Today, resolving to change and improve yourself and your life is an almost unavoidable part of the transition to a new year. Though it’s a very well documented fact that most New Year’s resolutions fail, we keep making them—and we’re not alone. The custom of making New Year’s resolutions is most common in the West, but it happens all over the world.           

If is thought that over 80% of New Year’s resolutions are broken by early February.

 So, if you’re going to be in the 20% of people who make their resolutions work, here are some tips to help you be successful:

1. Focus on one resolution at a time, rather several;
2. Set realistic, specific goals. Losing weight is not a specific goal. Losing 10 pounds in 90 days would be;
3. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to make resolutions. Make it a year long process, every day;
4. Take small steps. Many people quit because the goal is too big, requiring too big a step all at once;
5. Have an accountability buddy, someone close to you that you have to report to;
6. Celebrate your success between milestones. Don’t wait the goal to be finally completed;
7. Focus your thinking on new behaviors and thought patterns. You have to create new pathways in your brain to change habits;
8. Focus on the present. What’s the one thing you can do today, right now, towards your goal?
9. Be mindful. Become aware of your inner state as each external event happens, moment by moment, rather than living in the past or future.

At Brightside Dental, we find many many people resolve to improve the condition of their mouth in the new year. This may be due to neglect of the health of your mouth over a period of time or making a decision to improve your smile. If you would like to improve your oral health, we can definitely help you achieve your goals and hold you accountable to excellent oral health. Give us a call on 020 88884401 or email us to see how we can help you this year.

With Christmas just around the corner, everyone is getting geared up for upcoming festivities and holiday. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable time of year, but spare a thought for your teeth.   

Here are ways to look after your teeth this festive season:

1.Beware of the mince pies, Christmas cake and pudding
They are all laden with dried fruit, which is high in sugar. Sugars that cause tooth decay.

2.Don’t ditch the routine
The worst thing you can do is wrap up your oral hygiene routine on Christmas Eve for a few days. Christmas morning might be an exciting time for children, but if you’re a parent make them wait a little longer – it’s only two minutes after all. And the same applies to the adults!

3.Say cheese!
Cheese is great for teeth. It helps to return the mouth to its natural acid balance and help reduce the chances of developing tooth decay.

4.Use the bottle opener
Please remember your teeth aren’t tools. If your party trick is to open a bottle of beer with your teeth, or if you’re always biting open the crisp packet, you’re actually doing your teeth more harm than good. We see many people who break their teeth from opening bottles. Once it’s broken, however well we can fix it for you, your tooth will never be the same.

5.Avoid sticky sweets and toffeesThese are in abundance over the Christmas period. They get stuck within your teeth and are hard to remove. They are also notorious for dislodging fillings and crowns. Every year, we see numerous people with this problem over the Christmas period who will say “I never normally eat sweets/toffees”. We suggest to give them a miss and consider an alternative.

6.Moderation
Moderation is definitely the most important thing to remember. It’s ok to say no to that extra sweet as the tin comes round, or have a glass of milk instead of one last glass of fizz.

Let`s admit it! We often get envious of people who have whiter teeth than us. Research shows that people with whiter teeth are perceived as more socially competent, smarter, more satisfied with their relationships, and more likely to get a job or a promotion.    

Here are some of the worst foods and drinks for the colour of your teeth:

• Citrus and Acidic Foods- If you notice a yellowish tinge to your teeth, acidic food and drinks might be to blame. These colourful eats can erode (wear away) enamel.
• Coffee- Coffee contains tannins (acidic polyphenols) that lead to staining to staining and discoloration and it is also acidic which alters the pH balance of your mouth.
• Sweets- The sugars in delicious treats like cookies and hard sweets (and even snack foods like crisps) latch onto your teeth and become the main meal for the bacteria in your mouth. When the bacteria feed off these sugars, they release acids that lead to tooth decay, which may be dark and cause back holes in your poor teeth.
• Fizzy Drinks- Anything carbonated is also acidic and can create holes in the teeth and can wear down the enamel—and this includes sugar-free versions too.
• Tea- Just like coffee, tea also contains the staining saboteurs known as tannins, so sipping on a cup of chamomile may lead to stains.
• Blueberries, Blackberries, and Pomegranates- While they may be chock-full of antioxidants, these richly pigmented berries have a serious stain game. Maddahi’s rule of thumb when it comes to these little superfoods: If it’s difficult to remove their stain from clothing, it’s going to be difficult removing it from teeth.
• Red wine- Wine, same as tea and coffee, contains tannins which may be responsible for teeth that’ve turned shades of gray—which, unluckily, is a harder hue to remove than yellowish stains.
• Curry – spices that works well in Indian food and exotic dishes, are also a cause of discolored teeth. Its deep pigmentation can yellow teeth over time. Due to its high staining factor, curry is something you may want to limit in your diet. Whenever you dine on curry-spiced food, mix in fresh fruits and vegetables that prevent stains, such as apples, carrots, cauliflower and celery.
• Pasta/Tomato sauce – Because of their acidity, bright red hue and tendency to cling to the teeth, the tomatoes in pasta sauce can leave your teeth vulnerable to staining. Dine on some dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale and spinach, beforehand to create a protective film over the teeth. The film will ward off tomatoes’ staining effect, so spring for a green salad as an appetizer.

Tips to Combat Stained Teeth

– A healthy diet and a change of habits can prevent tooth stains and preserve your pristine smile. Enjoy your favorite foods, but use caution. Moderation is key when it comes to foods and drinks that discolour your teeth.

-If you choose water over other beverages, and if you make sure to rinse your mouth with water after eating and drinking, you can significantly improve your smile. Stay on top of your brushing and flossing, too. Flossing helps remove the pesky plaque that builds up between teeth and the gum line and attracts stains. Brushing removes food particles before they have the chance to cause a stain.

– Use stain-removing toothpaste which have remove superficial staining that has built up on the outer surface of your teeth.

– For superior removal of external staining, book in with our hygienist for a diamond polish which includes air flow treatment, which is specifically for stain removal and is very effective.

– To improve the colour of your teeth where the staining has penetrated inside the teeth, you may wish to consider a course of teeth whitening to freshen up and brighten your smile.

If you would like any further advice or help to improve your smile give us a call on 020 88884401.

Snoring is a hoarse sound that occurs when a person’s airway is partially blocked whilst sleeping. When sleeping, the soft tissues in the throat can relax enough to partially obstruct the airway. Soft tissues in the throat vibrate as air flows past, generating the noise. The more narrowed the airway becomes, the more forceful the air flow becomes. This causes an increase in vibration of the tissues, which is what causes snoring to become louder.

Most people don’t know they snore and it affects their partner rather than them. As well as the noise being annoying and disturbing to their sleep, snoring can also affect the health of the mouth. The direct effect of snoring on the oral cavity is the cause of xerostomia (dry mouth). Xerostomia is a lack of salivary flow and saliva is needed to coat and moisten the inside of the mouth. Lack of salivary flow due to snoring may lead to various oral health problems such as bad breath, burning mouth syndrome, infections and sores, tooth decay and gum disease.

Saliva is necessary to cleanse the mouth by washing the tongue, gums and cheeks of accumulated dead cells. When these cells are not removed, they decompose and create an odour.

Lack of saliva may cause a burning sensation of the tongue, lips, gingiva, palate, throat or the whole mouth.

Lack of salivary flow also allows harmful bacteria and other organisms in the mouth to grow too quickly, resulting in mouth infections and sores.

Saliva is necessary to neutralize the acids produced by plaque and wash away food particles left in the mouth. Without the cleansing effects of saliva, tooth decay and gum disease become more prevalent.

Strict oral hygiene is imperative to reduce the chances of these oral health problems.

It can be possible to custom make a nightguard to wear when sleeping. This can be effective in helping to reduce snoring, which will reduce the risk of the above problems and to keep your partner happy. To find out more, give us a call on 020 88884401.

Mouth Cancer Action Month Takes Place during November 2017

Here are some things that you know about mouth cancer:      

• Mouth Cancer claims more lives than testicular and cervical cancer combined.
• Mouth cancer takes more lives than road traffic accidents on Britain’s roads.
• Mouth cancer is diagnosed in more than twice as many men than women but there are more cases in women than ever before.
• Mouth Cancer is one of very few cancers in which the incidence is actually predicted to increase in the future.
• Smoking is the leading cause of mouth cancer.
• Excessive use of alcohol is linked to more than a third of mouth cancer cases in men and fifth in women.
• Heavy drinkers and smokers are up to 35 times more at risk.
• Mouth cancer can often be spotted in its early stages by your dentist during a thorough mouth examination.
• Mouth cancer can affect anyone.
• Signs and symptoms of mouth cancer include: ulcers which do not heal within three weeks, red or white patches and any unusual lumps or swellings.
• If in doubt get checked out by your dentist or doctor as soon as possible.

It is becoming increasingly common for people to be diagnosed with mouth cancer who do not fit within the normal risk factors and for most people, they do not suffer from any pain or symptoms.

To find out more visit http://www.mouthcancer.org

At Brightside Dental, we carry out mouth cancer screening routinely for all adult new patient and reassessment visits. If you need any advice or would like to arrange an appointment, call us on 020 88884401.