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Your teeth are protected by a layer of tooth enamel which is the hardest substance in the body. Directly underneath the tooth enamel is a much softer substance called dentine that is more easily eroded. If tooth enamel is damaged, then you are more at risk of developing a cavity in a tooth. This damage can occur as a result of acid erosion, or if you have any chips or cracks in your enamel that have not been mended.

How Do Cavities Develop?

Every time you eat carbohydrate-rich foods or foods that are high in sugars, the bacteria in your mouth will use them as an energy source, producing acid as a by-product. After eating, your mouth will typically remain more acidic for half an hour to an hour afterwards. These bacteria will also combine with the acid, as well as food debris and saliva to produce a sticky substance called plaque. The acid in plaque gradually dissolves the enamel, before beginning to eat away at the dentine, eventually causing holes or cavities in your teeth.

Preventing Cavities

You can develop cavities or tooth decay at any age which is why a good oral hygiene routine is so important. Regular brushing and flossing to remove plaque will reduce your chances of developing tooth decay. It also pays not to snack on sugary or carbohydrate rich foods in between meals time as your mouth will be more acidic for longer. If you do chip or crack a tooth, please come and see us so we can mend it, protecting your tooth against decay.

Dental implants are fantastic for replacing single teeth and are definitely worth considering, particularly if the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth are healthy and strong and do not need crowning. This is because we would need to cut down these teeth to support a dental bridge, which is always a great shame if there is nothing wrong with them. Once we have shaped these teeth they will always need to be protected with crowns, even if you decide to have a dental implant at a later date. Instead, an implant is self-supporting and will help keep the rest of your teeth in place while preserving your jawbone at the same time. By artificially replacing your tooth root with an implant post, your dental implant will ensure your jawbone keeps on renewing old bone cells, keeping it strong and healthy.

Aesthetically, a single implant can look amazing as it will emerge from your gums exactly like a natural tooth. We take a great deal of care when designing single implant crowns to make sure they will blend in with your existing teeth, so no-one need know you ever lost a tooth. A single dental implant can prove more cost-effective in the longer term as all dental restorations will eventually wear out. Instead of having to replace a three-tooth bridge, you will only have to replace a single crown.

Green smoothies are amazingly popular at the moment and can be a great way to add more fruits and veggies to your diet without feeling that you need to munch on kale or celery. These blended drinks can combine leafy green vegetables with fruits and even with healthy fats such as hemp or flax seeds. There are endless recipes online or you can experiment with whatever is in your fridge. So why should you add green smoothies to your diet?

They are Simple and Quick to Make

You don’t need any special equipment to make a smoothie, just an ordinary blender. All you have to do is wash all your fruits and veggies and throw them in. It will probably take you longer to drink your smoothie than to make it.

They Help Fill You Up

Green smoothies contain plenty of fibre which will help keep you feeling full for longer. The ingredients in a green smoothie tend to have a low glycaemic index, helping to keep your blood sugar levels balanced so you are less likely to want to snack in between meals.

Green Smoothies Are Easy to Digest

Provided you blend them thoroughly, most of the cells in the fruits and vegetables will rupture, making it easier for the body to absorb essential nutrients.

Mouth rinses tend to fall into three different categories. They can be cosmetic, therapeutic or natural or herbal rinses. So which is best?

• Cosmetic mouth rinses will temporarily mask bad breath and may help to get rid of some bacteria. Some contain whiteners to help remove some surface stains, but the effects are quite limited. A cosmetic mouth rinse will not help improve your oral health but might be nice to use if you have had a meal with lots of onions or garlic, or other highly flavoured foods.
• Therapeutic mouth rinses contain active ingredients to help reduce your risk of tooth decay which may include fluoride. These can be useful if you have a high risk of tooth decay or if you are currently undergoing orthodontics or wear another type of dental appliance that could increase your risk of cavities. Some mouth rinses will help reduce plaque and tartar and will contain a substance called chlorhexidine. These tend to be for short term use and are often on prescription. Antibacterial and antimicrobial mouthwashes will help reduce bacteria that could cause gum disease. Therapeutic mouthwashes can be very useful for providing additional protection and they will help to temporarily freshen up your breath.
• If you prefer to use natural products then there are plenty on the market. These do not have any harsh chemicals or alcohol, or any preservatives. They usually contain herbs known to have beneficial properties.

If you would like more personalised advice on choosing a mouth rinse, then please ask us next time you visit Integrated Dental Care. Whichever mouth rinse you choose, opt for one that does not contain alcohol and please bear in mind that a mouth rinse can never replace regular brushing and flossing, but it can make a nice addition to your daily oral hygiene routine.

If you are contemplating orthodontic treatment then you are probably interested in finding out which brace might best suit your needs. This does depend on the issues requiring correction and their complexity. Relatively straightforward cases that only affect your front teeth can often be corrected within a matter of a few weeks or months, using a cosmetically oriented brace. More complicated problems will require more time, but most adults will typically complete treatment within a year.

When you visit Integrated Dental Care, our dentist can properly assess your teeth and jaws and they may wish to take photos and x-rays and possibly dental impressions to help provide a clearer picture of any orthodontic problems. This information will all be used to devise your personalised treatment plan, showing all possible options for orthodontic treatment.

We allow plenty of time to talk to you in some detail about the different types of braces, to help you decide on the most suitable choice. Our comprehensive range includes fixed and removable braces that are suitable for all ages. While removable braces or aligners are very popular, it can sometimes be worth considering fixed braces, particularly if you have more complicated orthodontic problems that require correction. Whatever your choice, we can help you achieve a beautifully straight and healthy smile.

Root canal therapy is a great treatment for saving a tooth that is badly infected. You may need root canal therapy if you develop a persistent toothache or if it hurts whenever you bite down on a certain tooth. Other symptoms include noticing the gum around the painful tooth looks red or swollen and you might have a persistently unpleasant taste in your mouth.
These symptoms can all develop if a tooth has an untreated cavity or a leaky filling, or if you have lost part of a tooth, enabling bacteria to enter the very central part of the tooth called the pulp. This part of your tooth contains all the nerves and blood vessels and these extend right into the root canals in the tooth roots. Treatment will remove all the infected tissues, including those in the root canals so the tooth can be restored, usually with a crown to cover it up completely. Root canal therapy shouldn’t be any worse than having a filling as we will make sure you are kept comfortable and afterwards your tooth will be pain-free.
If you do have toothache, we strongly recommend you book an appointment with our dental practice as soon as possible so we can diagnose the problem. This is because root canal treatment is more successful when carried out sooner rather than later, as if left untreated the infection could develop into an abscess which is much more serious and which reduces our chances of saving your tooth.

Integrated Dental Care recommends children have an orthodontic evaluation as early as age seven. By this stage our dentists can already identify any potential problems and early orthodontics can be highly successful in treating certain issues. These include problems caused by oral habits such as thumb sucking.

How Early Orthodontic Treatment Can Help

The jawbone and facial bones of a young child are still developing and at this stage we can take advantage of growth spurts to help guide these bones into the correct arrangements. There are several advantages in being able to carry out treatment at this particular stage of a child’s development.

Firstly, early orthodontics can help reduce or sometimes even eliminate the need for orthodontics at a later date by helping to create sufficient space for the adult teeth to erupt normally. Secondly, any treatment needed when they are in their teens tends to be more cosmetically oriented and can be more easily completed. Thirdly, by guiding their facial growth, we can help create a pleasing and attractive profile for your child, which can help boost their self-esteem and self-confidence.

If you think your child might benefit from an orthodontic consultation then please contact Integrated Dental Care to arrange an appointment.

It is a great time of year to get out into the fresh air and to make the most of the nice weather. Need more encouragement? We’ve put together eight reasons why a daily dose of sunshine is good for you.

1. We get 90-95% of our vitamin D from the sun. This vitamin helps us to absorb calcium, keeping our teeth and bones healthy and helps protect us against serious diseases later on in life, including osteoporosis, Type II diabetes, some cancers and multiple sclerosis.
2. Sunshine boosts serotonin levels, which is why we tend to feel more energetic and happier when the sun is out.
3. A daily dose of sunshine helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. A study found cholesterol levels rise in winter as vitamin D levels fall.
4. The warm sunshine helps to relieve muscle stiffness and pain caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
5. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is caused by a lack of sunlight during the winter months and while you can buy special lightboxes, natural sunlight works best. You only need fifteen minutes daily exposure to the sunlight in the summer and an hour’s walk during the winter months will help keep SAD at bay.
6. Sunlight boosts fertility levels by reducing melatonin levels, a hormone that suppresses fertility. The sun also helps to boost testosterone levels in men.
7. Crohn’s, IBS and other inflammatory bowel diseases can be relived with sunlight as people with these conditions tend to have low levels of vitamin D.

Reduce skin problems as exposure to sunlight can help heal psoriasis, eczema and acne.