These days, you can find information and tutorials online for practically anything you want to learn. Unsurprisingly, DIY beauty tutorials and videos are particularly popular. The trouble is, while some DIY tips can prove invaluable, others are downright dangerous.

One beauty trend which dentists are warning against is DIY braces. Teens across social media have been uploading videos on how to create and use DIY braces. Little do they know the harmful effects it could have, not just on the teeth, but on overall oral health.

Here, we’ll look at why we’re warning against DIY braces and the potential damage they can cause.

What exactly are DIY braces?

The current DIY brace trend sees kids using household items to secure the teeth into position. Common items used include dental floss, paper clips, rubber bands and even fishing line.

The items are fastened onto the teeth and worn for a period of time to attempt to alter their position. While logically it could potentially work, using DIY braces unfortunately poses a lot of risks.

Why are DIY braces bad for the teeth?

The difficulty with DIY braces is that they only look at altering the position of the teeth. With professional braces on the other hand, a dentist will also factor in the position of the upper and lower jaw. This is because braces can pull on the jaw, putting excessive pressure onto it. So, if you use DIY methods, you could potentially end up damaging the jaw.

Another issue some young people have had with DIY braces is the items used to secure the teeth have vanished overnight. While they believe they have simply lost them in bed, the truth is the items have become lodged underneath the gum. This in itself poses a big risk for oral health, not to mention the potential for swallowing items if they do become dislodged in the night.

Another concern with DIY braces is that they could also lead to tooth loss. This is because the braces can cause the ligaments which hold the teeth into position, to break. So, while DIY braces may seem like a good idea, they can do a lot more harm than good.

The benefits of professional teeth straightening

Having braces professionally fitted isn’t just safer, it also delivers a lot more benefits than DIY braces. When fitted correctly, braces can:

• Improve your chewing ability
• Help you regain your confidence
• Eliminate speech impairments
• Reduces the risk of grinding the teeth
• Reduces the risk of gum disease

As well as traditional braces, we also offer Invisalign, which uses clear plastic aligners to gently move teeth into position.

These are just some of the benefits you can expect from professionally fitted braces. So, while it may be tempting to try out DIY braces, the potential risks shouldn’t be ignored. It may be cheaper initially, but the damage it could cause to the teeth and gums could see you paying a lot more in the long-term than you would if you’d have had them professionally fitted.

If you’re unhappy with the appearance of your smile, call CK Dental on 0117 905 9866 to arrange an appointment.

At CK Dental, patients can benefit from the latest technology, combined with Cornelius’ calm and gentle approach and vast experience in treating dental phobic patients. Here Cornelius discusses how he deals with dental anxiety.

How do you approach dental phobia?

Cornelius: Every patient at CK Dental is treated as an individual and we try to find a solution to their dental anxiety that allows them to have what can often be very necessary dental treatment.

Many patients have very neglected teeth. The first step is obviously to eradicate any problems that could have serious implications for their health in the future.

Then you have to look into what they want to achieve going forward, which will be a balance between their health and any cosmetic concerns. Are they satisfied with something less invasive or do they want permanent solutions? If the latter, what fixed restorations are they happy to have? Also, their physical health and wellbeing are taken into account.

All of this is discussed in the planning stage. Careful pre-planning also means you can ensure their time in the chair is as minimal as possible.

How often is General Anaesthetic Dentistry appropriate for dental phobic patients?

Cornelius: Every patient that comes to us with a dental phobia is assessed as an individual. We always try to establish whether they are able to undergo Dental Treatment Under Sedation as opposed to General Anaesthetic Dentistry as most patients don’t realise that the form of sedation we use at CK Dental is typically not the same as what they’ve been offered before at other clinics.

What makes CK Dental’s sedation treatment different?

Cornelius: We see many patients that say that sedation has never worked for them before, but that is because most dental practices will only be offering oral sedation in the form of Diazepam, also known as Valium, whereas our Dental Treatment Under Sedation is actually conscious sedation. It is delivered by our Consultant Anaesthetist and it is calibrated exactly to the patient. They are still awake and breathing normally, but deeply sedated, so the experience is very different.

How is technology used to help dental phobic patients?

Cornelius: We have just introduced the new iTero intraoral scanner in the clinic, an important tool in alleviating dental anxiety. The scanner is a replacement for manually taking dental impressions which many patients are uncomfortable with. It is super precise which aids in the planning process – we can even print 3D models for patients – so it cuts down on the length of time the patient has to be in the chair.

Good communication is key in treating patients with dental anxiety and the scanner means we can look at images on the big screen to discuss their treatment in detail. It can also help to track their treatment or compare wear and tear over time. Patients are then empowered to make informed decisions about their treatment.

Do you treat children that are scared of the dentist?

Cornelius: We do not treat any under 18s as that’s always done in an NHS dental hospital. Children are more prone to adverse reactions to sedation, so their procedures are performed under general anaesthetic.

Does CK Dental’s hospital setting give patients confidence?

Cornelius: For some patients, our location in the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital definitely helps. We have never had an issue, but there is an emergency button located in the clinic and there is always an on-call doctor and crash team on hand in the hospital.

Is it possible to cure dental phobia?

Cornelius: Some patients have very deep-rooted phobias that they are never fully able to eradicate, but many of our patients are able, after undergoing successful and pain-free dental treatment, to get over that fear and adopt an oral healthcare routine, that includes regular check-ups and treatments.

Call us on 0117 905 9866 to discuss our treatment options for dealing with dental anxiety.

We are delighted to welcome Dr Emma Langridge as our new Associate Dentist at our Bristol dental practice.

Emma has a great passion for ethically-based, minimally invasive dentistry, providing bespoke treatment plans to suit each individual patient. She is a big believer that all her patients should be able to smile with confidence and will work with patients until these aims are achieved. This may be simply optimising dental health for some, or for others, this could be changing the appearance of teeth for a smile to be proud of.

Whatever your concern, she will be able to help. In a calm and relaxed setting, she will provide you with a first-class experience at CK Dental.

Since graduating from Cardiff University in 2014, Emma has undertaken a number of hospital posts, allowing her to obtain more advanced skills in the areas of Restorative Dentistry, Oral Surgery, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. She has since gone on to optimise these skills within the general practice setting, now providing a wide range of dental treatments from oral surgery through to cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics.

Emma is committed to providing the highest standards of treatment for all her patients, regularly attending a multitude of courses. Dentistry is an ever-changing world and Emma is looking forward to making use of the newer concepts of digital dentistry to enhance your patient experience.

Outside of work, Emma lives locally in Bristol. She is a self-confessed foodie and enjoys sampling the wide range of restaurants Bristol has to offer. Alongside this, she enjoys travel, fitness and Pilates.

Dental anxiety means more than just being a bit nervous about visiting the dentist. It can have a profound impact on your oral health and overall wellbeing. Recently, a leading UK dental law firm conducted a large-scale survey into the problem of dental anxiety.

Ninety-one per cent of those surveyed found they had experienced some of the following signs of anxiety – almost half experienced feelings of dread, a quarter suffered from a dry mouth, sweating or feeling sick and 15% had heart palpitations.

They were also asked what they specifically disliked about going to the dentist. Fear of pain, cost of treatment, needles and sound of drilling were all listed. People from Wales and the South West were particularly bothered by bad memories of a previous experience.

These bad experiences can be the result of experiencing pain or discomfort either during or after a dental procedure. Twenty-nine per cent stated that the dentist didn’t put them at ease.

Here at CK Dental, we are highly experienced at treating nervous patients and our practice is unique in offering both dental treatments both under sedation and general anaesthetic.

Dental treatment under general anaesthesia

Treatment can only be performed under a general anaesthetic in a hospital environment. CK Dental is located with the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield in Clifton, making it one of the few dental practices in the UK that are able to offer dental treatment under general anaesthesia.

For severely dental phobic patients, this option represents the difference between being wholly incapable of visiting the dentist and being able to have a much-needed dental procedure. It is ideal for patients that have not found they are able to relax enough under conscious sedation to undergo treatment.

By providing this care in a hospital environment, you will be looked after by our anaesthetist, our lead dentist and a specially trained dental nurse and you will be further supported by the medical team available at the hospital.

For more information on the treatment options we offer dental phobic patients, including dental treatment under general anaesthesia, call 0117 905 9866.

Feeling nervous about visiting the dentist is something that can affect children or adults and it can stem from a wide variety of factors. Depending on the root cause of the problem and the age of the patient, different tools and techniques can be tried out in order to try and offer the necessary reassurance to overcome this.

If a child has had a bad dental experience while young (for example having a tooth knocked out and needing treatment, having an oral injection that caused pain) then the memory of this may remain with them into adulthood.

For adults, the cause of dental phobia may be due to a number of reasons:

• A very common reason for these feelings is due to the perceived lack of control in the situation, some patients report feeling vulnerable in the dentist’s chair which leaves them feeling agitated and anxious
• Some struggle to trust dentists (and possibly other medical practitioners too)
• Some may also have had a negative experience in the past which has left them ill at ease with dentistry in general,
• Others may have suffered from a head or neck injury which has left them feeling uncomfortable with the positioning required for the dentist to access their mouth, or just generally concerned with having more treatment in that area,
• If there is another condition that patients are suffering with (such as acrophobia or claustrophobia) then this can compound the issue.

Encouragingly, many adults who have suffered from dental anxiety in the past report that finding a dentist who is understanding and sympathetic to their feelings helps enormously in terms of finding a way to overcome how they feel. Here at CK Dental our team appreciates the challenges that anxiety can cause patients and we are here to help in any way we can.

Looking at dental phobia coping methods

There are many tips and techniques that can be utilised to try and mitigate these feelings. Taking deep, rhythmic breaths can help slow down your heartbeat and help you feel more in control. This will also help reduce sweating and the feeling of palpitations caused by a racing heartbeat. Distractions are also an effective technique. Trying to focus the mind on something completely different can really help take your mind off your worries. Many patients suggest listing to music, audiobooks or podcasts; all of which are a good source of distraction in this situation.

If all else fails, then speaking to your GP about a referral to a psychologist can really help. Techniques such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can help you understand more about what it is that is causing you so much concern, and experts can help with bespoke coping techniques.

Another option is dental treatment under sedation. Referred to sometimes as ‘twilight sedation’, conscious sedation involves putting the patient into a semi-conscious state that allows them to be comfortable throughout their treatment, whether it be a simple cleaning or a more invasive, lengthy dental procedure.

Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we are also one of the very few dental practices in the UK to offer dental treatment under general anaesthetic. General anaesthesia can only be administered in a hospital environment, which is why CK Dental, which is located within Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield in Clifton, is perfectly placed to offer this service.

Call us on 0117 905 9866 to arrange a consultation to discuss treatment options for dental phobic patients.