There are many causes of bad breath, but often it is being produced by the bacteria in plaque. Ensuring that you are removing all the plaque from all your teeth is the first step. If you are unsure if you are doing a good job then make an appointment and we can find out and give you all the help you need. Sometimes it is the bacteria on the top of your tongue causing the problem, so gently brush the top surface of your tongue with your toothbrush whenever you brush your teeth.
Sometimes there are obvious short-term causes, e.g. you had a curry or a garlic-laced meal the night before, so have a think about what you’ve been eating and drinking lately.
Lastly, occasionally, there are more serious underlying causes of bad breath. These include diabetes, lung and throat problems, and dry-mouth syndrome. So if you are concerned then make an appointment to see your dentist about it.
Yes. There is now lots of evidence linking gum disease with heart disease. People with gum disease get more heart disease. It’s thought that this happens because the toxic chemicals produced by the gum disease float through your bloodstream and damage your heart. Also there is emerging evidence of links between gum disease and diabetes. People with heart disease and diabetes live shorter lives than the rest of the population.
No. You are still at risk of getting new holes in your teeth, and the fillings you have won’t last forever if you don’t look after them properly. It’s never too late to start preventing fillings – it works at any age and has significant effects on reducing the number and size of fillings you will need.
It’s very simple: most people clean their teeth better with an electric toothbrush than a manual toothbrush. This is partly because you need less manual dexterity with an electric toothbrush. However, electric toothbrushes do not just “do the job for you” – there is a technique for getting the very best use out of your toothbrush. Our team are great at coaching people to use electric toothbrushes, so ask whether you are doing as well as possible, and we can help you if you are struggling.
As discussed above there are strong links between gum disease and heart disease. However, there are lots of other ways that your overall health is affected. Chronic infections in mouths can affect your stomach and digestion. Chronic infections affect your immune system and can reduce your ability to fight off other infections. There is good evidence that people who have their own teeth live longer, healthier lives than people without teeth. We are passionate about keeping healthy teeth for life.
Your appearance can have a profound effect on how you perceive yourself. A nice smile boosts confidence and well-being, whereas if you are embarrassed about your teeth, they will have the opposite effect, making you shy and less confident.
Psychological studies have shown that when you meet people for the first time, you look at their eyes first, then their teeth and mouth second before then appraising them overall. First impressions count, and a nice healthy smile affects how other people judge you. So to make that good first impression, let us help you achieve that happy healthy smile.
Under normal circumstances we like to start seeing children from about two years old. At that age, some will allow us to have a good look at their teeth, but some won’t. It’s important to start them early, so that over a few visits they gradually get used to the dentist, and by about the age of four most children are perfectly happy to jump into the chair and have their mouths inspected.
You will find that we don’t just look in your child’s mouth at such an early age. We start talking to you about the habits to get into and to instil into your child to ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth. Children are like sponges, and lessons and habits learned when very young stick with them for a lifetime. We will help you ensure that your children have the very best dental habits.
If your child is under two years old and there is something with their mouth you are concerned about, then we are very happy to see them – don’t sit at home wondering, when we should be able to sort things out.
If your tooth has been knocked out, it is important to keep it moist until you can see us. Don’t clean or rinse it, and avoid touching the root. Place it back into the socket if possible, or keep it in the cheek of your mouth (but not in the case of young children or a severe facial injury), or in milk. Seek dental treatment as soon as possible – the quicker you see us, the more chance there is of saving your tooth.
Firstly don’t panic. Oral cancer is uncommon, and most people who think they have it do not. However, it is a very serious condition, and the very best way to have a good outcome is to catch it early. So if you are in any doubt, then make an appointment to get it checked out. Also be reassured that every time we carry out a 14-point dental health check for you, one of the 14 things we check is to look for the first signs of oral cancer.
Well, I made my first sales on eBay. All told with shipping, postage, and gas spent driving to the post office, I may have netted out a profit of a few dollars. However, it did provide for a good learning experience and gave me a better idea of how to do things if I sell something in the future. I also sold a DVD on eBay's partner site Half.com.
In some ways I like Half.com better. An item can be listed indefinitely and an insertion fee is not required. With eBay the item is only listed for 1 week and you pay a minimum of $0.20 as an insertion fee plus a host of other small fees if you use gallery pictures or take advantage of other options.
When the actual sale occurs, eBay is a bit cheaper charging a commission of around 5% of the final sales price. Half.com charges around 15% so is a bit steeper from that standpoint.
Elephants have always been Poppy's favorite animal. She can't get enough of them at the zoo, she pretends to be an elephant at home, and she has an assortment of books that all have elephants in them that we have to read on a daily basis. So when we found out the zoo was having a special elephant demonstration this weekend, we knew we had to be there. Well, apparently Poppy only likes elephants when they are contained behind large bars or when they are in books, because she was totally freaked out by how close we got to this elephant...
We got to feed the elephant a cracker and the whole time she kept saying "no-no mama" while she clung to me with the death grip.
Then they gave the elephant a hose to play with and he pretty much looked right at us and sprayed us with it. Poppy was not happy, at all.
And now ever since Saturday, all day long, she keeps saying, "No elephant! No wa-wa! No elephant wa-wa!" And as soon as she gets to a part of a book that has a picture of an elephant, she says "Bye-bye!" and turns the page real quick. I think it's gonna be a while before we go back to the zoo.
*L* Oh no. That's horrible that her love of elephants has been ruined. Hopefully she'll recover soon. I can see in the photos how tightly she is gripping you!
OMG! That is so cute. Poor Precious Poppy, tell her Auntie Courtney will protect her from that Elephant with the Wa-Wa!
oh no! i can see her death grip on your shirt in that picture...hopefully it's a quick passing phase. lol.