feel completely at ease when undergoing treatment at our Bristol dental clinic. For most people the use of local anaesthesia, to numb any pain caused by dental treatments, is enough to make them comfortable, but for those who are severely upset by the thought of undergoing dental work we offer conscious sedation.

What is ‘conscious sedation’?

Also known as ‘twilight sedation’, this is a state of deep relaxation in which the patient is responsive to speech and command, but will tolerate procedures which otherwise might have been too uncomfortable, either physically or due to fear.

At CK Dental in Bristol, we use a consultant anaesthetist, Dr Claudia Paoloni, to perform our conscious sedation, ensuring you are in the very best hands to further put you at ease. The medication can be administered either orally – as a pill – or through an IV drip, which Dr Paoloni will personally supervise.

Will this mean an overnight stay?

No. Conscious sedation has a very quick recovery time and most people are able to return home almost immediately after treatment, although we do recommend that you bring a close friend or family member to accompany you.

Some patients are worried that being awake during the procedure will cause them to be even more afraid in future, however one major benefit of conscious sedation is that although you are ‘conscious’ in the medical sense, you are not fully awake and most people do not remember the procedure clearly.

For more information on conscious sedation and the methods used at our Bristol dentistry clinic, please click here.

The British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has recently joined the groups calling for fruit juice to be removed from the list of recommended five-a-day portions. According to the official list, a 150ml glass of unsweetened fruit juice counts towards your five a day, but dentists – including Bristol dental surgeon Cornelius Krause of CK Dental – say that even unsweetened juices can be harmful to oral health.

At a time when many children as young as three are showing visible signs of tooth decay, the BDHF believes that keeping fruit juice on the five-a-day list sends out the wrong message to parents and children.

What’s wrong with drinking juice?

Many parents who we see here at our Bristol clinic say they give their children fruit juices to drink as an easy way to increase their fruit consumption, but the high concentration of sugars and acids in juices means that they can cause damage to the teeth, particularly when sipped repeatedly throughout the day.

What should children drink instead?

According to the British Dental Health Foundation, water and milk are the best drinks you can give to children. If they really insist on drinking fruit juice, try to keep it to mealtimes, when the mouth is producing more saliva to help wash the sugars away from the teeth.

How can we limit the damage caused by drinking fruit juice?

Any dentist will tell you how important it is to ensure that children brush their teeth for two minutes, twice a day. This is particularly important when the child drinks a lot of fruit juice, or eats a high sugar diet.

It is worth remembering, however, that brushing teeth too soon after consuming sugary food or drink can actually do more harm than good, as sugars soften the enamel on the teeth – try to leave a good half hour before tooth brushing.

For more detailed advice on how to care for your children’s teeth, book an appointment with dental surgeon and cosmetic dentist Mr Krause, here at our clinic in Bristol.

Here at CK Dental in Bristol, we offer dental implants to those of our patients who have lost one or more teeth. Dental implants are a safe and effective option for those with missing teeth, giving a rejuvenated appearance, as well as offering many practical benefits?

What are the advantages of implants compared to dentures?

Dental implants provide a permanent solution to the problem of missing teeth, and avoid the issue of having to make changes to your diet, which can arise with false teeth. Dentures are often not compatible with tough or chewy foods, and this can cause embarrassment when eating around others.

Although having dental implants placed is a more invasive process than that involved with dentures, once the implants are in position and restored, they will look, feel and behave just like your natural teeth, and you don’t need to do anything differently in terms of their care.

Why choose CK Dental in Bristol for dental implants?

The only thing that might prevent you from being a candidate for dental implants is bone shrinkage that can happen if the tooth has been missing for a long time.

However, here at CK Dental in Bristol, we work with a leading maxillofacial surgeon, Dr Michael Stiller, MD.DDS.OMFS, who is able to augment the bone in the jaw, making dental implants possible and also helping to provide a more youthful appearance to the jawline.

How long will dental implants last?

Provided they are fitted correctly, dental implants should last for life. The titanium implants we use here at our Bristol dentistry clinic behave exactly like the natural tooth root; the bone of the jaw grows around them, ensuring they are entirely secure, before our dental surgeon, Cornelius Krause, fits the custom-made restoration of your choice – crowns, bridges or dentures.

For more information on dental implants, or to book an appointment at our Bristol clinic, click here.

January is a time of year when we all resolve to turn over a new leaf and look after ourselves a little better, so this year why not start with your teeth? Here are some ideas from the team at our Bristol clinic, to get you thinking…

Floss every day

Everyone resolves to floss straight after a visit to the dentist, when all that build-up has been scraped from between your teeth, but that resolve often falls by the wayside a few days in. Why not make this the year you actually stick to it?

Cut down on sugary food and drink

It’s unrealistic to expect yourself never to eat another chocolate again, but dentists recommend that you try to keep the sugar consumption to mealtimes.

Drink more water

This is a great all-rounder – not only will drinking more water keep you more alert, but drinking a glass of water after you’ve eaten can help rinse away anything that is potentially damaging to your teeth.

Brush for two minutes, twice a day

As adults, most of us do manage to brush our teeth twice a day, but do you really stick to the recommended two-minute minimum? There are a number of apps you can download on your phone to help with this one – ask your dental surgeon to recommend one, or you can buy an egg timer.

Get a whiter smile

If you’re embarrassed by the colour of your teeth – perhaps you’ve given up smoking as one of your other new year’s resolutions (if not, we highly recommend that you do!) and want to get rid of any tell-tale signs that you were ever in the habit – consider booking an appointment with a cosmetic dentist like Mr Krause here at CK Dental in Bristol, who can perform a tooth whitening procedure to leave your smile brighter than ever before.

Visit the dentist regularly

Even if you can’t manage all of the suggestions above, making regular trips to the dentist can help to keep tooth decay at bay.

Happy New Year from all the team here at Bristol Dentists CK Dental!