At Teeth and Smiles, the team offer a comprehensive array of facial aesthetics treatments 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

Wrinkle Reduction

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. Wrinkle reduction treatments are intended to relax underlying facial muscles, minimizing the formation of lines when expressing emotions such as smiling or frowning. This procedure can address wrinkles on the forehead, around the eyes and eyebrows, and in the neck area. A preliminary consultation is required before treatment, which, once approved, can be completed in approximately ten minutes with minimal side effects. The full results typically become apparent within two to three weeks and last three to five months, after which repeat sessions may be necessary.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers provide a versatile solution for restoring volume, contouring, and smoothing the skin to achieve a youthful appearance. The treatment can take as little as 30 minutes with results visible immediately and they will continue to improve over the following two weeks. Patients are generally able to resume work or social activities without noticeable signs of treatment. The benefits from dermal fillers generally last for six to twelve months, at which point further treatments may be needed to sustain the results. Hyaluronic acid used in dermal fillers is completely broken down within the skin over a period of around six to eight months. This means that if you decide to stop treatment there will be no lasting effect of the dermal fillers. 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.

If you would like more information on how our facial aesthetics treatments can keep you looking youthful please contact Teeth and Smiles on 020 7352 7049, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Dental hygienists specialise in the prevention and treatment of gum disease and play a vital role in maintaining long-term oral health. During your appointment, the hygienist will thoroughly scale your teeth to remove plaque and hardened calculus, and provide tailored advice on effective oral hygiene routines to follow between visits. They will also discuss lifestyle factors that may impact the health of your teeth and gums, helping you to maintain your natural teeth for as long as possible.

Benefits of Seeing a Dental Hygienist

Regular hygienist visits offer a wide range of benefits, including:

• Guidance on effective toothbrushing techniques to remove plaque while minimising tooth wear and gum recession
• Advice on the latest oral hygiene products and how to use them effectively
• Recommendations for cleaning between teeth where brushing alone is insufficient
• Education on the causes, prevention, and treatment of gum disease
• Removal of plaque and hardened calculus deposits
• Discussion of contributing factors such as smokingand diabetes
• Information on how gum diseasemay affect wider health conditions, including heart disease
• Support in preventing tooth decay and erosion
• Dietary advice to help reduce sugary and acidic foods and drinks
• Guidance on fluoride use and the application of fluoride varnishes to help re‑mineralise early tooth decay
• Polishing to remove surface staining from food and drink
• Improvement of red, inflamed gums to a healthier appearance
• Reduction of gum bleeding during brushing
• Prevention of tooth movement and mobility
• Reduction of unpleasant tastes and bad breath caused by harmful oral bacteria

Keeping Your Teeth and Gums Healthy

Alongside regular hygienist visits, three simple steps can help maintain good oral health:

1. Brush twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and use interdental brushes every day
2. Reduce how often you consume sugary foods and drinks
3. Attend routine dental appointments as recommended by your dental team

Following this advice will help you achieve and maintain a healthier, brighter smile.

If you would like to book an appointment with our hygienists, please contact Teeth and Smiles on 020 7352 7049, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Are you looking for a new dentist? Have you just moved into the area?

In this month’s blog the team at Teeth and Smiles look at the key factors to consider when choosing a new dentist in South East London.

Location

The dental practice’s location in relation to your work and home will have a big impact on how easy it is for you to attend for your dental appointments.  A dental practice that is easily accessible will mean that you are more likely to attend for you regular, routine appointments. Teeth and Smiles is easily accessible by car, rail, and bus. There is pay and display parking on the street.

Hours

At Teeth and Smiles we understand that everyone leads busy lives and the team will therefore try our hardest to ensure that we can find a time for your appointments that fits with your other commitments. We can also offer longer appointments so the whole family can attend together, ensuring that no-one’s oral health is forgotten.

Infection Control

All dental practices are governed in the same way as hospitals by the Care Quality Commission and are bound by the rules of the Health Technical Memorandum 01-05. This provides strict rules and guidance on how all instruments are sterilised in between patients and how surgeries are cleaned to ensure that there is no risk of cross contamination. You can see the results of our latest CQC inspection online.

Treatments

Here at Teeth and Smiles the team are able to offer a wide range of preventive and cosmetic dentistry including dental implants, teeth straightening and teeth whitening. Alongside this the team are also able to offer facial aesthetic treatments including wrinkle reduction and dermal fillers.

Fees

Teeth and Smiles is both an NHS and private practice and our current list of fees can be found on our website. We are also able to offer 0% finance to help you spread the cost of your dentistry, ensuring that you perfect smile is within reach.

So, what are you waiting for? The team at Teeth and Smiles are ready and waiting to help craft the beautiful smile, you desire! Do not hesitate, call today on 020 7352 7049 and book an appointment.

Fed up of dodging the camera at family events because of your crooked or crowded teeth? Invisalign can ensure that you are always photo ready.

Invisalign pioneered the first clear aligners; each feature is designed to help reveal the smile you deserve. This is why over 21 million people have transformed their smiles using this nearly invisible clear brace worldwide. Invisalign is designed to treat a wide range of straightening issues, from minor tooth movements to more complex cases. The fantastic 3d treatment planner enables you to see the result of your teeth straightening procedure before starting treatment, enabling you to feel confident in the results you will see.
Invisalign offers a number of different benefits:

Aesthetic & Comfort Benefits

• Invisalign aligners are very discreet. The clear aligners are barely noticeable, making them a popular choice for both adults and teens.
• Invisalign aligners provide a comfortable fit. Smooth, medical-grade plastic is gentler on cheeks and gums, avoiding the irritation of metal brackets and wires.
• Invisalign aligners give you a confidence boost. You can smile and speak freely during treatment, without the fear of unsightly metal brackets and treatment achieves a straighter smile for long-term confidence.

Convenience & Hygiene Benefits

• Invisalign aligners are removable. It is possible to take them out to eat, drink, brush, and floss, allowing for normal eating and easier cleaning.
• Invisalign aligners allow for improved oral hygiene compared to traditional braces. It is easier to brush and floss thoroughly as the aligners are removable, reducing plaque buildup and gum disease
• Invisalign aligners require fewer appointments and shorter visits compared to traditional braces.

Effectiveness & Lifestyle Benefits

• Invisalign corrects a wide range of issues like crowding, gaps, overbites, and crossbites.
• While undergoing Invisalign teeth straightening you will have no food restrictions. You can eat your favourite hard, sticky, or chewy foods without worry.
• Invisalign teeth straightening provides predictable Results. Advanced technology allows visualization of your treatment plan and progress. You will be able to see the end result before starting treatment giving you confidence in the expected results and your final look.
• Invisalign aligners allow you to continue with all your usual activities. No wires means you can play sports and activities without interference or risk of injury.

These Invisalign aligners are custom made to move your teeth little by little, each tiny shift taking you a step closer to that next version of you – efficiently, gently and accurately. Call Teeth and Smiles today on 020 7352 7049 and book in for a consultation to start your journey to a straighter smile!

At Teeth & Smiles the team can help you to smile proud this festive season with a course of teeth whitening.  The reason teeth whitening has seen such an increase in popularity is because is easy to do, non-invasive, has very little risk of side effects and most importantly it works!

Teeth whitening procedure

Here at Teeth & Smiles we offer at home teeth whitening.

Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth and these are used to create a custom made whitening tray. You will be shown how to apply the whitening gel to the trays and your dentist will advise you how long you will need to wear the trays for. You can then take the trays and whitening kit home and complete the treatment in your own time. Once completed it will be necessary to top your whitening up every 2-3 years to keep your teeth looking their best.

Benefits of teeth whitening

• Teeth whitening ensures you can be confident of always making a great first impression
• Whiter teeth can help you to appear more youthful
• Teeth whitening improves self confidence
• Teeth whitening does not cause any damage to your teeth and gums
• Teeth whitening provides a dramatic change in appearance for a relatively small outlay.

 

Aftercare

We recommend the following tips to care for your teeth:

• Brush your teeth for two minutes, twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks.
• Quit smoking
• Visit your dentist regularly

 

Looking for a brighter, whiter smile? Teeth whitening could be just the solution you are looking for. If you would like to get your teeth looking great for the festive season call Teeth & Smiles on 020 7352 7049 and book a consultation today.

Root canal treatment is used to save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected.

When a tooth’s nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber. The bacteria and other decayed debris can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth.

Root canal procedures have the reputation of being painful. But the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed.

In this month’s blog the team at Teeth & Smiles look at what happens if your dentist refers you for root canal treatment.

The procedure will follow these steps:

 

Preparation

Your dentist will first take an x-ray to see the shape of the root canals and determine if there are any signs of infection in a surrounding bone. They will use local anaesthesia to numb the area near the tooth. To keep the area dry and free of saliva during treatment, your dentist will place a rubber dam (a sheet of rubber) around the tooth.

Cleaning

The next step involves drilling an access hole into the tooth. The pulp, bacteria, and decayed nerve tissue are then extracted. The area is meticulously cleaned using a series of root canal files.

Sealing

After thoroughly cleaning the tooth, it is sealed. If an infection is present, the dentist may apply medication within the tooth to eliminate the infection. Alternatively, the tooth may be sealed immediately after cleaning. If the root canal procedure cannot be completed in one session, a temporary filling will be placed in the external cavity of the tooth to prevent saliva and food from entering between appointments.

Filling

At the next appointment, to fill the interior of the tooth, a sealer paste, and a rubber compound called gutta percha are placed into the root canal. A filling will be put in to close the access hole created at the beginning of treatment.

Restoration

The final step may involve further restoration of the tooth. It is normally advised that following root canal treatment the tooth is crowned to help strengthen and protect the area, restoring it to full function.

A tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has come through the gums. Its only function is sensory — to give the sensation of hot or cold. The absence of a nerve will not affect how your tooth works.

If you need to book root canal treatment, call Teeth & Smiles today on 020 7352 7049 to book a consultation.

Mouthguards protect against injury to the teeth and the jaw. The shape of each person’s mouth and teeth are different, so it makes sense that a one-size-fits-all approach to a mouthguard is not going to give you the protection you need. In fact, a poorly fitted mouthguard can cause even more damage when hit with an intense force.

Properly fabricated, custom-fit mouthguards play a significant role in not only preventing dental injuries and injuries to the jaw, but also in reducing concussions, pulpal injury, and the loss of teeth. Mouthguards are used to relieve the stress concentrated on the teeth by absorbing the shock vibrations that cause injury.

It is estimated that an athlete has over a 50 percent chance of receiving an oral injury during their career in sports. A properly fitted mouthguard is going to reduce the opportunity for injury and the severity of any injury.

In this month’s blog the team at Teeth & Smiles look at the benefits of wearing a sports mouthguard

It protects your teeth from suffering trauma.

Should you suffer blows to your face, a sports mouth guard can effectively absorb some of the force. This reduces your chances of getting a tooth broken or knocked out.

It protects your brain.

Engaging in contact sports carries a risk of concussions, which can lead to brain injuries. Wearing a sports mouth guard helps absorb the shock from direct blows to the jaw, thereby reducing the impact and protecting the brain.

It protects your soft tissues.

Athletes or highly active people tend to experience soft tissue injuries while they are giving it their all. Wearing a sports mouth guard ensures your soft tissues’ safety, such as your lips, inner cheeks, tongue, and gums. It keeps your teeth from splitting them open or chomping down on them.

It protects your braces.

If you are undergoing teeth straightening treatment, you should consider using a sports mouth guard. Aside from preventing damage to your braces, the protective device also prevents your braces from causing you injury.

A well-fitted mouthguard

A properly fabricated mouthguard covers and protects all the teeth and has an adequate amount of thickness to cushion the jaw. There is ample room between the top and bottom teeth so that if someone is hit in an upwards motion, the teeth are not forced together. It should also protect the front teeth from a frontal blow that can knock the teeth out. It should easily stay in place without much movement, and it should feel comfortable in the mouth while wearing it.

Your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and mouth and create a mouthguard specifically for you. If you have braces or a fixed bridge, the dentist will mould your mouthguard around them for a precise fit. When you have the braces removed, you will need to get a new impression and a new mouthguard from the dentist.

When it comes to protecting your mouth, a mouthguard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age.

Oral injury is not something to leave to chance. Yes, you may play over 100 games without incident, but it only takes one time of getting hit the wrong way and you can have a permanent injury. If you need help with getting yourself or your child a custom fit mouthguard, be sure to visit Teeth & Smiles before your next game! Call us today on 020 7352 7049to book a consultation.

When you first attend for an appointment at Teeth & Smiles and at least once a year from then on, the team will ask that you complete or amend your medical history form. This ensures that the dentist has all the necessary information regarding your health to ensure that they can provide safe and effective dental treatment.

All this information is confidential and is held under the 1998 Data Protection Act. It may be necessary at times for your dentist to contact your doctor, but they will always ask your permission prior to doing this and will only do this to ensure that any treatment will not be adversely affected by your current medication or health conditions.

Medication

It is essential for the dental team to have an up-to-date list of all medications you are currently taking to ensure that any proposed treatment is safe. Certain medications may necessitate a referral to a specialist to ensure treatment can be carried out in the safest possible environment.

Antibiotic cover

Antibiotic cover is no longer deemed necessary for patients with cardiac conditions or rheumatic fever. Nonetheless, if you suffer from these conditions, the dentist may opt to use an anaesthetic that does not contain adrenaline.

Allergies

It is important to list any allergies in your medical history so the dental team can avoid using materials or prescribing medication that might cause an adverse reaction.

Diabetes

Individuals with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing gum disease. Therefore, it is essential to inform your dentist of your condition to ensure that you attend more frequent routine appointments. Diabetic patients may also experience longer healing times following dental procedures. It is recommended that diabetic patients schedule their appointments early in the morning to minimise the likelihood of missing a meal.

Epilepsy

If you are epileptic, it is important that the dentist knows so that they can have the appropriate drugs on hand should you have an episode during treatment. Epileptic patients find that they are more likely to suffer fits when they are stressed or anxious, so it is important to make sure that you discuss any worries with the dental team.

Pregnancy

It is important to tell the dentist as soon as you find out that you are pregnant. The dentist will aim to leave any dental treatment until after the birth of your baby and will refrain from taking x-rays. During pregnancy, some women find that their gums bleed and require closer attention. It may be worthwhile visiting the hygienist for regular cleaning and advice or oral care routines.

If you would like more information about how the dentist uses your medical history do not hesitate to ask at your next appointment. Call Teeth & Smiles on 020 7352 7049 and book a consultation today.

When opting for teeth straightening, it is essential to consider the time and commitment required for maintaining the required level of oral hygiene. Proper care of both your teeth and braces is crucial to prevent gum disease or tooth decay, which can significantly impact the success of your treatment.

Here at Teeth & Smiles, the team have come up with our top tips to care for your brace, whether you have fixed or removable appliances.

Never Skip Brushing

Taking care of your teeth and gums takes on a new level of importance when you wear braces. It is very important that you take the time to brush your teeth regularly.

Use a toothbrush with a soft head, this can be either an electric or a manual one, with a fluoride toothpaste and ensure that you brush after every meal to remove any food that may have become lodged in your braces. If left this can cause a build-up of plaque and eventually lead to decay and gum disease.

To ensure that you are never caught unprepared always carry a toothbrush and toothpaste in your bag.

Floss Daily

Flossing and interdental cleaning can help to remove those food particles missed by brushing alone. Gum disease and tooth decay can quickly develop where food particles are left trapped. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults in the UK and could severely affect the outcome of teeth straightening.

Foods to skip

When wearing fixed braces, it is advisable to avoid consuming sticky or chewy foods that may become lodged in the braces. Additionally, it is prudent to refrain from eating crunchy apples, carrots, and other hard foods that could potentially damage the wires. For those with removable braces, it remains possible to enjoy all your favourite foods, as the aligners can be taken out for meals.

Along with avoiding certain foods, you’ll also want to watch what else you put in your mouth when you have either fixed or removable braces. Nail biters or pen chewers can damage their braces quite easily. Crunching down on other hard objects, such as ice, can also spell trouble.

Fizzy drinks can also cause problems as they are often high in sugar and are acidic. If your teeth are not cleaned properly it can lead to tooth decay and enamel erosion whether you have fixed or removable braces.

Get Damage Repaired Quickly

No matter how careful you are, at some point your braces are likely to snap or break. Ideally you should see your dentist as soon as possible. If you notice any damage to your braces or aligners, be sure to book a repair appointment as soon as possible. This will ensure that your treatment can be continued as planned and will prevent your teeth from regressing back to their original position.

Do Not Skip Appointments

If you consistently miss appointments, it can greatly increase the length of time you will need to wear you brace for and in the long term can hinder your desire to achieve a straighter smile.

If you would like to find out more about how teeth straightening can improve the appearance of your smile, call Teeth & Smiles on 020 7352 7049and book a consultation today.