The Oral Health Helpline – Help Where Help is Needed
We’ve discussed the education of patients before and the importance of people understanding their teeth and how to brush properly and maintain them. Preventing cavities is important and there are so many elements to keeping your teeth clean and many people have particular areas they need to focus on, following a dental visit. The biggest problem still for many is knowledge and although much information can be found online, there is no guarantee that it is accurate. That’s why it’s great news to hear that so many patients are using the dedicated advice line from the Oral Health Foundation for support and information. Over 400,000 Calls Staffed by qualified…
Are We All Brushing Our Teeth Wrong?
Since we were children we’ve understood how to brush our teeth. However, are we actually brushing them properly or have we developed bad habits which are subsequently affecting our dental health? Everyone remembers being taught to use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste (some use more than that) and brushing up and down, across and thoroughly, including cleaning the gums and tongue for a a recommended 2 minutes. But how many of us really brush for at least 2 minutes? It seems a long time and we probably don’t brush for as long as we should. But this isn’t the only thing we may not be doing right. Brushing Angle The…
Access to The Dentist
A new study has found that 380,000 patients visit their doctor’s surgery with dental issues every year and there’s a good chance that this figure could rise. The strain on the NHS is well-known and GPs have made changes to the way they manage their appointments and schedules over the last decade to become more efficient, however, the influx of people with dental complaints isn’t helping the load being placed on doctors. There is a train of thought however, that in the UK there is a “hostile environment†which results in people not being able to get a dental appointment or to even “get on the books†at their local…
Benefits of Fluoride
Fluoride has had a bad wrap over the years. Aside from its use in toothpaste and the many benefits which that entails, there is the “dark side†of fluoride that has been used to condemn it as a problematic “chemical†which has been blamed for thyroid complaints, teeth and bone problems and supposedly affecting a nation’s IQ. Of course these are issues which relate to historic instances of too much fluoride in the water supply (and some complaints are still ongoing to this day, in the United States and the UK) which can have an impact on people’s health but fluoride is actually a necessity in daily life. Not…
The Dental Dangers of Christmas Treats
Christmas is a time of year which brings with it excitement, fun, family and hopefully memorable moments. It also brings great food and a copious amount of rich desserts and sweets. Everyone loves indulging on rich food at this time of year, however, with all of this comes a price and unfortunately, the incredible range of puddings, sweets, chocolates and other traditional Christmas food on offer can have a negative impact on your dental health. What can we do to reduce the “seasonal†impact on our teeth? It’s all in moderation. That’s the message from health experts regarding many foods and to those struggling with their weight and it’s actually…
