Author Archives: Smile Essential

I was a nervous wreck on my first dental visit…

I was a nervous wreck on my first visit. I hadn’t been to the dentist for quite a while and was ashamed of the state of my teeth. I was made to feel welcome, safe and cared for from the minute I walked in the door. This was a few years ago, I am pleased to say that I am still a regular visitor.

Nik is a great dentist and always makes me feel at ease. Yesterday I had two appointments- impressions, an extraction and a new denture fitted- I wouldn’t have believed that was possible on my first visit!

The whole team are great. Highly recommended.

PS my new teeth look great!

Mrs A.G, Leicester.

Find out more about your first visit to see us…

Dental Leicester

I had such a great experience at Smile Essential Dental Practice…

 

I was very anxious as I had not been for a very long time. I was put at ease by Nik and his team. They were so caring and understanding. The treatment was explained thoroughly and it was not rushed.

I am so pleased with everything that I highly recommend this great practice.

Mr B.P, Leicester.

Find out more about joining our local Leicester dental practice…

Dental Leicester

Say goodbye to yellow teeth…

There are many reasons teeth can appear yellow. Most of the time yellow teeth are generally caused by surface staining. That’s why as we get older our teeth often get darker, picking up more and more staining.

Our Leicester dentists often whiten peoples teeth that have been stained as a result of their diet. The obvious culprits are tea, coffee and red wine, but there are many more not so obvious causes such as green tea – yup, green tea may be good for your body but it can cause tooth staining, tomatoes in pasta sauce, curry spices and berries all contain pigments that cling to tooth enamel and stain the surface.

The good news is that while your teeth may not look like the ideal set of pearly whites, teeth stained from your diet are actually perfectly healthy. If you wanted to improve the colour of your teeth though there are a few things you can do:

• Have a dental hygiene appointment. Plaque buildup on the teeth can make them appear more yellow having this removed and the teeth polished will remove the plaque and some surface staining. Regular hygiene appointments will keep on top of the staining and help your mouth to stay fresher and healthier.

• Buy an electric toothbrush. At our Leicester dental clinic, we recommend the Phillips Sonicare toothbrush. This can help to remove some staining and will help to remove new staining each time you brush.

• Professional Tooth Whitening. If you want to lighten your teeth by several shades then professional tooth whitening will give you the best results. Our Enlighten Ultimate treatment guarantees you’ll achieve the lightest natural tooth shade on our chart.

• Adjust your diet. We know it isn’t easy! It’s tough to start the day if you’re used to that cup of coffee to get you going or of course relaxing with a cup of tea. Oh, and what no curry!

There are also a few other reasons that your teeth may be yellow and it’s definitely worth speaking to your dental health team for advice:

– Tooth wear. The outer layer of the tooth is called enamel and is whiter than the underlying layer dentine which tends to be quite yellow. Tooth wear can occur because of a few things such as acids in the diet fizzy or fruit drinks, acid reflux and toothbrush abrasion – brushing too hard, incorrect technique or with a hard bristle toothbrush can cause the enamel to be worn away and show the yellow dentine layer.

– Fluorosis. Fluoride is good for teeth, but excess fluoride in early adulthood can cause yellow or brownish yellow spots called fluorosis. Avoid fluorosis by using the right amount of toothpaste for your child and make sure they spit out the toothpaste and not swallow it.

– Antibiotics. Tetracycline antibiotics stain teeth when they’re still developing in the gums. If your mother took antibiotics in the second half of her pregnancy, or you took them before the age of eight, you may have permanently stained adult teeth.

– Tooth Grinding. Also known as bruxism, it’s quite harmful to tooth enamel and the teeth. Many people are unaware that they are grinding their teeth. Tooth grinding is an unconscious habit some people have when they’re stressed, especially while asleep. It grinds down the tooth enamel and can be harmful to your dental health.

The best way to take care of your teeth is by visiting your local dental practice for tailored advice.

Dental Leicester

Nervous of the dentist? Don’t worry we’re to help…

 

Dental phobia is the main reason people put off seeking dental treatment and this means many nervous patients live with discomfort, pain and treatable conditions that can lead to tooth loss and can have a detrimental effect to their overall health. It doesn’t have to be this way!

Our kind and caring dentist have helped to treat hundreds of Leicester people overcome their dental phobia. As Leicester dentists, we believe that everyone deserves a healthy mouth and confident smile and our job is to help you get there. We are proud that our efforts have culminated in us achieving Dental Phobia Certification. This means you can feel confident about that you’re in the best hands.

There are many myths surrounding the dentist that stop people from coming:

MYTH:
The dentist does not have time for people who are nervous like me and who need a lot of encouragement and support whilst having treatment.

FACT:
Your dentist will be specially trained to support and work with patients who are obviously nervous about undergoing treatment and will have done so on numerous occasions. There is no need to think that you are making your dentist’s job harder than it needs to be as this is, in fact, part of their job, and they are there to make sure you feel comfortable and happy with your treatment.

MYTH:
The dentist will be completely shocked and appalled by the state of my mouth.

FACT:
Your dentist is a trained medical professional who has seen countless people with extremely poor oral health. You will be absolutely nowhere near the worst that they have seen. Even if your mouth is in a bad condition, your dentist is trained to help you and will go about your treatment in a professional manner. If you feel that your mouth is this bad, then this is a great reason to visit your dentist!

MYTH:
There is nothing that I can do to help myself overcome my fear.

FACT:
There are loads of things that you can do to help yourself visit the dentist and overcome your fear! There are lots of practical methods and techniques that can be used to help you, for more information click here.
At Smile Essential dental practice, we take your anxiety seriously. As dentists, we understand you may feel embarrassed about your problems, but you need not worry, we are here to help. We are confident that by working together, we can help you to overcome your fears and give you a smile that beams with pride.

MYTH:
Going to the dentist and having an injection into my gum will be excruciatingly painful.

FACT:
Fear of pain is a common dental issue and we routinely use a topical gel or spray for all patients to help prevent any pain. For patients with an extreme dislike of needles, we offer ‘The Wand’. The Wand is a digital method of delivering anaesthetic which prevents the bee-sting pain associated with traditional injections. It ensures anaesthesia is delivered in a controlled, pain-free manner.

There are also a number of tips and advice we over patients to allow the process to be as easy as possible. For example:

• Arrange an appointment as soon as possible – this way you’ll have less time to build up anxiety over the forthcoming appointment.

• Arrange an appointment for the morning. This way you won’t spend the day getting increasingly nervous. We promise you’ll feel better after your appointment!

• The first appointment is a consultation and we will not be carrying out any treatment, so relax.

• When you come back for dental treatment at our Leicester dental Practice we also have a STOP signal, so that if at any time during treatment you feel pain or are uncomfortable, we will stop the treatment and do all we can to help. As the patient, you are always in control.

• The dentist and dental assistant are also trained to guide you through the whole process with meditative breathing techniques to help you control your anxiety. Many of our patients find this hugely beneficial.

• You might find it helpful to bring a friend or family member along to your appointment for support and comfort of seeing a familiar friendly face.

It is with the above-mentioned tips, technology and compassion that we have earned the right to become Dental Phobia Certified.

Get in touch with one of our friendly team for help and support on taking the next step – 0116 2891317

Dental Leicester

5 expert tips to keep your children’s teeth healthy…

All mums and dads know that it’s important for their kids to have a healthy mouth. Here are 5 expert tips to ensure you can keep your child’s teeth healthy and their smile cute!

1) This one is obvious, but it is firmly at number one for good reason. Brushing their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste removes soft plaque deposits and debris. The fluoride in the toothpaste also works to strengthen and protect the teeth in between brushing.

2) Make brushing as fun as possible. Little things can mean a lot to little ones. Letting them choose their own toothbrush will help them engage more with cleaning their teeth. You could clean your teeth at the same time and show them how fun it can be making lots of foam.

3) Get digital! This ties in with making toothbrushing fun. There are lots of fun apps and songs you can enlist the help of. Search on your app store for children’s toothbrush timers or check out this article: https://www.exceptionalsmiles.dental/blog/toothbrush-timer-apps-help-kids-love-brushing-teeth/

4) Diet. Kids naturally have a sweet tooth and it’s fine for them to indulge in the occasional treat – but the keyword is occasional. Children’s day to diet should limit sugar, this includes drinks. Children’s main drink should always be water.

It’s very important to restrict snacking. The frequency of the teeth being subjected to sugar is generally more important than the quantity when it comes to dental care.

5) Dental visits are vital for your child’s dental health.Children who reach the age of nine without having tooth decay have a 90 per cent chance of never having a filling in their lifetime – something to aspire to.

Regular dental health examinations from a young age will ensure children won’t suffer from untreated dental decay that could have a devastating effect on their growing teeth. There are a number of preventative treatments that our team can provide for children.

Find out more about children’s dental care…

Dental Leicester

Why do I need a dental crown instead of a filling?

A dental crown or sometimes called a cap is a prosthetic restoration which completely covers or encircles a tooth or a dental implant. A dental crown offers protection to the tooth surface underneath its structure.

Why might I need a crown?

A crown is usually placed on a tooth that has previously had a filling or other restoration such as a veneer. There are many reasons that your dentist may decide to place a crown the most common reasons are

• The tooths structure is more filling than tooth
• The tooth has previously had root canal treatment.
• A tooth is badly decayed and after removing the decay there would not be enough tooth structure to place and hold a filling.
• The tooth has a large or suspected deep crack.

Can I not just have a filling and see if it works?

Our dentists will always do the least invasive option possible without jeopardising the long-term prognosis of the tooth. When a filling is generally (there are exceptions!) more than 2/3 of the tooth it puts a lot of pressure on the whole tooth structure and the filling is unlikely to last very long. The major concern with this is that with all of that pressure the tooth could break and then be irreparable – leading to an extraction.

If a tooth has previously been root treated for whatever reason it then becomes more brittle. The recommendation here is generally to place a filling after being root treated, then wait for several months to confirm the root treatment has been successful and then place a crown.Why is it more expensive than a filling?

A filling is placed using a composite material in one appointment by the dentist. A dental crown requires much more attention than a filling resulting in a longer appointment for the preparation work, an additional appointment for the crown fitting and the additional cost of a dental technician and crown.

• extensive preparation work on the tooth structure
• impressions
• making of a temporary crown
• a dental technician to construct your work in a laboratory
• an appointment to remove the temporary crown, place the permanent crown and make any necessary adjustments

Hopefully, that’s answered any questions you might have and concerning why you might need a dental crown.

If you do have any questions in regards to your treatment than your dental team will be more than happy to answer any questions you have.Dental Leicester

 

 

I can’t recommend this dentist enough…

I’ve put off going to the dentist for more years than I care to admit. I researched so many dentists before finally deciding to register here. Out of everyone I spoke to they were the first to email me back and definitely the friendliest over the phone(Dawn).

On arriving the receptionist (Adele) was so friendly and just nice, I know people are probably more bothered about the dentist but for me, I tend to judge a place by the first person I speak to.
My dentist Zsolt was new to the dentist surgery he was very nice and told me everything he was about to do without making me feel scared.

Can’t recommend this overall experience enough.

Mr J.J, Leicester.

Find out more about our new patient dental health check…

Dental Leicester