There are some cheaper alternatives that are currently on the market, like strips which you can wear over your teeth. Some of them dissolve quickly whereas others can be worn during the night. Then there are rinses and bleaches which you can apply to your teeth. However, even these products do not guarantee to provide whiter teeth and you will need to sacrifice some of your favourite foods to get the best results.

So, what else should one do in order to achieve brighter and whiter teeth?
The answer to this question is quite simple. One should always follow a good oral hygiene regimen which is a must if you want to have whiter teeth. You also need to eat properly, drink plenty of fluids and get enough daily calcium from sources like milk and milk products.

Many people think that daily brushing of teeth is the only thing required for white and healthy teeth, but it is the minimum that must be done. It is very important to brush your teeth following every meal and before going to bed. Good oral health is a requirement for whiter teeth.

Want to know more about teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry? Ask your cosmetic dentist or call us on 01332 675000 today.

Think again-a beautiful smile, whether you receive it or give it, signals many messages at many levels- joy and happiness, empathy and understanding, bonding and love. It is your window to the world, a connection with the people you interact with, an insight into who you are.

A good Cosmetic Dentist views his skills as an art as well as a science and should aim to deliver to each individual their own unique smile of their dreams. Advances in cosmetic dentistry procedures have been possible as a result of technological breakthroughs in equipment and dental techniques as well as development of modern day dental materials and better access to advanced training skills and learning.

All this has made it possible for the best cosmetic dentists to give you the beautiful smile you may only ever have dreamt of. And a brighter, white and younger looking smile is now more affordable and attainable than it is has ever been.

Your smile can be improved through a variety of cosmetic dental treatments such as porcelain dental veneers, teeth whitening, dental implants and teeth straightening procedures. Many dental treatments serve not only to change the look of your teeth and improve the appearance of a smile but also to address poor health of your teeth and gums.

With so many dental treatment choices available today, it is possible to have a healthy and beautiful smile.

Want to know more about cosmetic dentistry? Ask your cosmetic dentist today.

What is a root canal treatment?
Root canal treatment, also known as endodontics, is a part of dentistry which deals with diseases that affect the pulp of the tooth. The tooth’s pulp contains connective tissues, nerves and blood vessels that keep the tooth healthy. This pulp is situated in the core of the tooth and also in the canals in the root of each tooth.

The root canal treatment or endodontic treatment is the process of removing the pulp in order to restore the affected tooth to good health. It is a frequently undertaken dental treatment by many dental patients.

How root canal treatment can help
It is important for anyone who suffers from pulp damage or pulp infection to undergo root canal treatment. This is because it gets rid of bacterial infection and decay that can wear out tooth enamel and dentin. The pulp sometimes also gets damaged so badly that it cannot be repaired.

Once you know that you need root canal treatment, getting it done as soon as possible by a reliable dentist is important to prevent further damage.

Here are some tips on brushing and flossing to keep your teeth in tip top condition:

• Brush teeth regularly, twice a day for two to three minutes using a non abrasive fluoride toothpaste. This helps control build up of plaque
• Leave about 20minutes after meals before brushing teeth; brushing straight after a meal can do more harm than good especially if the foods or drinks you have consumed are acidic in nature as this can lead to softening of and damage to your tooth enamel
• Change your toothbrush regularly, generally every three months and before the bristles get spalyed or worn away
• Whether it’s manual or electric,use a toothbrush with a small head and medium to soft bristles
• Your teeth have four surfaces not two so remember to floss between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. This will reduce plaque between teeth,keep your mouth healthy and reduce bacteria which can lead to inflammation and gum disease

Visit your dentist and hygienist every six months.You only get one set of adult teeth so look after them!

Dominique Tillen, founder of  Brush-Baby which manufactures baby ‘toothbrushes’ was inspired by her daughter to create an innovative product range which filled a gap in the market. The concept of her company and her original dental product range aims to meet the desire of parents and dental professionals looking to address the oral healthcare needs of babies and young children.

The unique Brush-Baby Chewable Toothbrush is based around a baby’s natural urge to chew, particularly during the teething phase. It combines a chewable toothbrush  with a teether which massages and soothes tender gums as it cleans baby teeth.

The Brush-Baby Chewable toothbrush is widely available in the UK and can be found in John Lewis, Waitrose, Sainsburys,Tesco and Mothercare stores with increasing sucess and availability in Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
Other products in the range include Dental Wipes which can be used to keep oral bacteria and plaque at bay prior to the eruption of baby teeth and xylitol/fluoride toothpastes for babies and children aged from birth to six years.

Once a child’s teeth appear,looking after their teeth should become an important part of a daily hygiene routine.

The Folllowing are Dental Health Recommendations on how best to care for young teeth:

• Use a children’s toothbrush with a small amount of toothpaste.
• Supervise your child’s brushing until they are at least age seven.
• Once all the first teeth have appeared, use a small-headed soft toothbrush and clean teeth with small circular movements, one area at a time.
• Remember to  gently brush behind the teeth and onto the gums as well as fronts of teeth.
• Try to incorporate tooth brushing into a twice daily routine, morning and night.
• Encourage and praise children to look after their teeth and adopt health eating habits from a young age

Further information on Brush Baby Products  www.brushbaby.co.uk.

Follow our tips and guidelines below for maintaining your teeth and a younger looking smile:

• Avoid Smoking:stained teeth, bad breath and wrinkles around the lips-good enough reasons to kick the habit !From a health perspective, smoking also depletes the body of vital nutrients making you more prone to gum disease and infections as well as posing risks to your overall health
• Limit your consumption of tea and coffee and replace with alternatives such as green or herbal tea,water and lighter coloured drinks.
• Red wine may be good for your heart but it’s not great for your pearly whites-you could either opt for white wine or if you can’t bear to give up on your favourite tipple, either rinse your mouth or have a glass of water after consuming red wine
•  Other foods which stain teeth include blueberries,cranberries, tumeric(in curries),beetroot and balsamic vinegar.Some of these are nature’s ‘superfoods’ and certainly shouldn’t be eliminated from your diet but rinsing your mouth after eating them will limit the tooth staining effects
• Avoid boiled sweets and chewy sugary treats. These are particularly damaging to your smile due to the length of time the sugars remain in contact with your teeth and the prolonged exposure to the resulting acids generated in your mouth
• Eliminate sugary,fizzy and acidic drinks-your tooth enamel is under attack which in turn leads to dental decay, infection, gum disease and in the long term, the chance of losing your teeth

So look after your teeth and choose your drinks, treats and foods carefully; you could add or eliminate years to how you feel and look.

If you are a nervous patient who has had a bad experience in the past and not been to the dentist in years, there may still be some hope for you!

For some people, just the noise of the dental drill or the clinical smell of the dental surgery is enough to stop them from visiting a dentist. Fortunately though, dental procedures have changed a great deal in the last few years and there are many pain free and  drill free alternatives available.

What is drill free dentistry and who all can use it?

As the name suggests, drill free dentistry means carrying out dental procedures without the use of a drill. This kind of dentistry is usually offered by cosmetic dentists and it is an approved method which uses a laser to energise air and a spray of water. This energised spray can chip away at lesions and tooth decay, obtaining similar results to drilling but without the pain. Drill free dentistry can be used by both adults and children.

The advantages of using drill free dentistry

• No drill pressure and vibrations or anaesthesia as it is pain free.
• Eliminates discomfort in the jaw since it is a quick procedure and does not require patients to keep their mouths open for long.
• More accurate as compared to the drill and can finish treatment within minutes rather than hours.
• Nervous Patients are more comfortable with drill free dentistry and the risk of infection is reduced as well.
• Drill free dentistry can be used to address dental caries and fillings and also to cure gum problems.
• Additionally, it can also be used for other various other dental treatments such as healozone,root canal treatments, bleaching and whitening teeth and straightening teeth.

So don’t put off your visit to the dentist due to fear and dread.There may just be some solutions to your dental problems which could help you smile again.

The problem stems from two types of bacteria which damage the teeth, often causing holes to occur. If left untreated, the disease can lead to pain and even tooth loss.

If the infection reaches the pulp of the teeth, then a root canal treatment may be needed. Because this treatment can be quite difficult, it is always preferable to stop this infection before it reaches this stage. Sometimes tooth decay can occur without any pain so the patient is not aware of it until it is too late and root canal treatment is then necessary. But if you do feel any pain, you should visit your dentist immediately. Visiting your dentist regularly is the best way to achieve good oral health.

In a root canal treatment, the infected pulp of the tooth is removed and the root is cleaned and filled to prevent the infection returning.

Root canal treatment is done using local anaesthesia in order to make the procedure almost painless.

They say a smile can brighten up anyone’s day but if you don’t want to display yellow, stained teeth and stay smiling without resorting to laser teeth whitening or tooth bleaching, consider the foods you eat. There are numerous factors that contribute to the staining of our teeth and there are certain foods, drinks and habits that contribute or can make this problem worse.In the same way, there are also good dietary habits that help minimise staining to your teeth.

Crunchy fruits and vegetables – We all know that fruits and vegetables are great for our health but these can do wonders to maintain our teeth as well. Cauliflower, carrots, celery, pears, apples and other crunchy fruits can take away stains on the teeth. This is because when the natural fibres from these foods mix with saliva, they wash away the bacteria and food particles that cause stains.

Strawberries - This fruit in particular is great for the teeth as strawberries possess natural whitening properties.

Orange peel – Unusual as it may sound, brushing with a mix of dried orange peel ground with bay leaves can also help teeth to stay white after the laser whitening process.

Tooth decay occurs due to bacteria produced from food particles in the mouth. Decay can gradually spread resulting in infection of the teeth. This process can go completely unnoticed until your tooth starts hurting and if the infection caused by the bacteria reaches the tooth pulp, the toothache can become unbearable.

At this point, many people will choose to visit a dentist to address the severity of symptoms. If the decay is advanced and has damaged or affected the tooth pulp, root canal treatment may be required, which involves treating the affected tooth and the root to remove the pulp and get rid of the infection.

An easier and alternative treatment that has just made its mark in cosmetic dentistry is the HealOzone treatment. In this treatment, ozone gas is used to kill the bacteria completely and combat the infection. HealOzone is completely painless and drill- free and takes just a few seconds.

HealOzone treatment has proven to be very effective; it uses ozone gas to kill the bacteria and the ozone is able to penetrate around the tightest of crevices and cracks around teeth, unlike a drill.