Braces are in high demand in the UK: about 200,000 children and adults in England and Wales get braces each year. If you’re thinking of getting braces, then it’s natural to have questions. So, in this post, we’ll answer some of the frequent questions we hear about braces.

What is the purpose of braces?

Unfortunately, we aren’t all blessed with straight teeth. This is where braces come in. Their main purpose is to straighten your teeth. By slowly exerting pressure on your teeth, braces correct your misaligned, crooked and protruding teeth so that you have a nice straight row of gnashers.

It’s a lot easier to take care of your teeth when they’re straight instead of crooked. Straight teeth are easier to brush and food doesn’t get stuck as often as with crooked teeth. Having a set of straight teeth can also make it easier to eat because it ensures you bite correctly.

How common are braces?

Every year, around 200,000 people get braces in England and Wales. The vast majority are under eighteen. Specifically, around 65% of braces patients are teenagers and 34% are children. This means that only 1 in 100 braces wearers are adults. This is partly because of the price – braces are around £2,500 for adults but are free for under 18s. But it’s also because braces are generally more successful in children than adults.

Saying that, more and more adults are seeking braces. Many of these adults missed out on braces when they were children and now they want to correct their teeth.

What is it like to have braces?

Your experience with braces will depend on what type you want to get. With removable braces, you can take them out when you need to eat and clean your teeth. In contrast, fixed braces are more difficult to live with as they easily trap food. You will need to take special care with fixed braces to remove trapped food.

How much do braces cost?

As mentioned, if you’re lucky enough to under the age of 18, the NHS provides braces for free. The rest of us however have to fork out for private treatment. This usually costs around £2,500, but prices vary widely between dentists and the type of braces you want to get. For example, invisible braces are more expensive than traditional metal braces.

Where can I get braces?

Most large dental clinics in the UK offer braces, including Benson Dental. We’re a practice in Cradley Heath, Birmingham. Click here to find out more about our braces at Benson Dental. If braces are something you want, then why make an appointment with one of our dentists who will discuss your options with you?

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In nine out of ten cases, bad breath is caused by a dental problem. These problems include gum disease, tooth decay, poor dental hygiene, tongue coat, throat infection, and faulty restorations.

But did you know that food can also cause bad breath? It’s true: some foods have been scientifically proven to promote halitosis. Read on to find out more.

Culprits of bad breath

• Garlic and onions. If you always eat garlic and onions, then it shouldn’t be a surprise that your breath sometimes makes people turn away in horror, and not just vampires either. Both garlic and onions contain smelly sulphur compounds that linger in your mouth. These compounds are expelled when you exhale, thus letting everyone in a five-metre radius know exactly what you had for lunch. And there’s not much you can do about the smell either. As the author of author of Garlic: The Mighty Bulb says, “It goes right into your system and seeps out through your pores, not just your breath.”
• Alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine can also cause bad breath. Again, this is probably not a surprise. Who hasn’t woken up with a hangover and then discovered they have morning breath? Alcohol and caffeine cause bad breath in the same way: decreased saliva production. When you drink an espresso or sip a cocktail, the saliva production in your mouth is decreased. This makes your mouth go dry, which is the perfect environment for bacteria to grow. The bacteria in turn produce smelly gases that cause bad breath. So, if you want to avoid bad breath, think twice about your nights on the town and your daily caffeine dose.
• Spicy foods. This is also common sense, but spicy foods such as strong curries can temporarily cause bad breath. This is because spices such as cumin have a strong and lasting aroma. Just think of the breath of people stumbling out of their local curry house. Or on second thought, maybe don’t.

Foods and drinks that combat bad breath

Thankfully, some drinks and food actually make your breath smell better.

• Water. Water is a great choice as it washes away bits of food in your mouth, and promotes saliva production. It’s also odor-free. What’s not to love?
• Chewing gum. Chewing gum is another way to reduce bad breath. The act of chewing secretes saliva, which in turn helps kill the bacteria in your mouth. Gum also helps loosen bits of food from your teeth. But don’t use gum that contains sugar, otherwise you’ll be encouraging bacteria instead of killing them.

Conclusion

If you have persistent bad breath, then see your dentist or doctor. Sometimes bad breath can be a sign that there’s something seriously wrong with your body, such as diabetes, cancer or even liver failure. Rest assured though that most cases of bad breath go away with after an improved oral hygiene routine.

The post Which foods cause bad breath? appeared first on Benson Dental Practice.

Causes of stains

There are two types of staining: internal and external.

• Internal staining is related to the inside of the tooth (the dentine). Unfortunately, this type of staining occurs with age, since dentine naturally gets darker and more yellow as you get older. Enamel also wears down with age which makes the yellow dentine more visible. Internal staining isn’t just age-related however – it can also occur due to genes, high fluoride levels, antibiotics, and developmental disorders.
• External staining is related to the outside of the tooth (the enamel). This type of staining is mainly due to environmental factors, such as smoking, food and antibiotics.

Food is one of the main causes of external staining. Food stains usually occur when pigments called ‘tannins’ attach to the enamel. These tannins are found in substantial amounts in coffee, tea and red wine. Foods such as curry, pasta sauce and berries are also thought to stain teeth.

Tar in cigarettes is the other main cause of external staining. Tar causes a brown or black stain known as tobacco stain. Tobacco stains are difficult to clean, which means they will not come off with brushing. It’s best to stop smoking as soon as you can, but we also know how difficult it can be to stop. Nicotine replacements, exercise, chewing gum, and avoiding stress can help.

Staining treatments

The easiest way to keep your teeth white is by preventing staining in the first place. If you already have stained teeth however, then you might want to consider one of these staining treatments:

• Brushing. Simply brushing with toothpaste removes most stains. However, you’ve probably noticed that brushing alone doesn’t remove stains entirely. Even if you brush twice a day, stains will still build up over months and years.
• Scale and polish. The good news is that dentists can remove surface stains with a scale and polish. However, a scale and polish will not necessarily make your teeth white. This is because age-related issues such as darkening of the dentine mean you might have naturally yellow teeth.
• Bleaching. If you’re looking for white Hollywood-style teeth, then you’ll want bleaching. This treatment is the best way to change the colour of your teeth from yellow to white. Keep in mind however that teeth bleaching only lasts a few months, after which you will need to get the teeth rebleached. Also, teeth bleaching doesn’t work on false teeth, fillings, veneers or crowns.

If you’d like to talk to us about tooth discoloration treatments, then don’t hesitate to contact us today. Also, remember that the best and safest place to get a bleaching treatment is from a dentist.

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]]> https://bensondental.co.uk/how-to-use-dental-floss/ Mon, 13 Mar 2017 14:39:57 +0000 https://bensondental.co.uk/?p=1953 A frequent question dentists ask is “Do you floss?” This is an important question because flossing is a part of a good oral hygiene routine. It removes plaque from places that toothbrushes struggle to reach. Therefore, we advise all our patients to floss as part of their own oral hygiene routines. In the post, we’ll

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]]> A frequent question dentists ask is “Do you floss?” This is an important question because flossing is a part of a good oral hygiene routine. It removes plaque from places that toothbrushes struggle to reach. Therefore, we advise all our patients to floss as part of their own oral hygiene routines. In the post, we’ll show you to floss properly.

How to floss

Break off about half a metre of floss (i.e. about 20 inches). Wind some around one finger of each hand. Hold the floss in one hand with your thumb and forefinger. Do the same with the other hand, leaving about an inch of floss between each hand.

Use a gentle rocking motion to manoeuvre the floss into the space between two of your teeth. Bring the floss up to your gum line. When you reach the gum line, curve the floss against one of the teeth then gently bring the floss down, scraping the side of the tooth as you do so. Repeat on the second tooth. Then remove the floss and repeat the entire procedure for the rest of your teeth.

Flossing tips

Here are some of our top tips for flossing:

• Don’t neglect your back teeth. We know that the back teeth are the hardest to floss, but they are still important. Dentists usually see more cavities in the back teeth because patients neglect them.
• To help you remember which teeth you have already flossed, it helps to keep to a regular pattern. For example, you could start with the top teeth and work left to right.
• Don’t be too aggressive or you could harm your gums. Be gentle.
• Don’t be afraid to ask your dentist to show you how to floss properly.

My gums are bleeding – help!

Don’t worry. A little bleeding is normal when you first start flossing. This is because your gums are not yet used to the floss. Keep flossing as normal and you should see the bleeding stop after a few days. However, if your gums still bleed after a few days, see your dentist and they can check if everything is okay.

What if I find flossing too difficult?

If you find flossing difficult, then try one of these alternatives to floss:

• Dental tape. This is a thicker version of floss, which makes it easier to hold.
• Floss picks. A floss pick is a thread of floss attached to a handle. This makes it easy to use because the handle gives you something to hold on to. However, floss picks are single-use and can therefore quickly become expensive.
• An interdental brush. This is a special type of toothbrush designed specifically to clean between teeth. However, the size between your teeth needs to be big enough for the brush to fit into. If your teeth are too small for an interdental brush, then try floss picks or dental tape instead.

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