Are you ready to make this year the year you quit for good?

Smoking can lead to tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss and in more sever cases mouth cancer.

One of the effects of smoking is staining on the teeth due to the nicotine and tar in the tobacco. It can make your teeth yellow in a very short time and heavy smokers often complain that their teeth are almost brown.

People who smoke are more likely to produce bacterial plaque, which leads to gum disease. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen present in your blood stream, which therefore means that infected gums do not heal. Gum disease will therefore progress more quickly in smokers, exacerbated by them having more dental plaque.

It is commonly known that smoking can cause lung and throat cancer, but many people still do not know that it is one of the main causes of mouth cancer. Every year thousands of people die from mouth cancer brought on by smoking.

Visiting the dentist

It is important that you attend for regular dental appointments so the dental team can spot any problems early. You should also attend for regular appointments with the hygienist who will be able to remove plaque and calculus build up. They will also be able to provide you with oral hygiene advice to keep your teeth looking their best in between appointments.

Quitting for good

The best treatment will depend on your personal preference, age and any medical conditions that you may have. Research has shown that all methods can be effective in helping you to quit, it is about finding the right method for you. Support from an NHS stop smoking service can further increase the chance of making this time the time you quit for good.

Bad breath is a common problem that can affect anyone at any age

About one in four people are thought to have bad breath on a regular basis. The main cause of bad breath is a build-up of bacteria that breed inside your mouth, usually between teeth and on your tongue. As they multiple they can emit a bad smelling odour.

Persistent bad breath can sometimes be a sign of gum disease. Eating strongly flavoured foods, such as onions and garlic, can also cause your breath to smell, as can smoking and drinking alcohol.

Occasionally, bad breath can occur after an infection or illness, or as a result of taking certain types of medication.

Smoking and Bad Breath

Yes. Tobacco causes its own type of bad breath. The only answer in this case is to stop smoking. As well as making your breath smell, smoking causes staining and loss of taste, and irritates the gums. People who smoke are more likely to suffer from gum disease and have a greater risk of developing cancer of the mouth, lung cancer and heart disease. Ask your dentist, pharmacist or healthcare professional for help with stopping smoking. If you do stop smoking, but still have bad breath, then you need to see your dental team or doctor for advice.

Treating Bad Breath

Usually improving your oral hygiene routine is enough to stop bad breath in its tracks, but we have some additional top tips to keep your breath fresh.

Watch what you eat and drink – strong smelling foods and drinks can influence your breath, including garlic, onions and coffee. These can all exacerbate bad breath

Watch what you eat and drink – strong smelling foods and drinks can influence your breath, including garlic, onions and coffee. These can all exacerbate bad breath

Update your equipment – it is important to ensure that you change your toothbrush every 3 months or sooner if the bristles become worn so that it can effectively clean your teeth

Drink plenty – water stimulates your saliva glands, which cleanse your tongue and teeth of food debris throughout the day. This prevents the build-up of bacteria that contributes to bad breath

Quit smoking – smoking causes its own from of bad breath, your dentist will be able to advise you on ways to quit

Good oral hygiene – It is important to brush your teeth twice a day and clean interdentally daily

Don’t forget your tongue – the tongue is often neglected when it comes to your oral hygiene routine, using a tongue scraper can help to clean your tongue and tame the bad breath that it causes.

Attend for regular dental appointments – this will enable to dentist to see if there are any underlying problems causing your bad breath

Bad breath is one of life’s annoying little quirks. As unpleasant as it is, following these fresh breath tips will help ensure that your breath is always minty fresh.

Here at Teeth & Smiles we cater for the whole family

Here at Teeth & Smiles we have years of experience in being able to treat the whole family. With our focus on preventative dentistry we understand by putting in good oral hygiene routines from a young age we can help to future proof your family’s smile. It is important that you bring your children in for their first appointment as soon as their first tooth appears.

Teeth should last a lifetime and it’s our priority to provide healthy mouths, strong teeth and beautiful smiles for all our patients. We love the work we do, and our loyal patients appreciate the dedicated, thoughtful and enthusiastic dental care we provide.

Patients receive the undivided attention of our dental team and value the comprehensive, unhurried service that forms a central part of our overall approach to healthy living and gives them the benefit of a thorough assessment.

We believe in providing quality dental care in a comfortable and relaxed environment which can allay anxiety and enable you to obtain the maximum benefit from the advice and treatment you receive. We provide you with all the options to meet your needs so that you can make an informed choice on how you wish to proceed.

Our genuinely friendly and skilled team puts new patients at ease. We look forward to welcoming you and your family.

If you avoid eating cold foods or drinking hot beverages because your teeth are sensitive, it may be time to get to the bottom of this painful condition.

If hot, cold, sweet or acidic foods and drinks, or breathing in cold air makes your teeth painful then you have sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth are very common and are thought to affect 1 in every 2 people. If you are experiencing pain that is more severe and more constant, chances are it’s another form of mouth pain.

Sensitive teeth normally occur when the dentin of a tooth becomes exposed. This may be caused by receding gums, toothbrush abrasion or a highly acidic diet. You can reduce your risk of developing sensitive teeth by keeping your mouth as healthy as possible, with a good oral hygiene routine and a balanced diet.

Treatment for sensitive teeth
There are several treatments available and these include:

Your dentist will be able to advise you on the best possible treatment to meet your needs.

Preventing sensitive teeth

To prevent sensitive teeth from recurring, brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste and use interdental cleaning aids daily. Use gentle strokes, rather than vigorous or harsh scrubbing, and avoid using an abrasive toothpaste. If you grind your teeth, ask your dentist about a mouth guard. Tooth grinding can fracture teeth and cause sensitivity.

You might also consider taking care when eating or drinking acidic foods and drinks, such as carbonated drinks, citrus fruits and wine — all of which can remove small amounts of tooth enamel over time. When you drink acidic liquids, use a straw to limit contact with your teeth.

Healthy gums reduce the risk of tooth loss

Bleeding gums are a sign of gum disease. Millions of adults have some form of gum disease, yet only a very small fraction realise it because gum pain is not an early symptom. It is important if you notice any signs of bleeding that you make an appointment with the dentist so that they can assess your teeth. They may advise that you attend for an appointment with the hygienist who will be able to scale and polish your teeth and provide you with oral hygiene advice to follow in between appointments. With appropriate treatment it is possible to slow down and even halt the spread of the disease.

Gum disease is currently the leading cause of tooth loss in adults in the UK, so it is imperative that you get treatment as quickly as possible if you notice any of the following symptoms.

Symptoms of Gum Disease
Symptoms include but are not limited to:

Treatment for Gum Disease

If you notice any of the symptoms you should attend for an appointment with your dentist so that they can put in place an effective treatment plan. The main treatment for gum disease is a good oral hygiene routine.

Successful cosmetic treatments are about keeping people guessing: Has she, or hasn’t she? Dermal fillers can plump and rejuvenate skin without anyone knowing

Dermal fillers are an anti-ageing treatment, that can be used to plump up your skin, smooth wrinkles and fill out deep lines. The treatment can take as little as 30 minutes and you will be able to see the results immediately, with the full results visible after about two weeks. Here at Teeth and Smiles we aim for a natural, soft airbrushed look that gives you a refreshed appearance that everyone will notice but only you will know why.

Benefits:

Years of fun and laughter starting to show on your face? Anti-wrinkle injections can help to role the years back, giving your skin a more youthful appearance

Anti-wrinkle injections are a prescription medicine that are used to improve the look of moderate to severe dynamic wrinkles and lines on a temporary basis. Anti-wrinkle injections can be used to treat those wrinkles that appear when you talk, laugh and smile, they are not suitable for wrinkles present when your face is at rest. Anti-wrinkle injections work by blocking the signals from the nerves to the injected muscles. This means that the muscles can no longer contract strongly, causing wrinkles to relax and soften.

Benefits:

Ageing too fast? Facial aesthetics can help skin to look younger, improving your confidence and self-esteem

Facial aesthetics treatments are used to help soften lines, improve the appearance of facial wrinkles and enhance your natural beauty. Facial aesthetics also help to rejuvenate your skin, giving you a more youthful and radiant look for a more confident you.

All of our treatments are carried out in a safe, clinical and relaxed environment by our registered dentists, who have undergone extensive training to qualify to provide facial aesthetics treatments. They will be able to tailor treatment to meet your needs and desires, ensuring that you get the best, most natural results.

Benefits:

Sensitive or infected tooth? Root canal treatment can allow you to keep your natural teeth for as long as possible.

Root canal treatment is needed when the blood or nerve supply of the tooth is infected through decay or injury. If the pulp becomes infected, the infection may spread through the root of the tooth and may eventually lead to an abscess. If root canal treatment is not carried out, the infection will spread and the tooth may need to be extracted. Root canal treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic so you will not feel any pain, the root will be cleaned and all infection removed, before it is filled to prevent any further infection. There may be some tenderness afterwards but this should lessen overtime.

Benefits: