Paying attention to your dental hygiene and health, especially your gum health. May not only pay you back with more than a nice, gleaming, healthy smile. It could help keep your heart healthy too!

It has long been debated between dentists and cardiologists the link between gum disease and heart disease. Here at Smile Essential dentist in Leicester we often see patients that could support the various theories surrounding the gum disease and heart disease link. While there are several theories, it is not clear whether gum disease actually has a direct link to heart disease or not. If it’s true that people with poor oral health have more heart attacks, it doesn’t necessarily mean that poor oral health causes them. People with good oral hygiene may just be taking better care of themselves. In other words, people who floss and brush their teeth may have healthier life style and other heart-healthy habits.

How Could they be linked?

Experts agree that there are plausible reasons why dental health and heart health may be linked. For example, inflammation is a common problem in both diseases. Narrowing of the arteries or atherosclerosis, is associated with inflammation. Much of the build up of fatty plaque, also called atheroma (not the same as plaque we find on the teeth) in the arteries is an inflammatory process. Inflammation is also associated with gum disease. Gingivitis (the early stages of gum disease) occurs when gums become inflamed and bacteria invade the tissues.

What research shows about gum disease and the heart-

Experts in periodontology and cardiology reviewed more than 120 published medical studies, position papers and other data on the heart and a possible dental health link. They developed a consensus report, published in 2009 simultaneously in the Journal of Periodontology and the American Journal of Cardiology.

The aim of the paper was to give cardiologists, periodontists and other health professionals a better understanding of the links between gum disease and heart disease. But overall research is still ongoing and more is needed to know for sure.

It’s time, 6 months has flown by. So you turn up to the dentist…reluctantly for your checkup.

Well already you are one of the elite as less than 50% of the great British public even go to the dentist!

Hopefully it doesn’t smell like your childhood memories, here at Smile Essential dentist in Leicester we use aromatherapy oil burners to banish THAT smell.

You’re sitting in the chair when a voice calls out ‘Open Wide’.  How do you know that he/she is doing what they are supposed to do?  Is there a perfect dental check up?

Here’s what to look out for:-

1.   They should be nice and smiley. Yes I know that is so not scientific but I think it’s plain common sense, to help you relax.

2.   Extra-Oral Exam– This is a posh way of saying they should check all the stuff on the outside to do with your mouth.

• TMJ- This is your jaw joint, is it moving freely, is it clicking, is there any pain?
• Lips, muscles
• They should check the lymph nodes under your jaw, behind your ears, along your neck.  This is important as many diseases especially cancer can be detected early via these nodes

3.   Intra-Oral Exam– This is basically all the pink stuff inside your mouth. Cheeks, inside lips, tongue, palate. The dentist is checking for any lumps and bumps and ulcers

4.   Periodontal Checks-Basically how healthy your gums are.  The colour, consistency.  A dental Probe should be used (has markings like a ruler) and is used to check how healthy your gums are. A score of 0 is the healthiest, 4 is the worst and means you have gum disease. Yup in dentistry we do it the opposite, of everyone else…the higher the number the worse your score!

5.   Teeth– Checking old fillings still intact, no cavities, any chips cracks etc, check existing restorations, e.g. crowns, veneers and bridges

6.   X-rays – Only when necessary but this varies.  Could be after 6 months, 1 year, 2 years or somewhere in between.  It depends on the individual and how many fillings they have or prone to.

7.   Discussion – At the end they should sit you up, it’s hard to have a good conversation when you’re  lying down unless it is pillow talk! They should let you know any issues, what to do next and give you a written treatment plan with costs upfront.

Notice teeth come way down in the list.  There are a lot more things we check for than just your teeth!

It’s never too late to quit smoking and there are many benefits to be gained no matter what age you are when you give up. If you want to stop smoking, you can make small changes to your lifestyle that may help you resist temptation to light up.

1) Think positive

You might have given up before, but tell yourself that you’re really going to do it this time.

2) Make a plan to quit smoking

Make a promise, set a date and stick to it. Don’t be put off by a wedding, party or other time when you’d normally smoke.

3) Change your diet

Is your after-dinner cigarette your favourite? A US study revealed that some foods, including meat, make cigarettes more satisfying. Others, including cheese, fruit and vegetables, make cigarettes taste terrible. So swap your usual steak or burger for a veggie pizza instead.

4) Change your drink

The same study looked at drinks. Fizzy drinks, alcohol, cola, tea and coffee all make cigarettes taste better. So when you’re out, drink more water and juice. Some people find that simply changing their drink (for example, switching from wine to a vodka and tomato juice), affects their need to reach for a cigarette.

5) Identify when you crave cigarettes

A craving can last five minutes. Before you give up, make a list of five-minute strategies. For example, you could leave the party for a minute, dance or go to the bar. And think about this: the combination of smoking and drinking heavily raises your risk of mouth cancer by 38 times.

6) Tell everyone that you are giving up smoking

If friends or family members want to give up too, suggest to them that you give up together. A team effort may be easier than going it alone.

7) Get moving

A review of scientific studies has proved that exercise (even a five-minute walk or stretch) cuts cravings and may help your brain to produce anti-craving chemicals.

8) Make non-smoking friends

When you’re at a party, stick with the non-smokers. When you look at the smokers, don’t envy them. Think of what they’re doing as a bit strange – lighting a small white tube and breathing in smoke.

9) Keep your hands and mouth busy

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can make you twice as likely to succeed. As well as patches, there are tiny tablets, lozenges, gum and a nasal spray. If you like holding a cigarette, use an inhalator. Try putting your drink in the hand that usually holds a cigarette, or drink from a straw to keep your mouth busy.

10) Write a list of the reasons why you want to stop.

Keep reminding yourself why you gave up. Make a list of the reasons and read it when you need support.

There are more than 6,500 new people each year in the UK who suffer from mouth cancer- that’s 18 people diagnosed every day.

Experts believe these figures are set to rise, and the fact remains that action needs to be taken collectively to reduce growing incidence and mortality rates. Even with vast advances in technology, without early detection half will die. By visiting the dentist on a regular basis we can catch the disease early and transform survival rates by 90 per cent.

The groups of people at risk of mouth cancer are more diverse than they have ever been. Mouth cancer is traditionally been a risk for people over 45, tobacco and alcohol users but new research shows a younger population increasingly at risk and a rising threat of cancer transited by oral sex, through the human papilloma virus (HPV). The disease is no longer predominately a problem for men. The proportion of women contracting the disease has steadily increased.

Do you know the causes?

• Smoking

It is still considered to be the leading cause of mouth cancer in the UK. Tobacco transforms saliva into a deadly cocktail that damages cells in the mouth and can turn them cancerous.

• Alcohol

Studies show that alcohol is another major cause of mouth cancer. Excessive consumption is linked to more than third of mouth cancer cases in men and a fifth in women. Heavy drinkers and smokers are up to 35 times more at risk, as alcohol aids the absorption of tobacco into the mouth.

• Smokeless tobacco

The types of smokeless tobacco products most used in the UK often contain a mix of ingredients including slaked lime, arceca nut and spices, flavourings and sweeteners. The main types are Gutka, Pan Masala and Mawa.

Smokeless tobacco is used particularly by South Asians communities.

• The Humam Papillomavirus (HPV)

HPV, transmitted through sexual activity, is increasingly being linked to mouth cancer and is considered to be a direct cause of the rise in cases among younger people.

• Poor diet

Around third of cases are thought to be linked to an unhealthy diet. It is recommended that people eat a healthy, balanced diet including five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

Do you know the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer?

Mouth cancer can strike in a number of places, including the lips, tongue, gums and cheek.

Often, signs and symptoms of mouth cancer are not painful. The most common signs are:

• An ulcer in your mouth or on your tongue which does not heal in three weeks.
• Red and whites patches in the mouth
• Unusual lumps or swellings in the mouth or head and neck area.

Early detection is so crucial with mouth cancer, it’s vitally important everyone knows the signs and symptoms.

It’s is so important that you have a regular dental health check because the dentist at Smile Essential Leicester can often spot the early stages of mouth cancer.

Please call and book your dentists appointment for your Mouth Cancer check today on 0116 289 1317.

As a parent you may either love going to the dentist or hate it, whether it’s down to fear, inconvenience, bad experiences or how you were brought up to feel. Please, unless you love going to the dentist, don’t let those feelings rub off onto your little ones.

You should never bribe your child or threaten punishment when trying to persuade them to go if they don’t like it. You always have to think carefully about how you say things… Shrikesh Kotecha of Smile Essential in Leicester has compiled some Do’s and Don’ts below and we has also added how your child might interpret some of the statements you make.

Please do:

1) Tell your little one they are going to the dentist

Child’s interpretation – Oh OK, not been before but let’s go / Cool I’ve been there before, they have toys and a really nice lady there in that room with the comfy seats.

2) Tell them that the dentist will count their teeth

Child’s interpretation – Oooh I wonder how many teeth I have, how many do I need to make a full set?

3) Tell them the dentist will show them how to brush their teeth just like mummy and daddy do.

Child’s interpretation – I’ll be a proper grown up if I can just brush my teeth properly.

Please don’t:

1) Tell them you are taking them to the park just to get them in the car.

Child’s interpretation – There’s the park mummy, stop the car mummy, we’re here…Wait a minute, what’s this place, why is there an odd looking seat…I want to go to the park!!!

2) Tell them it’s OK to be frightened because you were too when you were little.

Child’s interpretation – That’s it, I’m definitely not going if my brave mummy/daddy were frightened because it must be bad!

3) Tell them not to be scared.

Childs interpretation- Why would you tell me not to be scared if there is nothing to be scared of…you must be scared…Nope, definitely not going!

4) Tell them it won’t hurt.

Child’s interpretation- Why would you tell me it wasn’t going to hurt, it must definitely hurt …you must have been hurt before…No! No! No! Definitely not going!!!! Cue Tantrum!

If you are nervous about coming to the dentist yourself then it may be best if you try to say nothing or perhaps see if a friend or relative can bring them in.