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Synergy Clinic, Synergy House
24C High Street, Addlestone
Surrey, KT15 1TN

Do You Suffer From Bad Breath?

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Hygienist
Dental inspection and clean

If so, it may not just be the food and drinks that you are eating and drinking that are causing it.

Most of our Addlestone patients probably associate bad breath with the foods that we eat. Garlic, to take a classic example, is well known for causing bad breath (as well as keeping vampires away of course!) Other substances, such as coffee, can also cause smelly breath, and, to a degree, we can control this by what we choose to eat, or rather, what we choose not to eat.

Generally speaking though, unless you eat and drink these products every day, your bad breath should only be occasional, rather than something that you suffer from on a daily basis.

Persistent bad breath is not only anti social, but could also be a sign that you have an oral health problem that needs to be addressed.

How will you know if your breath smells?

If you try to breath out through your mouth and then sniff the air to see if your breath smells, this simply won’t work. Your breath disperses in the air far too quickly for any odours to be detectable by ourselves. There are a couple of ways that can be helpful though. Firstly, try licking the inside of your wrist, and presuming you aren’t wearing perfume there, if it smells unpleasant, then it is very likely that your breath will do so too.

Another way to tell how offensive your breath is, is if you notice people starting to leave a wider distance between you and them when you are speaking to them. If your breath is really offensive, they may not be able to avoid turning their head away from you, or may even make up an excuse on the spot to walk away from you. Even in everyday situations this would be bad enough, but important occasions, such as an interview, could be a success or failure depending on what your breath smells like!

What to do about persistent smelly breath

Food and drink

The most obvious thing to do initially, is to eliminate or at least cut down, on most of the foods that can cause your breath to smell. The following are some examples.

  • Garlic (of course)
  • Coffee
  • Onions
  • Tuna
  • Some dairy products (does not apply to everyone)
  • Cigarettes (more of that later)

If your breath is purely caused by food and drink products, it goes without saying that eliminating or reducing them will improve your breath significantly.

Your oral health

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Why Regular Dental Examinations Are Important

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Examinations
dental check up

Regular monitoring of your oral health is essential for healthy teeth and gums.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, seeing a dentist every six months or so for a check up is key to maintaining a healthy mouth. Some patients, such as diabetics, for whom gum problems can be more likely, may be requested to have check-ups more frequently to detect and treat any problems that arise much earlier.

One thing that we must emphasise is that if any of our Addlestone patients find that they have a problem between these appointments, they should not simply wait until their check up appointment is due, but call us for a prompt appointment. Depending on the issue, leaving it for a few more months, or even a few weeks, could make all the difference between needing a minor procedure to restore a tooth and a more comprehensive one, or even the loss of the tooth. If you are in doubt, please call us for advice.

Cancellations

At the Synergy Clinic, we do understand that life sometimes gets in the way of appointments that you have already made. If this happens to you and you have to cancel your appointment, please let us know as soon as you possibly can. We also recommend that you book a new appointment at this time so that you don’t ‘let things drift’ and end up not seeing a dentist for a much longer period of time, during which, your oral health situation may have deteriorated.

Your examination

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Rejuvenate Your Complexion With Facial Aesthetic Treatments

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Facial aesthetics
Facial aesthetics in action

Wrinkle reduction and dermal fillers now available at the Synergy Clinic in Addlestone

We are firm advocates of having a great looking smile. We know, from what many of our patients have told us over the years, what a difference it can make to their lives.

Not only is it always nice to see an attractive face looking back at you in the mirror, but it is also likely to be reflected in your confidence during your daily life. This same confidence can be of real benefit when attending a job interview or going on a date, for example.

Whilst we often put an emphasis on the quality of your smile, and improving it through cosmetic dental treatments such as teeth whitening, it is also important not to forget the rest of your face too. An attractive smile, but with tired looking and wrinkled skin, will usually only get you part way to where you would really like to be.

The ageing effect

However much we think it will never affect us whilst we are young, we will all eventually notice those tell tale signs of getting older; the wrinkles that gradually appear on our face and the thinning out of some of our facial features, especially on the lips. Whilst make up, used skillfully, can help to ‘mask’ some of these signs of ageing for a little while, it is really just postponing the inevitable.

Thankfully, our Addlestone facial aesthetics team are able to help you. Following a thorough consultation and using a range of treatments, including wrinkle reduction and dermal fillers, we can help to rejuvenate your skin and give you a younger and more natural looking appearance.

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Invisalign – Comfortable And Discreet ‘Dental Braces’

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Invisalign
Invisalign clear teeth aligner

Addlestone dentist, Dr Mani Virdee explains why this is a popular teeth straightening solution for many

The need to have dental braces fitted is not something that most people would hope for. The idea of a highly visible set of wires and braces showing when you smile may even lead to some people deciding not to have them fitted at all, and simply put up with crooked teeth instead.

This is not a good idea, and not just for long term aesthetic reasons either.

Crooked teeth are likely to become even more so if not straightened. In addition to this, uneven teeth are much more difficult to keep clean and are more likely to lead to problems such as tooth decay and gum disease.

It is not all ‘bad news’ for those with crooked teeth though. At the Synergy Clinic in Addlestone, we are able to provide a solution that ticks all the right boxes.

Say hello to Invisalign!

Invisalign orthodontics are not ‘braces’ in the conventional sense, avoiding the use of wires and brackets altogether. Whilst conventional braces use metal wiring, there are other cosmetic orthodontics that use a similar system, but replace the metal wires and brackets with finer tooth coloured materials, helping them to be more discreet. Invisalign orthodontics though, go one step further.

Say goodbye to wire and bracket braces

Instead of using wires and brackets, Invisalign uses medical grade transparent plastic to produce a series of trays which are designed to fit directly over the patient’s teeth. These are produced following scans, and each tray is designed to progressively move your teeth towards their final desired position. Each tray is worn for a week or two and is then removed and replaced by the next in the series. This continues until your teeth are correctly aligned. We will, of course, be available to monitor your progress and make any adjustment deemed necessary during the course of your treatment.

What are the main benefits of this method?

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Professional Teeth Whitening Treatments

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Teeth whitening
pro teeth whitening before and after

Why having this popular cosmetic treatment performed by a dentist is safer, and more effective, than attempting a DIY approach

One of the most straightforward ways to give your teeth a visible boost is to have them whitened. You will, no doubt, have seen numerous advertisements on TV for whitening toothpastes and other similar products.

There is no doubt that these companies are tapping into a lucrative market, but unfortunately, the products on offer can produce disappointing results, as we shall see in a few minutes.

At the Synergy Clinic, our professional teeth whitening treatment is one of our most popular. We offer two ways of achieving this; either a one hour ‘in clinic’ treatment, or a custom kit that you can use at home, but which takes a little longer to achieve the same level of whiteness.

Teeth whitening toothpastes

Before we look at the treatments that we offer at our Addlestone dental clinic, it is worth investigating the pros and cons of using a whitening toothpaste. These are now widely available and it is natural that patients are tempted to use them. Unfortunately, any improvements produced are likely to be relatively minor and users may well be disappointed. There may even be some risk to the health of your teeth in some cases.

There are two ways in which a whitening toothpaste may attempt to whiten your teeth. Some may include additional abrasive elements that are designed to remove surface staining from your teeth. These can also damage the enamel surface of your teeth, especially if you brush too often or too hard. Others use a whitening agent similar to that used by dentists. The difference is that, because this ingredient is potentially dangerous if misused, toothpaste manufacturers are restricted by law in the amount that they can use, and can only use a fraction of the amount that professionals can. The end results are likely to fall a long way short of what the user had hoped for.

These toothpastes may have a useful role however, if used following a professional whitening treatment, and may help to extend the length of time before the results of the treatment start to fade. We are happy to discuss this with you during your treatment consultation.

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Gum Disease And Other Health Issues

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Gum disease
Dental treatment

Periodontal diseases may increase the likelihood of Alzheimer’s and other health problems

When we talk about dental care, most people probably generally think about their teeth. As these are very visible when we smile, and are also necessary for eating, that probably isn’t  too surprising. Unfortunately, it may also be one of the reasons that some people don’t always give their gums the care that they deserve. Gum health is important for maintaining healthy teeth and increasingly too, their health is being linked with diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, amongst others.

At the Synergy Clinic in Addlestone, we believe in full mouth care, and your regular six monthly examinations allow us to check the health not only of your teeth, but also of your gums and other soft tissues. Keeping your gums healthy is important for many reasons; some of which we discuss below.

Discomfort and antisocial effects

Before we look at some of the more potentially serious implications of having gum disease, it is worth looking at some of the ‘stand alone’ effects that it can have. When gingivitis occurs, patients are likely to  suffer from sore and swollen gums. These may also bleed when brushed. Sore and tender gums will make it more difficult to eat and will almost certainly spoil the enjoyment of your food. Halitosis, or bad breath, is also a distinct possibility and is caused by the gases that are expelled by the bacteria that are present with gingivitis and periodontitis.

Loose or missing teeth

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Dental Implants – A Superior Tooth Replacement Method?

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Dental implants
Single dental implant

Our Addlestone dental team looks at how patients can benefit from this modern treatment

To some patients, dental implants may seem like a new idea. They have, however, been around for over fifty years now and have been refined and improved over the years to a point where they are now widely used to replace missing teeth.

Whilst many patients still believe that dentures are the only way to do this, dental implants arguably offer a more sustainable, stable and stronger way to do so. Consequently, we and many others, believe that implants are a superior option, as we shall see in this blog.

What are dental implants?

We could write a whole blog, or perhaps several of them, on the intricacies of dental implants and the fine details on how they work. For the purpose of this introductory blog though, a brief description will suffice.

Essentially, a dental implant is a sophisticated ‘screw like’ piece of titanium which is placed into the jaw bone, in effect, replacing the natural tooth root where a tooth has been lost. The implant is allowed to fuse with the bone for a period of around three months. After this stage, an abutment is attached to the implant to allow a crown to be fitted to replace the natural tooth. We will look at the procedure itself in more detail in a future post, but here we will focus on the benefits of dental implants.

What’s wrong with dentures?

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Festive Oral Health Tips

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Advice
Dentist

Helping our Addlestone patients avoid dental problems over the Christmas holiday period

We hope that you enjoyed our introductory blog which was posted recently. We promise that we will get into the ‘nitty gritty’ of procedures and dental problems in the New Year, looking at each of them in more detail. With Christmas now just a few days away though, we thought that it would be a good idea to look at a few simple ways that you can make the most of the festivities, without harming your teeth and gums.

No one wants to spend Christmas in pain with a severe toothache, or a tooth that has broken or been knocked out, making it difficult to enjoy their Christmas dinner. Whilst accidents can, and do, happen, here are a few things that our Synergy Clinic patients might wish to consider in order to have a safe and happy Christmas.

Alcohol consumption

There is little doubt that some of us will drink more than we usually do over the Christmas holidays. Whilst we may rarely drink during the rest of the year, there is a tendency to ‘let ourselves go’ over the Christmas break. This can have disastrous results for a few people and accidents such as falls or blows to the face are much more likely if we are under the influence of to much alcohol. Do try to moderate your intake, perhaps alternating your beverages with good old water. You will probably be grateful for it the next day!

Use a bottle opener

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Looking After Your Teeth – The Essentials

Posted on by synergy-admin Posted in Advice
Flossing

A straightforward guide to achieving good oral health

Hello and welcome to the first dental blog from the Synergy Clinic in Addlestone. We will be using these blogs to bring you up to date with the latest news in the dental world, and to take the opportunity to explain to our patients, the treatments that we have available, in more detail. We will also look at general oral health care and start with a basic guide to this today.

Good oral health practice

To have healthy teeth and gums, we need to look at a number of aspects of how we look after them. These include what we eat and drink, how we clean them at home, and the professional care so necessary to ensure they stay in good health. All of these factors are important and we will focus on each in turn.

Diet

What we consume materially affects how healthy our teeth and gums are.  Excess sugar consumption is already widely known to be harmful to our teeth, leading to tooth decay. What fewer people probably appreciate is that it also acts as a food source for the bacteria in our mouth that can cause gum disease. This is important, as gum disease is not just about sore gums and spitting a little blood after brushing our teeth, but also about damage to the bone that holds the teeth in place. Without professional intervention, this can lead to tooth loss.

It is not only sugar that is harmful though. Acidic foods are equally problematic as they damage the protective enamel layer on our teeth. Once this has become compromised, decay and root canal infections may well follow. Even healthy foods such as citric fruits can be harmful in this way, although one of the worst culprits at the moment would appear to be the regular consumption of sports or energy drinks.

Smoking too is a real problem and significantly contributes to gum disease and also oral cancers. We will discuss these in more detail in future blogs.

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