In today’s blog Belfast cosmetic dentist Jim Braden discusses some of the surprising health benefits of drinking coffee and some of the negative effects it can have on your mouth.

PROS :

Coffee contains antioxidants and polyphenols which have been shown in a recent study by the american journal of epidemiology to reduce the risk of oral cancer by nearly 50 % and may help to reduce the development and progression of other cancers.

Coffee drinkers also show a decreased risk of parkinson’s disease according to a recent study by Harvard professor Frank Hu.

Coffee has also been shown to decrease the chances of developing Alzheimers disease, Type 2 diabetes and strokes.

CONS (oral):

The caffeine in coffee can decrease the amount of saliva in your mouth causing bad breath and an increased risk of dental decay due to decreased salivary flow.

The dark pigment in coffee can lead to widespread staining and discolouration of your teeth.

So if you enjoy your daily intake of Cappuccino, Americano or Espresso and some of the health benefits that these bring it is important to visit the dentist regularly for hygienist cleaning and checks for dental decay.

_{Schedule an appointment with your Belfast Dentist.}

Do your teeth have unsightly stains from coffee drinking? At Braden Dental Care we offer teeth whitening and cleaning to brighten your smile. Make an appointment at Braden Dental Care ,Ormeau Road , Belfast by phoning 02890491333, emailing info@bradendentalcare.co.uk or visiting our website www.bradendentalcare.co.uk .

The team at Braden Dental Care have been working hard behind the scenes for the last six months.  All our systems and protocols have been documented and discussed – a lot of hours spent and staff meetings held!

As a result we have been awarded the BDA Good Practice Scheme given to only the highest standard of practices in the UK. This has been well earned and we’re really excited!

It gives us recognition that we follow best practice guidelines throughout from patient records and confidentiality, staff training and qualifications, cleanliness and cross-infection control to how our patients are treated with the best care and customer service every time.

To add to this, we have also been shortlisted for the UK Dentistry awards ahead of strong competition.

1.   Increased  patient awareness of the need for excellent oral hygiene and regular dental hygienist visits leading to retention of natural teeth longer.

2.   Digital Xrays now used which means much less exposure to our patients with the added benefit of being much more diagnostic as they can be manipulated to a much greater degree of accuracy.
3.   Fewer Braden Dental Care patients opting for Porcelain veneers to straighten mis aligned and crowded teeth and more patients opting for the more tooth friendly approach of adult braces to cosmetically straighten teeth over short periods of time (often less than 6 months)  https://www.bradendentalcare.co.uk/six-month-smiles/
4.   More and more patients requesting whitening as a cost effective , minimally invasive way of improving their smile.
5.   A decrease in the use of silver amalgam fillings with an increase in white composite or porcelain fillings.
6.   The age range of patients requesting cosmetic solutions to improve their smile at Braden Dental Care is increasing. It used to be that cosmetic dental treatments were maily requested by patients in their 20’s,30’s and 40’s this now extends more to patients in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
7.   Fewer patients having dentures and more having dental implants to replace missing teeth.
8.   Increased understanding by patients that dental maintenance with regular visits to Braden Dental Care is less invasive, less expensive and better for their health than curing a problem that has occurred over a longer period of non attendence.
9.   Google searches, the internet and online resources have allowed patients to become more educated and informed, new patients quite often now what they want before attending.
10.  Word of mouth referral of New patients is still our primary source but referral via online searches and social media sites is on the increase.

If we can help you at all with any of the above or indeed you are looking for a new dentist in Belfast please contact Braden Dental Care  https://www.bradendentalcare.co.uk/contact/ we would be delighted to help.

Wearing a DENTURE to replace missing teeth is not ideal in the majority of cases for these reasons:

1.Denture wearing can cause increased bone loss in the area where the teeth are missing.

2.Chewing forces are decreased making eating difficult which has been shown in various studies to decrease nutritional intake.

3.Denture wearing can cause decay and gum problems around supporting teeth.

4.50% of dentures will need to be replaced within 5 years.

5.Dentures can cause decreased taste sensation and problems with speech.

IMPLANTS  can provide a solution to the problems detailed above.  A Dental Implant is a small titanium screw which replaces the root of the missing tooth. This screw then integrates with the bone of the jaw allowing a crown or bridge to be placed to replace missing teeth.

1.Implants avoid damage to adjacent teeth.

2.Implants provide a long term solution.

3.Treatment with implants allows for improved taste and speech.

4.Implants allow for a fixed soltion which does not require removal from mouth.

5.Allows improved function and eating capability.

So as far as the health of remaining teeth, bone maintenance, comfort , longevity and increased confidence are concerned implants are definitely the treatment of choice.

If you think you may be suitable for cosmetic dental implants in belfast, Northern Ireland please contact us on 02890491333,

info@bradendentalcare.co.uk or through our website at www.bradendentalcare.co.uk

Over the last 12 months we have seen a massive increase in the amount of people who contact us wanting short term orthodontics. This has been made possible by changes in technologies and techniques  that have seen a welcome shift away from smile makeovers in the form of multiple veneers being placed on front teeth.

Treatments such as six month smiles (www.6monthsmiles.com) which is a fixed clear bracket system which we provide at Braden Dental Care.

Adult orthodontics in Northern Ireland is moving forward Rapidly and www.bradendentalcare.com  are embracing that change!

Six Month Smiles has arrived!

Here at the practice, we are really excited to introduce another option for moving crooked teeth.

The Six Month Smiles system is a fast, effective way to correct crowded teeth and produce a beautiful smile.

Teeth are moved using clear fixed braces which will suit people who don’t want a removable appliance, looking for a short treatment time – on average six months to straighter teeth!

Have a look for yourself on sixmonthsmiles.com or book an appointment with Jim at the practice to see if this could be the solution for you.

I’m really excited this week because I’m about to complete my training in Clearstep orthodontics.

Clearstep is a great way to move your teeth without anyone even knowing you’re doing it. It involves wearing a series of very thin transparent aligners fitted snuggly to the teeth. Depending on how crowded your teeth are the movement can take as little as six months. For more crowded teeth it will take longer but the great thing about it is that no-one can tell the aligners are there!

In fact, it’s such a great way of straightening teeth that I’m going to be my own first patient. Can’t wait to get started….watch this space for updates.

Last month Jim started a year long course in London on advanced restorative and cosmetic dentistry.

The course is run by a world renowned cosmetic dentist and lecturer, Chris Orr, from his practice in central London.

So, one Thursday a month, Jim flies to London, stays over night and joins the thronging commuters to make it to Chris’s practice for a day of training on the Friday.

Jim has completed two days so far, one on smile design and the second on whitening and shade-matching of teeth and is really enjoying expanding his knowledge and skills to be able to offer even better quality dentistry and more options for improving our clients’ smiles.

Last month we had a really great day with Laura Horton. Laura is a specialist in training for dental practices, having worked as a dental nurse, practice manager and treatment co-ordinator in the past. She is a really enthusiastic person as passionate about providing high quality customer service as we are at Braden Dental Care.

So, we closed the practice and spent the day discussing how to create the best client experience making everyone feel well looked after and cared for.

The training went really well and everyone enjoyed learning new skills as well as consolidating the skills we have already built up.

Next week we have a staff meeting dedicated to revisiting everything we learnt and making sure the systems are in place to continue to improve our customer service.