Healthy Teeth and Gums in Swindon

At Seven Fields we feel that the overall well being of yourselves is extremely important and we aim to treat you as a whole person and not only concentrate on your mouth. As prevention is better than the cure, we aim to help you maintain health rather than wait and treat the effects of illness.

Patrick, plus the whole Seven Fields Team, place great importance on the health of yourselves and as a result we aim to achieve excellent results , but we can only do this with the help of yourselves.

Unhealthy teeth and gums can result in a general feeling of being unwell and not quite firing on all cylinders. Infection in the mouth means that the body is fighting the disease and is therefore not well.

Gum problems in particular come in all shapes and sizes, some being more advanced than others but all are caused by the presence of PLAQUE. Plaque is a build up of bacteria, already present in the mouth, which have the ability to stick to the teeth and gums causing gum disease and tooth decay.

Patrick feels it is essential that any work he carries out must be done inside a healthy mouth so as to obtain the best results and maintain good health. To achieve this it is VERY IMPORTANT that you understand that it is your problem and that we are here to help you. You are very welcome to come in and see us as often as you like but plaque is forming all the time, every minute of every day, and it is what you do at home that brings out the best results. By adopting a cleaning routine on a daily basis is the only way to achieve and maintain a healthy mouth and body.

The best cleaning routine for you will be assessed by Patrick, so that is it specifically designed for you. Everyone is different and as a result everyone’s needs are different and need to be catered for. They need to fit in with your life style, your work pattern and most importantly your comfort.

We have an excellent team of people available to you to help achieve the best possible gum condition we can. Patrick will assess your needs and will refer you to our Periodontist ( a dentist who has been trained to deal with advanced gum problems), Alberto Turri or Debs our senior Hygienist who has 30 year experience.

If you have any concerns regarding your treatment or advice please feel free to discuss it with Patrick.

SUGARY DRINKS AND THEIR EFFECT ON CHILDREN’S TEETH IN SWINDON

• Confused About What Drinks are Safe and Those Which Are Not?
• WHAT IS SAFE AND WHAT IS NOT SAFE ?
• In the 5 – 12 age group 74 % of drinks consumed are soft drinks. So what goes in them is particularly important. In the past the major concern has been the high sugar content of these drinks but increasingly these drinks contain ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS . You will find many of these labels now claim ‘low sugar’ or ‘ no sugar’ . It is easy to assume that a ‘sugar free’ or ‘low sugar’ label means less tooth decays, but in reality the acids contained in these drinks can be harmful to teeth and to bone density. Many fizzy drinks contain PHOSPHORIC ACID and CARBONIC ACID. Squashes with a fruit juice base contain FRUCTOSE WHICH CAN ALSO BE DAMAGING TO THE TEETH?.

SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
• Limit soft drinks to meal times, whether containing sugar or sweeteners.
• Try to limit consumption to one glass a day.
• DILUTE SOFT DRINKS WELL We tend to forget that children’s taste buds have not been tainted and are much more sensitive than are own, so consequently they have a very acute taste and can taste a few drops of squash in a glass HONEST. Pure fruit juice and soft drinks should be well diluted and restricted to meal times. Choose drinks fortified with vitamin c – they will aid the absorption of iron at meal times.
• BETWEEN MEALS OFFER ONLY WATER OR MILK
• Artificial sweetened drinks are NOT INTENDED for the UNDER THREE’S.

Did You Know? A small 125gram bar of chocolate contains more caffeine than a cup of instant coffee ever wondered why your child is so hyperactive after eating chocolate ??????? Now you know…..

Erosion and Dental Health In Swindon

• It is thought by some experts that a staggering 50 % of children are suffering from tooth erosion. This is were the surface of the teeth is permanently damaged leading more often that not to extreme sensitivity and fillings.
• Unlike tooth decay which is caused by the acid produced by plaque, EROSION is caused by acids attacking the tooth surface and literally dissolving it away. Acids are found in citrus fruits, yoghurts, pickles, vinegar, alcohol, salad dressings, but especially in fizzy drinks and squashes. One of the most damaging things is that children tend to swish drinks around their mouths before swallowing them, which is particularly damaging as the acid swilled around the mouth causes maximum erosion.
• You can try these points to try and reduce the problem. Use a straw to help direct drinks to the back of the mouth.
• Chill acidic drinks such as fruit juice because it reduces the harmful effects of the acid.
• Limit fizzy drinks to meal times and generally no more than one or two a week, and give milk or water in between to neutralise acids.
• Avoid brushing teeth straight after eating or drinking acidic foods. The enamel will already be weak. From the acid and scrubbing with a toothbrush will add to the damage wearing away enamel some 200 times more rapidly than if you hadn’t had any acid before brushing.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste and fluoride rinse to help reduce the effects of acidity and reduce damage to the teeth. BE AWARE that if you continue to drinks and eat acidic foods then damage to teeth will be permanent and that no amount of toothpaste or mouthwash will give enough protection from the acids to preserve your teeth.
• Be AWARE of your diet and its effects upon your teeth.
• We are always available at Seven Fields to give you advice and help regarding these matters.

DID YOU KNOW…… WOMEN ACCOUNT FOR 42% OF ALL CHOCOLATE SALES, CHILDREN 32% MEN JUST 26%

Care of Your Dentures In Swindon

ACRYLIC ( plastic ) DENTURES
• This includes dentures which have a soft lining in them.
• Rinse denture after every meal and remove debris by brushing with a soft brush and water.
• Soak the denture in an alkaline hypochlorite solution ie;
DENTURAL or MILTON for about 20 minutes in the evening. RINSE
THOROUGHLY with water and soak in plain water overnight.
• If a build up of TARTAR occurs either ask us to remove it for you or try an acid cleanser ie; DENCLEN,following the instructions on the box.

METAL AND ACRYLIC DENTURES
• Rinse denture after every meal and remove debris by brushing with a soft brush and water.
• Soak denture in an alkaline peroxide solution ie; STERADENT for 15 minutes or an alkaline hypochlorite solution ie; DENTURAL or MILTON for 10 minutes in the evening.
• Rinse denture thoroughly with cold water and soak overnight in plain water.
• DO NOT USE ACID CLEANSERS as they will attack the metal of your denture.

TREAT YOUR DENTURES AS YOU WOULD TREAT YOU OWN TEETH.
They need cleaning regularly and with a non-abrasive cleaner.
When cleaning your dentures it is a good idea to do so over a basin containing a few inches of water to prevent breakages in the event of them being dropped, which is very easy when they are wet !

DID YOU KNOW……ON AVERAGE WE SPEND ONLY 17 SECONDS BRUSHING OUR TEETH…..IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST 2 MINUTES !!!!!!

Disclosing Tablets to Help Keep Gums Healthy In Swindon

Disclosing is a process whereby the presence of plaque in your mouth is highlighted so that you can remove it more easily. As plaque is the same colour as your teeth, and most bathrooms are very dimly lit, it is hardly surprising that we miss a lot of plaque when we are brushing.

Disclosing tablets are a vegetable dye, always check the label to ensure you are not allergic to the colouring, which stains up any plaque that is present in your mouth. It will stain up plaque that is present on the teeth, the gums and your tongue. It is easily removed with your toothbrush and the dye will remain around for between 30 minutes and 1 hour, so it is best NOT to do it just before you are going out. The best time is before you go to bed so that the dye has gone by the morning, but it can be done anytime of the day.

It is useful to do once or twice a week as it is very easy to return to old habits when brushing as you have invariably been doing it that way for a long time and old habits die hard! Disclosing will help you improve your brushing technique and improve you’re the health of your mouth.

Disclosing tablets generally come in two colours pink and blue, both achieve the same results and no one is better than the other.

• Place a barrier cream on your lips such as vaseline to help prevent the lips going pink/blue.
• Place one tablet into your mouth and chew it thoroughly until it is crushed into very fine solution.
• Swish the fine solution around the mouth and spit out the excess. DO NOT RINSE.
•
Anything which stains up pink/blue is plaque which needs to be removed with your toothbrush.

Did You Know ? 50% of 5 year olds and a 1/3rd of teenagers shows signs of erosion of the tooth surface from fizzy drinks and drinks full of sugar and acid