BST ends … but you can’t turn the clock back!

You don’t get second chances with dental hygiene care

This Sunday, 29th October, British Summertime ends at 2am,when everyone in the UK should turn their clocks back by one hour. So to us at Carisbrook Dental it seems a very appropriate moment to remind everyone that if you neglect your dental hygiene care you can’t turn the clock back. What’s done is done!One of the points we always make to our patients – young and old – is that good dental hygiene care does not begin in the dental clinic … it starts at home.We simply cannot emphasise enough that after your milk teeth you only get one other set of teeth. They have to last you a lifetime and if you neglect them, mistreat them, allow them to decay then that’s it. Once they’re gone … they’re gone. As we said … you can’t turn the clock back!Yes, a dentist can repair teeth that are broken or are affected by tooth decay. We can replace missing teeth, but only by false ones: whether these are dentures, crowns, bridges or dental implants. Neglecting your teeth can also result in severe pain so we always say that everyone owes it to themselves and their health to adopt a good dental hygiene care discipline and look after their natural teeth. And if you have children then you must teach them the wisdom of looking after their teeth.Good dental hygiene care begins with a sensible approach to brushing your teeth and our cleaning advice recommends that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day – as soon as you get up in a morning and again the last thing before you go to bed at night. We recommend that you should brush your teeth using a good medium bristle brush and fluoride toothpaste for at least two-minutes, which is about 30-seconds for each corner of the your mouth. Don’t forget to brush right at the back of your mouth and behind your teeth.We also recommend regular flossing or using an inter-dental brush to clean in between your teeth.If you look at our Cleaning Advice page you will find several videos that demonstrate the correct cleaning procedures.Our other advice is that you should make regular appointments with your dentist so that they can keep an eye on the condition of your teeth and take remedial action if they should spot a problem.Finally, we cannot state enough that dental hygiene care also includes your diet. Be sensible and do not eat too many sugary snacks or have too many sweet, fizzy drinks. These are all real threats to healthy teeth.So this weekend as you turn your clocks back it is an appropriate time to remember that you can’t do this with the health of your teeth. Look after them!If you would like further advice on dental hygiene care or would like to make an appointment with us, why not book a Free Consultation. You can call us on 0161 951 7295 or alternatively you can contact us by using the online form on our Appointments page.