We have an excellent relationship with the tooth fairy at Smile Essential. We work closely with the tooth fairy and families with children to ensure the tooth fairy gets a top-quality product – well looked after milk teeth so children can receive some money.

Here are some fun things for you to know!

• The tooth fairy often pays more for a first tooth
• The most common amount given to Leicester children is £2 for a first tooth and £1
• The tooth fairy pays more if the milk tooth is healthy
• Parents on the West side of Leicestershire pay more than those on the East side Leicestershire!
• If you accidentally lose the tooth, you can leave a note detailing where the tooth was lost, and the tooth fairy might be able to locate it. If found, then the fairy will leave you some money.
• You have 20 milk teeth, and they start to fall out around 5-6 years old.
• 36% of parents admit that their children spend their money on sweets!

So how much should you pay?

• First tooth £2 (a large gold coin)
• All teeth after that £1 (a gold coin)
• If teeth have tooth decay 50p

But remember this is just a guide, and if teeth are particularly healthy or unhealthy, then the tooth fairy may leave a different amount. Price also varies dependant on market supply and demand.

Did you know that keeping your child’s milk teeth could potentially save their life?

There was a story in the Leicester Mercury about using the stem cells from milk teeth to help treat a range of diseases. Stem cells are usually taken from bone marrow, but scientist discovered that milk teeth are also full of these useful little cells! Stem cells are cells that can develop into many different cell types. Researchers believe that stem cell-based therapies will one day be able to treat a range of destructive disorders. We certainly hope so. Maybe we’ll end up paying the tooth fairy for our teeth back!

Is your child registered at a Leicester dental practice? Take a look at our children’s dentistry…

People often prefer to have private dental care because of the flexibility with appointment times compared to the limited appointments available on the NHS and the greater variety of more cosmetic treatments, e.g. such as having tooth coloured fillings rather than metal ones. 

We wanted to help our patients to budget for their regular dental care and rewarding them for their commitment to better dental health. It was with this in mind that we created our patient-focused membership plan – Smile Plan.

For a low monthly payment of just £12.99, our dental patients in Leicester can expect to receive the following benefits:

• 6 monthly dental health checks. This includes a mouth cancer screening, all necessary x rays and photographs.
• 6 monthly hygiene appointments. These appointments with the dentist/hygienist include a thorough assessment of your gum health, fresh breath treatment, techniques to prevent gum disease, periodontal advice, and most of all, the thorough removal of built-up plaque that causes decay and polish that refreshes your smile
• 15% discount on most dental work you may require – including most cosmetic treatments.
• 12-month guarantee on all restorative work (provided due care has been taken).
• Priority appointments for your convenience.
• Same-day assessment of dental emergencies and dental pain.
• Dispensing of most antibiotics.
• Emergency call out.
• Dental insurance for treatment needed anywhere in the world as a result of a dental emergency or accidental damage to your teeth.
• Worldwide emergency callout.
• Redundancy protection cover

Almost all of our patients have taken advantage of our dental plan membership called Smile Plan. Is it time you started to benefit from it too? Learn more…

Let’s be honest no one likes kissing someone with breath that’s a bit shall we say – funky! And nothing ruins the moment like worrying your breath is bad! We have 7 ridiculously easy ways for you to not only have fresh breath to have fresh, tasty breath! Pucker up here we go!

1. Nothing get’s breath fresher than a good old brush with your favourite minty toothpaste! While simple, there really is no better way then given your teeth a good scrub! If your toothbrush is older than 8-12 weeks or frayed then replace with a new one.

2. Okay, this is gross but did you know bits of food and plaque can lay trapped between your teeth for days? Ewww! Even brushing can’t get in between those tight areas of the mouth. You need to use floss or interdental brushes. Not cleaning between your teeth is like only brushing half of your mouth. It will never feel truly fresh.

3. Take a look at your tongue – like really. Look in the mirror or take a tongue selfie. If your tongue is coated in gunge chances are your breath will be a bit pongy! FYI one study found that by brushing the tongue, volunteers reduced their perception of bad breath by a whopping 70%! You can clean the tongue ideally with a tongue scraper – available at chemists or of course amazon or in the meantime a good brush with a toothbrush.

4. Drink plenty of water. Natures finest will help to keep you and your mouth hydrated which really helps to keep breath fresh. Dryer mouths are a breeding ground for bacteria.

5. Get fruity! Apples are a great breath freshener as they not only smell good but the biting and chewing help to keep your mouth clean. It’s ridiculously good to taste of apples, strawberries maybe a little pineapple.

6. Mint? Lots of people have a lovely meal planned on date nights, so when it comes to finishing the meal, why not get some mint tea? It will help to rehydrate the mouth, wash away any dinner that’s stuck in your teeth and it’s fresh and subtle.

7. Watch what you put in your mouth! You know the culprits! Onions, garlic, smoking! These are all pretty hard smells to mask over so best to avoid!

If you still have bad breath? Then it’s worth scheduling an appointment with your dentist. Your teeth may require dental treatment…

The mouth is often overlooked when we are considering the health of our body. However, there is growing evidence that an unhealthy mouth, especially if you have gum disease, may increase your risk of serious health problems.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, explains: “The link between oral health and overall body health is well documented and backed by robust scientific evidence. Despite this, only 1 in 6 people realise that people with gum disease may have an increased risk of stroke or diabetes. And only 1 in 3 is aware of the heart disease link.”

With that in mind, we take a closer look at some of the most documented connections. 

Alzheimer’s Disease and Gum Disease Link UK

A study published earlier this year linked gum disease to Alzheimer’s disease. The bacteria most commonly responsible for gum disease produces an enzyme that was present in higher levels in brain tissue of patients who suffered Alzheimer’s compared to normal brains of the same age. A second study showed that the bacteria can increase the production of amyloid beta, a major component of the amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s. These studies don’t prove any direct causation and more still needs to be done.

Premature Labour and Gum Disease Link UK

Gum disease can have implications during pregnancy. Maternal periodontal disease increases the chances of giving birth prematurely (less than 37 weeks) or to a lower weight baby. A study of 400 women discovered that the women who received periodontal treatment had less premature labours.

Diabetes and Gum Disease Link UK

There is an increasing number of links between gum disease and diabetes. Around half of the UK, population suffers from gum disease and about 10% of them have it severely enough that it leads to tooth loss. 

The increase in blood sugar level, which occurs in diabetes, can cause damage to nerves, blood vessels, the heart, the kidneys, the eyes and the feet. In the same way, the gums can also be affected.

Evidence also shows that severe periodontal disease can increase blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and also in those who do not have diabetes. In other words, periodontal disease and diabetes are linked in both affect one another.

Heart Disease and Gum Disease Link UK

There have been established links between gum disease and heart health. The Brtish Heart Foundation is doing lots of research into the links between heart disease and gum disease. They have put together this fantastic easy to understand video explaining why gum disease can affect your heart.

Now it’s important to remember that gum disease is treatable. If treated early then there are often no harmful effects. If left untreated it can cause damage but is still treatable and can prevent further problems from occurring.

If you are worried about your gum health then please get in touch with us for advice…

1 in 5 people will suffer from mouth ulcers at some point in their life. Ulcers can be painful when eating, drinking or brushing teeth. It’s a problem that we see often at our Leicester dental practice. It’s ok to suffer from occasional mouth ulcers, they are usually harmless and generally clear up on their own.

What causes mouth ulcers?

Believe it or not, the exact cause of mouth ulcers is still unknown!

There are things that are thought to trigger simple mouth ulcers such as stress or certain foods such as citrus fruits (such as lemons, oranges, pineapples, apples, figs, tomatoes and strawberries), can trigger a mouth ulcer or make the problem worse. Sometimes a sharp tooth surface or dental appliances, such as braces or ill-fitting dentures, might also trigger mouth ulcers.

Occasionally cases of complex mouth ulcers are caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system; nutritional problems, such as vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron deficiency and gastrointestinal tract diseases, such as Coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.
Seek medical advice if they last longer than 3 weeks or keep coming back.

Sometimes medications can cause mouth ulcers, if you notice a correlation between your medication and mouth ulcers then it’s important you continue with the medication but seek advice from your GP as soon as possible.

How are mouth ulcers treated?

Pain from a mouth ulcer generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two.

If sores are large, painful or persistent, your dentist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse, a corticosteroid ointment, or a prescription or non-prescription solution to reduce the pain and irritation.

Over the counter remedies such as Bonjela may help to relieve some discomfort temporarily.

When to seek medical advice:

Unusually large sores
Sores that are spreading
Sores that last three weeks or longer
Intolerable pain despite avoiding trigger foods and taking over-the-counter pain medication
Difficulty drinking enough fluids
High fever with the appearance of the mouth ulcer(s)

Can mouth ulcers be prevented?

Sadly there is no cure yet for mouth ulcers. You may be to reduce the frequency of ulcers with the following:

Practice good dental hygiene
Avoid foods that irritate your mouth, including acidic or spicy foods
Avoid irritation from gum chewing
Using a soft-bristled toothbrush after meals and flossing daily, which will keep your mouth free of foods that may trigger a sore.

If you’re worried about mouth ulcers contact us here…

Technology is generally a part of most children’s lives now and whilst there has to be a balance, technology can be used to be a force of good in your child’s everyday life. Good habits start young and there are now many technologies that can be used to improve your child’s oral health. Here are some of our favourites!

Phone Apps

Brush DJ

The free multi-award-winning Brush DJ app is suitable for use by all ages. This toothbrush timer app plays 2 minutes of music from your devices, cloud or streaming service – to make toothbrushing for an effective length of time less boring!

The app is fully customisable for your child. Choosing their favourite colour, age-appropriate information and advice.

You can use Brush DJ with a manual or electric toothbrush and it allows you to set reminders to:

•Change your toothbrush/brush head every 3 months

•Brush at least twice a day

•Floss/clean interdentally every day

•Use a mouth wash at a different time to toothpaste

•When next to visit dentist, hygienist, orthodontist or dental therapist

Sugar Smart App

Change 4 Life – NHS have a fantastic website full of helpful information and advice on sugar swaps. There is also a ‘Sugar Smart‘ app from Public Health England which works by scanning the barcode of products to show the total sugar content in cubes or grams, aiming to help parents take control of their children’s sugar intake.

YouTube Videos

Brush Your Teeth Super Simple Songs

This is great for very little ones. Many parents of babys and toddlers are probably aware of this popular YouTube channel and their baby entrancing songs! This app is also nice and calm so an ideal song to incorporate into the bed time routine.

The Tooth Brushing Song – The Tooth Brushing Badge 

A timed toothbrushing song good for young children. It includes enough time to get their toothbrush out and put the toothpaste on too.

Tooth Brushing Song by Blippi | 2-Minutes Brush Your Teeth for Kids

This video has over 87 million views! The Blippi teeth brushing song is an animated timed two minute catchy song. Get ready to sing it all day long!

Why do We Brush Our Teeth?

As children are getting older it would be good to get them involved with understanding why brushing their teeth is important.

Toothbrushes

Gondola Kids Bamboo Toothbrush 

Okay so this isn’t very technical – it’s the reverse – back to basics. However, this eco-friendly toothbrush is ideal for very young children. Using a small manual toothbrush is more appropriate when your children are very little. The important part is to use a smudge of age-appropriate toothpaste and get them into healthy habits of brushing twice a day and limiting sugar intake.

The Philips Sonicare For Kids app syncs with your child’s sonic toothbrush to help them learn about oral care through play. Your child’s brushing coach challenges him to brush better and for longer. Each session starts with clear visual instructions about correct brushing techniques and the app’s progress monitor tracks the total performance. Kids learn while having fun, and parents get to see how well kids are doing between check-ups.

The app syncs with your child’s sonic toothbrush via Bluetooth to show proper brushing techniques and track performance. Kids can see how well they brush, and earn exciting rewards for a job well done.

As you can see technology can be a great aid for helping your child to achieve and maintain great oral health. Find out more about children’s dental health here…