The worst type of sweets are those that stick to the teeth like caramels and toffee. They are almost impossible to remove without brushing and flossing and the sugar in them feeds bacteria which causes tooth decay. As far as sour sweets are concerned you are actually better off NOT brushing straight away because this will scrub the acid they contain into your teeth. Have a drink of water and rinse around the mouth first.

The best option (other than a sugar free gum) is chocolate, but of course it still contains sugar so is best kept to a minimum. So try to limit the damage by offering small treats and steering away from the sticky and sour varieties.

Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and replace your toothbrush regularly
Avoid sugary snacks between meals
Visit the dentist regularly

You can find out more information from the Colgate Website

Book an appointment with us to get more information on how you can improve your oral health.

To continue our thoughts on whether National Smile Month will work to improve dental health and encourage more regular trips to the dentists – we think that cash would be pretty high up the list of reasons for delaying a dental check-up. Let’s face it, we can all think of ways we’d prefer to spend our money.

It might surprise you to learn that we don’t actually like telling patients that they need costly repair work doing. That’s because we know they don’t like hearing it (that will be the wincing!) and we hate to be the bearer of bad tidings. Our view has always been that prevention is far better (i.e. cheaper) than cure. Better to spend a little now, instead of a lot more later.

Do regular check-ups actually save you money? Well, with regular visits we can sort out minor issues before they become more serious. If identified early enough, we can stop tooth decay with a small, inexpensive filling; if left it could require a larger filling or major corrective treatment such as a crown, bridge or even root canal. Not only that, but we can also spot other potential problems early on (such as gum disease) and sort that out too, before it becomes a problem.

The bottom line is, don’t spend lots of money on expensive dental repairs; spend a little on regular check-ups so that we can catch things before they develop. The money you save can be spent on something more pleasurable – like improving your smile.

At Confidental, we completely back the idea, in principle, but would love to know what other people think. Our view is that most people already subscribe to the idea that they ’should’ look after their teeth but for one reason or another they put off visiting their dentist.  Why IS that?  Answers on a postcard, or in the comments below please.

We’ve a few theories of our own as to why people put off a trip to the dentist, so to mark National Smile Month at Confidental we’ll be posting our ideas here over the next few days and weeks.  Hopefully these thoughts will help to overcome any worries you might have about coming to see us.