oral health – Defacto Dentists

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stress, stressed, mental health, bad breath, anxiety, dental problems

What is Bad Breath? Bad breath, or halitosis, is a common problem that can cause distress, worry and embarrassment. When you eat certain foods like garlic or curry their smell and taste can linger. The same is true for drinking alcohol. Chewing gum, sucking mints or using breath freshener can help. But what if there…

happy dentist

Just HOW do you START A JOURNEY TOWARDS FINDING THE RIGHT DENTIST? guest blog by Nikoleta Gehrmann Hopefully this helps you in finding the right dentist. Has it been a while since you have seen a dentist? You know it’s time to change that, but you are not sure where to start. Here are some…

teeth

Your teeth and your mouth can highlight a lot of underlying health issues. You may notice some abnormalities but what are they trying to tell you? What can your mouth tell you about any underlying health issues? We’re going to delve into some common symptoms of the teeth and mouth and explain their potential health…

cold, winter, teeth, sensitive, sensitivity, freezing

Did you know that your oral health is more likely to worsen during the winter months? New research has shown that your oral health is more likely to worsen in the winter months, due to a number of factors. In this blog post, we look at the reasons why your oral health is likely to…

skin, affects, oral health

Can your oral health really affect your skin? If you think that your oral health has nothing to do with the appearance of your skin, you’re wrong. Just like every other area of our body, everything is linked. Skin can make us or break us. It can make us feel super confident, or super self…

halitosis, bad breath, breath, smelly breath, beat bad breath,

Ever wondered what would happen if you stopped brushing your teeth altogether? You’ve probably thought about it. You’ve probably thought ‘my teeth would probably just fall out and that would be it”. You’re half right. Kind of. Not brushing opens the door for bacteria leading to tooth decay and gum disease. However, not brushing won’t…

cancer patients, cancer, oral health, check up before cancer surgery

New research shows that attending a dental appointment before cancer surgery could be the difference between life and death. It sounds shocking, but that’s because it is. A simple dental check up before undergoing major cancer surgery could prevent death, or other post-operative illnesses. It might not be at the top of your to-do list…

HPV injection for boys, boys hpv, hpv, hpv vaccination

UK Government advisers recommend extending funding for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to boys. Since 2008, girls aged between 12-13 years old in the UK have been receiving HPV jags to prevent against cervical cancer. Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by certain strains of HPV, which can be transmitted through sexual contact. Cervical cancer can be…

Zendium, Zendium Toothpaste, Zendium Toothpaste Review, Unilever, toothpaste review

Want to boost your mouth’s natural defences? Zendium toothpaste is finally available in the UK! Unilever brand, Zendium, is has taken Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, France and Belgium by storm. This innovative toothpaste cares for your whole mouth and can overhaul your oral health in just 14 weeks, keeping your teeth and gums healthy. What is…

oral health, children's oral health, NHS Cuts, government cuts

How long is too long to wait for a dental operation? The number of children in England waiting longer than six months for a dental operation under general anaesthesia has risen by 52% over the past three years, data provided by NHS trusts suggests. Children are being forced to suffer due to continuous cuts to NHS dentistry.…

onion, food,

As well as our teeth, we need to look after our gums. If we neglect our gums, they can become, sore, irritated and even infected (nasty, we know!). That’s why we need to care for our teeth as well as our gums, and it’s actually pretty easy! One of the easiest ways to take care…

children's oral health

MANY children starting primary school in Brighton and Hove have suffered tooth decay, new figures from Public Health England show. Hundreds of children in Brighton & Hove are suffering from tooth decay, with many often needing emergency hospital trips for surgery under general anaesthetic. In almost 50% of cases, these children aren’t even of primary…

CHEESE has been named the nation’s favourite sandwich filling, a study has found. A recent survey of 2,000 Brits revealed more than half of adults consider a plain cheese sandwich – with no condiments or salad items – to be the best. Coming in a close second was ham and cheese followed by ham salad,…

child, dentist, parents, oral health

Millions of British parents could be putting their children’s health at risk. By not knowing the facts about kids’ dental care, you could be putting your child’s oral health at risk. A whopping one quarter of adults don’t think it matters if their kids develop cavities in their baby teeth, because they’ll ‘fall out anyway’,…

dentist and patient in conversation

One quarter of Brits are scared of the dentist. But why do so many of dread our twenty minute check-ups? Why are so many of us scared of the dentist? What doesn’t help is that us Brits tend to over-exaggerate sometimes! While your filling or root canal probably wasn’t a heap of fun, was it…

dental filling, fillings, dental care, oral health

For years, Tooth Decay in children has been on an incline. Tooth decay in children has been a hot topic over here on the Defacto Dentists blog for many months. For a long time, tooth decay has been the number one reason for planned hospital admissions among children. And the worst part? Tooth decay is…

prosecco, alcohol, damage, drinking, decay

It’s entering the warmer (kind of!) months here in the UK! That can only mean one thing. Spontaneous barbecues, garden parties and trips to the beer garden. We’re really looking forward to it, even if it is only going to last a maximum of three days! Shifting levels of good and bad bacteria in your…

best dentist in, dentist in, best dentist in essex, dentist in essex, find a dentist in essex

When was the last time you visited the hygienist? Almost one third of adults in the UK have never had a hygiene appointment at the dentist, research from Tepe has shown. This is a truly shocking statistic. Some people think that visiting the dentist is enough. And in some cases, that is true. There are…

tooth decay, decay, gum disease, white spots, plaque, dentist

Think you know everything about looking after your teeth? Think again. Spit and DON’T RINSE Too many of us after brushing our teeth, are guilty of rinsing with water. If you rinse your mouth with water after brushing your teeth, you’re washing away the fluoride that helps harden your teeth. Fluoride is vital for…

nhs dentistry cuts, nhs cuts, government cuts, nhs, health care, smile, chidlren's oral health

Inequalities in dental care are set to soar! In the UK, dental care is available on the NHS, to make good dental health available to everyone. But, with more dentists going private, inequality in dental care is becoming ever more obvious. But this is before many proposed governments cuts have been implemented. Changes to NHS…

cosmetic dentistry, cosmetic, dental health, aligners, teeth whitening, veneers

40% of Brits are unhappy with their smile. So many of us are unhappy with our appearance. We will change our hairstyle, have a wardrobe overhaul, try crash diets and crazy diet pills to try and make a change. When it comes to our smiles, two fifths of us aren’t happy. Why are we opting…

dental filling, fillings, dental care, oral health

Getting fillings is a pretty common procedure, but what should you do after treatment? Most adults have at least one filling. Although they are not the worst possible thing you could have done at the dentist, they’re not a lot of fun. If you don’t care for them, you might land yourself back in the…

domestic abuse, can spot domestic abuse, dentistry, dental health, oral health

Dentists are undergoing training so they can spot the signs of domestic abuse. Our dentists are trained to recognise a whole host of problems. From gum disease and decay, to illnesses such as oral cancers or even diabetes. But Dentists all around the world are being trained to recognise symptoms of abuse. Today on the…

dorset kids, kids in dorset, oral health in children, NHS, child smile, dental health, kids oral health, decay in children

Dorset children have some of the worst teeth in the UK. DORSET is above both the national and regional average for the number of children aged under 5 with dental problems. Tooth Decay is on the rise in Dorset Children. On the Defacto Dentists blog, we’ve looked at tooth decay in children many a time.…

bad breath in children, halitosis children, bad breath, children's oral health

Bad breath will affect everyone at some point in their life. even in childhood. Bad breath is most common after eating certain foods such garlic and onion, it may appear after drinking of if you’re taking certain medications. Bad breath in children. If you’ve noticed that your child’s breath is not so pleasant, don’t worry,…

english kids, dentistry, second, class

Are children in England being failed by NHS Dentistry? It’s no secret that children love sugar. If you offer them a chocolate bar vs some healthy carrot sticks, we all know what they’re going to choose. But a rise in sugar and a drop in the number of NHS dentists is landing English children in…

dry january, sugar, alcohol, drinking, teeth, dry january and increased sugar intake, giving up alcohol, january

The festivities are over! Three course dinners have been swapped for salads, nobody wants the left over chocolates, we’ve bought our gym memberships and even given up alcohol. Dry January has made its return! People are swapping beer and wine for water and avoiding all things party! What is Dry January? Dry January is an…

look,after,your,teeth,2018,new year, resolutions, dental

It’s the new year, what better time to create and maintain new dental habits to look after your teeth in 2018? No matter what your new year resolutions are, here are some ways you can look after your teeth in 2018. Change up your brush. One in five Brits don’t remember the last time…

It is often the case that people only give thought to their physical health. Mental health and Oral health are often an after-thought, but here at Defacto Dentists, we want to challenge you to think differently about the way you take care of your overall health! Poor oral health has been linked with illnesses…

oral cancer, cancer screening, oral health, HPV, HPV Vaccine, cancer

HPV or the Human Papillomavirus is a group of viruses and is the most common sexually transmitted virus. But what has this got to do with dentistry? Well, HPV is most commonly attributed to causing genital warts or cervical cancer but HPV can also cause oral cancer. HPV is the leading cause of oro-pharyngeal cancers…

Sensitive Teeth

Tooth loss in adults can be worrying and really knock your confidence. It’s a dental problem that adults never really think about but it does happen, probably more than you think. The most common reasons for tooth loss in adults are: bad oral hygiene routines, serious illness, chronic illness such as diabetes, gum disease, sudden…

caring for kids' teeth

We wanted to share some top tips for keeping your kids’ teeth healthy! The more you teach a child to take care of their teeth from a young age, the less likely they are to encounter problems with their teeth as they reach their teens and progress through adulthood. Take your child to the dentist…

uk teeth trump americas

Survey shows that UK dental health trumps that of America. A survey of 12 countries commissioned by the FDI World Dental Federation shows that UK teeth are much better taken care of than American teeth. That being said the British are lagging behind Brazilians, Mexicans, South Africans and Poles. The YouGov poll tallied in 130,000…

how our teeth age

We all get older and we know the standard side effects. Like wrinkles, poor eyesight and age spots. But, have you ever thought about when you age, how your teeth age too? Your teeth can change dramatically over short spaces of time. If you’re really consistent with brushing, you’re teeth will look a lot whiter…

what does mouthwash do

You either never miss it or never use it. Mouthwash is marketed so often for whitening teeth and freshening breath, that’s all we think it’s good for. But, what does mouthwash actually do? There are really just two purposes of a mouthwash. One is to coat teeth in fluoride and the second is to kill…

winter tooth pain

Are your teeth feeling the chill? We wouldn’t be surprised if they were. With temperatures plummeting we’re expecting some people to be experiencing some winter tooth pain. At Defacto we’re asking ourselves, does the winter affect your teeth? Long story short, yes it does. If you already have sensitive teeth there’s a chance you may…

what causes dry mouth

We’ve all experienced dry mouth at some point in our lives, but what causes it? We don’t mean dry mouth in the sense that you’ve woken up with a hangover or an illness. What we mean is chronic dry mouth. Frequent dry mouth can be a sign of underlying health issues and we want you…

what does smoking do to your smile

We all know that smoking is bad for us. However, while the majority of us are focusing on the cancer risk or our lungs, what does smoking do to our mouth? It has been estimated that every year in the UK around 96,000 people die from diseases caused by smoking. Also, about half of all…

oral cancer symptoms you should look out for

Oral Cancer is the 11th most common cancer, in males, in the UK. Do you watch out for oral cancer symptoms? There has been a 92% increases in cases of oral cancer since the 70s. There are thousands of new cases diagnosed annually. It’s estimated that 91% of the cases are preventable if they are…

improving children's oral health

To improve children’s oral health, issues need to be tackled in schools first. Children’s oral health has become more of an issue of late. With child tooth decay rising rapidly, it’s no surprise people want to see the problem addressed. In 2014/15 over 26,000 children aged between five and nine were admitted to hospital for…

plaque can contain bacteria

You may be familiar with adverts in TV showing plaque being buffed away. But what do we actually know about it? What many dentists know is that plaque is a biofilm, a combination of bacteria (500+ types), fungi, and protozoa. This mixes with nutrients from foods and drinks in the mouth to create a self-sustaining…

how to keep bad breath at bay

We’ve all had bad breath at some point in our life. Whether it’s in the morning or after a meal heavy on garlic. However, for some it’s a daily struggle. It is caused by the accumulation and breakdown of bacteria in the mouth. That’s why frequent bad breath–also known as halitosis–is also a sign of…

keeping your toothbrush clean

Keeping your toothbrush clean can seem like a simple task… You may think that storing it in your cupboard is the best place for it. However, you may also think there’s no harm in sharing it with your partner. There’s a lot that goes into keeping your toothbrush clean. We’re going to give you some…

wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth are inevitable for us all. However, keeping them might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Having your wisdom teeth coming in can be painful and can undo whatever cosmetic work you may have already had done. But, there is also the possibility of other unforeseen issues with cutting these teeth… Impacted…

teeth whitening foods

It seems like there’s so much food and drink that does damage to your teeth these days. Although, what if there are teeth whitening foods… It’s not really a ‘what if’, there are loads of healthy teeth whitening foods. They may not bleach them but a lot of these foods work to wash away discolouration…

beautiful white smile

Of course we know that brushing and flossing is an important part of your dental routine, but why is tongue scraping important? You may or may not have heard of this technique before, however, tongue scraping does a lot to aid in your dental health. The small instrument is a plastic tool that you would…

This article on how you could be ruining your smile aims to show you small things you could change to improve your oral health. People have a more extensive knowledge of dental health these days, but brushing two times a day with toothpaste may not be all you need to do. Here are some hints…

Olympians encouraged to take better care of their teeth. A recent report has found that athletes are more at risk of tooth erosion than non-athletes and, therefore, Olympic participants have been urged to be aware of their oral health. With the 2016 Olympics Games having officially kicked off on Friday night, all eyes are on…

It can be a task getting kids to take part in things that are meant to keep them healthy, eating vegetables and going to bed at the right time can be such a hassle. Dental hygiene and tooth brushing is no different. Ask any parent and they’ll tell you without hesitation that getting their kids…

Have you noticed your teeth wearing down? Do you suffer from headaches, earaches and inflamed gums? You might be suffering from Bruxism. Commonly known as grinding your teeth, bruxism is fairly common and can have a huge impact on the look and health of your teeth. It impacts around 10% of adults and 15% of…

Dysphagia is more commonly known, as swallowing difficulties can be an identifier of other, more serious conditions. Although, dysphagia itself is serious enough, some cannot swallow certain food and drink and others find that they cannot swallow at all. Due to its restrictive nature it can lead to a manner of complications. In an interview…

Sensitive teeth affect a lot of people; it can alter your relationship with food and drink and be extremely irritating. It can feel anywhere between mild twinge to having severe discomfort that can last several hours. It is most common in people between the ages of 20 and 40; however, it can affect people in…

The public will now be able to implement water fluoridation. An online toolkit from Public Health England (PHE) will allow local authorities to have the choice to have fluoride in their water. The 79-page toolkit is available on the gov.uk website, it is under ‘Improving oral health: a community water fluoridation toolkit for local authorities’…

Could the germs in your mouth lead to pancreatic cancer? New study hints at a link between germs found in your mouth and a heightened risk of pancreatic cancer. Researchers in America believe that they have found links between things lurking in our mouths and the possibility of cancer, Jiyoung Ahn, Associate Professor of Population…

Claims by dentists state that musculoskeletal injuries and psychiatric disorders are the biggest health issues for the profession, according to Dentists’ Provident. Dentists’ Provident members are most likely to claim for musculoskeletal injuries. New statistics show that one in three claims made to these members are for these health issues, which include; general back pain,…

White teeth is a desire for everyone, we all want to have sparkling pearly whites when we smile. So how can you achieve teeth whitening on a budget? Not everyone can afford professional whitening but what you can do it follow some simple at home tips to ensure whiter teeth in due time. Update Your…

The BSP launch creative new gum disease campaign. From yesterday (Thursday 12 May), the British Society of Periodontology (BSP) is taking the bold step of launching an innovative UK-wide campaign to raise awareness of gum disease and its far-reaching impact on general health, for the first time in its 67-year history. BSP president Dr Phil…