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Around Easter, most of us end up consuming more chocolate than we would on a normal basis.

Whether you love dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, or any variety of these, you may be surprised at the amount of positive data there is out there about how consuming chocolate affects the body and how it can have positive effects on your oral health.

Is Milk Chocolate Bad for Your Teeth?

Milk chocolate is probably one of the most popular and widely consumed types of chocolate. Unfortunately, it is not so great for your teeth. Milk chocolate contains more sugar than its dark chocolate counterparts and much more than raw and unprocessed chocolate.

Milk chocolate is a chocolate made from a combination of cocoa, powdered milk, and sugar. The breakdown is usually 20-30% real cocoa, with the balance consisting of sugar and powdered milk. The higher sugar content that is contained in milk chocolate can cause cavities and tooth decay more so than dark, raw, or organic chocolate.

Is Dark Chocolate Bad for Your Teeth?

Dark chocolate is by far the better choice when it comes to keeping your teeth healthy and cavity free. There are some studies that even suggest that dark chocolate can be a cavity fighter. Chocolate is made up of over three hundred compounds and is a highly complex substance.

Dark chocolate contains polyphenols. These chemicals can help fight the overgrowth of bacteria and other organisms in the mouth. They can neutralize organisms that cause bad breath and they can prevent some sugars form turning into acid, which can break down the enamel of your teeth and cause tooth decay and cavities. Dark chocolate also contains flavonoids. Flavonoids have been shown to slow tooth decay.

Dark chocolate contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial to overall health in many ways but when it comes to oral health, having higher levels of antioxidants in your saliva has been shown to help fight gum disease.

Dark chocolate, otherwise known as “real chocolate,” is made up of around 70% cocoa and only 30% powdered milk and sugar. This drastically reduces the detrimental effect that it could have on tooth enamel when compared to milk chocolate.

How Tooth Decay Occurs & How You Can Prevent It?

Tooth decay occurs when bacteria in the mouth turn sugar into acids. Those acids eat away at surface of your teeth, causing decay and cavities.

Tooth decay occurs over time. However, it can be mostly prevented by cutting down on your sugar intake, watching what types of foods you eat, both sweet and savoury, and ensuring that you are brushing and flossing your teeth daily. It also helps to visit your dentist twice a year to identify oral problems early and remove plaque and tartar build-up.

This Easter, it is okay to go ahead and indulge. Just remember that, as with most things, moderation is the key.

The team at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre work closely with each of our patients to customise individual treatment plans that successfully meet their personal needs.  Call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682029 and book in for your routine dental appointment today.

There are lots of myths and old wives tales about teeth and here at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre we have heard them all! But here are the top five myths busted just for you!

If my teeth don’t hurt, they must be healthy!

By the time that tooth decay erodes the surface of your teeth to the point that you feel pain, the decay is already quite advanced. Although your teeth may not be causing you pain, you could be suffering from early-stage tooth decay without even realising. By attending for regular dental appointments, the dentist will be able to identify any problems up to 5 years before they cause you pain. Reducing the risk of you needing expensive treatment.

Using a hard-bristled toothbrush will clean my teeth better.

Although you may feel like you are getting a more effective clean with a hard-bristled toothbrush, you may actually be damaging your pearly whites. Hard bristles can cause toothbrush abrasion, the tooth enamel to wear away and can damage your gums. A soft bristled toothbrush will clean the teeth effectively, without the risk of toothbrush abrasion and gum recession.

Diet fizzy drinks are okay as they contain no sugar.

Although they may contain less sugar, diet fizzy drinks still contain high levels of citric, carbonic, or phosphoric acid and can erode the surface of the tooth enamel, weakening the surface and increasing your risk of cavities.

You should brush your teeth immediately after eating.

It may seem like a good idea to brush your teeth immediately after eating to remove any food particles from your teeth and to minimise the amount of time your teeth are under attack from acid causing bacteria. But brushing within an hour of finishing a meal can actually damage your tooth enamel which softens after eating!

Have a baby, lose a tooth.

It’s true that a woman’s oral health is at greater risk during pregnancy, as hormonal changes can make tooth decay, infections, and gum disease more likely.

But that doesn’t mean you’re fated to lose a tooth! If you maintain a good oral care routine, follow a healthy diet, and keep up with your routine dental appointments, you can lessen your risk of many different dental issues.

If you would like to find out more information on keeping your teeth healthy. Call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682 029to book an appointment.

When you find out you are pregnant, you know that it means some big changes to your body over the coming nine months, but you might know less about how your oral health may be affected.

Morning Sickness and your oral health

Morning sickness is part of pregnancy for many women, but it can also affect your oral health as the acid present in your teeth can lead to tooth erosion. Although you may be tempted to brush your teeth immediately after a bout of morning sickness, the best thing you can do to protect your enamel is wait an hour to give your enamel a chance to reharden.

If you can’t stand waiting another minute, try rinsing your mouth out with a non-acidic, alcohol-free mouthwash or plain old water. Trust us; it’s well worth waiting to have fresh breath when it comes to your dental health.

Dental appointments

There’s no better way to keep your teeth and gums in excellent shape than visiting your dentist. They can catch problems before they become serious and recommend the best treatment. And it’s completely safe to get regular dental check-ups when pregnant and urgent dental procedures if absolutely required.

It is important that you let the dentist know that you are pregnant as soon as you do. They may need to adjust your treatment plan and will postpone certain treatment until after your baby is born to avoid taking any risks.

Pregnancy Gingivitis

During pregnancy your hormones can cause your gums to swell, leading to pregnancy gingivitis. If you notice that your gums are bleeding when you brush, be sure to book an appointment with the dentist. They may advise that you attend for regular hygienist appointments throughout your pregnancy to help keep your teeth and gums clean.

It is also important that you maintain a good oral hygiene routine at home, brushing your teeth twice a day using a fluoride toothpaste and clean interdentally daily.

Pregnancy Tumours

Some women develop also develop pregnancy tumours. These growths most often occur in the second trimester and look like little raspberries that form between the teeth. Your dentist will be able to remove them if they case discomfort, but in most cases, they will disappear by themselves once your baby is born.

Avoid Teeth Whitening

There’s not a whole lot of research on teeth whitening during pregnancy. But as there’s no guarantee it’s safe, the advice is not to do it at all when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Teeth whitening involves a range of chemicals, the safety of which is not known, so if best avoided when pregnant.

Pregnancy means big changes in your body and your lifestyle; remember that it’s just as important to take care of your teeth and gums as it is the rest of you. The team at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre work closely with each of our patients to customise individual treatment plans that successfully meet their personal needs.  Call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682029 and book in for your routine dental appointment today.

Root canal treatment is used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected. During the procedure the dentist will remove the nerve and pulp from the tooth, clean the canal to remove any remaining infection and will ensure that the tooth is sealed to prevent the infection reoccurring. Treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you will not feel any pain and is normally carried out over two or three appointments.

The tooth may feel sensitive for a couple of days following root canal treatment, but this can normally be controlled using over the counter pain killers and  you should be able to return to your normal activities the following day.

The tooth’s nerve is not vitally important to a tooth’s health and function. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day to day functioning of the tooth.

Benefits of root canal treatment

Saves tooth – if left untreated the infection in the pulp of your tooth can cause the tooth structure to deteriorate. This means that the tooth will eventually become unsalvageable and will need to be extracted.

Reduces Pain – Root canal treatment will help to alleviate the pain and discomfort, by removing the infected pulp and nerve.

Prevents abscess forming – in the early stages an infection can be painless, by undergoing root canal treatment at this stage the patient can prevent the formation of a painful abscess.

Improves oral health – If left untreated the infection in the tooth can spread from the mouth into other parts of a patient’s body. Undergoing root canal treatment is a proactive way to protect their health and maintain their smile.

Maintains confidence and self-esteem – with root canal treatment there is no need to worry about an un-slightly gap or expensive dental implant treatment to replace a missing tooth. Your smile will remain intact and looking its best.

If you would like to find out more information on root canal treatment. Call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682 029to book an appointment.

Dental veneers are thin pieces of porcelain cemented to the front surface of teeth and are an easy way to address a variety of aesthetic issues. They can change the size, shape, and colour of your teeth if they are discoloured, chipped, broken, or irregularly shaped.

In this month’s blog the team at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre look at the pros and cons of dental veneers so you can have all the information to make an informed decision on whether dental veneers are the right treatment to meet your needs.

Pros

Whiten your smile.

If you are looking for an easier way to whiten your teeth for good, dental veneers may be a good treatment for you. Dental veneers are largely stain resistant and should maintain their colour for the lifespan of the veneer. With a flawless smile your confidence and self-esteem will improve.

Fix minor problems.

Slightly crooked or gapped teeth can be improved with dental veneers. They are applied to the front surface of your teeth – so although they don’t change the tooth’s position, they will camouflage slight teeth straightening problems once they’re applied. Your natural teeth will still be gapped or crooked, but no-one will know aside from you and your dentist.

Replace damaged enamel.

Enamel is strong but can become damaged through over-zealous brushing or can be worn away by highly acidic food and drink. Dental veneers can provide a great treatment for teeth with enamel abrasion or enamel erosion, helping to strengthen and protect your teeth.

Natural looking

Porcelain dental veneers will closely resemble your natural tooth enamel, reflecting light in much the same way as natural teeth.

Fast results

Dental veneers can be completed in only two visits, providing a quick way to dramatically improve the appearance of your smile.

Little or no maintenance

Once the dental veneers are in place they require very little maintenance only brushing and flossing and regular hygienist appointments.

Cons

Expensive

Dental veneers can be expensive, but with a 10-15-year lifespan they can provide a good investment for the future.

Susceptible to damage

Dental veneers are delicate and so can be susceptible to chipping, breaking, and falling off. Though they can be replaced, this can dramatically increase costs.

Increased sensitivity

You may experience some sensitivity to hot and cold foods in the days following your procedure, but this will usually disappear and there are also dental products that can help to strengthen the tooth enamel.

The team at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre work closely with each of our patients to customise individual treatment plans that successfully meet their personal needs.  If you would like more information about dental veneers do not hesitate to contact Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre on 01622 682029 and one of our team would be happy to assist you.

The most important part of tooth care happens at home and in this month’s blog the team at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre look at why you shouldn’t be avoiding interdental cleaning.

How do interdental cleaners work?

Did you know that brushing alone only reaches 60% of the tooth surface? Dental plaque builds up between your teeth where a toothbrush does not reach. Interdental cleaners work by cleaning those areas that brushing alone misses.

Using interdental cleaning aids daily combined with brushing using a fluoride toothpaste can help to protect against gum disease and tooth decay by removing plaque and food particles, keeping your teeth and gums healthy, while giving you a beautiful smile.

Other health benefits to interdental cleaning

Daily flossing doesn’t just keep your teeth healthy – practicing good oral hygiene contributes to your health in other ways, too. In fact, there’s an increasing amount of evidence linking gum disease to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, strokes, poor pregnancy outcomes and even dementia.

What should I do if my gums bleed?

Many people who suffer with sensitive or bleeding gums may be tempted to avoid interdental cleaning for fear of making their bleeding gums worse. But in fact, interdental cleaning can improve the health of your gums, thereby helping to prevent them from bleeding. The fact that your gums are bleeding makes it even more important that you continue with your interdental cleaning.

What should I do first?

Brushing may come before flossing in the dictionary, but it shouldn’t when it comes to our oral hygiene routine. Interdental cleaning loosens bacteria and food debris from between the teeth, which allows brushing to be much more successful at removing plaque. The fluoride in your toothpaste is also better able to do its job in protecting your teeth if the plaque particles are removed first.

When should I see a dentist?

Not only should you see your dentist for regular routine dental appointments, you should also attend if you suspect any problems with your oral health.

Your dentist can check your teeth and order dental x-rays to help identify any problems. Signs that you need to see a dentist include:

• red, swollen gums
• gums that bleed easily after brushing or flossing
• sensitivity to hot and cold
• persistent bad breath
• loose teeth
• receding gums
• tooth pain

Dental problems like cavities and gum disease are preventable, but the key is sticking with a good dental care routine. This involves regularly using interdental brushes and brushing with a fluoride toothpaste.

If you would like to find out more information on the best interdental cleaning aids to meet your needs. Call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682 029to book an appointment with our hygienist today.

Routine Dental Appointment

This year, here at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre our new year’s resolution is to help you achieve the perfect smile. A bright white smile can not only help you to appear younger and more attractive but can also help to improve your confidence and self-esteem.

Our fully trained team of dentists at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan designed to achieve exactly what you want from your smile makeover.

Here at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre we are able to offer:

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening can be a very effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without damaging the tooth itself. The darker your teeth, the longer your teeth will take to get lighter, but your dentist will be able to advise you on the expected time frame.

Teeth Straightening

In the past few years there has been a large increase in the number of adults looking to improve the appearance of their smile using new teeth straightening methods. Teeth straightening procedures can be used to improve the appearance of crowded, gapped, crooked teeth or a misaligned bite. No matter what your age, it is possible to have straight teeth and a smile you can be confident in.

Veneers

A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain made to fit over the front surface of a tooth. Veneers can improve the colour, shape and position of your teeth. A precise shade of porcelain can be chosen to give the right colour to improve a single discoloured tooth or to lighten the front teeth. A veneer can make a chipped tooth look intact again. Veneers can also be used to close small gaps, when teeth straightening is not suitable. Your dentist at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre will give you an idea of how long each individual veneer should last.

Dental Implants

If you are missing some teeth, dental implants can provide the closest possible replacement to having your natural teeth back. Dental implants are secured to the jaw using a titanium post, so they will not shift or move, allowing you to live life to the full, talking, eating and smiling with confidence. You will need to attend for a consultation with the dentist to see if you are suitable to have dental implants.

Facial Aesthetics

Anti-wrinkle injections are particularly effective in treating lines around the eyes commonly known as Crow’s Feet and is also used to treat lines on the forehead. Anti-wrinkle injections work quickly and are relatively painless, results should be visible within two weeks.

Dermal fillers are gels containing Hyaluronic acid which is normally present in skin. Dermal fillers are used to “fill out” and “plump up” lines on the face such as those between the nose and the corner of the mouth.

Call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682 029to book your consultation and see what our dentists can do to help you achieve your perfect smile.

In the lead up to Christmas Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre will be open until Friday 22 December. If you experience a dental emergency in the run up to Christmas be sure to ring the surgery prior to 10am as we have a number of emergency appointments available each day so we will endeavour to see you as quickly as possible to ensure you are pain free and able to enjoy your Christmas dinner.

Should you experience a problem during the festive period please ring the surgery on 01622 682 029. There will be a message on the answerphone giving details of how to access emergency dental treatment.

You may require urgent treatment if you have:

A toothache or swelling

This is the most common reason patients seek emergency dental treatment and there are a number of different causes.

Pain is often caused by an infection within the root of the tooth. The tooth may need to be drained to remove the infection and the dentist may also prescribe you antibiotics.

The dentist will advise you to complete the course of antibiotics and then come in for a review appointment. It is very important that you attend this second appointment because although the pain will reduce as the infection clears it is important to find a permanent solution, so the infection does not reoccur. It may be necessary to have a filling, root canal treatment or if it is not possible to save the tooth it will need to be extracted.

Trauma to the face, mouth of teeth following an injury or accident

If you experience a blow or direct force to your face, mouth, or teeth there is the potential for damage to occur. If you notice that your teeth are loose or have been chipped or broken you will need to attend the dentist for a full assessment to be made.

A permanent tooth knocked out

If a permanent tooth is knocked out, wherever possible replace the tooth into the socket immediately and seek dental treatment. It may be possible for the tooth to be saved. If there is a risk of the tooth being swallowed for example if the patient is a young child, keep the tooth in a container of body temperature milk and seek dental treatment immediately.

Bleeding following an extraction that does not stop or a dry socket

Following a tooth extraction there is the potential for the socket to continue to bleed if a clot does not form. This often happens in patients who are taking blood thinning medication such as warfarin and aspirin. If this is the case the dentist may put sutures in place to hold the socket closed and allow the gums more time to heal. These will dissolve away naturally within a week to ten days.

It is also possible for infection to get into the socket if the blood does not clot properly, this is known as a dry socket and can be very painful. You may also notice a bad smell emanating from the area. This can be treated by using a warm saline solution to clean the area and then packing the socket with an antibacterial dressing. The site will need to be cleaned regularly to reduce the chance of any further infection.

A broken tooth or lost filling

A broken tooth or lost filling may cause pain because of the sharp tooth edges left behind and because the underlying dentine may be exposed.

There are a number of treatment options then available, the tooth may be re-filled, crowned, have root canal treatment or if the prognosis is poor it may need to be extracted. The dentist will be able to discuss all the possible options with you before you make the decision on how you would like to proceed.

All the team at Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre would like to wish our patients a happy and trouble free Christmas, but should you have any issues during the festive period do not hesitate to call the surgery on 01622 682029.

At Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre we want to ensure that you have a white Christmas, with a course of teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is an effective way of lightening the natural colour of your teeth without damaging your teeth and gums. Teeth whitening can be effective in lightening staining caused by food, drink, smoking, antibiotics and the general ageing process.

There are two main types of teeth whitening available.

In chair teeth whitening

In this instance the whitening solution will either be painted onto your teeth or loaded into custom made bleaching trays and then a special light will be shone onto the teeth to help activate the bleaching solution. The treatment will normally take around an hour and during this time the procedure may be repeated with fresh solution two or three times.

At home teeth whitening

In this instance the dentist will make custom made whitening trays by taking impressions of your teeth. You will then be given whitening solution to put into the trays and wear them at home. You will need to wear the trays for anywhere from 30 minutes to sleeping in them for 8 hours overnight dependent on the solution that the dentist uses and how quickly you would like to see results. Normally we would advise that treatment will take between 3-4 weeks to get the desired results.

Results

The effects of teeth whitening normally last for up to three years. However, this will vary from person to person. The effect is less likely to last as long if you smoke or eat or drink products that can stain your teeth.

Our dentists and hygienists have whitened thousands of patients’ teeth so you can be sure that you are in safe hands.

Following teeth whitening

You can help to keep your teeth white by cutting down on the amount of food and drink you have that can stain teeth.

Don’t forget, stopping smoking can also help prevent discolouration and staining.

We recommend the following tips to care for your teeth:

• • Brush your teeth for two minutes, twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
  • Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks.
  • Visit your dentist regularly.

If you would like to find out more about ensuring this year you have a white Christmas, do not hesitate to call Maidstone Dental & Implant Centre today on 01622 682029.