St Patrick's Day is commonly associated with a few drinks and general merriment. However, excess can result in trauma to your teeth in several ways. For example, a company in the USA did a survey last year straight after St Patricks Day and found that the attendance to dental practices increased by up to 64%! In fact, all but one US state saw an increase which was directly attributed to trauma after excessive celebrations. Injuries included fractured front teeth, damage from 'face planting', teeth sensitivity, damaged crowns and chipped fillings. Moderation is the key! Not only is there the issue of trauma to teeth after a heavy night but alcohol has a direct effect on teeth as well as general health, which we will now discuss: 
 

As our name suggests, we are a forward thinking and innovative practice. In modern day life, technology is evolving at an almost alarming rate. Most of the changes are an improvement and enhance our quality of life. Dental care should be no different. Modern day dentistry is a world apart from the days of dreaded dental care. For example, laser dentistry. We have invested in the Waterlase i Plus 2.0 which has replaced the scalpel in our practice. Here is what Dr Nissit Patel has to say about the Waterlase i Plus: 'Since we have acquired the Waterlase i Plus, I have not needed to use a scalpel for my surgical work. The laser is far less invasive, there is far less bleeding and the recovery time is much reduced. The feedback from patients is overwhelmingly positive. I have recently used the laser to place a dental implant and did not need to use any stitches at all. Here is a photograph of the dental implant immediately after placement:
 

Dental implants are the very best method to replace missing teeth. Long term studies have shown that properly planned, carefully placed and well maintained dental implants can last decades. This is not true for the old methods of replacing teeth such as bridges and dentures. Here's why:

1. Did you know that a dental bridge often involves cutting down healthy tooth/teeth to replace the missing tooth? 

2. Did you know that when a healthy tooth is cut down, there is a 20% chance that that tooth will die in the longer term and require root canal treatment? 

3. Did you know that that once teeth are removed, there is a constant remodeling of the soft and hard tissues which is the at the greatest level in the first year? 

4. Are you aware that teeth can drift into the space of missing teeth or over erupt- move up or downwards? This can severely impact on biting and function. 

Dental implants can look just like teeth! Just take a look at our case study:
 

Spring is finally arriving and hopefully the end of the wet, miserable weather (we can only hope). With Spring traditionally associated with cleaning ones home, why not start a spring clean of your mouth with these 3 reasons for keeping your gums healthy:

1. Did you know there are more bacteria present in your mouth than the entire population of earth?

2. Did you know gum disease is strongly associated with systemic disease such as stroke, diabetes and heart problems?

3. Are you aware that gum disease can be, in the main, reversed and stabilised?

Why wait, book your dental hygiene appointment today and start your journey to oral and overall health.

The health of your mouth is critical to your overall health, which is supported by robust scientist evidence. Here are 10 tips to help maintain a healthy mouth and healthy body:

1. Brush twice a day for two minutes. We prefer electric brushes.

2. Clean in between your teeth with floss or inter dental brushes every night.

3. Use plaque disclosing tablets occasionally. This will highlight where the deposits are building up allowing you to clean more effectively.

4. Waterjets are useful if you hate flossing. Our recommended one is Philips Airfloss.

5. A fluoride mouthwash after brushing can remove further bacteria and leave a fresh sensation. Anyone with fluoride will do.

6. If your gums bleed on brushing, use a chlorhexidine mouthwash for five days. If this continues, contact us. Our preferred brand is Corsodyl.

7. Change your brush head every three months.

8. If you have dental pockets, the use of a single tufted toothbrush can clean under the gum line. There is a special technique- point, push and splay. We will show you how to do this.

9. Do not brush too hard- this can cause gum recession, which is irreversible.

10. Clean your tongue. All of the dead cells from your mouth accumulate on the top surface of the tongue. Use your toothbrush or a dedicated tongue cleaner.

Call us to book your dental hygiene appointment today.

We believe strongly in minimally invasive dentistry. Wherever possible we will use techniques that are kind to teeth and gums, involve no drilling of healthy tooth tissue and involve no pain. Our case is a smile transformation which follows these steps. The end result is simply stunning. Please take a look at the before and after photographs:
 

With Valentines day fast approaching, what could be a better gift than straight teeth? With the advances of modern day cosmetic dentistry, straight teeth can be achieved in as little as 6 weeks. Yes, that is correct- 6 weeks! Dental braces do not need to be visible placed on the outside of the teeth.

At Progressive Dentistry we use lingual braces which are placed on the inside of the teeth, making them the truly invisible brace. We have a great current offer on the Social 6 lingual brace. This brace is placed only on the front 6 teeth with the aim of correcting the front 4 incisors- the cosmetic zone. For mild to moderate cases, teeth can be straightened quickly and discreetly.

Our offer at just £995 is incredible value and affordable for all. Why wait - contact us today and give the gift of straight teeth.

We forgot to post our case for January! Better late than never. Our case involves the use of the Waterlase i Plus 2.0 to perform a procedure called surgical crown lengthening. What is surgical crown lengthening? In simple terms, this is a procedure that exposes more tooth surface to allow a dental crown to be made in such as way that it can seat on sound tooth 360 degrees. Ideally, dentists require at least 1mm of sound circumferential tooth as provides a 'ferule' and greatly enhances the resistance form and retention of a crown. How is it performed? In most cases, surgical crown lengthening involved removing gum tissue, raising the gum away from the tooth and bone and removal of bone using a drill. Stitches would be required and a healing time of twelve weeks. Needless to day, this could be painful and traumatic. Not any more! We are able to use our amazing Waterlase i Plus 2.0 to perform the surgery with minimal trauma, minimal invasion, no raising of the gum, no stitches and greatly accelerated healing and minimal pain! Our Case Our case involves surgical crown lengthening of a lower molar tooth. It was heavily broken down with minimal sound tooth to place a crown above the gum level. Dr Nissit Patel used the Waterlase i Plus 2.0 to create a ferule to allow a crown preparation on the same day and impressions were taken also. The crown will be fitted in less than two weeks. Just take a look at the post operative photograph:
 

We have invested in the very latest laser dentistry at Progressive Dentistry- the Waterlase i Plus 2.0 and the Epic 10. Both have different wavelengths and hence complement each other or can be used as stand alone lasers. We think that both lasers are magic! Having now used lasers within dentistry for over five years, these two lasers are certainly the most sophisticated and advanced we have seen. 

One application of the Epic 10 is low level laser therapy LLLT. The aim of this is to aid healing, pain relief and regeneration. We have successfully used LLLT to treat incredibly painful jaw problems, ulcers, cold cores, post surgical pain and non healing extraction sockets. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Future studies will provide exact protocols for specific treatments. LLLT can do no harm and hence it should be used in most aspects of dentistry.

Please contact us if you are interested in laser dentistry and low level laser therapy. It could change your life!