Season’s Greetings And A Healthy Attractive Smile!

Your Wickford dentists share a few thoughts for the Christmas period and a few ideas for the new year ahead

Cygnet Dental Wickford LogoI’m sure we aren’t the only ones that are looking forward to the Christmas break, even if it is likely to be a little strange this year. Some of us will have made plans and others may still be wondering how to approach Christmas day given the current Covid situation.

Most of us though, will celebrate it in some way or another, either on our own or in smaller groups than usual.

Christmas is a time when we can allow ourselves a few excesses that we may not usually do. These are usually enjoyable, hence why we do it, but some of them can have a negative impact on our oral health.

In today’s Cygnet Dental Practice blog, we take a look at a few of these and also offer some suggestions for the new year for those of you who may be thinking of giving your smile a new year boost.

Christmas tips

Watch what you eat – Nobody is going to start a ‘healthy eating’ diet on Christmas day but that doesn’t mean to say that we shouldn’t at least keep an eye on what we are eating. Chocolates, toffees and other sweets are consumed in great quantities at this time of the year and, as we know, this can be very damaging to our teeth. Try to limit your consumption of tooth damaging foods where you can.

Drink alcohol in moderation – Alcohol can cause a dry mouth which, in turn, increases the risk of gum disease. You are also more likely to have an accident if you have drunk too much and that could result in the need to see our Wickford emergency dentist. By all means, enjoy yourself, but just monitor your alcohol intake.

Don’t start smoking – Even if you have been drinking, do try to resist the temptation to start smoking again if you are an ex smoker. Christmas is an easy time of the year to let this slip, but would be a serious mistake. Smoking not only greatly increases the likelihood of gum disease but you also will be at a higher risk of oral cancer than non smokers.

Brush your teeth – Even if you always do this, without fail, there is a possibility that you may not feel like brushing your teeth after a long day and may just want to fall into bed to go to sleep. Please try to make sure that you don’t do this. Brushing and flossing your teeth is important on any day, but especially at Christmas as your teeth are likely to be coated with a lot of sugar from your festive consumption. It only takes a few minutes but is a very good use of your time.

2021 – A happy new year?

Nobody can be entirely sure what the new year will bring. Many of us are cautious after the year that we have just had, but with the rollout of the vaccine, we can all hope that some sort of normality will start to return to our lives. As we slowly start to look ahead, we know that some of you will be considering ways to make changes, perhaps in a number of areas. In addition to losing weight, getting fitter etc, some of you will probably be wondering what you can do to improve the way that your teeth look.

At the Cygnet Dental Practice, we are always pleased to discuss treatments in depth with patients and we receommend arranging an initial consultation where we can do so. In the meantime, here is a brief ‘taster’ of some of the cosmetic dental treatments that we offer to help you have a nicer smile.

Teeth whitening

We offer a custom ‘at home’ teeth whitening experience which will brighten your teeth by several shades in around a fortnight. This is an inexpensive and relatively quick way to really bring out the best in your smile.

Dental implants

If you have a missing tooth, why not consider a dental implant to replace it? Although dentures are the most common method currently used , implants offer an artificial root as well as a crown to provide your replacement tooth with more strength and stability.

Dental veneers

Some people’s teeth may be too heavily stained for a teeth whitening procedure to have a significant effect. In these cases, it may be suggested that you have teeth veneers instead. These, in effect, replace your discoloured or stained enamel with a natural looking porcelain replacement.

Facial aesthetics

Finally, however great our teeth look, if we have a few unwanted wrinkles on our face, it can really detract from our smile. Our facial aesthetics team offers skin treatments that can help you have healthy and youthful looking skin once more.

We hope that you all have a great time and a relaxing break at Christmas. Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do have a dental emergency, please call our usual number – 01268 733078. If we are closed on that day, you will hear a recorded message telling you what to do next.

In the meantime, your local Wickford dentists wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dr Nabiha Farooqi – GDC 244982