A New “Min” On The Block

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

A New “Min” On The Block

Hello again, I hope you are well. As I write we are in the middle of a mini heat wave. My word, hotter than Athens, Hawaii, and California.

Phew, we needed the air conditioning on at work. Apparently the London underground was really hot. In fact it would be illegal to transport livestock at those temperatures, which I found interesting.

New “Min” On The Block

Oh dear, has Branfield gone mad and lost the plot? What is a “min” for goodness sake?

Well I’ve got back to my geeky self, a proper dental anorak!

A while ago I banged on about a bio-glass called Novamin. This is the main active ingredient of Sensodyne repair and protect tooth paste and I reckoned that this was the best sensitive toothpaste out there. Another separate active ingredient is fluoride.

Well there has been another bioglass developed at Queen Mary University in London. This new bioglass has fluoride incorporated into it. The new bioglass is called BioMinF, hence, the new MIN on the block.

So, What’s So Good About This Then?

Tubules before and after BiominF

I think that the first good thing is that it is a British invention. If you are a sensitive soul this could be a winner.

The sensodyne Novamin coats the surface of the tooth but not inside the little open tubules in the dentine of teeth. The BioMin F particles are smaller so can get into the tubes/tubules. Closing the tubules stops sensitivity. Theoretically this can increase the effectiveness in reducing sensitivity.

The BioMinF contains Calcium, Phosphate and Fluoride. It binds to the tooth and then dissolves slowly over about 10 hours. The fluoride that is added as a separate ingredient in most tooth pastes is released and washed away within about 2 hours. The slow release of calcium. phosphate and fluoride over a prolonged time can give greater protection against decay and acid erosion. It makes the surface of the tooth stronger as it repairs it.

How Clever Is That?

It is already in a tooth paste and is about to take the US by storm from what I’ve read in an article by The American Ceramic Society (I kid you not). It will not stop there.

There are plans to make smart filling materials that can help prevent decay by repairing the tooth from it as well powders to blast onto teeth to remove stain, reduce sensitivity and repair the surface. So watch this space to see how this develops.

Caravan Adventure

I’m off to Devon this year for a change towing my caravan. It’s always an adventure with the caravan in tow. Hoping for good weather. When we get back Hull City have Leicester at home for a good challenge early on in the season. Come on you Hull!

Until next time. Take care and be good.


Chris

Now Then, That Was Emotional!

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

Hello again, I hope that you are well.  Wow, what a life changing few weeks I’ve just had. I’m referring to Hull City getting back into the premier league. 

Well done lads. I missed the Wembley game but I must say that it was worth it.

What Was So Important To Miss The Play Off Final At Wembley

I was in Morocco again with Dental Mavericks.  This was my 9^th trip out there to get kids out of daily dental pain.  They are all special trips as they are all rewarding but this one was a bit different, somehow a bit special.  It was really moving and emotional.

Back To Asni

We went back to Asni for the 3^rd time to work with Eve Branson Foundation up in the Atlas Mountains. 

We have built a great relationship with the foundation and the “Teeth For Life Programme” is kicking in with tooth brushing clubs.  We are making small strides in reducing tooth decay but it is still bad. 

We want to improve the situation and work with local professionals.  We will get there and we are making some progress.  That’s the key, making progress and not giving up.  Failure is only final when you stop trying.  Small improvements lead to great things in the long run.           

Something New And Exciting Team Talk

We did a brand new project straight after Asni by the coast in Essaouira.  This was brought about by the King’s advisor.  We arrived at a school there to a very nice reception and welcome.  So, we rested up and started early next morning at 7am. 

We didn’t leave until 8-10pm after working flat out with just a short break for a flying lunch.   We saw hundreds of children and took a lot of teeth out.  I was blown away and inspired by a couple of deaf girls.

They were so switched on and matter of fact.  We didn’t speak a common language but we understood each other.  That’s the same for all the children.  It’s humanity.  It’s amazing

Inspirational Thank You Dinner

We were treated to a thank you dinner.  The energy was amazing and everybody realised that we can work together to improve the health of the kids. 

The Director/ Head Master of the school said how the children’s faces had changed.  They could now concentrate on studying as they were out of pain. 

You look at the world and all the rubbish that goes on and here we were round a table with people of different language and culture looking at ways to work together.  

So proud to be part of the group.  I was across the table Richard Howarth (fellow trustee) and we looked at each other and welled up. 

These were fantastic people and I’m looking forward to the future being able to look after the kids better and getting locals involved to sustain an on-going project. 

Edward In Morocco teaching kids to brush

Bitter Sweet To Finish

My son, Edward has been accepted to train as a Dental Therapist at Liverpool University.  Edward has been working at my place as a dental nurse for a couple of years. 

It’s a competitive field and I’m proud of him. He’ll be missed around the place.   I said it was emotional!                                                     

Until next time.  

Take care and be good. 

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. 

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

A Big Thank You

           “The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

                By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

          Put A Lid On It!

Hello, I hope that you are well.  It’s been another busy month with Castle Park at two fundraisers for our Dental Mavericks Charity. The first was in Leeds and we were all dressed as pirates.  The week after we had our own 70’s Boogey Night at Armstrong’s in Beverley.  Thanks Sally Anne, this is a great venue.  Thanks also to all our amazing sponsors who donated prizes.  We raised just over £1000 on the night.  Amazing. 100% goes to the charity with “Nowt Taken Out”, just like the Hovis advert.

Mucky Toilet Talk

Now, I don’t want put anybody off his or her breakfast, lunch or tea/dinner, but I’m going to talk toilets.

It’s very common these days to have a bathroom with a toilet close to the washbasin and therefore your toothbrush.  It has been shown that when you flush the toilet with the lid up that is a great big aerosol or spray like the toilet sneezing.   

It has been suggested that a toothbrush should be a minimum of 6 feet away.  That may be quite difficult or even impossible unless it is kept in a different room.  My en suite shower room is compact to say the least so no chance of a 6 feet distance.

Nasty Beasties

You can imagine that there are a lot of nasty beasty bacteria in the toilet bowl.  One such beastie is Enterococcus Faecalis.  Sometimes a root canal treatment on a tooth can fail and research has shown that this can often be due the bacteria species Enterococcus Faecalis and this is a difficult bacteria to get rid of in a tooth.  The bacteria is not naturally in the mouth so must have come from somewhere.  One obvious way to get there is from toilet to toothbrush.  So what can you do?                                                                                                                               

“Dr. Smile Maker Top Tips”

Put the lid down on the toilet before you flush. This not only helps keeping the tooth brushes clean but also think about towels and everything else.  You really don’t want to breath in those aerosols.

If you have a cupboard maybe put the brushes away.  Or you can put a travel cover on the toothbrush.  Keeping the toothbrush in a different room is ideal but a bit of a faff.

All food for thought though eh?

Feng Shui

I worked with a nice lady years ago who was into Feng Shui.  Apparently the area of the house on the far left from the entrance is the money or wealth area. If the toilet is there then you could be flushing your money away. This is another reason to put a lid on it!

C’mon You Hull

The football is getting exciting. As I write Hull City are top of the League but have played an extra game.  Keep going lads you can do it.

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 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

“The Tooth And Nothing But The Tooth”

                

By Chris “Dr Smile Maker” Branfield

          More Blasts From The Past

Hello again, I hope you are well and have settled into 2016 nicely.  Hull City have.  Four wins on the bounce and 6-0 against Charlton.  Great stuff.

Imaginative, Creative and Ingenious

Last time I delved back in time a bit to see how the problem of missing teeth was tackled way back when. We mainly looked at replacing missing teeth with implantations of different sorts. Some were very imaginative, creative and ingenious and sometimes a bit mad.

A Bridge Too Far?

Dental bridges are not new, not by a long way. There have been bridges discovered dating back to the fourth or fifth century B.C. One such bridge was found in Sidon, chief city of ancient Phoenicia. The Phoenicians were a people contemporary with the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews and lived in what is now modern- day Lebanon.

The bridge had four natural human incisor teeth with two carved ivory teeth between them. These ‘teeth’ were bound together with gold wire.        

The Etruscans also were very adept in the art of dental prosthesis.  Here again there have been dental findings dating back to 500 B.C. Soft gold bands where fitted around natural teeth. The false teeth were fastened to the bands with rivets. The false teeth (pontics to use the dental jargon) were made up of human teeth with the roots cut off or more often oxen teeth. In some cases a groove would be made down the middle of a wide ox’s tooth to make it look like two teeth. Absolutely ingenious. 

These guys must have had some time on their hands, not like the 100 miles an hour of 21^st century living, eh?

Elephant, Hippopotamus Or Walrus, The Choice Is Yours

Over the years dentures have been made out of different materials including ivory, gold, stainless steel, cobalt-chromium, vulcanised rubber and acrylic. The teeth on the denture made from ivory, natural teeth, porcelain and acrylic. The ivory that was meticulously carved came from different sources. Namely elephant, hippopotamus or walrus. Each type of ivory had its own characteristics in terms of grain and texture. There is evidence of ivory being used for dentures as far back as Roman times.

Would You Like Springs With That Sir?

One famous denture wearer was the American President George Washington. He was plagued by toothache and abscesses for many years and only had one tooth left by the time of his inauguration.  (He doesn’t look a happy chap).  He had several dentures made by the best people of the time and had them made from the whole range of materials available. His last set was made by John Greenwood. 

The upper palate was swaged from a sheet of gold and had ivory teeth riveted to it. The lower denture was carved from a single block of ivory.

 

The two dentures were fastened together by a steel spring! I bet that took some getting used to. I also bet that you can’t get them on the NHS. How much do you think that would cost now?

So there you go, another little jaunt back in time to dental practice of bygone eras.

Conference Time Again

We are off to a patient care conference this week.  It’s the first time in 4 years that I won’t be a speaker…..and relax. 

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 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