Brighten Up Your Summer

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

Brighten Up Your Summer

Hello again, I hope you are well. Last month I went to Lake Bled in Slovenia. I was at an international medical laser congress there. It was a fantastic learning experience and I came away with few “top tips”. What a beautiful place though. It was stunning. 

Do You Need Cheering Up? After Last Month’s Article On Gums And Brains You Might Do…

You’re probably thinking, “How the heck can a dentist possibly cheer me up?”

Well, there are a few ways to simply improve your smile and this can cheer you up no end. Probably the simplest way to perk up your teeth and subsequently your mood and confidence is tooth whitening. It can brighten up your life.

So Will It Work For You?

Tooth whitening works superbly well for so many people and in most situations, I see the answer is yes to the above question. It is particularly effective for natural yellowing of teeth and teeth that have darkened through the rigours of daily life including tea and coffee. 

Whitening will only work on natural tooth and not on crowns, veneers or fillings. It is also very good for mild tetracycline staining (tetracycline is an antibiotic) and mild mottling/staining from fluorosis (excess fluoride intake during tooth development). 

Some more intense staining and mottling may not be amenable to straightforward tooth whitening alone. Obviously, your teeth need to be in good nick. Trying to do tooth whitening on bad, decayed teeth is a non-starter and may well cause pain and discomfort so it is really not a good idea at all. 

If you have some discoloured fillings and want your natural teeth whiter it might make the filling stand out more. A simple solution is tooth whitening and replacement of the filling or even just to resurface the filling if it is otherwise sound. Simple, yet extremely effective, both visually and in your pocket.

Do You Fancy Some Tooth Blackening?

Has Branfield gone mad? Just keep with me a moment. There is an old custom in Japan, for the blackening of teeth by married women and courtesans as an enhancement of their beauty. The custom, rooted in antiquity, had gradually become proof of the married status of women. Before a new bride entered her husband’s home she would visit seven relatives to receive dye and then underwent “the first blackening”. 

The dye was primarily derived from ferric tannate and was applied by a brush made from a crushed twig. The dye would be reapplied as it wore. It was seen that blackened teeth showed evidence that a wife had sworn eternal fidelity to her spouse. My wife was having nothing of it.

Mind you it’s not really a good look is it?

Back To The Big Smoke

I’m off to do an intensive 4-day course with The Academy Of Oro-facial Myofunctional Therapy in association with the British Society of Dental Sleep Medicine held at the Royal Society Of Medicine. Four days!!! 

It’s all to with improving airways for snoring and improving problems with facial pain associated with teeth clenching/grinding. Sounds interesting. As an anorak I’m always looking for better!


Until next time. 

Take care and be good.

Chris


Chris Branfield is Principal Dentist at Castle Park Dental Care, Castle Villa, 28 Castle Road, Cottingham, telephone 01482 772550. He has been in dental practice for 26 years and has a special interest in Life Changing, Pain Free Dentistry with Dental Implants, Teeth Straightening and Cosmetic Dentistry. And, not only that Chris is founder member and trustee of Dental Mavericks charity- ending the daily dental pain of Moroccan kids. For more patient success stories and Chris’ Humanitarian work go here now www.castleparkdental.co.uk

Gums And Brains

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

Gums And Brains

Hello again, I hope you are well. I got back safely from my motorbike trip to Holland, Germany and Belgium, I’m happy to say. My friend and I managed to soak up some World War 2 history with museums in Arnhem in Holland and Bastogne in Belgium. It was great. So, so interesting. Some brave men and women.

National Dementia Action Week

As I write National Dementia Action Week is about to start. There are 850,000 people in the UK, who are affected by dementia, and it does not just affect the elderly, 40,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 suffer from early onset dementia. It is believed that by 2051 the number of people who have dementia in the UK will have risen to 2 million.

What have Gums Got To Do With Brains?

There has been quite a lot of research all over the world in top class research centres of late trying to find the cause of Alzheimer’s.

There has been an association with gum disease shown by several teams. One of the most recent was in January this year.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, uncovered a potential link between Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacteria associated with periodontal disease (commonly known as gum disease) and Alzheimer’s. Researchers analysed brain tissue, spinal fluid, and saliva from Alzheimer’s patients—both living and deceased—and found evidence of P. gingivalis. Gingipains, the toxic enzyme secreted by P. gingivalis, were found in 96 percent of the 53 brain tissue samples examined, with higher levels detected in those with the pathology and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. 

The study confirmed via animal testing that P. gingivalis can travel from the mouth to the brain and that the related gingipains can destroy brain neurons. These findings are noteworthy in that they suggest a biological mechanism for how periodontal disease bacteria may play a role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s.

Carried In The Blood

When gums are infected with P.gingivalis it causes inflammation and gum disease from early gingivitis to bone loss and loose teeth. When you brush and eat the bacteria get into the blood stream and travel to other sites in the body including the brain. So, getting your gums looked at and treated if needed could be more beneficial than just saving your teeth. Often the mouth can be looked at as the gateway to your health.

International Education

I’m getting ready this week to travel Lake Bled in Slovenia to attend an international Medical Laser Congress. There are literally people from all over the world and a really great event. My work colleague Ilay Maden will again, be speaker at the event. I hope it is as good as last year. It promises to be.

Until next time. Take care and be good.



Chris Branfield is Principal Dentist at Castle Park Dental Care, Castle Villa, 28 Castle Road, Cottingham, telephone 01482 772550. He has been in dental practice for 26 years and has a special interest in Life Changing, Pain Free Dentistry with Dental Implants, Teeth Straightening and Cosmetic Dentistry. And, not only that Chris is founder member and trustee of Dental Mavericks charity- ending the daily dental pain of Moroccan kids. For more patient success stories and Chris’ Humanitarian work go here now www.castleparkdental.co.uk