Last week I explained a few potential reasons behind why your gums are bleeding. This week, I’m going to share four more with you!

Occasional oral bleeding can occur through harmless means, such as rough foods scratching your gums, but if blood regularly shows up in the sink then a more serious situation may be to blame…

5. Pregnancy.

Hormonal changes during menstruation and pregnancy can increase the chances of having bleeding gums. There are some women who experience regular hormonal gingivitis associated with their monthly cycle! Hormonal changes in pregnancy also increase the risk of developing gingivitis or periodontitis, because they alter the body’s response to the bacteria that cause gum disease. If you think your hormones might be causing your gums to bleed, ask your dentist for advice on how to adapt your oral health routine.

6. Smoking.

Smokers are at a higher risk of experiencing bleeding gums and an increase in periodontal disease for a variety of reasons. Inhaled smoke can leave irritating toxins on the teeth that can be difficult to remove through brushing. These unhealthy substances can cause the gums to become aggravated and bleed. Smokers can also have a compromised immune response to infection, along with issues with proper healing and oxygenation of the blood supply – all of which can negatively influence your gums. Quit smoking and your gums will thank you!

7. Misalignment.

Most people think that crooked teeth are just an aesthetic problem. Well, that’s far from the truth. Crooked and misaligned teeth not only interfere with proper chewing, but can also increase your chances of gum disease. Well-aligned teeth are easy to clean. If your teeth are crooked, cleaning up the food that gets caught between them becomes much harder, and leftover plaque can cause your gums to bleed, leading to other forms of gum disease. If you have a severe overbite, your lower front teeth may come in contact with the gum tissue of the upper teeth and cause irritation to the gums, resulting in gum recession.

Regular visits to your dentist are essential to get your teeth professionally cleaned if you’re having trouble. And if your misalignment is severe, your dentist may advise you to get them corrected with teeth straightening techniques.

8. Diet.

Consuming a nutritionally poor diet doesn’t just wreak havoc on maintaining a healthy body… if you don’t eat the recommended daily servings of fresh vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy and protein, you could be setting your gums up for inflammation. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is an important defence. A combination of good oral hygiene and overall health is the best prevention when it comes to gum problems.

Now don’t worry, there is good news!

By changing certain habits today, right now, you can slash your risk of gum disease or even completely stop it in its tracks.

And if you want to book yourself in for an appointment, feel free to give us a call on 020 8088 2079.

Noticing that your gums bleed when you brush or floss can be alarming, and it shouldn’t be ignored. So what are the causes? There are many different reasons behind why gums may bleed during brushing, some are temporary and some are of more concern.

So here are four reasons your gums might be bleeding, and how you can put a stop to it.

1. Gingivitis.

 Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease. Plaque on your teeth and at the gumline that isn’t removed by brushing and flossing can infect the gums (the gingiva), leading to symptoms of gingivitis. Your gums may become swollen, tender and sometimes bleed during brushing as a result. Painless and virtually symptom free, gingivitis is easily missed unless you notice bloodstains on your toothbrush or dental floss. But left untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease; a critical oral condition characterised by the destruction of gum tissue and culminating in tooth loss.
Luckily, gingivitis can be reversed, and completely avoided. It’s virtually 100% preventable. Meticulous oral hygiene (brushing and flossing) to remove plaque from the teeth, in addition to regular visits to your dentist can keep bleeding gums and gingivitis at bay.

2. Medication.

 Ever wondered why your dentist asks if you’ve started any new medications? Some prescription drugs can raise your risk for bleeding gums. Some blood pressure medications, immuno-suppressants and blood thinning drugs can all cause gum inflammation and bleeding, while other drugs can leave you with a dry mouth – another trigger for gum problems. There are probably over 400 medications that can affect the amount of salivary flow in the mouth including antihistamines, sedatives, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics. Saliva is needed to wash away food debris and neutralise the gum-irritating acids produced by bacteria. So if you lose your salivary flow, it’s important to have good oral hygiene because your mouth isn’t getting the beneficial effects of saliva.

3. Flossing.

 Changing your flossing routine can also lead to bleeding gums. For instance, if you’ve forgotten to floss for a few days, or if you’ve begun to floss more frequently, then you may notice some bleeding. This should clear up within a week!

4. Toothbrush

Brushing too hard, or not brushing at all is an obvious culprit. If you’re not committed to a regular and careful oral hygiene routine, your gums will suffer the negative consequences. Your gums are a fairly soft tissue, so if you traumatise them with a hard bristle toothbrush, you can make them swell and bleed. Soft bristle toothbrushes provide a gentler cleaning option, but if you forget to brush, the type of toothbrush you use won’t matter. The number one cause of gingivitis is the accumulation of plaque, so brush your teeth at least twice a day (morning and bedtime), and floss daily. This will remove both the plaque and any food debris left behind in your mouth after eating.

Remember, if you find you’re worried about your oral health, then absolutely make an appointment with your dentist! It simply can’t be stressed enough.

So if you are interested in booking yourself in, or you’d like more advice regarding your delicate gumline then please give us a call on 020 8088 2079.

And tune in next week, where we’ll be discussing a further four reasons behind bleeding gums…

One of the most common forms of dental phobia (or the technical name, odontophobia) is a fear of needles or injections. Obviously this type of phobia can make treatment very difficult as most procedures rely on anaesthetic injections to numb the patient.

If the patient is not comfortable receiving injections, then often the necessary treatment goes uncompleted, which is clearly not the best outcome. Even if the patient is able to confront their fear, their anxiety and stress levels can also mean the anaesthetic is not very effective anyway.

To help treat these kinds of patients, there are products that can be used to remove the fear and pain from injections, or remove the need for an injection altogether. One of these products is The Wand, and we at Brightside have been using it for years with amazing results.

What is The Wand?

The traditional dental syringe has never really changed much in its design over the years; in fact, dentists have been using syringes since way back in 1853! So you could say it’s about time something new arrived on the scene…

Many patients who suffer from a needle or injection phobia don’t realise is that the pain, more often than not, does not usually come from the needle. Certainly a needle can cause a little discomfort, but rarely are they the cause of pain.

In reality, the anaesthetic being delivered too quickly or with too much force creates the pain caused by injections. So imagine if there was a system available that delivered the anaesthetic at the perfect speed, in the perfect quantity every time!

And this is exactly what The Wand does. The flow of anaesthetic is computer-controlled which prevents the injection from being delivered too fast or too much accidentally.

So why don’t all dentists use it?

Like most exciting new pieces of technology, The Wand can take a lot of time and training until it can be used properly. Many practices simply don’t have the time, the money or, if they have been using conventional syringes for a long time, may not want to learn a new technique.

For these reasons many dentists prefer to continue using the traditional syringe, and for the majority of their patients, this isn’t a problem. But for all you dental phobic patients out there, finding a dentist that uses The Wand can help manage your fear so you can comfortably continue with your dental treatment.

So if you’d like a little helping hand with your dental phobia, that’s precisely what we’re here for – we aren’t called the Home of Calm and Gentle Dentistry for nothing! We want to help you manage your fears.

Remember to give us a call on 020 8088 2079 to book yourself an appointment, and click here to visit our Wand webpage to find out more and discover what other nervous patients are saying about it!

When it comes to the fight against lines, there are seemingly endless options for giving your complexion a youthful boost. We’ve all heard of Botox thanks to the swathes of celebrities who use it, but what about fillers – the other option for smoother skin?

If you’re not sure on what the differences are, or how to tell which option is best for you, then we’re here to help.

Banking on Botox

One of the more familiar ways to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles is Botox; a brand of neuromodulator that works by causing facial muscles to relax temporarily. Botox effectively treats frown lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet, lip lines, and many other wrinkles that result from facial expressions.

You’ve seen how Botox can take years off your favourite stars (and maybe even a few or your friends), but is it right for you? The advantages speak for themselves. Botox is an excellent treatment for many types of patients. Someone in their late 20s or early 30s might choose Botox to help prevent wrinkles and enhance their complexion. Older patients may opt for the treatment to soften existing lines and prevent new ones from forming.

In truth, nearly every cosmetic patient can benefit from Botox as part of their treatment and maintenance plan. Most importantly, Botox has an excellent established safety record and is the most popular cosmetic procedure worldwide.

Focussing on fillers

Like Botox, fillers are an injectable treatment used to tackle some of the most frustrating signs of aging, but unlike Botox they don’t relax facial muscles. Instead they work to fill creases and ‘plump’ the skin.

As we age, the natural collagen and elastin in the skin lessens, as cells lose their ability to produce more of their youthful component. The skin becomes dryer, thinner and less able to fix itself, and so lines and wrinkles develop.

The treatment of wrinkles with dermal filler usually involves injecting this naturally occurring product into the skin and the aesthetic outcomes of treatments with dermal filler are seen immediately after the treatment.

Can you get both?

While you might think that Botox and fillers can only be used separately, Botox is often used in conjunction with fillers (and even lasers) to enhance the overall results of those treatments.

Botox and fillers perform differently, so a combination of the two can sometimes work better than either treatment alone. Botox paralyzes the underlying facial muscle, while fillers plump the skin and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. Together they provide the most soft and natural looking improvement in facial appearance and age related cosmetic concerns.

Between Botox and fillers, you should have no trouble finding a skin smoothing solution that works for you.

So if you fancy finding out more about our Botox and dermal filler treatments, then feel free to give us a call on 020 8088 2079.

Or you can always visit our facial rejuvenation page: https://www.brightsidedental.co.uk/dental-treatments-bounds-green.html to check out what we can do.

When it comes to bad breath (or technically halitosis), it can be an embarrassing topic to discuss. If you’re the one with bad breath, you don’t want to bring it up. If you’re around someone with bad breath, it can be awkward to bring it up.

Sometimes people don’t even realise that a dentist can help take care of this issue.

An estimated 80% of bad breath cases can be taken care of through a dentist because most are oral issues. However, the remaining 20% of bad breath cases could mean other health problems that can seem completely unrelated, but are in fact the cause.

So here are seven possible causes for your bad breath and how you can fix it…

1 – Oral hygiene.

 If you’re not brushing at least twice a day and flossing once a day, you should reconsider – because bad breath is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems created by poor dental hygiene. When you don’t brush after eating, food particles in your mouth lead to bacterial growth, causing you to develop bad breath and eventually all sorts of other mouth-related nastiness, like gum disease.

But brushing doesn’t get everything, and when you skip your nightly flossing, you’re missing those food particles that get stuck between your teeth and gums. Left unattended, they can cause not only bacterial growth and bad breath, but also gum problems.

 2 – Food choices.

 We all know that eating onions, fish, garlic and other pungent foods will lead to instant bad breath. And sadly, a thorough brushing won’t always undo the smelly breath that these foods cause. What you may not realise is that when you eat foods with strong odours, you’re probably going to be stuck with the bad breath they cause until they’ve passed through your system!

Digestion begins when food starts to break down in your mouth, and foods like garlic can cause bad breath and off-putting bodily scents until they’re completely digested. So unless you’re okay with swearing off odorous foods for good, be prepared to deal with the stubborn smells they cause.

3- Dry mouth.

Most people aren’t aware that a dry mouth can lead to bad breath. This occurs when you’re not making enough saliva to combat the acids caused by plaque, and it also allows the dead cells that naturally collect on your tongue, cheeks, and gums to build up. When your saliva doesn’t wash this build-up away, all those cells start to decompose, causing your breath to smell.

Talk to your doctor so you can rule out any medications as the culprit. And if your meds aren’t to blame, a dry mouth can also be caused by salivary gland issues and breathing through your mouth. Also, while this isn’t a long-term solution to a dry mouth, sugar-free gums and mints can help boost saliva production.

4 – Gum disease.

Chronic bad breath could be a sign of gum disease. This develops when the bacteria that forms in your mouth as a result of plaque build-up on your teeth results in toxins that aggravate your gums. If you think gum disease could be what’s behind your bad breath, talk to your dentist ASAP. If left untreated, gum disease can lead to serious damage of your gums and even jawbone.

5 – Illness/sinus problems.

If you’re sick, or you have regular sinus problems, don’t be surprised if your breath is a little bit off. Acid reflux, bronchitis, and sinus infections are just a few of the illnesses that could be causing your bad breath. Once you’re back to normal, your breath should be too.

6 – Tobacco products.

Obviously, if you smoke cigarettes or cigars on a regular basis, you’re going to have bad breath on a regular basis too. There’s really no way around it. On top of that, smoking also stains your teeth and irritates your gums. At the end of the day, no amount of mouthwash and toothpaste can fix tobacco breath.

7 – Water consumption.

This is just one more reason for you to drink more water. Not only is it good for your body, it’s good for your breath. Keeping your mouth moisturised prevents all that bacteria we were talking about above from collecting on the surfaces of your mouth and stinking up your breath.

So bad breath is kind of embarrassing, but it’s something we’ve all dealt with at some point in our lives, and it ties directly to your oral health. Take care of your teeth and gums, go to your dental appointments, stay hydrated, and you should see positive results.

However, if nothing seems to fix your bad breath, then it could be a side effect of a non-oral condition. If you think this might be the case, make an appointment to talk to your doctor about it. You don’t want to ignore what your body might be trying to tell you.

And if you’re interested in booking yourself in for an appointment, or you’re just looking for more general oral hygiene advice, then give us a call on 020 8088 2079.

Botox is one of the most popular facial rejuvenation treatments out there, however there are still a few misconceptions surrounding it…

Only you and your medical practitioner know if Botox is right for you, but before you decide to go down that route we’re here to debunk some of the myths out there!

The fiction: The best time for Botox is when lines appear.
The fact: If you can get ahead of the game, it may help you in the long run. As Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon Grant Stevens explains, “Botox is being used more and more frequently by people trying to do preventative treatments. Waiting until lines become etched into the skin means it’s much more difficult to smooth their appearance again.”

Botox is often used for lines and wrinkles formed by muscle movements such as frowning, squinting, and eyebrow raising. Often by starting Botox preventatively as opposed to further down the line, you may actually need less of it or need it less often.

The fiction: If you stop getting Botox, it will make your wrinkles worse.
The fact: If you stop your treatment, you will simply go back to the way you were before. Results typically last three to four months, after which you will slowly lose the relaxing effect and resume the normal development of wrinkles with movement. Botox will not make wrinkles worse.

The fiction: You can get Botox at any age.
The fact: Age may be just a number as you get older, with patients reporting success with Botox even over sixty-five — but if you are a teenager, we will tell you that you are not ready for cosmetic use. There’s nothing wrong with preventative Botox and its use in the twenties age range, but any younger is simply too young.

At age nineteen or younger, you are very unlikely to have residual lines after movement. We recommend that you wait until you’re at least age twenty-two before receiving Botox. You will have not lost anything by waiting!

The fiction: Botox is just for wrinkles.
The fact: Botox is not just a cosmetic solution. Far from it in fact. Botox injections have been used to treat migraines by reducing muscle tension and creating less strain on the nervous system. It can also be used to temporarily block sweat glands to prevent excessive sweating, and has even be found to help patients who suffer from depression.

The fiction: Only women can use Botox.
The fact: Every year it seems that more and more men are receiving Botox, and it’s not necessarily just the older men either. We’re seeing plenty of men who are having these treatments as early as in their thirties. And the average client isn’t the stereotypical bloke who cares a little too much about grooming and how perfect he looks…

Wrinkles can sometimes make men appear angry, not to mention older. Getting Botox can help soften up this look to just give a more approachable appearance, which can help men a great deal in business and relationship matters.

Hopefully this has cleared up a few misconceptions about Botox, it’s by far one of the most negatively viewed treatments out there. Don’t listen to the stories, listen to the professionals!

If you fancy finding out more about our Botox treatments here at Brightside dental, then feel free to give us a call on 020 8088 2079.

We all like to think we know how to look after our children’s teeth, but shocking figures showing that a third of children start school with visible tooth decay reveal we may not be as knowledgeable as we’d like to think.

According to figures recently published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, tooth decay is now the biggest cause of hospital admissions for primary school-aged children. Last year, 25,812 children between the ages of five and nine were admitted to hospital for multiple extractions – that’s nearly 500 children a week!

Oral health is better than it was thirty years ago, yet some problems are on the rise. We dentists agree that we all need to get better informed about our children’s teeth. So here are the 6 biggest myths dispelled once and for all…

1. Healthy snacks are as good as a proper meal.

That might be true nutritionally, but constant grazing is spectacularly bad for teeth, even if it’s healthy-sounding food such as fruit, cereal bars, yoghurts and breakfast cereals. That’s because it’s not just about how much sugar is consumed but how frequently your child’s teeth come under attack.

But it doesn’t mean that you should never give snacks! Young teeth will withstand three meals and two snacks a day so as long as the good days outnumber the bad, you should be fine. What you can’t do is allow all-day juice sipping and food snacking, as the acid attack lasts an hour after each mouthful and essentially means your child’s teeth are constantly under attack.

2. It doesn’t matter if baby teeth decay.

This seems to have a certain amount of logic to it, as milk teeth are going to fall out anyway it should be fine, right? Wrong. Baby teeth aren’t all gone until the age of ten to twelve, until then there is a good mix of both adult and baby teeth. So tooth decay in young teeth means the permanent teeth are more at risk as all sorts of nasties are present in the mouth.

3. Parents should let their kids brush their own teeth at age five.

The official advice is for parents to brush their children’s teeth until age seven, depending on the maturity of the child. That’s to ensure they get the recommended full two minutes and the brush reaches all of the teeth.

We advise you to even take it a step further – supervise your child’s teeth brushing until all of the permanent adult teeth are through, so as to minimise the chance of decay and solidify those cleaning habits.

4. Children should brush their teeth after eating.

This sounds sensible, but is actually one of the worst things you can do, especially after eating or drinking something acidic. The acid in food demineralises the tooth for up to an hour after eating and softens the enamel, so by brushing your teeth right after eating, you are potentially brushing away your tooth enamel.

So our advice is to always wait an hour – and if your child drinks juice with breakfast, then it’s better to brush teeth before rather than after the meal.

5. You don’t need to take your child to the dentist until their first birthday.

In a survey by Mydentist, 57% of parents waited until their children were at least one before taking them to the dentist. However the first visit should be as soon as the teeth start coming through, at about five to six months. You’ll also be sending your child messages about good oral health, as well as normalising the habit of going to the dentist.

6. They should rinse their mouth out after brushing.

The truth is the complete opposite: no one should rinse after brushing because the fluoride in the toothpaste will continue to protect the teeth after brushing. You don’t want to be washing away all of your hard work. This can be tricky for children if they don’t like the taste of toothpaste, but try and encourage it.

If you’re interested in booking your child in for an appointment, or you’re just looking for more general dental health advice, then give us a call on 020 8088 2079.

Typically, the beginning of a New Year is when people start to think about bettering themselves and how they want to change.

While some of the more popular options include hitting the gym or undergoing a makeover, another simple yet effective transformation is teeth whitening. So if you’re interested in brightening up your smile, take a minute to read about these 5 things you need to know before going ahead with it…

1- It won’t last forever.

All dentists will tell you the same thing; whitening won’t last forever. You will probably require a series of follow-up treatments, with the results generally lasting one to three years.

 2 – Not everyone can whiten their teeth.

If you are pregnant, you should avoid whitening due to the chemicals it utilises. On top of that, anyone with peroxide allergies, extremely sensitive teeth or gums, exposed roots, cavities, or worn enamel should avoid teeth whitening.

3 – Results vary.

The outcome isn’t the same for everyone; so don’t be disappointed if your teeth don’t turn out the way you expected based on someone else’s treatment. The better your oral hygiene and condition of your teeth, then the whiter they will be.

4 – Healthy teeth are important.

Speaking of oral hygiene, if you want your whitening to stick then you need to maintain good dental habits. That means not smoking, avoiding dark red wines, or any other staining substances like coffee for the first 48 hours following treatment.

5 – Do not over-whiten.

You might get caught up in how pearly white they look initially, but don’t become addicted! Having the procedure done too many times can result in permanent damage to your teeth by weakening the enamel and producing an irreversible discoloration.

And there you have it! Now that you know the facts, are you still interested in teeth whitening treatments?

You know the drill, give us a call on 020 8088 2079 and we’ll be happy to book you in and assess whether or not teeth whitening is appropriate for you.

Catching yourself in the mirror and focusing on misaligned teeth can really eat away at your self-esteem. Combine that with a fear of the dentist’s office and your smile can easily get neglected…

In fact, a new survey by teeth straightening experts at Align Technology found that one in five adults feel they get judged on their crooked teeth. Men are more affected by this, with 23% anxious about people scrutinising their teeth, compared to 17% of women.

But don’t despair. If you didn’t get a mouthful of metal braces as a teenager, you haven’t missed your chance! No matter your age, it’s not too late to get overcrowded, wonky teeth straightened out. Here’s what you need to know:

What treatments are available?
Invisalign works by repositioning the teeth a little at a time using custom-made clear acrylic aligners that are changed every two weeks, or you can opt for fixed cosmetic braces that are very discreet compared with metal braces. The possibilities don’t stop there, so check out the treatments we carry out to see which option is right for you!

Does it matter how old I am?
Nope, you are never too old to get your teeth straightened. Each person has their own individual needs and as long as your oral health is good, then you should be free to pursue it as you wish. I’ve had people well into their sixties getting their teeth straightened! One issue that older people may need to be aware of is that your bone may be less able to hold the teeth in their new position than younger people. Following treatment, permanent retention is very important to help prevent the teeth from moving back.

How long does treatment take?
Length of the procedure depends on how severe the problem is, and which course of treatment you decide to go for. It may take anything from just six weeks to over two years.

Can I still eat what I want?
Invisalign put their brand’s popularity down to the fact that “aligners can be removed during treatment for short periods of time to allow you to eat whatever you want, kiss without impediment, play a wind instrument and maintain your normal good oral hygiene routine, so that your treatment can be maintained without impacting on your life,” and claim their method is “virtually undetectable” so no one will even know you’re undergoing treatment.

With other methods such as traditional train track braces, this isn’t quite the case, so be sure to discuss with your dentist what your dietary limitations are for your particular treatment.

Is it worth it?
If you’re currently nervous about your smile and shy away from photographs or social situations because you’re unhappy with your teeth, then absolutely. When it comes to our patients, we have boosted both confidence and mental wellbeing. For many, having nice straight teeth is priceless.

If you decide that you aren’t too old to get your teeth straightened after all, then call us on 020 8088 2079 and we can discuss your options.