What is little understood is how much work goes into creating and maintaining such a perfect smile. Very few people are born with such perfect smiles but with the help of an experienced cosmetic dentist you can be beaming too. Whether it is teeth whitening through to a full smilemakeover, cosmetic dentistry is now available to everyone

Lindsey Before

Lindsey After

Have you noticed the new trend in celebrities showing off their dentists? It’s gone beyond simply telling people about which dentist they go to, to actually tweeting pictures from the dental surgery that they’re having treatment in! It can be very reassuring for any nervous people who can clearly see that their favourite celebrities have to go through the same dental care routine as everyone else.

So when you go in to your dentist next time, just remember, your favourite celebs have to do this too!

Here are my top tips of what even the celebs have to do to keep those teeth in tip top shape

TOP TIPS TO YOUNGER HEALTHY TEETH

1. SWITCH TO POWER – Invest in an electric toothbrush. I use the analogy of using the washing machine to clean clothes versus washing them by hand. Both will get your clothes clean, but the machine does it so much better and faster. Studies have shown that you remove twice as much plaque when you use an electrical toothbrush compared to a manual one.

2. QUIT THE FAGS-Tobacco produces toxins that damage your mouth tissue and also kills the good cells in your mouth that fight disease. Most people in the UK lose their teeth because of gum disease and smoking is directly linked to this.

3. RECHARGE WITH FLUORIDE-Fluoride makes teeth more resistant to attack by plaque bacteria. You must apply it daily on the tooth surface to have maximum effect. This is easily done if you use a fluoride toothpaste and rinse aily with a Fluoride mouthwash.

4.CHEW SUGAR FREE GUM- Look for gum that contains xylitol eg Orbit complete as it helps prevent cavities forming

5 THE ‘F’ WORD- Floss the teeth you want to keep! Floss is the only way to clean properly between your teeth

There are 2 times in the year when I think chocolate is king…Easter and Xmas.  Seeing as the latter is 260 days away.  Don’t hate me for sharing that news, you know as soon as Easter is over the shops will start making room for the decorations so I am really just helping you prepare

So it’s a given that sugar is bad for your teeth, BUT chocolate which I love is an exception?  Absolutely not (although it should be) however here are my top tips for protecting those teeth from what they are going to be bombarded on Easter Sunday…especially your Kids

1. Eat it all at once.  Yup you heard it right.  Eat ALL the eggs at one go.  It takes over an hour for the mouth to rebalance after the sugar attack so make it fun, just as opening pressies at xmas is made an event, do the same for the unwrapping of the eggs.  Once the time is up, get rid of the leftovers

2. Brush your teeth BEFORE you start eating the chocolate.  Sounds wierd but it means teeth are clean, have had a protective blast of fluoride and less of the plaque bacteria that cause the damage will be lurking around

3. Do NOT brush after the feast.  The enamel of your teeth are most vunerable now and if you brush you will be causing more damage.  Rinse out with water, milk or best of all a flouride mouthwash to restore the balance in your mouth

4. Parents make sure you brush your kids teeth on sunday night…everyone up to the age of 8years.  They will groan and moan, especially the older ones but this way you can be sure everything is clean.  The night time brush is the most important as there is less saliva around…don’t forget to do yours too

Happy Easter and Keep Smiling

Choosing A Dentist – London Cosmetic Dentist – London Smiling from London Smiling on Vimeo.

Find out how to choose the right cosmetic dentist for you, check what organisations they belong to and make sure that they are qualified and experienced. This and more advice about choosing a dentist from Dr. Uchenna Okoye.

Firstly fruits and veg are very good for you, that is a given.

Your 5 a day

Antioxidants help the body renew itself and fight all sorts of diseases such as cancer. I am often asked if supplements are a good idea, eg there is an antioxidant called CoenzymeQ that has been linked with improving the health of your gums. My answer is always to increase your uptake of nature’s antioxidants far better than any man made one BUT there is a problem.

Acid and sugar are like a Molotov cocktail for teeth. The acid dissolves the enamel of your teeth, making them more vunerable and the sugar feed the bacteria which release toxins to cause even more damage, a vicious cycle. This makes sense to most people if you are eating candy but not when dealing with fruit

Heard of citric acid? Acid is acid even if it occurs in nature which is why citrus fruits need to be handled with care. The real culprit though is juice. Think of how many oranges it takes to make a glass of orange juice…I defy anyone to eat that many oranges in one seating. Let’s talk about apples. Modern day apples eg as Pink Lady have 50% more sugar than apples from a decade ago..that is equivalent to 4 teaspoons of sugar
So here are my top tips to get the balance right

1. Keep eating your 5 pieces of fruit a day, you will live longer ☺
2. Water down any juice you drink, especially for kids I suggest a ratio of 1:4
3. If you are an apple lover like me, they have different levels of sugar content. Stick to traditional ones like Golden delicious or Cox’s. I don’t want to do an Oprah (Oh that I was that powerful) so the caveat is if modern apples are your thing, rinse out after eating with water or chew sugar free gum to stimulate saliva
4. Stay away from herbal fruit teas, stick to options eg Chammomile, Peppermint
5. NEVER EVER brush your teeth straight after drinking juice or eating anything acidic

How does dentistry work with cosmetic surgery and keep you looking young? Watch this video and find out more about how teeth decay with age and more importantly, how to counter it!

HPV is a very common virus that lives on our skin or in skin like areas eg the mouth, genital areas and anus.  Usually there are no issues, our bodies protect us from the virus but in some people their immune systems can’t fight the virus and cancer can result

Around 10% of men had oral HPV compared to 3.6% of women which is the reason for their increased risk

Smoking and drinking are obvious risk factors for oral cancers but having oral HPV infection increases the risk by a whopping 50%

Now I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun but the more partners you have, the more risk, that makes sense …BUT did you know ANY type of sex is can spread the infection?

The ‘good’ news is that Oral Cancer is one of the most successful to treat if spotted early.

If you have any ulcer or sore in your mouth that does not heal within 2-3 weeks see your dentist.  Every 6 months, see your dentist.  All your friends today, when you see them don’t just say “hi how are you?”  Say instead “hi how are you, when did you see the dentist last”  You could be the one that saves their life

There are areas of your mouth only your dentist can see.  As part of your regular checkup your dentist should do a full oral cancer screen…every time.  They will check not just your teeth but also the deep recesses of your mouth, tongue, palate, muscles and glands

So ladies, please spread the word as if the men in your life are anything like mine, they usually need major nudging to get them to see any medical people

For more info you can also visit  this website:  http://www.rdoc.org.uk/

Out with the old,In with the New!

I love the new year, it is filled with so much hope and expectation.  All the possibilities just waiting to be taken.

One of my favourite things is opening up a new journal or diary.  There is something really exciting about a blank sheet of paper.  I am totally into technology but you just do not get the same buzz with a blinking cursor

Lot’s in store for Londonsmiling this year, and I cannot wait to share it with you all

Here’s to a fabulous 2012 and hoping all our heart’s desire come true!!

What causes bad breath (also known as “halitosis”), how to prevent it and how one can tell if they have bad breath themselves, before someone else discovers it. This and other oral hygeine advice on video from Dr. Uchenna Okoye.