Who knew teeth could be so rock n roll!
July 26, 2010
Ozzy Osbourne recently admitted to having dental implants
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne has confessed to having a mouth full of impants, or as he puts it: “My choppers ain’t real. All my teeth are screwed in.” He blames his drug addictions for losing his teeth as vital nutrients such as calcium are depleted, but the most common reason is gum disease. Ozzy goes on to say: “If I had my real teeth, I’d look like Herman Munster’s ugly brother.” Sound familiar? Well Ozzy’s case sounds pretty drastic but many people can relate to feeling unhappy about a gappy or crooked smile.
Ozzy’s implants are titanium and they are implanted into the jaw bone via surgery. Titanium is well tolerated by the bone which over time grows over the implant to give it extra stability. The implant is effectively a screw that supports the crown or the bridge and together they form a permanent tooth replacement option. Implants can be used to create a full mouth of teeth, or for single teeth replacement, but this route to a happy smile isn’t available on the NHS. Implants will cost between £1,800.00 to £2,500.00 at a top London clinic, although a less expensive solution is to travel overseas to places like Budapest where patients can find prices are reduced by about 50%.
The news that Ozzy chose implants over a denture is hardly surprising. As a celebrity he’ll be under close scrutiny from the press and implants mean he can feel 100% confident speaking or eating with no danger of slipping dentures. A comforting thought not doubt for Ozzy as he can continue to bite heads of bats with total confidence. For the rest of us, just eating an apple or some crusty bread would be proof enough that implants do lead to a more confident smile!
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Smiling in the face of fear
July 14, 2010
Dental phobia can cause long term oral health issues
No one loves going to the dentist. A check up appointment is never met with joyous enthusiasm but while most of us don’t rush there with a happy heart we know it has to be. For some people though, a visit to the dentist is something to truly dread, and this strong, irrational fear can lead to extreme nerves, panic attacks and a total avoidance of the dental chair.
Approximately 5% of the population avoid the dentist because of this extreme fear and almost inevitably this leads to long dental health problems. Dentists recognise three levels of patient apprehension – anxiety, fear and phobia. Many people will confess to having a general dental anxiety, but it won’t stop them booking their regular appointments. Those who fear the dentist will have a harder time making themselves go and may need extra help if treatment is required. Dental phobic’s experience crippling fear that is likely to see them avoiding dental treatment for so long they face serious problems with your teeth.
So what causes this common fear? Obviously bad past experiences with dentists are likely to put us off going the next time; but it’s also the fear of the unknown. We can’t see what’s going on, we’re uncomfortable in the chair, we don’t understand what the dentist is muttering to his assistant and we feel like people are judging us. Pain of course is a big fear trigger and even the pain killing injections can hurt! For many, it starts off with a missed check up or two; fear starts to kick in when we feel guilty about not going, or worry about what treatment might now be needed.
Barry, a sales manager from Solihull talks about how his dental phobia grew because of missed check up appointments: “I’d stopped my dental insurance because of rising costs and started missing check up appointments; before too long I realised I needed serious dental work, but the more I didn’t go the more the fear built up. I was worried about the cost and the embarrassment I knew I’d feel when the dentist looked at my teeth. I work in sales so smiling and feeling positive is a must, my missing teeth caused me to perfect a closed mouth smile. I knew I had to do something but just couldn’t overcome my fear.”
Luckily Barry’s partner spotted an article for an overseas dental service and they booked an appointment for a consultation in London. “I nearly ducked out of the appointment but their treatment plan was so thorough and easy to understand I steeled my nerves and flew to Budapest. I was terrified but the dentist understood my request for a general anaesthetic and it was all no problem. The second visit was so much easier after that and now I have an amazing smile again.”
Phobias can start young and carry on throughout life with potentially serious consequences. Charlotte, a beauty blogger (www.ladyofthelane.com) traces her dental phobia back to an operation she had as a young child. Years later the experience left her terrified of all things medical including the dentist. Childhood injections and simple check ups carried very real anxieties for her. After a sympathetic doctor listened to her fears she was able to get some help, but her phobia of dentists remains. “For me the phobia stems from the unknown, plus the basic fact that going to the dentist does often hurt. I have found a new and very gentle dentist who has really helped me but I still dread every appointment and live in fear of something serious like a root canal.” Explains Charlotte.
We’ve talked to lots of dentists and dental phobic’s to come up with some top tips to help you smile in the face of fear…..
- Talk about it….to your friends and most importantly your dentist. Talking about your fears will help straightway because you’ll be relieved you’ve shared the burden, plus your dentist may have practical solutions to suggest. If talking to the dentist worries you too much start by asking the receptionist what she knows the dentist can do to help
- Break the chain of phobia – try a new dentist if you can find one, or if you need major treatment consider going abroad where private dentistry is less expensive.
- Ask your dentist to be more communicative. At the beginning he should explain what will happen in the appointment and get him to keep talking to you throughout the whole session
- Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and acupuncture. More serious cases of phobias should try Cognitive Based Therapies which can be accessed via your doctor.
- Take a friend and ask them to distract you before and during the appointment with some light hearted chatter
- Sedation can be very helpful for treatment, ask your dentist about what they offer in the practice.
Visit the permanent link to “Smiling in the face of fear”.
An App A Day Keeps the Dentist Away
June 28, 2010
Having just about resisted the feeding frenzy surrounding the Apple iPad launch last month, I am now seriously tempted by the new iPhone 4 which arrived in the UK last week amid the usual store queues and glowing reviews from the techy community.
Do I lust after it for its new ‘FaceTime’ video calling? Is it the Retina Display with the incredible screen resolution? Or do I just want to make and edit a High Definition video? Nope…..I want it so I can play around with some oh-so-very-essential dental apps.
Who could resist downloading 3D Teeth? Packed with animated 3D graphics of each tooth, it’s a must-have mouth companion which gives you loads of information on…well…teeth! From dental caries to dental implants it’s got the whole mouth covered and is essential reading before you move on to the….Animated Tooth Quiz! Yes, this dental app lets you test your toothsome knowledge with 48 illustrated questions (not including wisdom teeth – did the makers spot the obvious joke here?). Surely this is the ideal distraction to while away time in the waiting room with your fellow patients?
Help in the bathroom is also at hand with a number of apps to help you brush. The iBrush app stands out for having illustrations on brushing techniques and a timer to ensure you spend the right amount of time on each section of the mouth. A little OTT perhaps but actually this could genuinely be a useful way to get poor brushers to improve their skill and ultimately help their oral hygiene and dental health.
There are nearly 100 dental specific apps to choose from, but two more really stood out for me. The first one, Dental Spanish has been designed for English dentists to communicate with their Spanish patients. The large Hispanic community in America must have breathed a sigh of relief when this one launched – at last they can understand what their dentist is saying behind his nose and mouth mask. And finally, our all time favourite – the Little Dental Drug Book – apparently it’s “everyone’s favourite pocket prescription guide.” Obviously the drug guide is aimed at dentists, although I find it worrying that they need to rely on an iPhone app to prescribe correctly, but I think every patient should have one to make that drilling and filling just a little more relaxing!
Visit the permanent link to “An App A Day Keeps the Dentist Away”.
The recession bites back with teeth grinding on the rise.
June 18, 2010
Teeth grinding can cause headaches, jaw ache and teeth damage.
is on the rise. Dentists claim they are seeing an increase of between 10 and 20 per cent of patients with symptom that range from ear ache to tooth loss and chronic headaches. The blame has been firmly laid at the door of financial doom, with increased stress and anxiety levels over job threats, interest rate increases and free falling house prices.
Teeth grinding tends to happen at night when it can cause sleep disturbances for the sufferer and their long suffering partner. Many people report subconsciously clenching their jar throughout the day, particularly during stressful periods, often resulting in acute jaw pain and continual headaches.
The consequences for teeth are potentially serious. Continual grinding can wear down enamel and cause teeth to chip or crack. Fillings can become lose and fall out, and where teeth are severely worn down the bite is affected, causing long term problems for the jaw. Other physical side effects are stiff shoulders, exhaustion and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder which, put simply, is inflammation of the joint which connects the mandible to the skull.
So what’s to be done? It’s best to try and treat the symptoms at the same time as looking at the root cause of the problem. Special mouth guards will help reduce the effects of grinding, acting to prevent movement and protecting the teeth from damage. Learning to manage the stress that is causing the problem is essential. Experts recommend cutting back on stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Facial muscle relaxation exercises, meditation, yoga and deep breathing techniques can all help to reduce the anxiety that in turn leads to teeth grinding.
Botox™ is another treatment under review. The toxin, much loved by celebrities and best known for its use as a cosmetic treatment to ‘freeze foreheads’, is administered as an intramuscular injection and the paralytic effects is thought to last three to six months. Careful research is needed before choosing this route – look for a skilled practitioner with significant experience in lower face injecting and discuss safety issues before making your decision.
If the recession allows, you could take the high tech option with a bio-feedback gadget which teaches muscles to relax. But with prices heading up towards the £1000.00 mark, it’s a steep price to pay. After all if we had money to spare it’s likely all this tension induced grinding wouldn’t be a problem in the first place!
Visit the permanent link to “The recession bites back with teeth grinding on the rise.”.
Snack Swop!
June 2, 2010
Think about making wise snack choices.
In the spirit of National Smile Month’s suggestion that we cut down on sugary snacks and drinks, here is our Snack Swop menu….give it a go and let us know what you think….you may even lose a few pounds in the process….but for sure, your teeth will thank you.
Snacking per se isn’t great for teeth. The more times you introduce sugar forming foods or drinks into your mouth, the more opportunity there is for plaque to form. But making small changes can make a big difference to your oral health. Here’s what Dr Kaman suggests we try for our Snack Swop challenge.
Ditch…sweet biscuits and cookies loaded with sugar.
Try…Brown Rice cakes or oatcakes.
Why? These choices are naturally low in sugar, although do remember that any carbohydrate will breakdown to form acids in the mouth which in turn attacks the enamel. Wholemeal varieties of savoury crackers don’t breakdown in the same way that refined carbohydrates do, so are a step in the right snack direction. Dr Kaman also recommends protein based snacks, which are more tooth friendly and have the added bonus of balancing blood sugar levels. Nuts, a piece of cheese or chicken all make good snack choices.
Ditch…High sugar fruits such as mango, figs, grapes and cherries.
Try…raspberries, strawberries, papaya, and watermelon or cantaloupe melon.
Why? While fruit is perceived to be a healthy snack, some fruits are higher in sugar than others, so you make a more tooth friendly snack by choosing fruit wisely. Dr Kaman adds “Raw vegetables are great alternative to fruit as a snack because of their low sugar and high vitamin C content. Vitamin C is essential for healthy gums! But fruit can be acidic which is bad for enamel, try combining it with something like yoghurt and milk which can cancel out the acidity, so for example it’s good to have sugar free yoghurt with fruit or a raspberry milk shake.”
Ditch…Fizzy drinks, sugary cordials and fruit juices.
Try…Sparkling mineral water, sugar free juice or plain old tap water.
Why? Constantly sipping on sugary drinks is a definite no no, you are constantly introducing plaque enemies into the mouth and this should be avoided at all costs.
Ditch…Chewy sweets, toffees and milk chocolate.
Try…Good quality dark chocolate.
Why? Chewy sweets stick to teeth, keeping the sugar in the mouth for longer, thus giving the sugar more time to do its worst. Whereas dark chocolate is low in sugar and, as previously reported in this blog contains ingredients which may even be good for teeth and gums!
Visit the permanent link to “Snack Swop!”.
Smile….it’s May….
May 14, 2010
May 17th sees the start of another National Smile Month where we the nation are encouraged to look after our teeth under the slogan of Teeth 4 Life. Great, a catchy slogan and a month of reading about tooth paste and good brushing habits, just what we need to get the nation’s teeth polished and gleaming. But wait! Surely this message isn’t just for one month out of twelve, isn’t this something that we should be encouraged to do every day of every year?
The answer is obviously yes! Every day, every month, every year we need to take good care of our teeth, because good oral habits isn’t just about avoiding expensive dental work or the dreaded NHS dentures. There is good evidence to support a systemic link between oral health and overall body health. So healthy teeth, healthy body is the message we need to get. Gum disease is linked to diabetes, strokes, premature births and low birth weights, clearly taking control of your dental health won’t just benefit your smile and self confidence.
Dr Attila Kaman suggests: “If there is a nagging dental problem worrying you such as gum disease, poor fitting dentures or missing teeth it is worth seeking a second opinion on what can be done. It isn’t just about your smile; we see lots of patients whose overall health has suffered because of dental issues. Remember that problems with your teeth often lead to a poor diet which is also a major factor in failing health…many people report an improved diet once they have had implants or good quality crowns or bridges fitted”
The Teeth 4 Life campaign is extolling the virtues of brushing twice a day, cutting down on sugary snacks and drinks and visiting your dentists as often as recommended. Assuming you can get to a dentist that can accommodate NHS patients that all sounds very good. May also seems like a good month to think long term and sort out any nagging problems….it’s worth researching alternatives to NHS or private treatment options. Budapest’s reputation for top dentists puts it at the top of the list for overseas treatment options and summer is a popular time to visit the city.
But before you pack your bags, we’ll leave you with one last tip from the Teeth 4 Life campaign…. Apparently, if you lead a healthy and active lifestyle, you are 40% less likely to experience teeth and gum problems, so grab your toothbrush and… your tennis racket, trainers and gym membership….and get a healthier smile all year round!
Visit the permanent link to “Smile….it’s May….”.
