News and Blogs from Banning Dental Group

How poor oral hygiene can affect more than just your teeth

Our body is a sum of parts, intricately linked through a complex network of systems, organs and functions. As a result, it’s not uncommon for one element of our physical operation to be affected by another. With a constant flow of fluids, solids, plasmas and cells travelling around our anatomy, it’s perfectly possible that seemingly unrelated issues are in fact biologically intertwined.

Humans tend to focus on the pain point when aches and discomfort arise, assuming that where pain is felt is where the problem lies. Many also believe they are capable of self-diagnosis thanks to Dr. Google, despite not having an ounce of medical training. However, without the education, experience and diagnostic tools, it’s impossible for us to truly know the causes of our health problems, no matter where we believe the pain to be coming from.

If you have ever visited a chiropractor, gynaecologist or gastroenterologist you may have experienced this enlightenment already. Your visit may be as a result of a specific pain or discomfort that you have pinpointed to one area. After consultation with a specialist and working backwards through the biological systems it’s not uncommon to discover that the root of the problem is based somewhere else entirely.

For example, numbness in the toes may not have anything to do with the toe itself but actually a misplaced disc in the lower back, putting pressure on the spinal cord. A throbbing migraine and high temperature, whilst focused entirely in the head could be due to a kidney infection.

This principle can also apply in the case of dental health. You may think that oral hygiene routines are in place to solely care for your teeth, but our teeth do not work independently of the rest of our bodies. Dental health is a good indicator of your general well being. This is why poor standards of oral hygiene can affect more than just your teeth.

3 September 2021

Extended Opening Times for Dental Appointments

The turbulent events of 2020 and 2021, have resulted in a huge backlog of patients desperately needing dental appointments.

The combination of surgeries being closed and operating at limited capacities due to safety restricted has resulted in an unprecedented demand for dental care this summer and this shows no signs of fading, even as the summer holidays draw to end.

27 August 2021

7 common questions about dental fillings answered

It appears that teeth are really talk of the town this summer! Maybe it’s because after endless months of lockdown we can finally escape the house and want to look our best. It could be that after staring at yourself during countless hours of FaceTime and video conferences, the look of your teeth is finally starting to bug you. You might just be looking for a real personal treat to uplift and enhance your appearance.

The British Orthodontic Society has revealed a huge ‘surge in adults seeking orthodontic treatment since the start of the pandemic.’ This growing demand labelled as the ‘Zoom Boom’ is as a result of the heightened awareness British adults now have of their teeth as a result of the bizarre circumstances, we have found ourselves over the last year.

19 August 2021

Are we facing an NHS dental crisis in 2022?

NHS dental care has hit the headlines on a number of occasions this year, following reports of 3 year waiting lists, patients resorting to DIY dentistry and ongoing staff shortages in the industry. This week, the contentious issue of the NHS dental contract reform rears its head again. Industry experts, practitioners and patients alike are desperate to see change in the system to improve lives for both those providing and receiving treatment.

The existing NHS dental services contract has been in place since 2006, but discussions about reform have been going on for almost as long as the contract has existed. There is a huge sense of disappointment felt by both dentists and patients. Crippling NHS targets and a complex credit system for dentists make NHS work highly unrewarding and thoroughly demotivation. Meanwhile, patients have struggled for years to even register with an NHS clinic, let alone make an appointment

12 August 2021

So you think you need braces?

It appears that teeth are really talk of the town this summer! Maybe it’s because after endless months of lockdown we can finally escape the house and want to look our best. It could be that after staring at yourself during countless hours of FaceTime and video conferences, the look of your teeth is finally starting to bug you. You might just be looking for a real personal treat to uplift and enhance your appearance.

The British Orthodontic Society has revealed a huge ‘surge in adults seeking orthodontic treatment since the start of the pandemic.’ This growing demand labelled as the ‘Zoom Boom’ is as a result of the heightened awareness British adults now have of their teeth as a result of the bizarre circumstances, we have found ourselves over the last year.

5 August 2021

How better nutrition can help to prevent tooth problems

We are only too frequently reminded how important following a balanced diet is for our health. There are countless resources in the form of apps, articles, magazines, podcasts and youtube videos that claim to provide the ultimate knowledge in managing our nutrition to maximise our wellbeing.

It’s clear that our diets have evolved over the last 30 years and sadly to the detriment of our health. You might already have enough reasons to shake up your eating habits, but just to add insult to injury tooth problems are likely to become your next concern.

If your diet has been questionably beige or sugary sweet in recent years, your oral health will start to suffer. Before you hit the point that tooth problems become the bane of your life, start to consider how your diet might be affecting your teeth.

29 July 2021

Teeth Staining: What causes it and how to avoid the staining cycle?

Teeth staining. It’s one of those things that just slowly creeps up on you without even realising, until boom. One day you look in the mirror and barely recognise your own smile. It’s highly frustrating to find that no matter how good at brushing you are, tooth stains are stubborn and damn difficult to remove. If staining has set in, there is very little you can do to do reverse it yourself.

Sadly, it can have quite an impact on the appearance of your smile and may make you feel self-conscious of openly displaying your teeth. Teeth staining also gives an aged look. If you feel like your face is starting to look tired and worn, it might be less about your skin and more about your teeth.

21 July 2021

What makes a perfect smile?

First impressions count and a smile (or lack of) says a lot about a person. It’s human nature to jump to conclusions about a person’s mood or demeanor based on their oral expressions. We can quickly assume that a person is happy, sad, angry, friendly, confident, insecure, or attractive based on what we perceive from their mouth. A bright smile can light up a room, but if you feel self-conscious about your teeth you might prefer to disappear into the background to not draw attention to yourself.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you are likely to be your own greatest critic. Your aspirations for a perfect smile may well be based on a vision that you have seen on someone else. Or maybe there’s something in particular that bugs you about your own smile that you’d like to fix.

15 July 2021

Is a water flosser worth it?

Water Flossers seem to be the latest trend in dental gadgetry. It’s no great surprise given the rising interest in dental hygiene and aesthetics, but you might wonder what the fuss is all about and whether it’s time to jump on the water flosser bandwagon.

There is no denying that an annoying morsel of food, stuck awkwardly between two molars will provide hours of frantic frustration for the tongue. Even after thorough brushing you will still find remnants of your last meal wedged firmly in place, that no amount of bristles, tooth-picks or tongue thrashing will budge.

Aside from the annoying aspect of lingering food debris, the risk of tooth decay is rife between the gaps in our teeth. These minute spaces are a hot spot for the bacteria that causes plaque and decay and you won’t always be aware of what is there. This is why dentists are great advocates of interdental cleaning. Flossing provides the solution to reach the spots that a toothbrush simply cannot access. If you floss regularly and correctly you are reducing your chances of needing costly extractions or restorations later down the line.

9 July 2021

Sensitive Teeth? How to avoid tooth sensitivity this summer

It’s not often that Brits get to bask in a true summer season at home on the motherland. As a nation we are obsessed with discussing the weather, mainly it’s unpredictability. While many of our European neighbours enjoy a clearly defined, 4 season year, we are used to a random short snap of snow in Spring and on occasion a late Indian summer running into September and October. In fact, its not uncommon to enjoy all 4 seasons in one day!

Despite our enthusiasm for hot, sticky summers there are usually a few niggles that dampen our highly anticipated summer spirits. Sunburn, lack of air-conditioning, wasps, excessive sweating and pesky mozzies are just a few of the annoying eventualities that inevitably rear their heads. Have you also noticed that you are also suddenly experiencing sensitive teeth? Funnily enough, you aren’t the only one.

1 July 2021