Dental Health Advice FAQs

To protect your teeth:

• Brush with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
• Floss daily.
• Avoid sugary foods and snacks.
• See your dentist for regular dental cleanings and check-ups.
• Don't chew pens, or pencils.
• Don't use your teeth to open paper clips or function as tools.
• If you grind your teeth at night, ask your dentist if you should be fitted for a bite plate to prevent tooth grinding.
• If you play contact sports like football or hockey, wear a protective mouth guard. Motorcyclists should select quality, full-coverage helmets. In-line skaters and cyclists should also wear approved helmets.
• Always wear a seat belt when travelling in a car.

Even when these preventive measures are taken, you may encounter toothaches and other dental emergencies.

Eating for Healthy Teeth

Tooth decay is caused by having food or drinks that contain sugar. The sugar reacts with the bacteria in the sticky layer of plaque on our teeth. This produces acids which eat away at the tooth enamel causing tooth decay.

Hidden Sugars

“Hidden sugars” have been added to a long list of modern processed foods to enhance the flavour.Make sure you check the contents list on the packaging.

It is unrealistic to cut sugar in all its many forms from our diet, but what we can do is reduce the number of “acid attacks” our teeth are subjected to throughout the day. This means avoiding eating between meals or at least eating risky foods only at meal times.If you like sugar in your tea or coffee use a sugar substitute or sweetener.

Safe snacks

The following are some safe snacks that you can eat or drink between meals so long as you don’t add sugar.

Crisps, Crispbreads, Naan bread, Cheeselets, Cornish wafers, Milk, Cheese puffs, Tea, Potato rings, Chapatis, Cheese, Coffee, Savoury snacks / sticks, Plain yoghurt, Peanut butter, Cheese biscuits, Cream crackers, Cheese spreads, Cold meat, Vegetables, Bread sticks, Yeast extract spreads, Sugar free cereal, Water biscuits.

Good eating patterns - if we have a good eating pattern and balanced diet at meal time, the acidity level in the mouth increases but then quickly returns to the normal level.

Bad eating patterns - if we eat snacks between meals, especially those with a high sugar content, the time and frequency our teeth are subjected to acid attacks is substantially increased and our teeth are at risk for longer periods of the day.

Fluoride - fluoride is strongly recommended to make teeth more resistant to decay. It can “heal” very early spots of decay before they need filling.There is fluoride in most toothpastes. As an extra supplement to your oral hygiene routine a daily fluoride mouthwash may be recommended for those who have particular problems with decay.

Pain from your teeth can vary from a mild niggle, to the most excruciating agony. If you get any dental or facial pain, please contact the practice as soon as possible so the dentist can check your mouth, teeth and gums and provide you the best care to get you out of pain. The practice has daily emergency appointment slots in the diary. Please call the practice to arrange an appointment.

Should you have a dental emergency please contact the practice on 01902 766 287. The practice has daily emergency appointment slots in the diary.