Toast

When did you last have a hygienist clean and polish?

Run your tongue over your teeth. How do they feel? Lovely and smooth like a mirror? Or a bit ridged and furry? If it’s been a while since you last had a hygienist clean and polish, it’s more likely to the latter.

Hygienist Clean and Polish in Banbury Those ridges are not your teeth, they are a build-up of plaque and it’s likely that some of it has hardened into tartar, a chalky cement-like substance that can only be scraped away with special tools. If you look in the mirror, you might be able to see it on your teeth as yellowish stuff. It is mostly likely to be in the crevices between the teeth and also around the gumline. If you are a big tea or coffee drinker, or partial to red wine or smoking, the tartar could be stained brown or grey. Look at the tartar on other people’s teeth. Ew.

Get your plaque removed

At Amsel & Wilkins, we recommend a twice-yearly plaque removal session, called a hygienist clean and polish, to get rid of harmful plaque and bring out the beauty of your smile.

The reason we encourage people to get plaque removed is because it gives off acids that corrode the teeth, irritate and inflame the gums, cause bleeding and eventually can attack the tooth roots and bone, cause infections under the gum and lead to tooth loss.

That’s a pretty grim prospect. It’s called periodontitis, or advanced gum disease. The treatment for it can be pretty intense, requiring a local anaesthetic while the corroded roots and bone are planed flat. You may also need antibiotics for infected gums and you may even need gum grafts.

You can avoid all that by coming in twice a year to see our hygienists. Even if you have not been to us for a while, don’t be afraid to show them what’s in your mouth. They will remove any plaque and tartar before polishing up your teeth to create a shiny surface that plaque will find it hard to stick to for a while. They will also teach you great brushing techniques so that you can ward off the build-up of plaque at home.

Go white, replace silver fillings

As far as fashion statements go, silver fillings sound far more decorative than they actually are. For a start, they’re more a dark, shiny grey than silver, and they’re not made of silver, but of a mixture of materials called amalgam. Amalgam was the go-to method for filling cavities in the 20^th century, but it has been slowly overtaken by white fillings.

Replace Silver Fillings in Banbury When white fillings first came in about 30 years ago, they looked great but they weren’t very strong. People often had to get them replaced quite soon after placement, especially if they were on the back teeth where all that chewing takes place.

Over the years, however, researchers have come up with much more durable composite materials (a mixture of plastic and glass) to create white fillings that are in every way superior to amalgam. Here’s why:

Stronger

White fillings are now stronger than amalgam, which also cracks and needs to be replaced about every decade.

Bonding not packing

Amalgam is a soft material that dentists pack tightly into cavities. It cannot bond with the teeth, so there is always an infinitesimal gap around the edge and, over time, it can provide an entry for decay-causing bacteria to sneak in and start eating away at healthy tooth material under the filling. Composite resin fillings are put in in layers and each layer is cured with a UV light, which bonds it to the inside of the tooth. There is no gap for bacteria to sneak in through.

A better chewing surface

Amalgam is soft and can only produce a flat surface. If you have amalgam fillings on your back teeth, you lose your chewing surface, making it that tiny bit harder to mash up your food for swallowing. White fillings are much harder and once they are in place, your dentist here at Amsel & Wilkins in Banbury can sculpt it to give you back your chewing surfaces.

Invisible fillings

Throw back your head and laugh for all you’re worth. White fillings won’t give your dental history away like amalgam does. White fillings are also great for cavities on the front teeth.

Have you been screened?

As you get older, your chances of mouth and oral cancers increase. These cancers grow quickly and need to be dealt with as soon as possible. They are also directly linked to people’s lifestyles, and the number of cases is on the rise. Smoking and alcohol are factors in oral cancer along with other causes.

Mouth Cancer Screening in Banbury At Amsel and Wilkins we routinely include this screening as part of your dental examination. Anyone over about the age of 35 should have a mouth cancer screening once a year, we are promoting mouth cancer screening in November this year, as it is Mouth Cancer Action Month.

You don’t necessarily have to come to us for a screening in November, but you need to make sure you have a screening some time during the coming year.

What happens during a screening?

We take a careful look at your lips and inside your mouth. We will use a small angled mirror so that we can take a good look at your tongue and underneath it, the back of your throat, your lips, your gums and the inside of your cheeks. We will also feel with our fingers into your neck and chin.

We will be looking for any unusual lumps and bumps or lesions. We will also want to know if you have noticed any problems, not just lumps and ulcers that won’t heal, but any recent changes to your voice, such as hoarseness.

Who gets mouth cancer?

Mouth cancer is directly linked to smoking and to alcohol use. It is also linked to a poor diet (not enough fruit and veg), and obesity and also the HPV virus.

Treatment

Although mouth cancers are fast growing, if caught early they are eminently treatable, which is why we encourage you to come for check-ups at least once a year. But if, between check-ups, you notice something that is not right and doesn’t clear up after 3 weeks, come and see us anyway. We can do a check, and, if at all necessary, send you for treatment.

Go lighter

Interested in lighter, brighter teeth? Have you considered Tooth Whitening?

One way to upgrade your smile that is simple and easy is to use bleaching in Banbury from us at Amsel & Wilkins. We have a great way to subtly and gradually lighten your teeth by carrying out the treatment yourself at home

Better than off-the-shelf

Some over the counter teeth-bleaching kits can be damaging to your teeth and gums or have little or no effect in ‘Whitening’ your teeth.

Bespoke gel trays

When you come to Amsel and Wilkins for bleaching, we take impressions or scans of your teeth and use them to make you gel trays that fit your teeth exactly, which allows for more effective treatment, your dentist will show you exactly how to use Whitening treatment before you take it home and see you again to review how well the treatment is working.

Concentration

As dentists, we can provide you with more effective gels than you can buy over the counter. The Whitening gel is made from hydrogen peroxide and you will get more effective whitening over a shorter period of time.

Also, you can reuse the trays time and again, whenever you need to top-up your whitening.

People who need a clean and polish more often

Dental plaque is the enemy of a great feeling mouth, and the only way to get rid of all of it is to come in for a regular clean and polish with our dental hygienist. We recommend that everyone has a clean and polish twice a year and often people book a cleaning session alongside their bi-annual check-up with us at Amsel & Wilkins in Banbury.

Hygienists Clean and Polish in Banbury Some people need to have a clean and polish more often.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, the elevated hormones associated with pregnancy mean that dental plaque proliferates more quickly and you can get something called pregnancy gum disease. Gum disease is caused by acids from plaque attacking gum tissue, which becomes sore and inflamed and can start to pull away from the teeth. Then the plaque can get under the gums and start to corrode the tooth roots and the bone holding your teeth in place. Your body is under enough strain as it is without your teeth being affected, so it really is worth coming in for an extra clean and polish while you are waiting for baby to arrive.

Smoking

If you are a smoker, you will know that it doesn’t take long after a clean and polish for the stains to start building up again on your teeth. But, alongside that, did you know that you are at twice the risk of gum disease as a non-smoker?

This is because smokers seem to produce more plaque than non-smokers. However, people who smoke may not notice that they have gum disease because the smoke causes their gums to be thin and pale and not red and swollen as people expect the early symptoms of gum disease to be. Lack of oxygen in the blood means that infected gum tissue does not heal so quickly. All good reasons to come more often for a clean-up, and you can also ask for help with smoking cessation.

Others at risk?

Other people who are more at risk of gum disease include those with type 1 or 2 diabetes, people who suffer from stress, people who clench or grind their teeth, people with obesity and diseases associated with inflammation, such as heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Keep ‘em clean

The root cause of almost every dental problem is plaque. Keep on the top of the build-up of plaque in your mouth and you can hang onto your smile. Let plaque build up unchecked and before too long, you will be looking at treatments for bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. It’s not fun.

Hygienists Clean and Polish in Banbury You can’t stop plaque starting to build up in your mouth. It just does. Plaque is the dental profession’s name for the millions of harmless bacteria that feed on sugars in your mouth and then proliferate to form a sticky film over your teeth.

They don’t feel great and after a few days, if left undisturbed, the sticky film hardens into tartar. Tartar doesn’t look good, but the real problem is that these bacteria give off acids. The acids are corrosive, like all acids, and they can create holes in your tooth enamel, through which infection and decay can get in. The acids also inflame and irritate the gums, as acids would, and lead to gum disease, eventually getting under the gums to corrode the jawbone and tooth roots. The end result for both issues is tooth loss.

Keeping these 2 issues at bay is why you need to brush and floss twice a day. But, even if you do that religiously, you may still need to come in for a hygienist’s clean and polish in Banbury twice a year.

What the hygienist does

Our hygienists will take a good look at your teeth and use special tools and pastes to remove any plaque and tartar that are building up in hard-to-reach places. These tend to be around the gumline and between the teeth. Once all the plaque has been removed, they will also work on any stains that have built up on the surface of the teeth.

They will finish off by polishing the teeth so that the surfaces are not so easy for plaque to settle on.

Come in twice a year

We recommend a clean and polish every 6 months, or more if you have diabetes, are a smoker or are pregnant, or have another medical condition that affects the build up of plaque.

Braces don’t have to take years

If you feel like you want to do something to improve your smile, it’s well worth taking a look at how your teeth align. It’s surprising how much people notice about your teeth and one thing they really notice is how straight they are, especially these days when almost everyone on TV has a beautiful smile.

Of course, it can be daunting to think that treatment with braces could take years, and for some people, it does,but those people are a minority with severe alignment issues, however dramatic improvements can be made in a shorter period of time come and see one of our dentists to find out more.

The clear way to straighter teeth

Here at Amsel & Wilkins, we use Invisalign to straighten the teeth of many of our patients with alignment problems. Our dentist’s Piers Neville and Philippa McNee both offer Invisalign, Piers is a platinum provider of Invisalign, and Piers has been straightening people’s teeth with Invisalign since 2004.

What is Invisalign?

Invisalign is an innovative way to straighten teeth that uses aligners that snap on over the teeth rather than brackets and wires. The aligners resemble mouth guards except that they are ultra-thin and made of see-through plastic.

Say Goodbye to “messy” impressions

With our iTero scanner you no longer need an impression, the scan is quick and clean, in some cases we can show you an idea of what your “final smile” could look like.

Instead of wires that are tightened to progressively move the teeth, you work your way through a series of aligners, wearing each one for about 7-10 days. During that time, the precision-placed pressure points inside them press on your teeth until the bone around them readjusts to relieve the pressure. When it wears off, you put in the next aligner in the series.

Straightening as if by magic

No one can really see your aligners and between six to twelve months , you will have teeth that seem to be straightening. Generally speaking, treatment takes about a year, but after six months you may be able to see a real difference.

To find out more, why not come in for a consultation with Piers or Philippa? They can talk you through the treatment in more detail.

No train tracks, just straight teeth

One of the big hurdles for many people who would like to get straighter teeth is the idea of having to wear cumbersome, unattractive metal brackets and wires on their teeth for a long, long time. They do not realise that that kind of braces is now very old fashioned and really only in use for youngsters with severe alignment issues.

Straighter Teeth in Six Months in Banbury People who have only mild to middling alignment issues that affect their teeth and not their jaws have far more discreet possibilities available, and one of the most discreet is available with us at Amsel & Wilkins in Banbury. Our dentist’s, Piers Neville and Philippa McNee both provide this treatment, Piers has been fitting Invisalign since 2004.

With Invisalign, you get to see every incremental step on the way to a lovely smile because there are no brackets and wires, metal or otherwise, to obscure the view. Instead, your teeth are straightened by clear plastic aligners that go on over the teeth like mouth guards.

See-through straightening and no impressions.

People can see straight through Invisalign aligners to your teeth. Most of them will never even suspect that you are having your teeth straightened, and you can visibly see the changes progressing as the treatment progresses, with the whole process taking, on average, a year to complete.

With our iTero scanner no impressions are needed, we may even be able to show you what your “final smile” could look like.

Easy to live with

Another important advantage of Invisalign straightening is that the aligners come out. In fact, you must remove them for eating and drinking anything that is not plain water. Using Invisalign means you can eat whatever you like, however tough or chewy.

You get a handy case to store your aligners in during mealtimes. When you have finished eating, you just brush your teeth and clean your aligners and put them back in. It’s much quicker than faffing about cleaning behind brackets and wires.

After treatment

Once your treatment is complete, you will have to wear a retainer for an indefinite period of time. You can get one bonded to the backs of your teeth, or you can wear a removable one at night. The retainer holds your teeth in alignment while the bone settles down around them.

Sparkle on the inside

Having a bit of sparkle on can make all the difference to how we feel about ourselves. Shiny jewellery, shiny bits on bags and shoes and in the hair, there is no end of body parts we like to brighten up. That said, how are your teeth doing? Is the rest of you looking amazing and highly polished and your teeth languishing, forgotten, stained and dull, behind your lip gloss?

Teeth Whitening Banbury Don’t do that to one of the most important parts of your body. People are hardwired to look at smiles to assess whether someone is friendly or not. They are hardwired to respond to a great smile with equal warmth and a desire for connection. It’s how we got through life in pre-history and how our ape friends still do a lot of their communication.

If your teeth are lovely and white, you will smile more and people will respond to you more warmly. Getting teeth whitening in Banbury is easy too. At Amsel & Wilkins, we use a brand of teeth whitening called White Dental Beauty, it’s a home whitening treatment with bespoke trays.

Here’s how teeth whitening works in our dental practice. You come in for an assessment so that we can check your discolouration can be removed with teeth whitening treatment. If it can, we then take impressions of your teeth and use them to make you a set of gel trays that will fit your teeth exactly.

You take the trays and the whitening gel home, put the gel in the trays and pop them over your teeth. You wear the trays for a short period every day and in two to three weeks, you will have great results. Of course, the more stained your teeth are, the longer it will take.

Topping up

Of course, your teeth won’t stay white forever. The stains are caused by things like tea, coffee, red wine, berries and other highly pigmented foods, as well as smoking.

You can extend the life of your whitening by brushing your teeth gently after each meal or snack. Also, now that you have the trays, you can buy more whitening gel to top up when your teeth start to become dull again.

It’s so easy to whiten your teeth

Ever noticed how the more technology we have to make life easier, the busier we seem to get? Running around for work and then to fit your own appointments after that of everyone else in the family can seem impossible sometimes. But, getting teeth whitening in Banbury does not have to be a faff when you come to us at Amsel & Wilkins.

Teeth Whitening in Banbury With our home whitening kit, you can whiten your teeth at a time that suits you in the comfort and privacy of your home, secure in the knowledge that you are using a product that is safe for use and will not harm you.

White Dental Beauty

At Amsel & Wilkins, we have done your research for you and offer White Dental Beauty home whitening. We chose White Dental Beauty as our brand because it offers a comfortable and safe way to carry out whitening yourself at home.

But first…

Before you can get started with teeth whitening, you need an appointment to make sure that you have surface staining rather than intrinsic staining. Whitening only works on surface stains, which are traces of highly pigmented foods and drinks that have worked their way into the pores of the enamel. Intrinsic discolouration is within the structure of the tooth and cannot be removed with whitening. If you have that kind of discolouration, we can find another way to help you.

Once we have established what kind of staining you have, and how white you want your teeth to go, we can prescribe the right strength gel for you and take impressions of your teeth to make gel trays that fit you exactly. These will ensure the gel has maximum contact with your teeth without spilling over to damage your soft tissues.

How you do it

You take the kit home and use it every day for a prescribed amount of time. You simply put the gel in the trays and wear them. The process takes between one and two weeks, depending on how strong your staining is and how white you want to go.

Now that you have the trays, you can buy more gel and top up your whitening every time it starts to fade.