With Easter comes an abundance of sugary treats, which can undo all the good dental habits practiced during the year.  It’s not just children who love Easter eggs, most of us adults are the same. With so many varieties and choice available, you could end up having a lot more chocolate than planned over the Easter break.  

Here are some tips to help you minimise the risk of damaging your teeth and having dental problems as a result of overindulging.
 Not all treats are the same. Some sweets are less harmful to teeth than others. Choose chocolate over sticky or hard sweets that linger in the mouth and/or chip or damage teeth.
 Save treats for mealtimes. Saliva levels are higher during a meal. Having sugary treats afterwards can lessen the time sugar stays on the teeth. Saliva helps to remove plaque
and to neutralize the acid that leads to tooth decay.
 Rinse with water . Give your child a glass of water or ask them to rinse their mouth after eating sugary treats to help reduce the amount of sugar in the mouth.
 Everything in moderation . You don’t have to deprive your child of special sweet treats to enjoy good dental health.Choose small portions, and encourage them to share with friends and family members.
 Brush, brush, brush. Holidays can be a great time to reinforce the importance of daily brushing – in the morning (after breakfast) and especially before bedtime. Remember, don’t brush immediately after a sweet treat, as you could actually cause more damage to your teeth this way.

 Remember chocolate doesn’t go off and have an expiry date of a few days or few weeks, so why not have Easter eggs in small amounts and let them last for a few months.

Happy Easter from all the team at Brightside Dental. Enjoy the break! 

Sugar is your teeth’s unfavourable friend. Sugar-related dental problems remain one of the most widespread causes of poor oral health. By reducing the amount of sugar in your diet, it will go a long way towards improving your overall oral hygiene. As well as dental issues, high sugar intake leads to many general health problems. The image shows a great initiative by my local gym in educating and helping people improve their health.

It might seem difficult to lower the amount of sugary substances you eat because it seems to be added to virtually everything – and tastes great!

Here are some tips to help you:

1. Check labels on all products Check labels for hidden sugars with unusual names such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, molasses, hydrolysed starch and corn syrup.
2. Watch what you eat for breakfast Having a healthy breakfast is possibly the most important meal of the day and will stop snacking mid-morning. 
3. Is it snack time, what shall I eat? If you have the urge to snack throughout the day, consider a handful of nuts or sugar free foods.
4. Fat free does not mean sugar free! Many ‘fat free- healthy options’ such as yoghurts contain high levels of fructose or refined sugars.
5. Changing our diets for life and how we eat Set yourself some new ground rules:

• Don’t eat an hour before you go to bed
• Don’t add sugar to foods
• Don’t eat a dessert every meal

6. Get plenty of sleep
7. Reduce alcohol intake Alcohol accounts for 11% of the UK population’s daily intake of added sugar. Try to reduce the amount of alcoholic drink you have and remember to wash it down with water. This will wash away some of the sugar from your mouth and your head will thank you the next day.

It is also important to maintain regular assessment and hygiene visits to maintain your mouth in the best possible way. If you need any further advice give us a call on 020 88884401.

We live in the real world. Sweet foods and chocolates are part of our everyday lives and its unrealistic to suggest that we will just stop having anything sweet.

Every time we consume sugar, the bacteria which sticks to the teeth surface converts it into acid during an acid attack which gradually eats away at the tough outer protective enamel and once through the enamel will lead to rapid destruction of your tooth.

Around half of 8 year olds have dental decay and that means likely decay in their adult teeth. Over500 children a week in England alone are being put under general anaesthetic in hospital to have rotten teeth removed.

Here are 7 top tips to help reduce dental decay:

1)   Cut down how many times per day you have sugary snacks, it’s the frequency not quantity that worsens decay.

2)   If you eat sugary food, consume them after a meal as your saliva defence is at its best and so will reduce the duration of the acid attack.

3)   Chew sugar free gum after eating sugary food as this boosts saliva flow.

4)   Check food and drink labels and always choose the sugar free option.

5)   If you have a sweet tooth, try artificial sweeteners and always choose sugar free mints or sweets alternatives.

6) Don’t brush for at least 20 minutes after eating as this can cause more damage to the teeth because of the increased acid levels.

7) Avoid sugary food and drinks close to bedtime as when we sleep saliva levels in the mouth are reduced, thus increasing the risk of decay.

See you next week for tips on how to end your sugar addiction.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, thus it is the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at our oral health. A simple smile is a great asset for attracting the perfect partner. What more if it would be that healthy bright smile!

Here are some helpful guidelines for avoiding dental issues and making sure your teeth truly shine when you step out on the town with your date:

• While bad breath can be a common after-effect of a great meal, it’s probably not that appealing to the person you’re sharing it with. Keep some floss in your pocket so that you can quickly get rid of food particles and pesky bacteria in the bathroom; then, pop in some sugar-free chewing gum to give your smile a fresh, appealing feel. If your bad breath persists even after the minty scent has worn off, though, that may mean it’s time for a checkup with your dentist.
• Cross your fingers for chocolate on the big day! Solid chocolates don’t tend to stick to the teeth like more chewy treats too, making them better for your oral health. In fact, dark chocolate is an even better option, as it contains less sugar than milk chocolate!
• It’s best to avoid gummy sweets, hard sweets, and sticky caramels, if possible. These can be a nightmare for your teeth. Instead, why not give your loved ones flowers, a card, or even a romantic dinner at home?
• If you and your main squeeze just can’t stay away from the sweets, it’s best to enjoy a few with a meal or just after it in order to keep from constantly exposing your teeth to sugar and harmful bacteria. Also, be sure to drink water and practice a good, thorough oral hygiene routine afterwards!
• Looking to surprise your sweetheart? Teeth whitening may be just the gift their smile needs to look its very best! At Brightside Dental, we can use this common cosmetic dentistry method to erase stubborn stains and improve the colour of your teeth by several shades. The systems we use, purely improve your smile without causing any damage to your teeth.

If you would like to know more about our teeth whitening solutions, give us a call on 020 88884401 or email us.

A woman`s body is one of God`s most beautiful creation. The different stages of life: puberty, menses, pregnancy, and menopause have varied influences on oral health. During the menopause, women go through biological and endocrine changes, particularly in their sex steroid hormone production, affecting their health.

Here are some changes and potential problems in the mouth that may be associated with menopause:

• Burning mouth syndrome. It’s a common cause of intense pain and can affect the tongue, lips, palate, gingival and areas of denture support.
• Dry mouth. Decreasing oestrogen can cause mouth dryness.
• Mucosal changes. Gums can bleed easily and appear pale, dry and shiny.
• Women can become more susceptible to this destructive form of gum/periodontal disease following menopause.
• Bone loss in the mouth may be related to osteoporosis.
• Eating disorders. Psychological distress related to menopause can lead to improper eating habits in some women, including intentionally vomiting. These habits can cause trauma to the mouth, including erosion of tooth enamel.

Contact us if you have any of these concerns and would like some help to combat unwanted effects the menopause may have on the health of your mouth