Blog — oral health

How often should you see a Dentist or Orthodontist? 0

A dentist assesses, diagnoses and treats diseases and conditions in the mouth. They may also monitor the soft tissues of the face, checking for any abnormalities.  

An orthodontist is initially trained as a dentist but has then gone onto specialise in orthodontics.  An orthodontist, like those you'll find at Northenden House, treat irregularities in relation to your teeth and jaw.

Maintaining Good Oral Health This Christmas 0

Christmas is the time for seeing family and friends, indulging in your favourite festive treats and celebrating the start of a new year. It’s the time to have fun and relax, as a much-anticipated change from normal daily routine. However, with all the festivities and change many people forget to maintain their oral health routine during the period, which could have a long-lasting impact on their teeth and mouth.

Maintaining good oral health over Christmas is important for keeping your pearly whites looking and feeling great for the new year, and for your overall health too. Here is our guide on looking after your teeth and gums so that they’re ready for the mistletoe!

If you’re staying away

With the excitement of staying with family or friends over the Christmas holidays, it’s easy to forget the basics - toothbrush included. Make sure to pick one up from the local shops if you find you’ve left yours at home, however if this isn’t an option it might be best to rinse your mouth with water after each meal and avoid too many sugary foods. But, to ensure that you can enjoy eating the foods you want whilst avoiding that horrible feeling of unclean teeth in the morning, why not prepare by keeping a travel toothbrush and toothpaste in your bag?

Stick to your oral health routine

With all the partying that’s likely in store you may feel too tired or forget to brush your teeth at the end of the night. Don’t let this become a habit over Christmas - not properly brushing your teeth before you sleep increases the risk of you developing tooth decay or other oral health problems. If you think you’ll forget, leave your toothbrush and keep a glass of water out by your bed to remind you. Cleaning your teeth is one of the best things you can do to preserve good oral health. You’ll thank us in the morning!

Opening presents

Whatever you do, don’t use your teeth to open any bottles or even wrapping paper during Christmas or all year round. Doing so could damage your teeth and lead to a trip to an emergency dentist, which isn't the best way to spend your holiday. If you’ll be eating any hard foods such as candy canes or raw vegetables, just be careful when chewing them to avoid damaging your teeth - which brings us to our next tip:

Foods to avoid

Christmas is full of them - yule logs, minced pies, Christmas puddings, chocolates and sweets - but sugary foods can be frightful for your oral health. This is because the bacteria in your mouth feeds on sugar to speed up acid production, which can erode your tooth enamel and cause cavities to appear in your teeth. We’re not saying that you can’t indulge in these treats, however try to have them in moderation. It’s a good idea to rinse your mouth with water after eating sugary things to reduce the levels of sugar and acid in the mouth.

In the same way, sticky, chewy foods can lodge between the teeth and you may not be able to easily rinse them away. Again, leaving them there could also lead to increased acids in the mouth which strip the protective layer of the teeth. We’d recommend thoroughly cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush and flossing after eating sticky foods to avoid this, especially if you’re wearing braces.

Did you know that cheese is good for the teeth? It helps to restore the acid balance in the mouth to reduce the risks of tooth decay. If you like cheese, it’s a good excuse for the Christmas cheeseboard!

Drinking for your oral health

Christmas is the season to be merry and many of us may enjoy a bit of wine, bubbly or other alcoholic beverages to share the festive cheer. Those of us not consuming alcohol may also enjoy having more soft drinks, yet all of these drinks may be acidic or high in sugar. As we know this is not good for your oral health, and to limit the damage caused during the holidays it’s advisable to swish water around your mouth after consuming other beverages to wash the sugars and acid away. Sugar-free gum is also a helpful way to encourage saliva flow and neutralise the mouth.

Hopefully these tips will keep your teeth and gums in top form over the holidays. However if you’re worried about your oral health or you’d like to know more about maintaining good oral health over Christmas, you can speak to our experienced team. To book an appointment, please call 0161 998 2622, or email us at info@manchesterorthodontics.co.uk.

What You Might Have Missed from the Northenden House Blog! 0

As a dedicated orthodontic practice the team at Northenden House always strive to deliver the best customer care, providing patients with their expert tips and advice on orthodontics and the latest in the industry.

This year we’ve aimed to share key news and guidance with you on our blog, whether you’re considering teeth straightening options, are undergoing orthodontic treatment or simply want to improve your oral health.

As we’re now just over halfway through, we thought we’d round-up some of our top blogs from the year that you may have missed:

Improving your smile with orthodontics

At the start of 2016 we looked at working on those New Year’s resolutions, and how transforming your smile can greatly improve your confidence. Research has shown that the smile is deemed one of the most attractive and first-noticed features of a person, however many adults are self-conscious of their teeth and lack the confidence to smile or laugh in the company of others.

In our blog promoting a ‘new year, new you’, we detailed the variety of treatments to help you get the smile that you desire, from hidden braces to clear aligners.

How can orthodontic treatment benefit children?

Having a great smile through teeth straightening orthodontics can make a lasting difference to a child’s self-esteem, as well as their overall health. But as a parent you may be concerned about what age your child should have orthodontic treatment, what type of treatment will be best for them and what’s involved.

Read our advice on when to take your child to see us, why they might need orthodontic treatment and the ways we can help to improve their smile.

The help of celebrities and social media are making dental braces more popular

Despite being very effective we know that traditional metal braces have never been a massively popular thing – in fact many adults chose not to wear braces as teens through fear of being seen as a ‘metal-mouth’.

Luckily though nowadays dental braces are much less bulkier and a good deal more comfortable. And the number of people opting for braces has significantly grown with the help of celebrities and advocacy on popular social media sites. We report on the growing trend of people sharing their orthodontic journey online, and how one celeb in particular made dental braces seem a lot more viable for adults in the UK.

Looking after our oral health – National Smile Month

From the 16^th May to the 16^th June, The British Oral Health Foundation ran its annual National Smile Month campaign, aiming to increase awareness of oral health and get us smiling!

We provided some top tips on looking after your oral health, including maintaining a good oral routine and teeth-friendly diet.

How to take care of your braces on holiday

If you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment and will be going on holiday this year, you can still relax and fully enjoy your time away. However, it’s always best to be prepared, and by reading our blog you’ll be able to know what to take away with you to keep your braces, teeth and gums in top condition, as well as what to do should your braces become damaged.

If you’d like any more guidance or to speak with one of our expert orthodontists, call us on 0161 998 2622, email info@manchesterorthodontics.co.uk, or alternatively use our online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Holiday Care for Your Dental Braces 0

The summertime is here which means that many of us will be packing our suitcases and jetting off to more exotic locations. However, though your holiday is a chance to take a well-earned break from your day-to-day home life, it doesn’t mean you can take a break from your braces.

The temptation may be there, but it’s important to take the proper care of your braces wherever you may be - after all they’re an investment to help you achieve the perfectly straight and healthy smile you want! Not taking the proper care could prolong your treatment time

Additionally, you may not have access to your orthodontist or orthodontic provisions should a problem arise with your braces or oral health, so it’s best to make sure you’re prepared before you travel. Here are our top tips on what to do if you’re going away and how to take care of your braces and oral health:

Your holiday orthodontic packing list

There are a few essentials you’ll need to pack to take away with you. Be sure to keep these wherever you go on your holiday, in a waterproof bag if you’ll be by the pool or on the beach:

• A travel-sized toothbrush
• Orthodontic wax to help with any discomfort from your braces
• Travel-sized mouthwash
• Dental floss
• A compact mirror to help resolve any issues

These items will help you keep your teeth clean and your braces in top condition throughout your holiday. However, it’s a good idea to be careful about what you eat to avoid any potential damage to your brackets and wires which will be difficult to manage whilst away.

Your orthodontist should have advised you on the certain foods that should be avoided whilst wearing braces, such as hard foods like nuts or raw vegetables, and chewy or sticky foods like caramel or sweets. Being sensible whilst you’re on holiday will minimise the risk of damaging your braces as you may not be able to get them fixed immediately.

If anything should happen to your braces whilst you’re away, you’ll need to visit your orthodontist as soon as possible in order to get them repaired. If you’d like any more advice on caring for your braces, you can call the Northenden House practice on 0161 998 2622 or email us at info@manchesterorthodontics.co.uk. Alternatively you can use our simple online contact form and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

How Celebrities and Social Media Are Making Dental Braces More Popular 0

Dental braces have traditionally never been a popular thing. In fact, they’re notoriously associated with the opposite – awkward teenagers dreading being known as the ‘brace-face’ or ‘metal-mouth’ amongst their group. However dental braces have come a long way since their big and bulky ancestors; modern braces are now much smaller and less noticeable, and newer technologies allow for faster, more comfortable treatments. Whereas a few decades ago, people would pass up on the opportunity to have braces as they’d be anxious about their appearance, they have now become a much more accepted treatment for teens and adults alike.  

A major influencing factor in the gaining popularity of dental braces is the celebrity uptake. Many Hollywood stars, singers, sporting legends and even royals have embraced the brace in their bid to wow their audiences with a perfectly straight smile. And not just in their teenage years – Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage and Gwen Stefani have all opted for braces as adults, in view of the public. That train tracks have become accepted in the celebrity sphere where up keeping appearances is a must, provides people with positive encouragement to wear braces and improve their oral health and smile.

Though celebrities straightening their teeth with orthodontics is no new thing, social media coverage has really help to boost support on the braces front. TV presenter and Loose Women panellist, Andrea McLean, recently decided to have braces fitted alongside her 14-year-old son Finlay. Although she avoided having them as a teenager, as they were no-popular thing, the positive encouragement she and her son have received on social media greatly shows the increased acceptance of dental braces and their more positive cultural appeal.

Thank you for all your kind comments about my braces today on @loosewomen
Fin and I are now Brace Faces together! pic.twitter.com/6W5gu7OKiu

— Andrea McLean (@andrea_mclean) February 4, 2016

As a widely used and extremely effective treatment, many people are now choosing to advocate wearing braces on social sites such as Twitter and Facebook, posting pictures of their newly fitted appliances and taking their friends and followers through their journey to a straighter set of teeth. Ultimately social sites are offering those wearing dental braces a community, where there is a newfound confidence that comes with improving their smiles. From traditional metal, to brightly coloured and natural-looking ceramic braces, there are many dental braces available to suit your needs to get the smile you’ve always wanted. You can see case studies of some of our patients with ceramic braces here, or contact us on 0161 998 2622 to discuss your requirements and book a consultation.