David had been a long-standing regular patient of Brightside Dental for over 10 years. He had various conversations about teeth straightening for a number of years and became increasingly self-conscious of his crooked teeth after starting to work with an American company and having a stereotypical British “crooked smile”. This prompted him to make the decision to go ahead with treatment.

We discussed various treatment options with David. The planning and treatment was more complicated because of the amount of crowding. 3 teeth were removed and David had his teeth straightened using fixed cosmetic braces by Dr Ketan Shah the principal dentist at Brightside Dental.

The treatment process took just over 2 years and left David with a smile he is now very happy with and enables him to smile with confidence, which David discusses here:

If you would like to find out more how we could help improve your smile, please contact us on 020 88884401.

National Stop Snoring Week takes place from April 19th to 23rd this year. The purpose of the event is to promote awareness about snoring and that, contrary to popular belief, it can often be treated.

The sound of snoring,  is often very loud and can be irritating and annoying for the partner (and possibly neighbours) of the snorer. Some levels of snoring can reach over 100db, which is similar in sound to that of a motorbike or drill.

Sleep deprivation from snoring can leave you feeling tired and sleepy during the day, suffering from a lack of concentration, as well as being bad tempered and generally irritable. It can also have an impact on your general heath and the function of systems and organs in the body. Even if you manage to sleep an adequate number of hours, the quality of sleep can be poor.

Many partners put up with snoring, however many get to the point where they end up sleeping in a separate room.

A more serious snoring-related condition is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). This is where the snorer stops breathing for a period of time and is a much more serious condition. If you suspect this is happening, seek the advice of a doctor or dentist immediately.

There can be many causes of snoring, which, when known, make it easier to treat. Some are based on lifestyle. For example, obesity, smoking and alcohol all significantly increase the chance of snoring.

There are various solutions to try and help stop snoring, from improving lifestyle to surgical treatments. At Brightside Dental, we custom make anti-snoring devices which consistently have great results. Find more information here

See what impact the Sleepwell device has had for Dean :

He used to spend £50 every few months on off the shelf and online products and now has a much more cost-effective, comfortable, well-fitting solution which stops his snoring, helps his sleep and keeps his wife happy!

If you would like to find out more about your (or your partner’s!) suitability for treatment give us a call on 020 88884401.

Susan came to Brightside (very reluctantly) for the first time, having been recommended to us by her cousin Brenda. Brenda saw us, having avoided the dentist for 30 years and for Susan it was over 15 years, having previously had her dental treatment carried out whilst in the military.

She had various bad experiences and finally got to the point where she was too unhappy with her smile not to do anything about it and the push from her cousin finally gave her the confidence to book an appointment.

Susan’s main fears were around the noises and in particular the drill. Extensive treatment was carried out by Brightside’s principal dentist Ketan and Clinical Dental Technician Caroline, including:

• hygiene treatment
• extractions
• fillings
• crown work
• teeth whitening
• denture work
• composite bonding

Much of the treatment was carried out using intravenous sedation to make the experience more comfortable and pleasant. Find out more about sedation here: https://www.brightsidedental.co.uk/sedation-dentistry-bounds-green.html

Susan now has a smile she is happy with and is more confident about visiting the dentist and will now be attending regularly as part of Brightside’s Membership Club https://www.brightsidedental.co.uk/dental-payment-plan.html

If you have a friend or family member who is nervous or super scared of visiting the dentist, please encourage them to visit us and we are confident we will be able to put them at ease and meet their dental needs.

Please contact us on 020 88884401 or email: [email protected]

Whilst chocolate eggs and sweets can be fun and tempting during Easter,
increased amounts can lead to tooth decay. Over Easter, it is important to
balance enjoying sweets and protecting the long-term oral health of you
and your family.

Here are 6 Dental Health Tips for you this Easter:

1) Choose Your Sweet Treats Wisely. Sticky sweets stick to your teeth and
wreak havoc on your enamel for longer. Try and choose sweets that won’t
stick to your teeth as easily and has lower acidic components.

2) Don’t Graze Throughout The Day. Try to eat your sweets treats with a meal.
If possible, have some fruits after you chow down on chocolate. The texture
of some fruits and vegetables such as apples and celery can help clean some
of the plaque and bacteria from your teeth. Just leave some time for your
mouth to neutralize the acids formed by the bacteria in your mouth after
eating the sweets.

3) Remember To Rinse. Brushing immediately after every meal can be harmful
to your enamel and encourage acids to attack. Rinsing with water is the best
thing to do after eating sweet treats.

4) Chew Sugarfree Gum. Chewing sugar free gum for 15-20 minutes can
stimulate saliva production which helps neutralize the acidic compounds in
your mouth.

5) Stay Hydrated. When your mouth is dry, it will not produce enough
saliva that is needed to neutralize acids in your mouth. Drinking
plenty of water throughout the day is a great way to ensure
your mouth is free from cavity-causing bacteria.

6) Practice Good Oral Hygiene. Brush your teeth twice daily
for at least two minutes with fluoridated toothpaste and
floss every day. You may also want to make
appointments for your entire family so your
dentist can thoroughly check to make sure that
you don’t have tooth decay or signs of gum
disease once the Easter eggs are gone.

Wishing you a lovely Easter break from all the Brightside Team

It may be a Valentine’s day like no other this year, with many of us spending Valentine’s in lockdown, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate it.

Being stuck at home for Valentine’s Day can be seen as a massive downer for some people but it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. So, here are some ideas for celebrating Valentine’s day in lockdown at home while still making it special.

• Start off right with a Valentine’s breakfast

There’s nothing sexier than a breakfast in bed, and nothing beats it better than being surprised with breakfast in bed. Have a look at a local restaurant who may be offering chef-made meals straight to your door or make it more special by preparing one yourself. Check here for some delicious Valentine’s day breakfast ideas for a romantic morning.

• Decorate your home for Valentine’s https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/20210113104464/valentines-day-decoration-ideas/

• Use your outdoor space

There may be no better time to enjoy and evening under the stars than Valentine’s day lockdown. Wrap up cosy, get some blankets and snuggle under the winter sky. Have a BBQ? Light it! Pizza ovens, camping stoves…they’re all options. Alternatively, you could plan a nice romantic walk.

• Create a home spa experience

Treat your partner or treat BOTH of you with an at-home spa experience. Candles, massages, and a hot bath sprinkled with rose or a bath bomb.

• Send a Valentine or plan a virtual date

If you can’t be with your loved one in person this year, then you might as well send them something sweet in the mail. Make it sweeter by creating you own handmade chocolate gift.

Find creative ways to express your love and celebrate it together. Here are some ideas which may help you  https://www.missguided.co.uk/babezine/culture/how-to-celebrate-valentines-day-in-lockdown

Here are some ideas for a lockdown date night https://www.list.co.uk/article/115813-lockdown-valentines-date-night-ideas-and-inspiration/

Crossing our fingers that this is the last occasion we have to celebrate indoors. The upside is, that it will make us appreciate past and future special occasions that much more.

Sources: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/valentines-day-ideas/g30459063/valentines-day-breakfast-ideas/

Denise has been a long standing patient of Brightside Dental for well over a decade. She had been unhappy with her smile for a number of years, in particular the spaces between the teeth.

Her main concern was whether it would even be possible to improve her smile. Following a consultation with Dr Ketan Shah, treatment was planned and Denise went ahead with Invisalign clear aligner teeth straightening.

The treatment went as planned and her teeth were straightened and whitened to brighten up the colour in 14 months. This would have been considerably less time, but for the impact of Covid-19, lockdowns and difficulties in arranging appointments.

Denise shares her story:

Find out more about Invisalign here:https://www.brightsidedental.co.uk/invisalign-bounds-green.html

We are currently offering limited FREE* Invisalign virtual consultations for our patients. Book here now: https://brightsidedental.info/optin1590657987970

*Fully refundable deposit taken to secure booking

With schools closed and the UK in another lockdown, parents are again faced with the challenging prospect of helping their kids keep on top of their studies.

If you are managing your children’s virtual and home-based education, you know how home learning can be challenging for both parents and students. 

Here are seven tops tips to organise your children’s homeschool learning:

1) Create a designated learning space if possible – Homeschooling can be fun, exciting, and often messy. Keep your children’s study materials organized and designated a specific learning space where they keep supplies and books.

2) Follow a daily schedule – Homeschooling brings a wonderful level of flexibility and spontaneity to children’s education. Consider creating and following a daily schedule. You can always adapt, but a schedule gives your child focus and direction each day.

3) Map out the school week ahead of time – Plan out your school week to track progress and your goals, and plan out big projects whenever you get details of lessons in advance. You can use organization charts, mind maps, road maps or flow charts. 

4) Set learning goals together – Have a vision and a plan of where you want to go (learning outcomes). Outline some key learning objectives for your child ahead of time. This is also a great opportunity to teach your child goal-setting skills and best practices.

5) Make learning a family activity – Is there a subject or activity that the family enjoys? Lean into that and make it more fun and relevant to the family to enhance enjoyment and effectiveness of learning.

6) Collaborate with other homeschoolers – Connect online with other homeschoolers and parents from school online to collaborate and share resources.

7) Be patient – Don’t be afraid to experiment with your learning styles and schedule. Listen to your child and pay attention to what works well for them and adapt as needed. It can be very hard for everyone with tempers becoming frayed. Take a step back and regular breaks as needed.

Here are some further resources which may help you and also other activities that can be done with your children:

6 tips for homeschooling during Coronavirus

How to turn a home into a school without losing your sanity

How to keep your kids educated at home during lockdown