Brighten Up Your Life

"The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

        By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

     Brighten Up Your Life

Hello again, I hope you are well.  So Hull City are off to Wembley in the play off final for the most expensive prize in club football.  I went last night to the second leg against Derby. My word it was tense. They lost 2-0 but won on aggregate 3-2.  Come On You Hull!

Do You Need Cheering Up?

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.

Now Listen To A Cautious Word Of Warning!

Tooth whitening needs to be prescribed by dental professional to significantly reduce the chance of complications and unwanted side effects. Be wary of self-prescription and Internet home kits. Some of these kits have high concentrations of gel that can cause gum irritations or chemical burns especially when the trays have a poor fit.

Some gels have a chlorine-releasing component and some can cause enamel erosion. Not everyone is suitable for tooth whitening so my advice is not to waste your money on people who know nothing about dentistry or oral health. Rant over, deep breathes. Only kidding, but be careful.

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 straight forward 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 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? 

A Bit Upset

I’m off to Morocco with my Dental Mavericks Charity to get children out of daily pain and help with a “teeth for life” programme that we set up.  These poor kids have nothing.  So, I’ll be missing the Wembley game. Well that’s life.  I just hope that Hull do themselves and the fans proud.

Until next time.   Take care and be good.