Monthly Archives: March 2016

Does it hurt?

Pain. It’s one of the biggest reasons why so many of us fear going to the dentist – me     included. And it’s a question that we ask in one of our surveys.

In fact, it’s one of the strongest markers that we judge ourselves by.

February’s results show that 79% of you felt no pain at all during any treatment.

And that’s not good enough.

We can do better. So, from now on, we will be monitoring our results every week and I will post them on future newsletters. For now, though, please accept my apologies and my promise that we will improve.

Jas Sandhu

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“The Road To Morocco”

2The Moroccans love their
football. And this shirt,
donated very kindly by
Richard Tramontin from
East Grinstead Football
C l u b , was v e r y w e l l
received.

Despite having travelled to Morocco for several years now, last month’s trip was unique in a couple of ways. Firstly, the Dental Mavericks visited a new village and secondly, I was joined by some of our team: From left to right above, Cilla, Debbie, Maggie and Sophie.

Our destination, Kilia, is a small village up in the Rif mountains.3
The journey – in a 4 wheel drive jeep – wasn’t the most
comfortable. The roads are carved into the side of the mountain,
with a sheer drop on one side. No tarmac. No road signs. No
crash barriers.
Our ‘clinic’ was one of the classrooms in the village school. But,
because of the cramped conditions, we had to set up some of our
working spaces outside.

4They were more concerned about the gifts that we handed out. Colouring pencils, paper and things like yo-yo’s. Nothing remotely special – but they were overjoyed. The weather conditions and their lack of adequate clothing, they’re used to. But gifts, even as simple as those that we gave, are a novelty. We worked in a very poorly lit class room with water dripping from the ceiling onto an electric light bulb! And it is at times like these that I have to remind myself that we aren’t in the UK now. What we all take for granted is so often considered a luxury by our hosts.

In all of my trips, I’ve never seen so many children with abscesses. I can’t imagine the pain that some of them must have been suffering. I still haven’t got used to that. And I hope I never will.
Jas Sandhu

Word of the month:

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“The perfect moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words or movement.”

Colgate Total

In 2013, the Cochrane Oral Health Group completed a review of the most effective toothpastes. The review involved 30 studies carried out over a 22 year period and 14,835 participants.

Cochrane are a global network of researchers. Their work is free from sponsorship and is recognised as representing an international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Their evidence showed benefits in using a Triclosan/copolymer fluoride toothpaste when
compared with a fluoride-only toothpaste. Triclosan is an antibiotic ingredient and
copolymer is an ingredient that helps to keep the copolymer on the teeth and gums. The
toothpaste used was Colgate Total and the results, after six months of use, showed:

22% reduction in plaque
22% reduction in gingivitis
48% reduction in bleeding gums
5% reduction in tooth decay
Our practice has no affiliation with Colgate. But, we think that it is important to recommend it as the evidence is, so far, overwhelming.

Nikoletta’s News

Born on the 1st of January, and now 10 weeks later, here’s a picture6
of Evi. According to her mother:

“She has a mind of her own. She is a Tottenham fan like her dad
and a Djokovic fan like her mum…no Federer or Murray!”

Poor child.

A glass of water can help tackle morning breath

New research suggests that drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is an
effective way of reducing morning breath. The research, published in the International
Journal of Dental Hygiene, has shown that drinking or rinsing the mouth with a glass of
water helped remove up to 60 per cent of the substances which contribute to bad breath.

There is a simple test that you can do if you think you may be suffering from bad breath.
Just lick the inside of your wrist, wait for it to dry and sniff – if the smell is bad, it’s likely
that your breath is too.

If you do have bad breath, try keeping a diary of all the foods you eat and list any
medicines you are taking. Bring this diary to us, and we may be able to suggest ways to
solve the problem.

8Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth could be a warning sign of gum disease. Other
conditions that cause bad breath include infections in the throat, nose or lungs.
The best way to beat bad breath is to ensure that you have an effective cleaning routine;
ideally, brushing your teeth last thing at night and at least one other time during the day.
Don’t forget to clean your tongue as well to help remove more bacteria.

Thanks for reading.