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So the children are back in school, nights are pulling in and soon the swallows will have left us again – it’s Autumn in the United Kingdom. 

It’s been a challenging summer for us, the easing of restrictions and corresponding high numbers of covid have meant we have had to be especially rigorous with our infection control procedures.  We would like to thank everyone attending appointments for continuing to wear masks, it’s something that we still must do in a healthcare setting to protect the most vulnerable people we treat.  

As many of you will also know Nicola caught Covid in mid-July and her recovery has taken a long time. She is almost there now but it was a good 6-7 weeks. A big thank you to the team here who kept the place going whist we were both in isolation without missing a beat.  Also a heartfelt  thank you for the lovely messages and cards that we have received it was a real lift to to Nicola during her recovery.

 If you are interested there is some useful information that comes out of the ZOE study about Covid run by Professor Tim Spector  https://covid.joinzoe.com/ .  Tim Spector also wrote the book Spoonfed which is a rather harrowing discussion on what the food industry, powerful lobbying and government inactivity amongst other things has done to the food that we eat. It’s also got lots of great advice on what to eat to feed the bacteria in your gut, something that we have been championing here for a while it’s well worth a read.  https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Spoon-Fed-by-T-D-Spector-author/9781787332294

Some great news on our recent recruitment! We’re delighted to introduce our new trainee dental nurse Ellie; you may have already met her but if not you will see Ellie when you come in for a healthy mouth visit with Saranya, and for some treatments with Nicola and Mei-An.

We are always asking for feedback from our patients to try to improve the service we offer.  There are numerous ways in which you can do this, you can email us write to us, tell us, or you can fill in one of the comment cards on the front desk.  This is how we received some lovey feedback recently from patients about  Saranya our fabulous hygienist who has been with us since March.  The comments selected below sum up lot of the feedback and we thought we share them with you here.

“Saranya was so reassuring, informative thorough and had a lovely manner, thank you team!”

“It felt like a very thorough session with the hygienist, very clear advice, friendly and helpful”

“Lovely visit, very thorough, and I felt very well taken care of”

We’re all delighted with the way she has settled in and in the coming months will be extending her hours with us.  Thank you for the feedback that you give us it really helps us improve!

As many of you will know, being a sustainable dental practice is not something that we do to tick a marketing box, it’s part of who we are.  We have started to feel that we need to have some form of independent recognition for the work that we do, and to this end we have been working through the Green Impact Programme that is run in conjunction with the Centre for Sustainable Health Care.  It’s been really interesting as expected we are already doing lots of the things that they suggest, and in some cases, we have some ideas for them to incorporate into their programme, but we have also learnt some things and different ideas as well.  We will update you on our progress!

That’s all for the moment the best of health to you all,

everyone at the Natural Smile.

I am not sure about you but for us it seems like the first half of this year has passed in a dream. So much has happened in the last year and as things start to ease from the restrictions that we have all faced, I’m reminded of the study of mountain climbing accidents in the Austrian Alps. The study showed that 75% of accidents had happened on the way down. We think we have conquered the mountain and we relax, and perhaps our mind starts to wonder. As humans we’re good at dealing with the challenge that it right in front of us, the mountain, the emergency. It’s only when things start to calm down that the reality of what we have been through catches up with us.

So remember to take the time to process what we have been through, it’s unprecedented and may take a while to understand. As we get a taste of what we used to call ‘normal life’ don’t be surprised to find that now is the time when the enormity of the pandemic catches up with us. As the climbers in the Austrian alps found, it’s normal to fall off after you have dealt with the worst the mountain has to offer. With this in mind we re-evaluate our priorities, reset our direction, and take cautious steps forward!

Filming

We have been really busy filming recently. Nicola has been involved in an exciting project with the president of the Oral Health Society, talking positively about the benefits of dentistry. It’s part of a large industry wide initiative and we’re delighted to be one of the very few invited to participate and talk about our approach to dentistry, the materials we use, and the way in which we use them. You can see sneak peek here: The Natural Smile & Dr Ben Atkins

We’ve also started work on a series of video instructions and information so that you can have thepleasure of us telling you how to brush your teeth in the comfort of your own home! We’re only infirst stages but look out in future updates!

A note of caution on ‘direct to consumer’ teeth whitening and teeth straightening’ offers

It was only a matter of time before this type of treatment was offered, where you take your own impressions and then send them off to a remote dentist. We think it will also be just a matter oftime before we start to see serious problems that will arise directly from this treatment.

As you might have gathered, we’re not fans because we believe that these types of treatments should always be undertaken by skilled professionals, and most importantly as part of a treatment plan that has been specifically tailored to your own personal needs. If you arethinking of aligners to straighten your teeth, or whitening why don’t you have a chat with us and we can talk you though the pros and cons, for your own personal situation. Nicola is also undertaking a more advanced aligner course at the moment, and we will soon be adding this tothe range of treatments we have available to keep you healthy.

You can read what the dental regulator has to say about direct to consumer dentistry here:
https://www.gdc-uk.org/information-standards-guidance/information-for-patients-public/aligners-braces-sent-direct-to-your-home

That is it for this update and we hope that you enjoy coming safely down the mountain!
Everyone at the Natural Smile dental practice.

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Here at the Natural Smile we are really excited and delighted to now stock the Humble Toothbrush!

Not only will you be drawn in by the beautiful coloured bristles and different design of this bamboo toothbrush – But once you read how this little brush is moving mountains one grain of dirt at a time you’ll be rushing in to buy one.

. . Biodegradable Handle: The Handle is made out of 100% biodegradable bamboo which naturally provides a non-slip surface and feels great against the tongue and check as you brush.  They have hand carved the bamboo to give it an ergonomic grip and a sleek, timeless design. It’s amazingly sustainable too; Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth and being naturally antibacterial means that there is no need to use fertilizers or pesticides during its cultivation. . . If you think of how many people there are on the planet, each with a plastic toothbrush you can only imagine the mountains of plastic waste that are being made by something so small. . . .

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Soft bristles, BPA-free!

The Humble brush has a soft (adult) and ultra-soft (kids) bristles that have been verified to be free from the toxin BPA (bisphenol A). The bristles are made out of nylon, a durable material that degrades over time and can be processed through regular waste channels.

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With the 18^th Rugby World Cup season underway everyone is talking about who’s favourite to win. Alongside all the talk and hype it’s predicted that there will be an upsurge in participation especially amongst children which could lead to serious dental health issues.

It’s for this reason that the British Dental Health Foundation issued a reminder urging everyone taking up the sport to make sure they wear a mouthguard as this is an essential piece of safety in what is a very rough sport. Not wearing a mouth guard can result in injuries to lips, cheeks, tongue and jaw but most importantly to us at the Natural Smile; teeth being cracked or knocked out which could lead to horrendous pain and a lifetime of extensive and possibly expensive treatment.

Dr Nigel Carter the Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation commented that: “The Rugby World Cup is a fantastic occasion for Britain and also a fantastic arena for us to spread our safety message. When you see your team run out on that pitch, every single one of them will be wearing a mouth guard, they would think it crazy not to. Mouthguards for children, therefore, should not be optional; they should be one of the first things in the kit bag. Rugby by its very nature is very physical and accidents happen, sporting injuries are a leading cause of adults losing teeth. Wearing a mouth guard is a simple and cheap way of ensuring kids safety”.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) regulations have acknowledged the importance of mouthguards and have made them compulsory for all players above school level who are involved in rugby. If these players have to wear them then there really is no excuse for it not to be compulsory for school children. Why stop there; if we think of other games such as cricket, hockey, football, American football and boxing – any sport really which can cause broken and damaged teeth should make their players wear mouthguards. You wouldn’t let your child ride a bicycle on the main road without a helmet would you?

You can buy a regular mouth guard from a variety of places, but here at the Natural Smile we will provide you with a custom-made mouth guard which will be  molded to your own mouth and costs a mere £65. We have a variety of colours for you to choose from to make it more fun – you will agree that this is a relatively small amount of money if you consider not wearing one could lead to a lifetime of dental work!

When wearing a custom-made mouthguard it fits to your mouth exactly and not only protects your teeth and gums but can also prevent damage to the jaw, neck and even brain – preventing against concussions.

Dr Carter continues by saying: “We must take cues from other nations. New Zealand rugby saw a 43 per cent reduction in dental injuries after referees were given powers to ensure that all domestic rugby players of all ages must wear mouthguards.”

“We all take our teeth for granted. Often, it is only when we are faced with the reality of losing one, or several, that we realise just how important they are.

“Getting a child to wear a mouthguard shouldn’t prove difficult either, just point at their favourite player and they will be wearing one, as role models rugby players are great advocates for mouthguards. You can also get them in children’s favourite team colours too, so they can support their team with pride when they next run on to the pitch.”

So if you are playing rugby or your son/daughter is, there’s really no reason to call us and get a custom made mouthguard made!