There’s a bewildering selection of toothpastes on offer nowadays, and the waters have been muddied somewhat by the rise of ‘sensitive’ toothpastes. Not necessarily by their claims to take the edge off pain, though: here at CK Dental in Bristol, we find them to be very effective.

However, not everyone knows if they actually need them or not.

Why do people suffer from sensitive teeth?

Tooth sensitivity is a very real symptom, especially when it comes to cold food and drink. The most common cause for this is gum recession, which exposes part of the root of the tooth. There are many reasons for gum recession: simple gum disease, aging, and – in certain instances – overbrushing. Or a combination of all three.

What ingredients are in sensitive toothpastes?

Almost all of the sensitive toothpastes on the market can be split into two categories.

The cheaper brands contain two strains of potassium – potassium nitrate and potassium citrate. These work by seeping into the nerve of teeth and preventing it from transmitting pain signals to the brain. The downside to these toothpastes is that they take a while to get to work, so expect to have to used them on a twice-daily basis for two weeks before they start to work.

The more expensive brands, on the other hand, contain ingredients such as strontium, argintine and calcium sodium phosphosilicate. These are a lot faster in taking the edge off, as they block the dentine tubules – the pores located
in the roots of teeth. There are other active ingredients, but they haven’t been clinically proven as yet.

And more often than you’d expect, they don’t contain fluoride, which is absolutely essential in fighting tooth decay.

Our advice: if you’re suffering from tooth sensitivity, come and talk to the team here at our Bristol dental practice as soon as possible, especially if the problem has recently flared up for the first time. We’ll be able to check the condition of your gums, see what’s causing the pain, and advise accordingly.

We see a lot of parents with very young children here at CK Dental in Bristol, and that’s a very good thing – it’s never too early to get your children into good dental habits.

But one thing we’re concerned about is how certain parents see milk teeth as a trial run, with little consequence as to what happens to them. And this recent news story bears our concerns out.

Why are milk teeth so important?

Deciduous teeth – the official term for milk teeth – form as early as the embryo stage, usually appear at the six-month stage, and are pretty much fully-formed by the time your child is two and a half.

It’s not usually until your child is six before the permanent teeth are ready to make an appearance, and it could be as late at the twelve-year period before milk teeth are completely replaced. So it’s vital
that while they’re there, they are treated with the same care and respect as our adult teeth.

In many cases, the general attitude towards milk teeth is that they’re disposable: they’re only here for a while, so why bother with them? Because the care of them is vital for the future of your child’s dental health, and if things go wrong early, it can magnify problems for adult teeth.

Space is not the place

The main problem with premature milk teeth loss is a condition known as ‘space loss’. When one tooth goes before its time, the adult tooth that’s getting ready to replace it will not get the space it needs when its time comes, leading to braces in the teenage years.

What’s more, severely decayed milk teeth can cause abscesses that cause pain in the short term and damage to the adult teeth before they even appear.

Want to get your kids into good dental habits? Here’s a good place to start.

This article that popped up on the Glamour website gave everyone here at CK Dental in Bristol a laugh – at first, anyway – as it crystallised a regular complaint we hear from certain clients. Particularly the younger ones.

Yes, spending two minutes in front of a sink twice a day is seen by many as a chore – especially last thing at night – but there’s no getting round it: brushing your teeth regularly is an essential part of your routine and should never – ever – be skipped. Here’s why…

Brushing your teeth prevents tooth decay

An absolute no-brainer, but it can’t be stressed enough. Over the course of the day, your mouth picks up all manner of plaque build-up: brushing is the only way to fend it off. And yes, it has to be for two minutes – scientists have proved that one minute of brushing only gets rid of 60% of plaque.

Brushing your teeth prevents gum disease

This really can’t be stressed highly enough. Remember that your gums are one of the easiest parts of the body for bacteria to invade – and once they’re in, they’re hard to get out. The first symptom of non-brushing is usually gingivitis, which causes gum bleeding, which can lead to periodontitis, which can do even more damage.

Gum disease can lead to even nastier illnesses

Dental and medical experts have drawn a convoluted – yet clear – link between gum disease and heart attacks, strokes and even dementia. This is because the more extreme the gum disease, the more the floodgates open to bacteria, which can then circulate around the body.

This all may sound extreme, but putting aside the obvious benefits of tooth-brushing (it stops your breath from stinking and your teeth from discolouration), there is a clear heath benefit to scrubbing away for a couple of minutes. So don’t skip it!

We’re all aware of the introduction of microbeads – tiny balls of plastic smaller than a grain of sand – to the exfoliating products we use.

We’re also equally aware of their drawbacks – how they end up in the oceans, sucking up toxins and eventually ending up ending up in the bellies of fish (some of whom end up in the bellies of some of us). In fact, it’s been announced that they’ll be banned in cosmetics in the UK by the end of 2017.

Microbeads in dental products

But were you aware that microbeads can also be used in dental products? That fact was recently drawn to our attention by a Mail Online article about a London woman who started using a whitening toothpaste, unaware that
it contained microbeads – and her use of an electric toothbrush meant she was effectively grinding small particles of plastic into her teeth and gums.

Now she’s claiming that she’s lost about 2mm from the gums surrounding her lower front teeth and complains of pain when she drinks fruit juice.

This problem flared up a couple of years ago, when American dentists started to notice tiny flecks of plastic embedded in their patients’ gums, and although most toothpastes in the UK have cut them out, there are still a few
toothpastes that haven’t yet.

It goes without saying that microbeads are a definite no-no when it comes to oral health – not only do they cut into the enamel and gum tissue, they can also trap bacteria and lead to all manner of infections.

So why put them in?

Usually found in skin products, microbeads are seen as a cheap and always-available substitute for natural exfoliants, and they can also bulk out and add colour to a product. There’s no actual benefit for the user.

Because the toothpastes involved don’t advertise the fact that they use microbeads, you need to take a close look at the ingredients – if they contain the likes of plastics such as Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polymethyl Methacrylate, you need to stop using them right away. If in doubt, ask your dentist

According to a recent survey conducted by the Oral Health Foundation, one in four Britons believe that electric toothbrushes are for the lazy, which came as an enormous surprise to us here at CK Dental practice in Bristol.

So let’s lay out a few comparisons between the electric toothbrush and good old elbow grease and see if that’s really the case…

Brush movements

According to tests, the average motions made by the user of a regular toothbrush result in 300 to 600 movements per minute. An electric toothbrush, on the other hand, can deliver over 48,000 movements a minute – a huge improvement.

Furthermore, while manual toothbrush users can easily fall into bad brushing habits – such as an endless back-and-forth motion, as opposed to the circular motion that dentists recommend – virtually all electric toothbrushes rotate, which is far more effective in sweeping plaque away.

Over-brushing

While manual toothbrush users are getting far less activity going on in their mouths as opposed to their electric counterparts, they also run more of a risk in damaging their teeth by pressing too hard.

This is not so much of a danger with the more modern electric toothbrushes, as a lot of them have built-in sensors that alert the user when they’re being pressed against the tooth.

Child-friendliness

Another department where the electric toothbrush comes out on top is with kids. While they can’t usually brush as well as they might with a manual toothbrush (and find it boring), the electric toothbrush does all the hard work – and they actually enjoy brushing their teeth with one.

In short, there’s nothing at all wrong with using a standard toothbrush – providing you know how to use it properly. If you feel you could use a little more power and convenience during your daily dental routine, however, we recommend you upgrade to electric as soon as you can.