Grinding and Gnashing of Teeth

It is official, as a nation, there is more grinding and gnashing of teeth going on…the posh term for it is bruxing.  We know everyone is more stressed…the economy, the  threat of job loss, even our spouses, our teeth are bearing the brunt of it

Do any of these describe you?

• Do your jaw muscles ache in the morning?
• Do you have difficulty in eating, first thing?
• Do your teeth show premature wear? Teeth appear flatter, shorter
• Do you suffer from frequent headaches or facial pain?
• Do you suffer from repeated earaches?
• Has your  partner ever complained about you making strange grinding noises in your sleep?

If this describes you, then here are some tips to help prevent it

1. If you are a true bruxist, you cannot prevent it.  It is a reflex action, like breathing so the aim in treatment is to protect the teeth

2.The commonest treatment is an occlusal splint.

There are different designs, different names but in essence your dentist makes a custom plastic gaurd to protect your teeth.  You grind the plastic v/s your teeth so protecting them.  I prefer a hard splint, this is generally more expensive but there is more involved as the dentist uses it to create an even bite which helps stabilise things

3.Occlusal Equilibriation

This basically means adjusting your bite so the teeth meet evenly.  It may involve your dentist triming away some of the surface enamel or the opposite, adding material to change the shape of hte teeth.  often after providing veneers for patients, the  biggest thanks is finding they no longer suffer from headaches because as part of the treatment I can give them a better bite.  Either way,, the aim is to distribute the forces evenly over all your  teeth

4. Botox! We are now experimenting with using Botox to help the muscles relax.  Botox has been used for many years on medical conditions eg Cerebral Palsy where the muscles go into spasm. It does not change your appearance in any way

4 Behaviour changes…ie relax.  This is often the most difficult but stress does make the situation worse!

Your Smile…THE Fashion Accesory

So it is finally official.  Smiles are fashionable.  Since Paris fashion week models have been told to smile, no pouting, no grimacing, no frowning…SMILE

What took the designers so so I wonder?  Is it the fear that the fabulosity of a smile might take away  from focusing on the clothes?

One thing is for sure no matter what you look like, how you feel a smile is THE accessory to flash around.  The universal language, it has both physical and emotional positive effect effects.  That’s why I LOVE what I do.  I get to share in the transformation as people’s confidence soar and often they tell me that the happy person inside now has a chance to come out.

So today, a typical, dreary cold wet british morning, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day!

Did You Know…Red Wine Rots Teeth!

I have been inundated by questions about an article that recently appeared in the paper that claimed that white white rots teeth.  Everyone has accepted that red wine is not good and it is especially associated with staining.  However ALL wine does have a negative impact on teeth because of their acidity.  In this particular test,researchers from Germany soaked teeth in different wines for up to 24hours.  White wines were found to cause the most loss of enamel and this confirmed that frequent consumption of white wine does lead to dental erosion

So what to do?  With all acidic food and drinks, the same principles apply

1. Don’t take excess

2. Frequency v/s quantity.  Consuming the acidic food in small quantities over a whole day for example is worse than eating everything in one go.  This same principle apples to eating sugary things because the bacteria in your mouth converts the sugar to acid

3. Rinse with a fluoride mouthwash to neutralise the effect, if none availabe even rinsing with water helps.

4. Follow with an alkaline food eg Cheese to neutralise the effect of the acid

5. DO NOT brush your teeth immediately after.  This is a common myth but the worst thing to do! The acid softens the enamel of your teeth and you would in effect be brushing away your enamel. Chew sugar free gum for 10mins instead.  This produces saliva which helps stabilise your enamel

A Woman Of Substance

A few weeks ago I attended an inspiring awards ceremony celebrating the 30th anniversary Barbara Taylor Bradford’s debut novel, A Woman of Substance.

I remember first reading this book as a kid and being totally riveted by the story of this strong woman overcoming the odds.  A total dreamer and an introvert, I used to loose myself in books and I remember telling myself if Emma Harte could do it why not me

This award was to recognise women of today overcoming the odds and the first ever recipient was truly inspiring.  Lisa Salmon, 42, from Horsforth, Leeds, was crowned ‘A Woman of Substance 2009′ Lisa was nominated by her mother, Sheila Salmon, and her friend, Gail Robinson, who described her as an extraordinary human being. Lisa  has had to deal with a series of tragedies — one of which resulted in her losing her sight and the other the death of her son at just two days old. Since then, she has managed to triumph over adversity, going on to marry and have two children, and is now juggling a busy family life with working as a writer with the support of her husband Mark and in her spare time helps to support and campaign for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service that saved her life.

Lisa when asked about the award said “I was amazed I won. I don’t feel like I’m that special. I’ve just got on with life. I do feel sometimes that I’m the luckiest unluckiest person alive. I’m over the moon to be seen as a real woman of substance. I just can’t believe it.”

During her acceptance speech I was struck by a comment she made…”bad things happen to good people , there’s just no point in moaning, it just doesn’t serve any purpose, I just got on with it.”

At that point the lady I was standing next to turned to me and said, “Well that put’s my bad day into perspective!”

Congratulations Lisa, Emma Harte would be proud of you!

Who knew George could look better!

Years ago ER was my “must see TV”. George Clooney is back on the small screen looking better than before, why? His teeth of course!

He has had a smile makeover and boy has it made a difference, he definitely looks 10 years younger

As we get older our teeth get darker and shorter as they do their work chomping on all that lovely food.  Those short yellow teeth have gone and with it the years, also a little tweaking to remove the excess gum and he looks, younger, fresher and even more gorgeous!

That’s why your smile is THE best accessory

Dentistry Vegas Style!

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I wrote anything on the blog, totally shocking!  I am trying to decide if the time has sped by so fast because I am having such a great time or if it is just because I am getting older and I don’t know what it is about time, but the older you get the faster time seems to speed by!

Anyway in my defence I have been in the states, for almost three weeks, first for a conference and then for a course.  Yup the Yanks are still the leaders when it comes to cosmetic dentisty which is why I invest so much time and energy in the many trips I take there to learn all the new techniques to make sure our guests do absolutely benefit from the best.

I was in Vegas for the International Federation of Esthetic Dentistry.  It is a conference held every 2 years where all the top cosmetic dentists from over the world come together to share experiences and learn.  It is really intense, early morning 7am starts.  I was moaning one day and had to shut up after talking to a Korean dentist who had travelled twice the distance i did, was more jetlagged than I and was struggling to understand all that was going on because his English wasn’t that great.  It reminded me that excellence was a journey and he said he felt just being there was sufficient..nothing more to be said!

10yy Live

I have just recovered from the fantastic show that was 10yy live in Earls Court

It was wonderful to meet so many of you that are fans of the show. We had a great stand and in between whitening the teeth of the contributors that were chosen for a makeover and being on stage, I managed to fuel my passion of talking about teeth to anyone that would listen on our stand!

Next year the show will be bigger and better and I can’t wait

Beauty v/s Health

New research from Mintel has confirmed what we all already know

1. Stained yellow teeth are the top aesthetic concerns for consumers

2. 4/10 of us Brits are more concerned about the colour of our teeth than health issues such as cavities or gum disease

“Alongside wrinkles, teeth are another key indicator of age. Agelessness is one of the major social issues which has been gathering pace over the past decade. Whilst kids are getting older younger, older adults are refusing to accept their age,” This was a comment by the Senior analyst at Mintel.

I am often bemused by the panic of such stories and why people are suprised by the results.  It is as old as time.  Why do  we have to hide medicine in ‘nice food’ or drinks to get kids to swallow it?  The same reason why I have many smokers that know all about the fact it can kill them but won’t quit.  Suddenly they decide they want whiter teeth for a special event or birthday and this motivates them to quit.  Is it vanity?  Are they choosing beauty over life? Do I care?  Absolutely not, I’m for whatever works!

So going back to the Mintel story I know for a fact that anyone who has had their smile fixed no longer needs to be told to brush, floss see the hygienist etc They love the way they look, take pride in themselves and so are motivated to look after their teeth and their oral health improves drastically.

That’s what we should focus on, finding solutions that motivate so it is a win win for everyone.  Now if I could invent a floss that whitens teeth, flossing would no longer be the ‘F” word!

Brushing Can Boost Your Sperm Count

Brushing may not be sexy but it does give your sperm a boost!

A recent Isreali Study confirmed yet another effect of gum disease.  They showed that over half the men studied who had low sperm counts or no sperm at all also suffered from gum disease

Gum Disease is the main reason adults in the UK loose their teeth and it has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, strokes and now infertility

If you are planning to have kids my tip is not to forget your mouth.  Get healthy, visit your dentist and hygienist for a fitness plan to make sure you are not affected by this disease.  The good news? In most cases it is preventible and reversible

Smile Of The Month

“I am thrilled to bits with my new smile and love admiring myself in the mirror!”

Every one appreciates a healthy, beautiful smile. Studies report that more than 50 percent of adults state they are unhappy with their smiles. I love what I do because in as little as two weeks we can rejuvenate not just a person’s smile but their whole face, their confidence…and without lifting a knife!  I call it my Smile lift

Janet is a great example.  Nothing has changed in the before and after pictures…she is even wearing the same pair of earings!

What’s different?  Her new found confidence shines through.  She looks younger, lighter and her face even looks brighter because the flash, like our eyes picks up her brighter smile which reflects the light.

From never wanting to smile and always running away from having photographs taken, Janet now can’t stop grinning!

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