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October Newsletter.

Our Monthly Round Up of Practice News & Oral Health Tips.

Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter. We’ve had another busy month at WDC seeing and treating our existing patients as well as welcoming lots of new patients to the practice. It’s also been the pinnacle of our fundraising efforts!

We’re always happy to see new faces at the practice and even more so, those who we have been recommended to by our regular patients. It’s a great compliment to know we have looked after you well enough for us to be recommended to your friends, family and colleagues. We are always really grateful for the referral. If you know of any one who needs our help, then please do forward them this email or put them in touch with our reception team. We’d love to help.

We Made it to the Mountain & raised over £5000!

We have fundraised since February, selling raffle tickets, baking cakes and relentlessly asking for sponsorship! (Sorry-not sorry!) Fourteen of the team (including partners) then gave up their weekend and travelled all the way to The Highlands to climb the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Everyone in the practice has got involved in whatever way they can and the collective effort has seen us raise over £5400 for our chosen charities (including gift aid)! There is too much to say about our trip for this newsletter so we have written a blog post. If you click the link below, you can read all about it!

If you are yet to donate to our fund raising but would still like to contribute and add to our total, then please click the button below. We will close our Just Giving page for this particular campaign shortly.

Tips for Looking After Children’s Teeth this Halloween.

Whether you’re a parent or a grandparent, we all care for our children and want the best for our children’s health. Did you know that the number one reason for children to be admitted to hospital in the UK is tooth decay?

Tooth decay causes holes in teeth which can lead to pain and infection. It can affect day to day life for children and can lead to absence from school, pain when eating and multiple appointments at the dentist. Hospitalisation can occur because often the only cure is extraction of the affected teeth but the child is too young to be able to cope with this under local anaesthesia at their dentist. A general anaesthetic is then needed, along with all of the associated risks and hospital care. No parent sets out for this to be the outcome for their child but tooth decay can usually be prevented by following some specific guidance all year round.

1. Brush twice a day, every day.

   Teeth need to be brushed thoroughly every night as the last thing that is done before bed time and at one other time as well (preferably first thing in the morning). This should be with a fluoride toothpaste. After brushing, no food or drink should be had other than water.

2. Help your child with their toothbrushing.

   This is especially important when brushing the back teeth which can be more tricky to keep clean and more vulnerable to decay. If you think your child can manage their toothbrushing themselves, then still supervise them. Can’t tie their own shoe laces? They probably can’t yet brush their teeth effectively! Brush your child’s teeth for them until at least seven years old and supervise for a good while after that until you are confident in their ability to clean their teeth thoroughly. You can check how good they are at brushing their teeth by using disclosing tablets. These will stain up the plaque a bright colour so it is easy to see any plaque that has been missed.

3. Restrict sugary foods and drinks to meal times.

   When it comes to tooth decay, it is not the amount of sugar that is important, it is the frequency. Every time something sugary is eaten or drank, it is a separate attack on the teeth. If treats are had such as at Halloween, resist the temptation to tell your child to ‘make those sweets last’. We understand the reasoning but when it comes to their dental health, it is better that the treats are had only in one sitting after a meal than eating a few sweets here and there, all day long.

4. Visit your dentist regularly.

   Routine check ups are really important to pick problems up early. Your dentist may also apply fluoride varnish to help keep enamel strong and decrease the risk of decay.

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