Am I Too Old for Braces?

The short answer to the question of, ‘am I too old for braces?’ is simply, no! At MSC, age is never an issue and it’s never too late to get braces. MSC have patients in their 50’s and 60’s who are benefiting from wearing braces to correct the position of their teeth with great success. Our dentists at MSC know how important a great smile is to the way you view yourself.

Patients at MSC have different reasons for wanting to have this treatment. It might be a family occasion such as a wedding, having professional or corporate photographs taken or simply just wanting to correct the position of your teeth. Invisible braces are a popular option for patients and are a great option to help fix dental problems such as overcrowding or misaligned teeth. These issues can have a negative impact on your mental well-being. If you dislike your teeth or have the urge to hide your smile in photos or when meeting friends, this can contribute to low levels of self-confidence, low self-esteem, stress and being self-conscious. At MSC, we offer invisible braces as treatment to improve your smile so you feel confident and proud of your teeth, your smile and your overall appearance. 

What Do You Think of When Imagining Braces? 

You might picture the traditional fixed metal braces which have been mainly worn by teenagers. These types of braces have been well used to straighten teeth over the years but as technology has progressed, so have braces. Dental orthodontics now offer the option of using invisible braces to help straighten teeth. These are clear and colourless which keeps your smile looking great and ensures you feel confident about wearing them. They blend in with your teeth and smile, eliminating that ‘metal mouth’ appearance associated with the fixed braces. 

How do Invisible Braces Work for Adults? 

Braces are designed to move teeth by applying tension to help move them slowly in the desired direction.  Any bone in the way gets reabsorbed by the body and new bone forms behind the tooth to keep it securely in place. New bone can form at any age which is why invisible braces are suitable for all to wear. So, if you are considering braces to correct a problem like misaligned or crooked teeth invisible braces are a great option.

Advantages of Invisible Braces

One of the advantages of choosing invisible braces is that they reduce the likelihood of other problems developing such as plaque and gum disease. Fixed metal braces can be hard to clean and requires a strict dental routine to keep teeth clean that can be time consuming but invisible braces eliminates this. It’s important to note however, that invisible braces and your teeth both still require thorough cleaning to maintain oral hygiene. Adults also have a higher level of success over a longer period of time than younger patients when using invisible braces. This is down to several factors, the financial cost and a willingness to comply with the treatment. Part of having this kind of dental procedure includes patients wearing a retainer long after the brace comes off.  It is just as important to wear a retainer as wearing the brace itself. Newly moved teeth can easily move back into their original place and the retainer helps to keep the newly positioned teeth in place.

Fact:

Nationally speaking, UK private spending on improving teeth sharply increased reaching £1.86bn in 2014 with 3 in 10 adults unhappy about the appearance of their teeth. The rising trend of make-over shows and the influence of celebrities are both factors in of people becoming more interested and pre-occupied by the condition and appearance of their teeth.

Orthodontics at Midlands Smile Centres

Our dentists at MSC are highly trained and experienced in providing orthodontic treatment. If you’re looking to improve your smile, whether it’s cosmetically or for health reasons, we can help. Book a consultation today to find out more.

5 Major Mistakes People Make When Whitening Their Own Teeth

Stained teeth are a common dental problem, which can be caused by various factors. Certain types of food and drink can cause staining, including coffee, tea, red wine and a few fruits and vegetables. Smoking can contribute to discoloured teeth, and other more major health concerns, as can poor oral care, such as a lack of adequate brushing and flossing. Sometimes trauma or disease can also cause discolouration, both in children and adults.

Luckily, tooth whitening treatment is available which can brighten your teeth and give you a shining smile. There are numerous types of tooth whitening treatment, but some of the more popular options are take home kits, which allow you to whiten your teeth in your own time. However, if they are of poor quality or used incorrectly, they can cause more harm than good. Here are the top 5 major mistakes that people make when whitening their own teeth:

Mistake:	Often people don’t use tooth whitening products that contain the correct amount of peroxide.
Correction:	At our Midlands Smile Centres practices, we use the latest tooth whitening gels that use the legally safe amount of peroxide.

Mistake:	Many people don’t know it is illegal for anyone other than GDC registered dental professionals to sell or apply the correct treatments.
Correction:	In all our MSC practices, we are fully trained and insured to make sure we deliver the best treatment to our patients, in a safe and trustworthy environment.

Mistake:	Poorly fitted whitening trays, not made specifically for your mouth by trained dentists, can result in unpredictable results.
Correction:	We only use high quality dental labs to make our bespoke trays. The better fitting the tray, the more predictable the result.

Mistake:	If you do not attend a check-up before the treatment, this could result in damage to your teeth and gums.
Correction:	Only a qualified dentist can make sure you are not at risk of causing harm to your teeth and gums, by ensuring your mouth is healthy before starting treatment.

Mistake:	Some people do not get crowns and fillings checked to make sure the colours will match after tooth whitening.
Correction:	Our dental team will ensure your treatment meets your needs, including helping to ensure your tooth whitening treatment gives you a smile that compliments any other dental treatments you may have had.

Getting professional advice before you start treatment is vital. Whatever it is that you want to improve, at MSC, we can give you the best advice and create a treatment plan to guide you towards your ideal smile.

Start your journey towards a brighter smile today!

Happy Easter, Healthy Teeth

Easter is coming-up and we all know what that inevitably means; chocolate! It’s a time to relax, see the family and indulge. It’s also a time where it’s easy to really let yourself go when it comes to eating your way through that large stack of chocolate eggs. It’s good to enjoy yourself over this period, but whilst doing so, it’s just as important to do what you can to take care of your family’s teeth.

The reason why this is especially important over the Easter period is that chocolate is high in sugar content. The eating of chocolate produces acid in the mouth and can lead to the creation of plaque as well as the possible staining of teeth. And, because it turns into liquid form in your mouth as you eat it, chocolate can bathe your teeth in sugar, giving the sugar more time to stay in contact with your teeth for longer and increasing the risk of damaging your teeth.

To point-out that you should be careful eating too much chocolate and sweet-things during Easter is fairly obvious. It can also be difficult to do this when you just want to enjoy yourself. However, there are some things you can do to make sure you’re doing what you can to boost your dental health while also letting yourself delight in all of that chocolatey goodness.

Plus, if you’re a parent, being aware of these tips might be especially helpful as your little ones might be particularly eager to tuck into their Easter treats. They may potentially get through a lot of chocolate, so using this time to guide them on the correct methods to look after their teeth is especially important.

Brushing: Brushing teeth is probably something most of us do on a regular basis- a minimum of two times a day, preferably. If you’re eating an unusually large quantity of sugary treats though such as chocolate eggs, you might want to think about brushing a little more regularly, such as after every meal. On the subject of brushing it’s a good idea to use an electric toothbrush if you don’t use one already. Electric toothbrushes offer a more thorough, consistent standard of cleaning that the human hand with a manual brush in its palm can’t quite provide. They can get to those hard to reach places inside your mouth as well.

Sugar Free Gum: Chewing sugar free gum is a great little tip for better dental health as it increases the production of saliva in your mouth, helping your teeth stay protected from the acids present in your mouth after you have eaten. This is useful for those times when you simply can’t get to your toothbrush. Sugar free gum comes in conveniently sized little packets that you can slip into your pocket, making them easy to keep with you no matter where you go. They also make good treats for your kids.

Mouthwash: It is generally recommended that using mouthwash should be part of everybody’s daily dental routine. And given that it is likely your teeth are going to be put to the test a little more than normal due to eating chocolate over Easter, it’s advisable that you use your mouthwash. Talk to your dentist about the best kinds of mouthwash available to you.

Flossing: Flossing is perhaps one of those everyday dental tips that is easily disregarded. Perhaps because it is relatively time-consuming and takes perhaps more effort to do properly than brushing your teeth. However, regularly flossing your teeth is great for removing any trapped food or detritus in-between your teeth. It’s not difficult to let flossing fall by the wayside, but over the Easter period it’s even more important that you do it. Use floss sticks or regular floss and keep your teeth at their best.

Water: Drinking water is another simple way to defend your teeth from the effects of consuming excessive amounts of chocolate and sugary treats. When you get yourself a glass of water, instead of just sipping it as you normally would, you should try to swill your mouth with it to dislodge any pieces of food stuck to your teeth and to neutralise the harmful elements contained within what you have just eaten. For your children, make sure they drink a glass of water after their chocolate treats to help reduce the chance of dental problems.

Other Foods: There are certain types of food such as cheese, fish and vegetables that are beneficial for your teeth. This is maybe something else to think about after you have munched a load of chocolate and are concerned about the effect that this may have had on your teeth. It might even be prudent to swap some chocolate for other treats, such as small cheese bites.

MSC - Midlands Smile Centres

Midlands Smile Centres are based at various points around the city of Birmingham, making them extremely easy to get to. MSC are staffed by a tremendously talented team of dentists who are able to use their knowledge and expertise derived from years of experience in dentistry to improve your teeth and give your smile the little lift that it needs. Providing an array of treatment types from orthodontics to smile makeover treatments such as tooth whitening and veneers, Midlands Smile Centres are also worth contacting if you find that you have indulged a little too much over the Easter break and need an MSC dentist to put things right.

Get in-touch with MSC today to discover what we can do for you!!

Starting the New Year with Healthy Teeth

Over the Christmas period, there is really no getting around the fact that the festive season is a time for a little indulgence: chocolate, biscuits, puddings- they all seem to be part of the whole Yuletide experience, and part of what makes the festive season so enjoyable. Now that we're all into the New Year, you have a fabulous opportunity to start putting into practice dental hygiene habits that you might have overlooked in the past twelve months.

Getting into good habits really is an essential part of caring for your teeth and gums. Where better to find out about these good habits than from your dentist? Putting these habits into practice is not difficult and will only improve the standard of your teeth.

No matter the time of year, not following good dental habits can cause deterioration of your teeth. So, make sure you are fully aware of how to care for your smile.

Dental Floss

Let's start with flossing. Flossing can be a bit awkward and a bit time-consuming, but it helps in a way that is hard to replicate with just brushing. Flossing is something that most experts are likely to advise you to do, so it would be a wise move now to ensure that it remains a consistent aspect in your daily dental routine. Flossing is hugely important because it removes the pieces of food between your teeth that regular brushing fails to reach. Consequently, your teeth will be free of those pesky remains of dinner which can actually lead to the build-up of plaque, eventual gum disease and cavities.

Flossing should be a gentle process that rubs both sides of the teeth around each gap. It should also get into the gap that exists between the gum line by firstly curling the floss around your tooth, and it should clean around the back of your last tooth.

It may be that you would prefer to use an interdental brush to clean between your teeth. Or, another alternative to dental floss is disposable flossers- small sticks with a small length of floss on the end that are quick and easy to use.

Mouthwash

Although some people may find mouthwash a little too intense for their mouth, there is no denying that it is an effective way to boost your dental hygiene. Plus, with so many different types of mouthwash currently available in the shops, you are sure to find one that suits you. In addition to the fact that mouthwash enhances your dental health, it's also great for fresh breath.

Brushing

Regular brushing of your teeth is of course crucial. What you may not have considered before though is how investing in an electric toothbrush could actually heighten the standard of cleanliness for your teeth. Wandering through high-street pharmacies today will reveal a number of options, but in general, all electric toothbrushes offer a more thorough clean than manual ones. An electric toothbrush operates continuously with consistent speed, rhythm and pressure, meaning that it is superior to the human hand with a manual toothbrush in its palm. In addition, the head of the electric toothbrush is smaller than that of a manual toothbrush, allowing you to get to those harder-to-reach places.

Sugar-Free Gum

Sometimes getting to your toothbrush is just not possible. Whether you're at home, someone else's house or even at work, after the left-over Christmas biscuits or chocs have been passed around, popping a piece of sugar-free gum into your mouth is such an easy way to take care of your teeth. The chewing of sugar-free gum for just twenty minutes can increase the production of saliva in the mouth which results in the neutralisation of acids. It can also strengthen the enamel of your teeth and will leave you with fresher breath. Not only that, but it can also help dislodge any remains of food in your mouth.

Water

Another quick and easy way to enhance your dental health that can be done whether you're in your home or not is to drink water and to use it to rinse your mouth. Most of us know that drinking plenty of water is a good idea, but a quick swill after eating will also help to dislodge any pieces food clinging to your teeth for better dental hygiene.

Further Dental Improvements with MSC

MSC- Midlands Smile Centres- can make sure that your new year is one of not only healthy teeth but an amazing smile as well. With various practices dotted around Birmingham, MSC offer a wide array of excellent treatments at affordable prices and boast a team of highly skilled and experienced dentists that can make the smile you're looking for a new reality for you in 2019.

Get In-Touch with MSC Today to Find-Out What we Can Do For You!!