Fear of visiting the dentist is more common than you might think and, with this in mind, a law firm recently decided to carry out some research to uncover just how many of us are nervous about visiting the dentist and what impact this could be having on our health.

The survey was undertaken amongst respondents aged 16 and above and over 2000 people took part. Of these, a huge four out of five in the UK indicated that they were fearful of visiting the dentist, and over a quarter (26%) who “admitted to cancelling or delaying dental appointments due to fear”.

The research also looked at where in the UK dental hygiene was the worst, and here are the worst-offending cities (ranked from top to bottom – with the top being the worst):

1. Sheffield
2. Brighton
3. Manchester
4. Bristol
5. Cardiff
6. London
7. Norwich
8. Leeds
9. Belfast

It doesn’t surprise us to see Bristol featured in the list, as many of our patients have shared their concerns over the years. However, here at CK Dental we work hard to reassure our patients – and prospective patients – that visiting the dentist really isn’t so bad after all. Offering an environment whereby our patients feel comfortable and relaxed is something we take very seriously.

We pride ourselves in listing carefully to the needs, wants and concerns of our patients, offering reassurance when needed, advice, guidance and alternative solutions. We want our patients to leave feeling they have made the best decisions for their oral health, and also have been able to approach their dentistry in a way that has made them feel as calm and relaxed as possible.

Dental phobia treatment options

As a practice, we also offer ‘GA dentistry’, which means we are able to conduct some procedures while the patient is under general anaesthetic. This can be very reassuring for patients who are very nervous about having work done in their mouths, as it offers a much calmer environment for them.

We are ideally situated within the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, which means we are fortunate to be able to sedate patients with general anaesthetic on site. This, and our interest in the benefits this approach can offer, means we are proficient in this method and will explore its suitability for patients who are extremely anxious about treatment.

To find out more about our approach to dental phobia, call 0117 905 9866 to arrange an appointment.

Here at CK Dental, we touched recently on nasty ailments of the mouth and how best to avoid them, one of which being the condition known as periodontitis. It is a common oral complaint, with around 75% of adults in the UK likely to experience it at some point in their lives and it causes the gums to recede and expose sensitive areas of the tooth that are ordinarily protected by the gums.

Understanding more about periodontitis can help people know what signs to look for and how to take preventative steps to stop it forming.

So, what gives people a heightened risk of developing periodontitis?

Poor oral health

Not brushing your teeth twice a day for the recommended minimum of two minutes per brush increases your risk of getting periodontitis. This simple routine can help prevent (and sometimes cure) so many problems that can develop in the mouth so if you feel you are falling short of looking after your teeth appropriately, you may be paving the way for trouble in the future.

Other ailments of the mouth and gums

People who suffer from conditions such as gingivitis (gum disease) fall into a higher risk bracket, so if you start to suffer from gum disease then it is important to be mindful of symptoms of periodontitis too, and flag this quickly with a dentist if you are concerned at all. Some illnesses that affect other areas of the body can also increase the risk of developing periodontitis, such as diabetes.

Bad habits

Smoking and taking drugs also have a negative impact on your oral hygiene and are both factors that have been linked with a greater chance of getting periodontitis. Not only that, people who don’t adhere to healthy eating and drinking guidelines and consume lots of sugary foods and/or carbonated drinks will also have a greater risk.

Recently, a study found that excessive computer use can put teenagers at risk of poor oral health. An examination of more than 1,500 teenagers found that those that spent long periods of time on their computer were less likely to brush their teeth or visit the dentist.

Simple bad luck

For some of us, unfortunately, the chance of developing periodontitis in written into our genes – it can be passed down genetically and some can inherit greater susceptibility of getting it.

Managing the risk

Equipped with the knowledge about what periodontitis is and which factors increase the risk of developing it, people can monitor their oral health and hopefully avoid getting unpleasant and sometimes serious mouth ailments.

If you’re worried about your oral health, call 0117 905 9866 to arrange a check-up.

As we celebrate National Smile Month in the UK, we’re taking a moment to highlight the importance of preventative dental care.

There are very few walks of life where the saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ doesn’t ring true, and dentistry is no exception to this. Although there is a wide range of dental procedures that can be done to help mend damaged teeth or poorly gums, keeping them in good health and trying to keep issues such as decay, plaque and poor oral health at bay is definitely the best approach.

Ensure you book regular dental check-ups 

One of the key messages from the Oral Health Foundation in aid of National Smile Month is to visit your dentist regularly. If you are a healthy adult with no major dental issues, then it is recommended that you visit the dentist at least twice a year so that you can have regular checks on your teeth and gums. Many of us wouldn’t think twice about booking our car in for a regular service or MOT, and the same is true for our mouths… it is just more important not to let these dental check-ups slip.

If your regular dental check-ups yield anything to be concerned about or anything that regular brushing and flossing is not keeping at bay, you should consider visiting the hygienist too. These visits are typically twice or up to four times per year, depending on the nature of the work that needs doing.

Having regular appointments with the team here at CK Dental can help spot the warning signs of some oral conditions that can be quite serious if left untreated. Conditions such as gingivitis and periodontitis can cause long-standing issues for the teeth and gums, but with quick diagnosis they can be nipped in the bud before they cause too much damage.

What can happen if your mouth is neglected

Gingivitus is another name for gum disease, whereby gums become red, swollen, inflamed and sore. This can also result in bad breath and can lead to bleeding gums. If left untreated, gum disease can damage the teeth and may eventually lead to tooth loss.

Periodontitis is another condition you would want to avoid, as this if where the gums recede away from the tooth, leaving the lower parts and the root exposed. If allowed to progress, this can affect the bone too and can also lead to tooth loss. This is a common condition, with over three-quarters of adults in the UK thought to have experienced it. It can be treated, but if ignored can lead to some or all of your teeth having to be removed.

Following the ‘prevention is better than cure’ adage has got to be sensible when the cure for letting conditions such as these take hold is a set of dentures in place of your neglected teeth. Call 0117 905 9866 to book a check-up at our Bristol dentist clinic.

Parents have a tough job trying to ensure that their children get the right amount of each of the food groups. It can be tricky enough managing your own shopping basket, especially if shopping with children in tow. It can also be hard knowing what snacks are being handed out while your children are in the care of others, such as friends, family or professional childcare providers.

According to a recent BBC report, ‘parents are at risk of being misled by “manipulative marketing campaigns” and “crafty messaging” on children’s snacks’. We all know the importance of ensuring we weave in sufficient fruit and vegetables into our diet, and some children’s snacks that claim to contain a portion of fruit or vegetables, do not contain the amount they say they do.

The report’s authors assessed a wide collection of children’s ‘healthy’ snacks, and found a number of issues which means that these snacks could be much worse than parent were expecting for children’s waistline and also for their teeth:

• Many contained less fruit and vegetables compared with what their labels promised
• Unsweetened fruit juice was often misleading – even though sugar had not necessarily been added to these drinks, the process of extracting juice releases natural sugars which can cause tooth decay and gum disease
• Children’s yoghurts could sometimes be misleading – these may not contain pure sugar, but were often sweetened with fruit purees, which contain a lot of natural sugars.
• Snacks labelled as ‘100% fruit’ were often heavily processed, which also releases a lot of the natural sugars. These snacks tend to be sticky as well, which means they can stick to teeth in hard to reach areas in the mouth and can cause prolonged exposure to sugars which can damage teeth and gums.

Report such as this reiterates how challenging it is for parents to ensure they are giving their children snacks that aren’t going to cause problems for their mouths. The report went on to explain: ‘Some people will see processed fruits as a healthy alternative snack but the sugars in highly processed fruit and fruit juice are already broken down and so can be absorbed by the body more quickly. This means children may become hungrier more quickly and these free sugars also contribute to tooth damage and tooth decay.’

Here at CK Dental, in our family dentistry work we recognise these challenges, and believe parents can help mitigate by encouraging children to brush their teeth regularly, at least twice daily, and also by choosing drinks such as water, over fruit juices and other flavoured drinks which contain a much higher sugar content. If possible, encouraging children to eat three meals per day at set meal times, rather than grazing and snacking, is helpful. Snacking increases exposure to harmful sugars.

Committing to regular dental check-ups is also an essential part of maintaining good oral health for a lifetime. Call 0117 905 9866 to find out more about our family dentistry options.

Many people are nervous about visiting the dentist. Often this is not based on a negative experience but is a worry or concern that stems from what they believe may or may not happen to them when they are there. Dental anxiety usually relates to feelings of loss of control or not knowing what to expect from the process or procedure.

Nowadays many of us are connected to a multitude of social media platforms we use these platforms to source information gain advice and share opinions. For those of us who are nervous about visiting the dentist, social media platforms can offer the opportunity to reach out to others for honest opinions and what they may encounter on a trip to the dentist.

The following are from a parent-based community, where parents who were nervous about visiting the dentist reached out to other mums for reassurance help and advice.

“Hello mums, I am going to the dentist in the morning to have a wisdom tooth removed and am [scared], I’ve never had a tooth out before. I have stocked up on paracetamol and ibuprofen but what else should I be getting? Also, do you think it would be ok if I took some headphones so I can listen to music and not hear the sound of drills or whatever else they use?”

It is interesting to see that many of the responses were supportive, helpful and very positive. Many cited positive experiences of visiting the dentist and shared their thoughts on how best to approach the appointment.

“It’s really quick and I promise it doesn’t hurt. The numbing injection is worse than the procedure!”

“I had mine out in January and was [scared] too. I took headphones and had Spotify ready but honestly didn’t need it, you don’t hear anything… I wouldn’t dread it again that’s for sure.”

For some people, receiving help or advice anonymously from a group of non-dental professionals may offer them the most reassurance, as this is perceived to be completely neutral. The only issue with using a public forum to answer questions such as these, you are not getting expert advice, just simply the opinions of your peers. While these can be helpful and experiential, they will not always know exactly what to expect from different practices.

Options available for dental phobic patients

Although asking for help via forums such as this can be helpful for some, for others, simply talking openly to the dentist about fears or concerns is a good way to alleviate these concerns. At CK Dental, your dentist can put your mind at rest by explaining the procedure and helping you understand exactly what to expect and how you can expect to feel. Here we pride ourselves in helping patients feel at ease and always try to understand their fears if they are concerned about any procedure they require.

For those patients suffering from extreme dental anxiety, we can also perform treatments under sedation and because our clinic is based in a leading private hospital, we are able to offer dental phobic patients the option of general anaesthetic dentistry. Call 0117 905 9866 or email us at info@ckdental.co.uk for more information.