7 Bancroft Court, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1LH Tel 01462 451167 info@bancroftdental.co.uk www.bancroftdental.co.uk

Bancroft Dental Practice Autumn | Winter 2008

Welcome to the first issue ofour Patient Newsletter whichwe hope you will findinteresting and informative.

It has been a busy year at BDP! Twoyears in the planning and almost 6 weeksin the company of Gary the builder,October saw the final result, the biggestphysical change to our practice in manyyears – our much anticipated newreception area and finally Karen has herown office.

Behind the scenes there have beenchanges too. We have invested in thelatest infection control equipment andtechniques allowing us to exceed industrystandards.

Dr Goulbourn and the team have allinvested personal time in undertaking postgraduate courses to continually updatetheir knowledge. This has enabled us tonow offer our patients ‘Clearstep’ invisibleadult orthodontics, to get those teethstraight. In addition, Dr Goulbourn is nowa full member of the prestigious BritishAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry inLondon, having completed a year longcourse, and can offer you the completeSmile Makeover.

BDP has also introduced newmembership plans for adults and childrenhelping to make regular appointments withus more affordable.

Don’t forget to check out our newwebsite www.bancroftdental.co.uk

Best wishes for the festive seasonfrom all the team.

Practice News

What did the vampire say to his dentist?... Fang you very much!

We are often asked how wechoose the shape and size ofteeth when we are makingalterations to the appearance.The answer is that we try towork in the same way as nature,to arrange teeth with symmetryand in what is known as ‘goldenproportion’.

In nature, all living thingshave the length to width ratio ingolden proportion, whether it’sa flower petal or a butterflywing. This proportion ispleasing to the eye. Beautifulteeth are in golden proportion:Whatever size they are, the ratioof width to length is consistent, as is therelationship of one tooth to another.

Autumn is the time whenroutines are re-established afterthe summer holiday period andall the things that were put onhold become priorities.

Summer often means more sweettreats and ices than usual, so rememberto check that you and your family are up

Many artists and architects haveproportioned their works according to thisgolden ratio (1:1.618 for those of you whoare curious) believing it to be aestheticallypleasing, and Mathematicians acknowledgeits unique and interesting properties.

We work with our technicians using theseproportions as a guide to produce the mostattractive final result. There is also the line of

the tips of the teeth to consider,which in most cases ideally followsthe same line as the lower lip.Sometimes we might add a tiny twistor turn to suggest a naturalirregularity, sometimes we go forabsolute perfection, depending onwhat each individual patient feels is

right. This applies to the design of crowns,veneers, implants and dentures.

Golden Proportion

Remember Remember...

All livingthings havethe length towidth ratioin goldenproportion

to date with dental visits. For thesporting season we recommend thatkeen players invest in a custom fittedmouthguard - a superior alternative tooff-the-shelf products. Now is also thetime to book a tooth whitening treatmentto ensure you really do have a WhiteChristmas!

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Hee Hee!

Early tooth decay does not tend to displaymany physical signs. Teeth may look healthyon the surface, but an x-ray enables us to seein between them and under the edge of yourfillings, evidence of decay under the enamel,possible infections in the roots, or bone lossaround the tooth. Finding and treating dentalproblems at an early stage can save bothtime and money.

In children, x-rays show where the secondteeth are positioned, when they will comethrough and whether there is enough spacefor them. In adults, we are able to seeimpacted wisdom teeth that may need to beremoved before they cause any problems.

If you are a new patient, we will probablysuggest x-rays, unless you have had sometaken very recently elsewhere. After that, theyare usually recommended every 6 to 24months depending on your age, history ofdecay, and the condition of your mouth.

There are various types of x-ray. Bitewingx-rays show us what is happening betweenyour back teeth and whether there isevidence of any bone loss. These should betaken at regular intervals, usually everycouple of years, depending on your dentalhealth. The other commonly used small type

is the Periapical, which allows us to see theroots of your teeth. These are taken to help todiagnose the cause of pain, to check thecondition of a tooth root before placing acrown and to guide us in the process ofplacing a root filling. Panoramic x-rays(below) are large and show the whole mouth,including all teeth and jaws, giving us acomplete overview of the mouth.

The amount of radiation received from adental x-ray is extremely small: We get moreradiation from natural sources, includingminerals in the soil, and from our generalenvironment. Rest assured that we exposeour patients to as little radiation as possibleand only take x-rays where the informationgained will affect the treatment we offer andassist us in prevention of problems. If you arepregnant, please let us know as we will avoidtaking x-rays unless we really have to,particularly during the first three months.

Did you know that bad breath canresult from unhealthy digestion? If youhave regular dental check-ups andmaintain good oral hygiene, yet stillsuffer from bad breath, it may be timeto look at improving your dietary habits.Here are three tips for fresher breath:1 Drink two litres of water each day.Dehydration leads to a reduction insaliva which is vital for flushing awayodour-producing bacteria.2 Eat five portions of fruit andvegetables and choose wholegraintypes of bread, rice and pasta. This willprovide the fibre which is essential forhealthy evacuation.3 Eat a small pot of bio ‘live’ plainyoghurt (unsweetened of course!)every day to repopulate the digestivetract with friendly bacteria and crowdout the odour-producing bacteria.

Freshenyour breath

The articles featured in this newsletter are intended for information only and, as such, should not be interpreted as recommendation for any particular dental procedure or treatment.Your dentist will advise on the best course of treatment for you as an individual. Design & Production: www.cathyjohnsondesign.com © Cathy Johnson Design Limited.

First, if you can find the tooth and it is clean,try to put it back into the socket yourself.Alternatively, follow the guidelines below:• Do put it straight into a cup of milk or

keep it in your mouth.• Do call us or visit your local hospital as

soon as possible.• Do take painkillers if necessary.• Don’t hold the tooth by the root, as teeth

are surrounded by fragile ligaments whichneed to be kept intact if the tooth is to be replaced.

• Don’t clean the tooth with disinfectant orwater or let it dry out.

• Don’t put aspirin or clove oil on the wound.• Don’t panic!

The sooner the tooth is back in place, thebetter the chance of success. It may thenbe necessary to use a dental splint to fastenthe tooth against the teeth on either side. Inmost cases this is successful, and once thesplint is removed the tooth will be stable.However, as every individual case isdifferent, it is possible more treatment maybe needed in the future.

If you knock a tooth out...

A clearer picture

Thank you We would like to say a big thank you to all of our patients who recommend us to family, friends andcolleagues. If you like what we do please continue to tell people - our practice grows by personalrecommendation which enables us to invest in and offer an increasingly high level of care to all our patients.

MOUTH CANCER AWARENESSWEEK A great opportunity toencourage smokers to get helpand quit for good!

Between 16-22 November 2008, a nationalcampaign will raise public awareness ofmouth cancer.

Smoking is a big risk factor - so therecouldn’t be a better time to quit. Dentistsare in the perfect position to spot early signsof smoking-related changes in the mouth,and positively encourage patients tocontact their local stop smoking services.• Smokers are four times more likely to quitfor good using a specialist NHS stopsmoking service.

A smile is a curve that sets things straight.Phyllis Diller, Comedienne.

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