Cavities Are Contagious

Cavities are caused by bacteria that can be transmitted through kissing or even just sharing a fork. Make sure you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss once-a-day and ensure your kissing partner does the same!

Beware of Bad Breath

Bacteria also cause bad breath, so habits such as regular brushing and flossing are critical for fresh breath. Also, it’s helpful to chew sugar-free gum which stimulates saliva flow, and you can freshen breath by using an antimicrobial mouthwash.

Sharing Is Great but Just Not Your Toothbrush

Many close couples like to share everything, but you should never share your toothbrush because it also means you are sharing each other’s bacteria. Keep a spare brush at your significant others home and make sure they do the same.

There’s Nothing Attractive About Smoking

Smoking is terrible for dental and general health, and it does nothing for your smile. It gives you bad breath and stains your teeth, and people who smoke are more likely to get gum disease and are at a higher risk of oral cancer.

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A custom-fitted mouthguard offers the best level of protection and is comfortable to wear. It won’t fall out or obstruct your child’s breathing or speech and is neutral tasting and odour free. Usually, custom mouthguards fit over the upper teeth, but if your child has braces on their lower teeth, they may need a mouth protector for these teeth too. If your child doesn’t yet have a properly fitted sports mouthguard, contact us for an appointment.

Because children’s teeth and jaws are growing quite rapidly, it’s essential to make sure your child’s mouthguard is refitted regularly. We suggest bringing it to their dental examinations so we can check the fit, can ensure the mouthguard isn’t damaged, and if necessary can remake it.

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That first dental visit is a milestone moment, and we are very gentle with children, treating them like our own. During this visit, we take your child’s medical history and gently examine their mouth to assess their dental health. Here at Coastal Smiles, dental education is very important to us and we can teach you how to look after those precious first teeth and can discuss other habits that may harm their teeth in the future such as thumb sucking. If needed, we can provide nutritional advice that helps prevent tooth decay. As your child gets older, we work with them directly teaching them how to care for their teeth and explaining why it’s so important. With a good dental home, your child can grow up with a healthy, beautiful smile.

The post Give Your Kids a Gift That Lasts for Life – Establishing a “Dental Home” appeared first on Coastal Smiles.

Weddings

Whether you are planning a wedding or are a guest, a brighter smile ensures you can look back at those photos with pride.

Summer Holidays

Being in the sun is enough to make anybody smile, but if your teeth are discoloured, you may be too embarrassed to smile or talk on holiday. Brightening your teeth ensures you can make the most of every moment of your well-earned holiday.

Here at Coastal Smiles, we use Philips Zoom^TM whitening, a professional whitening system that will safely and effectively lift the colour of your teeth. Choose from an in-chair treatment for faster results, or a custom home whitening kit. Every treatment is carefully tailored to accommodate issues such as tooth sensitivity, ensuring your treatment feels as comfortable as possible.

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Snack More Slowly

A snack should be an enjoyable treat, so make sure you savour every mouthful and eliminate other distractions like the phone or TV and just concentrate on enjoying your food.

The Right Time for a Snack

The best time for having a snack is between 12 PM and 5 PM as you are less likely to binge during this timeframe. Also, it’s easier to choose healthier snacks and especially if you can look forward to a tasty lunch or dinner.

Baked over Fried

We know fried food tastes great, but adding oil can make even the healthiest vegetable unhealthy. Instead, choose baked crisps and other treats that are just as tasty but are better for your body.

Healthier Foods

Instead of always turning to baked goods or crisps, opt for healthy alternatives like tasty seasonal fruit and cheese.

Avoid High-Calorie Drinks

High-calorie drinks like smoothies or juices aren’t satiating for very long and often contain high amounts of sugar. Instead, choose fresh fruits and veggies that contain lots of useful fibre and which will help keep you full for longer.

The post How to Snack Smarter These School Holidays appeared first on Coastal Smiles.

1. A Whiter Smile Isn’t Always Healthier

Bright white teeth can look healthy, but you can easily over-bleach your teeth, potentially damaging them for life. If you want to whiten your teeth safely, please discuss this with us during your next checkup here at Coastal Smiles.

1. Nothing Replaces Flossing

Using a toothpick after meals isn’t the same as dental floss as a toothpick cannot reach underneath the gums where bacteria build up. Flossing your teeth once a day reduces your chances of plaque buildup, helping you to maintain strong, healthy gums and protecting your oral and overall health.

1. Don’t Ignore Dental Problems

A nagging toothache or mouth pain should never be ignored, so book an appointment to come and see us as soon as you can. Waiting allows any problems to worsen, so treatment is potentially longer and more invasive and more costly.

1. Visit Us Regularly

Regular dental visits are the easiest way to maintain a healthy smile and will help you to avoid dental problems. In the longer term, it’s an approach that saves you time and money, and you’ll have the confidence of knowing your smile always looks its best.

The post Four Secrets to Help You Have a Healthier Smile appeared first on Coastal Smiles.

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are available online, allowing you to take a DIY dental impression before sending it back to the company. The aligners are fabricated using your home-made dental impression. These carry a multitude of risks including poorly fitting aligners that can damage your teeth and roots, potentially causing gum recession and you could end up with loose teeth. DIY teeth straightening will not give you good results.

Veneers

Veneers are thin shells of composite or porcelain fitted over the front surfaces of teeth to improve their overall shape and colour. Now, you can have DIY veneers, where you take a dental impression at home that is used to create removable veneers. As you can imagine, the results are frequently so poor they are almost comical, and ill-fitting dental appliances can cause a myriad of oral health issues.

Charcoal Teeth Whitening

Lastly, you cannot whiten your teeth with charcoal, no matter what you read online. Worse still, charcoal is highly abrasive and can cause irreversible damage to tooth enamel.

The post The Risks of Using Online Dentistry appeared first on Coastal Smiles.

1. Treat yourself to a new toothbrush so you can clean your teeth more thoroughly. You need to replace your toothbrush every three months, so by the time spring arrives, you’ll know it is time to replace it again, and the same for autumn and winter. An old and worn toothbrush cannot clean your teeth effectively.
2. Floss daily and your gums will love and reward you by staying strong and healthy. If you aren’t sure how to floss, ask us for help and advice as we can show you lots of tips and tricks that will make flossing a breeze.
3. Visit Coastal Smiles regularly for checkups and cleanings. Most people need to see us twice yearly to maintain good oral health and prevent problems, but people with existing dental or medical issues might benefit from additional visits. Smaller problems are far cheaper and quicker to treat, and it is far more cost-effective too!
4. Lastly, smile more frequently as smiling has been shown to provide all sorts of health benefits. It helps to boost the production of feelgood neurotransmitters, and it is contagious too.

The post New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthier Smile appeared first on Coastal Smiles.

Making Healthy Food and Beverage Choices

A good diet is an important part of achieving good dental health, and especially when it comes to snacking. When you consume sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods more frequently, it increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. If you can, brush your teeth after snacking or chew gum containing xylitol that helps to neutralise acid and reduces cavity-causing bacteria and plaque buildup.

Quit Using Tobacco Products

A New Year’s resolution to stop using tobacco products can significantly improve your dental health and overall health. People who smoke are more at risk of tooth decay and gum disease, and of course, smoking causes bad breath and stained teeth.

Restorative Dentistry

Have you been delaying renewing old fillings or crowns, or perhaps having a dental implant? Completing these treatments will help preserve teeth and replacing missing teeth helps to protect tooth alignment. Also, modern restorations look and feel incredibly natural, restoring your smile while protecting your teeth.

The post Sink Your Teeth into the New Year – How to Kick Start Your Oral Health This Year appeared first on Coastal Smiles.

What Happens When You Smile?

When you smile, it creates a chemical reaction in your brain, where feelgood neurotransmitters including endorphins, serotonin and dopamine are released. Even if your smile isn’t genuine, your brain will still release these chemicals if you hold it for long enough. It’s a process that can improve your mood, giving you a natural high in a very short while. Smiling also benefits your overall health, as it boosts your immune system, helps to alleviate pain and reduces blood pressure. People who smile frequently tend to have more success in relationships and careers. Also, smiling is contagious, so when you smile first, others are more likely to smile back, helping to spread that feelgood moment.

If you feel less than confident about your smile, you are missing out on all these benefits, but we can help you here at Coastal Smiles. We have a great range of cosmetic dental treatments that could help you, and sometimes even just a simple hygiene appointment will leave you with sparkling teeth.

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