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Do teeth-whitening hacks actually work?

Banane-A-05_croppedWe’re all more concerned about keeping our teeth as gleaming as possible these days; like most practitioners, CK Dental practice in Bristol provides a teeth-whitening service.

And there are an ever-increasing range of products available over the counter. But is it possible to bypass all that and create a homemade solution?

You’d certainly think that was the case after a cursory glance at the internet, which now contains a welter of articles promoting the use of a bewildering range of recipes and quick-fixes designed to knock the stains from your smile.

So let’s take a look at the ingredients in these ‘hacks’ and see if any of them actually work – and if there are any hidden dangers in using them.

Baking Soda

Certain normal toothpastes use it as an ingredient, so a concentrated dollop of it mixed into a paste has got to be more effective, right? Well, not exactly: high levels of baking soda are highly abrasive when brushed against the teeth, and can play havoc with their enamel coating.

Lemon juice

Great for getting nicotine stains out of your fingers – but an absolute no-no for teeth, due to the high levels of acidity. And combined with baking soda, it’s the worse-case scenario for tooth enamel.

Oil

Be it olive, sesame or sunflower, the practice of oil-pulling (swishing a teaspoon or two in the mouth for 20 minutes) isn’t going to hurt your teeth. But it’s not going to remove the stains, either.

Banana skins

Some people are hugely excited about the properties of banana skins, packed as they are with teeth-whitening potassium, magnesium and manganese, but rubbing them onto the teeth over a period of time doesn’t really do much.

If you’re looking to un-stain your teeth, your first port of call should always be your dentist. The team at the CK Dental practice in Bristol are well-versed in the dos and don’ts of teeth whitening, and can recommend a proper and manageable regime as well as treatment that works.

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There’s no holiday for tooth decay

child at beachThe school holidays are here, and those with kids probably have enough on their plate already. But with the possible exception of December, this time of year can be the most problematic for your children’s’ dental health, with more snacking, lax dental care and cold, fizzy distractions. Bristol’s CK Dental Practice offers the following tips to help keep the plaque away this summer…

The most important meal of the day

With no school to go to, the lie-ins get longer this time of year. So if your kids are getting up later and sorting out their own breakfasts, make sure you’re not driving them towards quick fixes that could bring on tooth decay.

Sugary cereals are an obvious no-no, but white breads are also notorious for raising acidity levels in the mouth – wholegrain bread is better. The best options are yoghurt (not only low in sugar, but also contains healthy bacteria), dairy produce (for the obvious calcium boost), and non-citrus fruits.

Avoid fizzy drinks

It’s the time of year when fluid intake rockets up – so be prepared and steer your kids towards tooth-friendly drinks like ice water and milk.

Fruit juice can be an absolute nightmare for your child’s teeth and should be restricted to meals. The same goes for cordials: keep them to the low-sugar variety. Remember, eating fruit is far better for your child’s teeth than drinking it.

Keep on top of the brushing regime

Your kids may be in the habit of brushing during school time, but can easily forget about it when they’re off school – and the more lax schedules of the summer holiday could lead them to drop their dental duties. Make sure they don’t.

Get them checked out at the dentist

This is a perfect time of the year to do this, because they won’t be missing any school time, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to correct any problems they’ve developed, and they’ll be getting a timely reminder of how important it is to take care of their teeth.

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Dental emergencies on holiday: what you need to know

holidayHoliday season may be in full swing, but there’s no rest period for dental emergencies – and there nothing worse than developing one during your time off, especially when you’re abroad. Here are a few things the team from CK Dental Practice in Bristol believe you should be aware of…

Does your travel cover include dental treatment?

Almost all of us take out travel insurance without thinking about it these days, and for obvious reasons. But in a survey conducted a few years ago by the British Dental Health Foundation, a mere 12% of Brits surveyed knew for sure that their insurance covered emergency dental work, while 55% admitted they didn’t know.

While most travel insurance policies do include dental emergencies, some don’t – so make sure you check the fine print or ask in advance.

Are you having extensive work on your teeth?

If you’re midway through a prolonged course of treatment and your holiday is going to get in the way, always consult your practitioner – they may recommend you hold off from certain procedures until you get back, suggest certain ‘quick fixes’ that can be done in advance, and advise on dental dos and don’ts while you’re away.

Is your toiletries bag properly stocked?

If you’re worried about potential dental disasters flaring up while you’re away, it pays to be prepared. If you have problems with fillings, pick up a temporary filling kit from the chemists.

While you’re there, stock up on desensitising toothpaste, as chances are you’ll be consuming acidic fizzy drinks and wine than usual. And when you’ve arrived, look for some antiseptic mouthwash to counter any gum infections that might arise.

What if I have a dental problem while abroad?

If it’s a minor problem, like a missing crown or a lost filling, and you aren’t in discomfort, it’s perfectly fine to put off treatment until you get home. If that’s not an option and you need immediate treatment, make doubly sure you keep all receipts.

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How to brush your teeth

We all know the importance of brushing our teeth thoroughly, twice a day, but do you know the best way to do it?

Here, the team from CK Dental practice in Bristol explains the most effective way to brush your teeth if you want to reduce plaque and save yourself from having to undergo expensive and invasive dental work in future.

For a really thorough clean, most dentists recommend using an electric toothbrush, but you should be able to get good results from a manual brush if you follow these tips.

Set a timer

The two minute rule is more than just a guideline. You really should brush your teeth for at least two minutes, twice a day, aiming to spend 30 seconds on each of the four sections of your mouth – upper right, upper left, lower right and lower left.

If you do use an electric toothbrush, it will probably have a built-in timer that will tell you when your two minutes is up, but if you are using a manual brush, it can be useful to have a clock, or even an egg timer close to hand. Egg timers are particularly useful for children.

Get the position right

It isn’t necessarily about brushing your teeth as hard as you can – in fact, brushing too hard can damage the enamel of your teeth and erode your gums – but about getting the angle of the brush right, so you remove all food particles and plaque-causing bacteria.

When brushing the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth, you should hold the brush at about a 45 degree angle and use short, gentle strokes, remembering to target the gum line where most food gets trapped.

For the chewing surfaces, hold the toothbrush flat against the tooth and brush backwards and forwards using slightly longer strokes.

For the insides of your front teeth, use just the tip of the brush to brush gently upwards and downwards.

Don’t forget your tongue

Food particles can get caught on the surface of your tongue, so it’s important to brush the surface of your tongue from back to front, using long sweeping strokes, to remove these particles along with any bacteria, freshening your breath.

To check up on how effective your toothbrushing routine is, why not book a routine dental exam here at Bristol dental practice CK Dental.

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I’ve broken a tooth – what do I do?

Cracked_tooth_lateral_periodontal_abscessBreaking a tooth can be a traumatic experience, particularly as it usually happens as a result of a fall or a blow to the mouth. Once the initial shock has subsided, however, the cosmetic impact of a broken tooth can also be a lot to deal with.

So, what can you do if you’ve broken a tooth? The team here at CK Dental practice in Clifton, Bristol, have come up with some tips to help you deal with the problem as quickly and effectively as possible.

First things first: call the dentist

A broken tooth is a dental emergency, so you need to call your dentist straightaway. S/he will then be able to assess the damage and let you know the best options available to mend your broken tooth as quickly as possible.

Here at CK Dental, Bristol dentist Cornelius Krause says there are three main types of broken tooth from a knock to the mouth:

A chipped tooth

A chip in the tooth’s enamel or the surface of the tooth is unlikely to be a major problem. It can be an annoyance, however, so depending on the severity of the chip your dentist may use filling material to even it out, or just polish the area smooth. For a more permanent cosmetic option, dental veneers might be a good choice.

A broken cusp

The cusps are the pointed, chewing surfaces of the teeth. If these are broken, it will impact on the practical use of your teeth, so some dental work will definitely be required. It may be possible to repair the damage using filler material, but often a dental veneer or crown will be needed.

A serious break

A serious break in a tooth is one which causes the nerve to be exposed. This will cause some pain, and there will often be blood involved. If you have a serious break in your tooth, you may need root canal treatment on the exposed nerve, as well as a crown on the tooth to allow you to chew food normally.

If you have broken a tooth recently and have not seen a dentist about it, please contact us to find out how we can help.

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Get your teeth picture perfect for National Smile Month 2016

smileLeading dental health charity, The Oral Health Foundation has announced the return of National Smile Month for 2016 – this year, the event will take place from 16th May to 16th June.

National Smile Month aims to raise awareness of the key messages surrounding good oral health – frequent tooth brushing, the avoidance of sugary foods, and regular trips to the dentist. Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we are delighted to support this important campaign. Here is our summary of why these three key messages are so important.

Brush your teeth twice a day

According to the information on the Oral Health Foundations’s website, the message is that you should brush your teeth last thing at night and on at least one other occasion during the day.

The last tooth brush of the day is the most important, as it allows you to rid your teeth and gums of any residual plaque-causing food residue from the day. However, it is worth remembering that the longer this residue stays on your teeth, the harder it will be to remove, so if you can brush your teeth after every meal you will be saving yourself a lot of trouble in the long run.

Here at our Bristol dental practice, we recommend – as a minimum – that patients brush their teeth after breakfast and before bed. If you can floss on at least one of these occasions, that will also help to save you a lot of dental health issues in the long run.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks

We all know by now the damage that sugar can do to our teeth. While regular brushing can help alleviate some of the problems caused by sugary foods, the ideal is to avoid those foods all together.

Try to substitute healthier snacks for sweets, biscuits and cakes, and – where possible – choose water over fruit juices, squash or fizzy drinks. If you really can’t avoid consuming some sugar, try to ensure that you do so at the same time as, or shortly after, eating a meal, and drink plenty of water to help wash the sugar off your teeth.

Pay regular visits to the dentist

Dentists are wonderful people. They don’t just help to keep your teeth clean and healthy, they can also help you to avoid more serious problems, such as gum disease and even mouth cancer.

If you can, see your dentist every six months, as this will ensure early diagnosis of anything untoward, as well as keeping your general oral health in check.

If you are looking for a dentist in Bristol, why not give us a call today to organise a check-up.

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Put some sparkle in your smile for summer

teeth whiteningIt’s official, British summertime has started – although it might not feel like it – and we’re all preparing for the warmer weather. For many of us, that means hitting the beauty salon to get waxed, exfoliated and fake-tanned, ready to bare some skin this summer. But have you thought about your teeth?

Strike a contrast

If you’re someone who loves to get a bit of colour in your skin for summer, then you might want to think about the colour of your teeth, too.

Hopefully you’ve realised by now that UV rays are harmful to your skin and are tanning the only safe way – from a bottle – but have you considered that the whiteness of your teeth can make a big difference to the effectiveness of your tan?

A brighter white

Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, our teeth whitening system offers you brighter, whiter teeth in just two weeks, which can really complement a bronzed complexion.

Even if you prefer a more natural, pale and interesting look, however, whiter teeth can help you to look and feel fresher, healthier and ready for summer.

The teeth whitening procedure

When you come for your Bristol teeth whitening consultation here at CK Dental, our head dentist Mr Cornelius Krause will assess your suitability for the procedure; teeth whitening is ideal for teeth that are stained, but otherwise strong and healthy. If you have broken or damaged teeth, it may be that another treatment, such as porcelain veneers, is more suitable for you.

If you are a good candidate for teeth whitening, an impression of your mouth will be made and used to create your own personal whitening tray, which will be filled with the lightening solution. You will then take this home with you to use daily for two weeks, by which time your teeth should have achieved maximum whiteness.

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Dentistry FAQs

smileHere at CK Dental practice in Bristol, our patients sometimes ask us some weird and wonderful questions about teeth. There are a few that pop up time and time again though, so here’s a round-up of some of the teeth-related questions we get asked most frequently, and the answers we give.

1. Why is sugar bad for your teeth?

This is an easy one. When it hits your teeth, sugar acts like an acid, eating away at the enamel that protects the teeth and eventually causing cavities and tooth decay.

While it is probably unreasonable to expect people to eat a completely sugar-free diet, it is best to limit the amount of sugar that you consume, as well as to drink plenty of water when you do eat something sugary, to help wash the sugars away from your teeth. And, of course, brush your teeth regularly.

2. Why do we have baby teeth?

Baby teeth are there to prepare our mouths for adulthood. Teeth are essential for speech and language development, as well as to help us learn to eat properly, but fully-fledged adult teeth wouldn’t fit in the jaws of a baby or toddler. Baby teeth tend to fall out from around the age of six, making way for the adult teeth to grow in their place.

It is important to teach your child good dental health habits right from the start, as not only will this set them in good stead for when their permanent teeth come through, but poor dental hygiene can lead to gum disease even in children.

3. Do I still need to brush even if I wear dentures?

Yes, absolutely. It is important to keep the dentures themselves clean – this can be done through a combination of soaking them overnight in water with a denture care tablet, and using a soft brush to clean between the “teeth”.

In fact, it is even more important to brush your teeth thoroughly and regularly if you wear dentures than if you don’t, as food can easily become trapped between the dentures and the natural teeth, leading to plaque build-up.

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When should you first take your child to the dentist?

child teethTeeth play a major role in your child’s first year or two of life, causing sleepless nights for the whole family every time a new one comes through. But although your child’s teeth are often at the forefront of your mind during this time, most parents are unsure about when they should start to think about taking their child to the dentist.

Most dentists recommend that you start taking a child to the dentist within around six months of the arrival of his/her first tooth. This is as much to allow the child to get used to the idea of coming to the dentist as for the sake of their oral health, but it is also a very good idea to instill a good dental health regime from the very beginning of life.

Isn’t it quite scary for a toddler to go to the dentist?

Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we pride ourselves on offering gentle dentistry for all the family. We are experienced at dealing with dentalphobic patients, and we draw from that experience when dealing with young children.

No one expects a one-year-old to dutifully open their mouth on request and allow a stranger to go prodding around in their gums, but it is worthwhile to normalise the idea of the dentist at an early stage. Here in our Bristol clinic we do everything in our power to ensure that children feel comfortable and relaxed.

What happens at that first check-up?

That all depends on the child. Many young children refuse to open their mouth at all, and if that’s the case it’s no problem – just bring them again in a month or two’s time. If they do let us have a look inside, the dentist will count their teeth and examine their condition, giving you – the parent – a few pointers on how best to brush their teeth at the same time.

If you’re thinking of taking your toddler to the dentist, why not give the team here at CK Dental a call…

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Thinking about implants?

implantsLosing your teeth can be a very difficult process – not just in terms of the physical problems involved, but also emotionally. Of course, here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, a good deal of our time is devoted to trying to help you to keep your teeth for as long as possible, but inevitably some people will end up losing their teeth eventually.

However, losing your natural teeth doesn’t have to be as hellish as you might expect. For many of us, the thought of becoming toothless conjures up images of false teeth in a glass beside the bed and so can often make us feel old before our time. But false teeth are not the only answer.

Dentures

Of course false teeth – or dentures, to give them their official name – have their place, but they do have a number of disadvantages. Patients with dentures often report discomfort, at least to begin with as they get used to the feel of the plate in their mouth, and they can make talking and eating certain foods quite tricky.

Implants

Here at Bristol dental practice CK Dental, we advocate the use of dental implants for those patients who have lost a significant number of teeth.

Dental implants are tiny metal screws which are implanted into the gums, in place of the teeth roots which would normally be there. Dental bridges or crowns can then be attached to these, giving you the permanent appearance of a full set of teeth.

The benefits

There are countless reasons why implants are considered the best option to restore missing teeth. They are often described as the next best thing to your natural teeth, as they look and feel just like normal teeth, allowing you to talk, eat and carry on your life as usual.

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