To Brush Or Not To Brush That Is The Question

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

To Brush Or Not To Brush That Is The Question

Hello again, I hope that you are well. The year is pressing on fast. It seems faster every year. Not long to the end of the football season now. Hull City have been a bit hit and miss lately, in fact a bit more miss. As it stands as I write it looks like it might be the play offs. Fingers crossed eh.

To Brush Or Not To Brush

Well that isn’t the question. There is no debate or referendum. We definitely have to brush our teeth. The question is more when should we brush our teeth? I couldn’t think of a catchy title to go with that question. As this week (as I write) is William Shakespeare’s 400th birthday celebration week I thought it sort of apt. 

When Should You Brush Then?

Well, definitely last thing before bed. This gets rid of the daily growth of bacteria and provides a protective fluoride application as long as you have a fluoride toothpaste. It’s even better if you floss or use those little brushes for in between you teeth first. Your saliva glands shut down over night and that’s why you have e dry mouth in the night. Saliva has a protective effect on the teeth so when it is not there the bacteria can play havoc and cause decay. This makes the night time brush so important.

Before Or After Breakfast

I got asked this question when I was on radio Humberside last. Well, I get up, shower and brush my teeth before breakfast. People are sometimes surprised at this. There is some method in the madness. What I want is clean teeth with a fluoride hit from the toothpaste. The fluoride helps protect the teeth from acid made by bacteria and acid from food and drinks.

I actually have a cup of filtered, boiled water with a squeeze of fresh lemon in. The lemon is acid. If I was to brush after the lemon then I would be brushing away the surface of the teeth softened by the lemon juice. This cause tooth surface loss and wear and can also cause sensitivity. I know a good toothpaste for sensitivity.

By brushing first there is fluoride about. The lemon will still dissolve and soften the surface of the teeth but the will harden up again more quickly with fluoride knocking about. Also the fluoride will become incorporated in the tooth surface making it stronger to acid attack and decay.

My old oral biology Professor, Prof Weatherall told us about his academic mate who did this. So you see, method in the madness from a high academic level! 

Acid On The Outside Alkaline On The Inside

Lemons are highly acidic but once inside the body they have an alkalising effect. Having an acid pH in the body is believed to cause inflammation and free radicals that cause cancer. Reducing acid forming food and having alkalising food seems to be the way to go. Green foods are good on the whole.

Come on Hull City. Reading away tonight. I’m off to listen on the radio.

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 23 years and has a special interest in life changing, pain free dentistry with dental implants, rapid 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’s charity work go here now www.castleparkdental.co.uk

Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines

 

 

"The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

Toothaches, Face-aches And Migraines 

Hello again. I’m glad to say that my talk to an audience of 150 people at a Unique Customer Care Conference in Liverpool about dental lasers went well. I was on last so had the “graveyard” shift. I livened it up though and got some good feedback.

We also won an award for “Uncommon Patient Service”. We are really chuffed with this!! As I write I have just got to Chepstow, South Wales. I’m doing even more advanced straight teeth training. I know I’m an anorak when it comes to my job. 

Not All Toothaches Are Toothaches

Eh? Has Branfield lost the plot or something?

Well no and please bear with me. After seeing loads of people over the last 22 years in practice I am convinced that there has been a lot of dentistry done i.e. drilling and filling when it has not been absolutely necessary. I came to this conclusion ages ago. You see not all toothache is to do with the tooth or filling per se.

You see, a lot of toothaches are to do with overloading the teeth with excessive or prolonged clenching and/or grinding. This is so-called “Bruxism”.

Not only can a tooth or a number of teeth become sensitive to temperature changes or tender to pressure but also the side of the face or head or ear all of them ache. You can even get head, neck and shoulder pain because of it sometimes. 

We Are Not Built For It

Now, your teeth are only really supposed to meet for up to 20 minutes a day. They touch at the end of the chewing cycle once you broken down the food ‘bolus’ (technical term thrown in there for a change) and briefly when we swallow. Any more than that and we can start to overload the system. Teeth, muscles and jaw joint.

Have a look at the picture that shows the main 2 clenching muscles and the jaw joint (Temporo-Mandibular Joint or TMJ, oh, I’m getting really techy today). If these muscles are overworked you can see where you might get face-ache. Also by clenching you can force the part of the jaw to the back of the joint (this is posterior fulcruming, which means pivoting at the back and is not good) and this is just in front of the ear so can cause earache. Sometimes the headaches are called migraines but these are not true migraines. I’m a bundle of joy today aren’t I? 

To Drill Or Not To Drill, That Is The Question

So, if there is pain but the tooth looks OK and the filling or whatever restoration look OK but there are signs of clenching or grinding or both them then drilling and filling may not sort out the problem so we need to be careful on that score.

I see loads of this going on all the time. There things that can help and I’ll go on about this a bit next time.

More Challenges

Last year I rode coast to coast from Barrow-in-Furness to Whitby to raise much needed funds for Dental Mavericks. Now, we are all self funded for the trips out to Morocco to get the kids out of pain so this is 100% charity and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

In May this year I go on my 7th Dental Mavericks expedition to treat the kids. Straight after my son and I will be climbing Mount Toubkal to raise funds. This is the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains at 4167 metres. Mount Snowden is only 1085 metres. It will be a challenge and my fear is altitude sickness. Thanks to all who have supported us. If you like to offer some support it would be greatly appreciated. Some of these kids have abscesses that can lead to septicaemia if not treated.



http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/castleparkdentalcare

or Call Gillian 01482 846335



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 22 years and has a special interest in life changing, pain free dentistry with dental implants, rapid 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’s charity work go here now www.castleparkdental.co.uk