Your Teeth Are Not Tools! Use Mouth Guards During Sports Summer Treats Can Hurt Your Teeth Sugary Ice Cream Can Cause Tooth Decay

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1 July 2018 Issue

2 Summer can be a time for indulgences which unfortunately is not the best time for your oral hygiene. With the heat of summer, it s common for many people to drink cold drinks and sweets as well as being out in the sun. We want to provide a few tips to enjoy the benefits of the good weather without having to worry about your next dental visit. Your Teeth Are Not Tools! Your teeth are designed as the initial digestion method of your body and are used to break down food for your stomach. Many people feel that their teeth can substitute for tools and use them to open bottles, wrappers, and chew ice. Some of these habits can harm your teeth and can be costly to repair. So remember to only use your teeth for their intended purposes and not as tools. Use Mouth Guards During Sports When playing sports in the summer, even if they are not contact sports, it is a good idea to wear proper protection. Your teeth can be easily protected by wearing a mouth guard during your sports activities. Summer Treats Can Hurt Your Teeth Remember that while enjoying a refreshing cool snack such as ice cream, slushies, fizzy drinks, and freezies, there is just a few things to remember as some of these snacks may not be the best for your oral health. Also, learn how you can help offset the damage. Sugary Ice Cream Can Cause Tooth Decay Dairy products, like ice cream, can be a good source of calcium. Unfortunately, most ice creams are made with lots of sugar,

3 one of the leading causes of tooth decay. When buying ice cream, we suggest buying sugar-free or low-sugar ice cream. However, if your child wants regular ice cream, there are a few ways to minimize the impact the sugar has on the teeth. Do not brush teeth immediately after eating. Instead rinse with water or a mouth wash or chew a sugar free gum. This will help get some of the sticky sugars off the enamel. Avoid ice cream with extras like caramel or syrup. Eat ice cream at the end of a meal. Water is Best! Are fizzy drinks bad for my teeth? Yes, they are! The acids in fizzy drinks start to eat away at the enamel on your teeth only 20 minutes after your first drink. Plus, the extra calories provide no nutritional value. We recommend drinking water to quench your thirst on the hot days.

4 It s important to stay hydrated and it can be easy to fall behind in your water intake. In addition to water and other healthy drinks, you can eat foods, such as cucumbers or strawberries, which can contribute to your fluid intake, helping to prevent the headaches and sluggishness caused by dehydration. Another reason to eat water containing foods? Fibre. Here are six of our favorite foods with water. 1. Cucumber At 95 percent water content, a cup of cucumber slices is nearly as thirst-quenching as a glass of water. Cucumbers also provide a little fiber and some vitamin C (about 6 percent of the Daily Value per cup). Don t limit your cucumber consumption to tossing slices into green salads; get inspired to make refreshing cucumber recipes: dips, soups and even pickles. 2. Strawberries Strawberries deliver the most vitamin C of all berries and also provide folate, a B vitamin that s essential for the healthy growth of new cells. And, since they re 91 percent water, they ll contribute significantly toward your overall fluid intake. Eat them straight up or try them in a new strawberry recipe: they re special in everything from salads to baked goods. 3. Watermelon Ninety-two percent water watermelon is a good source of vitamin C and, when it s red (some are orange or yellow), also has lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect against heart disease and some types of cancer. Enjoy fresh wedges or, better yet, get creative with watermelon recipes. 4. Yogurt Depending on your preferred type, regular plain yogurt is 85 to 88% water (surprisingly, there s more water in fuller-fat yogurt). You ll also get calcium, some B vitamins (namely B12 and riboflavin) and good-for-you probiotics. 5. Papaya At 88 percent water, this fruit will help you stay hydrated. Better yet, 1 cup delivers 3 grams of fiber for just 55 calories. 6. Butternut Squash This sweet and nutty squash is 88 percent water. A cup of cooked butternut squash also boasts over 400 percent of your Daily Value for vitamin A a key nutrient for eye health as well as healthy doses of vitamin C, potassium and manganese.

5 Summer is often a time for major sporting events, with regular events such as Wimbledon and this year the World Cup in Russia. During these events it can mean increased eating or drinking whilst watching the events and it's not always the best foods for your general and oral health. Where possible, try and limit sweet and high calorie containing foods and drinks and also try and avoid regular snacking, which also is generally not good for your teeth as you may be watching sporting events for a number of hours. Summertime can also mean people are likely to play more sports and be more active, which is great. As above try and limit the sugar intake and in particular sugary drinks such as energy drinks, which are promoted as being great to give you that extra energy boost you need, however they can cause major destruction to your teeth, especially as you are likely to be more dehydrated when playing sports and sweating. The best option is to stick to water or a natural electrolyte drink to replace lost fluids and provide you with the energy you need. They may not taste as good, however your mouth will not suffer as a result.

6 Our Recent Reviews

7 This slow-cooked stew is packed with Mediterranean flavour from chorizo, olives, tomatoes and peppers. The meat will fall off the bone mop up the sauce with bread.

8 Best Care and Were Very Professional I was very nervous going to the dentist to have my root Canal. With the experience and care at Brightside they gave me the best care and were very professional. I would advise anyone going to have root canal treatment done not to worry and trust the dentists. I am now pain free and also can eat on both sides of my mouth which is such a relief. It also doesn t take long and if anyone has the choice to have root canal or lose the tooth I advice on the root canal. -Eamonn Goggin I m Delighted with the Outcome For a number of years, I put up with an awful smile. My front teeth were crooked and one of them was discolouring and dead. One of my friends had work done at the surgery and had such good results and decided to go ahead. I m delighted with the outcome of the treatments and many people have remarked that it takes off me. I like the way there is a lot of flexibility so I can fit in appointments around my job, there s always a lot of information given and it s very clear what the next steps are. I ve been very hapy by the way I ve been treated by the staff. -Kathleen Cavin I ve Seen A Total Transformation in How I Feel About My Teeth Have been terrified of the dentists for years due to some bad experiences in my youth. Had Brightside recommended to me by a family member and I couldn t be happier. Have seen a total transformation in how I feel about my teeth. Everyone in the practice is brilliant, puts you at ease and tells you exactly what is happening and why. I was skeptical about the pain-free promise but it is absolutely true. I had several fillings and other work done and I didn t feel a thing. I d recommend Brightsdie and Dr Shah to anyone, especially if you are scared of going to the dentists. After 5 minutes you ll wonder what you were ever scared of. -Daniel Ryan My Treatment was Pain Free Ketan is an excellent dentist for phobics like me! He was very sympathetic towards any worries and fears you may have and every option and every stage of treatment is explained carefully. Also it was pain free!!! -Sue Furby Brightside Dental For Information on Calm & Gentle Dentistry Call us now: or For More Patient Stories Visit Us: