Visiting the dentist is not many people’s idea of a good time; however, none of us is immune from dental problems, so we have to go. Even if we brush and floss regularly at home, regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings are essential for maintaining the healthiest, most beautiful smile.

With regular preventive care, problems can be noticed at an early stage and treated in the least invasive manner. Moreover, at Smilecraft, your dentist in Stevenage, we offer preventive treatments that are kind to our patients’ mouths and wallets.

Why are dental check-ups so important?

Dental check-ups are recommended bi-annually even for patients with great teeth. A dental check-up will give your dentist in Stevenage the opportunity to update your dental record and assess your oral health. Early treatment is always in the interest of the patient, as it can avoid further complications. An adult dental check-up may include services such as dental x-rays, gum disease assessment, oral cancer screening and a head and neck exam.

Cleanings

Dental cleanings are really important since they significantly reduce the risk for gum disease and tooth decay. Your dentist in Stevenage (or a dental hygienist) will assess the patient’s soft tissues and remove plaque, tartar and food particles from the teeth and gums. This can be done with a traditional scaler or an ultrasonic scaler to blast tartar and plaque off the teeth. Your dentist in Stevenage will also polish the teeth at the end of the treatment in order to prevent plaque build-up. Regular dental cleanings are really important because they also help remove plaque from below the gum line, hence preventing gum disease.

Dental sealants

Your dentist may also recommend dental sealants during a check-up – these are great for children. These preventive plastic caps can deter tooth decay and keep teeth and gums healthier for longer. A dental sealant is a clear plastic coating that is painted on the molars. It acts as a barrier against all those bacteria found in food that cause tooth decay. Dental sealants cover completely the surfaces and crevices of teeth and can greatly reduce the risk of cavities. They will wear off over time, so they may need to be replaced sporadically for best results.

If you thought you were alone inside your mouth, you could not have been more wrong. Inside your mouth is a whole ecosystem of good, bad and indifferent bacteria, about 20 billion of them, according to one scientist. And our job at Smilecraft, your dentist in Stevenage, is to help you keep them under control.

Don’t panic. These bacteria don’t weigh very much and they are meant to be there. According to Dr Walter Loesche, of the University of Michigan, USA, you have got about 500-650 different species of bacteria living in your mouth. Some, in ideal conditions, can reproduce every 20 minutes.

It sounds like it won’t be long before you can’t fit in any more bacteria in your mouth, but along with the litre of saliva you swallow every day, you also swallow about 100 billion bacteria. Having said that, some bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, try to avoid the fate of being digested by clinging onto the surfaces of our teeth, gums, tongue and cheek linings.

Streptococcus mutans is a name you might want to remember. This is the bacteria that you will be most familiar with. You can see it in your mouth and feel it on your teeth, building up as that sticky layer of plaque and then turning into chalk-like tartar if you don’t get it off your teeth within 3 days. It feeds on the sugars in your saliva, so if you eat or drink lots of sugar, you’ll notice these little critters making your teeth feel furry a few hours later. This bacterium is why you brush your teeth twice a day, and floss, and then come along to the dentist in Stevenage to get check-ups and deep cleanings.

Yes, Streptococcus mutans is the cause of dental decay and gum disease, both of which are the result of the acids it gives off after gorging on sugar. So, if you want to save yourself money and time at the dentist in Stevenage, come along for your check-ups and maintain a good oral health routine by brushing and flossing twice a day, every day.

It’s so easy when you are a parent to forget about your own needs when you are busy running round after the kids. You get up, get them to school, go to work, collect them again, take them to all their extra-curricula activities, cook them dinner and before you know it, it’s time for bed and to start the whole routine again the next day.

How on Earth are you also meant to fit in taking care of your own needs by getting to a check-up with the dentist in Stevenage?

At Smilecraft, we know how hard it is for busy parents, but we also know how important a good oral health routine is. After your baby teeth fall out, you only have one set of adult teeth, which are meant to last you right through until you die, which could be 70 or 80 years.

Set an example

We also know that the best way for your kids to learn to take care of their teeth is by seeing you take care of your own. You need to brush them twice a day for 2 minutes, do some flossing once a day and finally, come and see the hygienist and the dentist in Stevenage.

The best way to set an example is to bring your babies along to your own appointments. Babies learn by copying and so, if they see you getting your teeth checked, and get to be in the dental clinic environment a few times before they are checked themselves, then it stops it being such a frightening experience.

Babies can start having check-ups when their first teeth come through.

Family outings

One way to make sure everyone in the family gets a bi-annual check-up is to bring the whole crew along at once. You can have your session with the dentist in Stevenage and your kids can have theirs too. Plus, if you are a practice member, you can save money on treatments.

Don’t forget the hygienist

Check-ups let us know if anything needs fixing. Hygienist sessions are deep cleans to make sure there is less chance of you or your children needing treatment for dental disease. Don’t forget to book a session with your check-ups.

Smoking affects a considerable part of the population. In addition to the effects smoking has on general health, it is also harmful to the oral health. More specifically, smoking can cause gum disease and oral cancer.

At Smilecraft, we believe in the benefits of smoking cessation, especially when implemented by dental professionals. Instead of not addressing the elephant in the room, our dentist in Stevenage will bring up the issue with patients whose smoking habits are detrimental to their oral health.

What are the effects of smoking on your teeth and gums?

Gum disease and oral cancer are the two major conditions affecting smokers. Implant failure is also a common consequence among smokers. Other effects that smoking may have in your oral health include:

• staining and yellow teeth
• bad breath
• reduced ability to smell and taste
• oral thrush
• tooth decay and cavities
• and coated tongue.

Gum disease and smoking – a parasitic relationship

The relationship between smoking and gum disease has been well-established in the past 15 years. Clinical studies have shown that smokers have a greater risk of developing severe gum disease (periodontitis) compared to non-smokers. While the reasons behind the effects of tobacco on the gum tissue are not clearly illustrated, researchers have found that smoking delays the flow of blood to the gums, disturbing the way gum tissue responds to healing and other treatments. Moreover, the development of gum disease on smokers is likely to be considerably faster compared to non-smokers.

What can your dentist in Stevenage do?

While a dentist cannot persuade a patient to quit smoking, they can help them consider the option by providing information on smoking cessation. Our dentist in Stevenage will answer all your questions and provide adapted feedback after your examination. Your dentist can be a great ally in your quest to quitting smoking since you have a longstanding relationship with them and you see them regularly.

There are many methods and nicotine replacement therapy products that can help you quit smoking, so it comes down to what fits your lifestyle and individual needs. In general, there is no compelling evidence that one technique is more successful than another and often a combination of treatments can prove more beneficial.

It seems like, despite all the advances in technology to help us save time, we have less and less of the stuff, or just too much, either way, modern life is stressful. Stress shows up in many forms. Some people lose sleep. Others lose hair. Some lose teeth.

Stress and your jaw

It’s very common to develop jaw joint problems. They may be due to stress or they could be due to something else. It is estimated that about 70% of the UK population will suffer from jaw problems at some juncture in their lives. For many, in these days of high stress, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can be ongoing.

You may not even know that you have jaw joint problems, as the symptoms may not be felt in that area. But if you have any of the following symptoms, it is worth coming into Smilecraft Dental Care to get your jaw joint checked out by Dr Bradley Abrahams, our resident jaw joint dentist in Stevenage.

TMJ disorder symptoms

• Ongoing pain in your shoulders, back or neck
• Regular headaches or migraines
• Ear problems such as tinnitus, earache or deafness
• Pain in the jaw joint area
• Jaw joints that click or lock
• Jaw clenching or grinding (this may be when you are asleep)
• Difficulty in opening your mouth wide.

Are your jaws properly aligned

Often the cause of jaw joint problems is that the jaws are not lining up properly. One way Dr Adams often treats patients is to fit them with a custom-made Tanner appliance, which is a kind of splint that you wear at night to bring the jaws into alignment. The Tanner device will also help stop you grinding your teeth when you sleep.

Save your teeth

If you do have TMJ disorder and are grinding your teeth at night, they may well start to crumble away, so it is worth getting your jaw joint looked at by our dentist in Stevenage. Dr Adams has been interested in jaw joint problems for more than 30 years and has studied under 2 of the world’s leading TMJ experts, so he will be able to give you well-researched treatment and advice.

We love being a great dentist in Stevenage. It takes time and effort to make sure that at Smilecraft Dental Care we offer that extra something that keeps our patients coming back, but we think we have got the recipe right. Here are some of the things we do that make us stand out from the crowd:

Mouth cancer screenings

Mouth cancer is on the rise. As it is directly linked to lifestyles, it shows up most in people aged 50-74. The national advice is to have a mouth cancer screening once a year, but at Smilecraft Dental Care, your dentist in Stevenage, we will give you a screening every time you come in for a consultation. Mouth cancers are easy to deal with in their early stages, but they grow quickly, so having one every time you come in for a consultation gives you added protection.

Emergency dentistry

We guarantee to see every emergency patient, and we will always do our best to fit you in to see the emergency dentist in Stevenage on the day that you call. But, please try to call as early in the day as you can, as the later you leave it, the harder it is for us to find a slot for you.

Modern techniques and equipment

The dental world moves fast these days, so at Smilecraft Dental Care we make a point of ploughing our income back into new techniques and equipment. For example, we use The Wand, a computerised local anaesthetic delivery system that takes the pain out of receiving injections. It looks like a small pen, there are no needles and it is so gentle that many patients do not even know they have received an injection.

Making payment less painful

One thing that puts many people off going to the dentist is the bills. At Smilecraft Dental Care, we have 0% finance and membership plans to help you save money and spread the costs of treatments.

If you are looking for a dentist in Stevenage, why not come into Smilecraft Dental Care and meet the team? We’d love to tell you more about us.

Metal amalgam fillings stand out, creating dark patches in your teeth and undermining the integrity of your tooth. As your dentist in Stevenage, at Smilecraft, we’ve trained in white composite fillings to give you a great alternative to the grey standouts of traditional dentistry.

Whenever you think about fillings, traditional grey amalgam comes to mind. This old style fills the gap in your tooth once the decayed part has been removed. However, because it doesn’t bond to the tooth, it leaves gaps which could mean bacteria can get into the gaps and continue to undermine your damaged tooth. Thanks to white composite fillings, this is no longer an issue. It bonds to your tooth, creating a seal and locking in the gap, so the integrity of your tooth is maintained.

Bright white and looking great

This new style of filling not only protects your teeth, it looks great as they totally blend in with your natural tooth. We take care to colour match your filling and to follow the contours of your natural teeth. It means there’s no compromise on the way you look and when you’re enjoying laughter with friends, the only thing they notice is the joy in your eyes and not the grey in your mouth.

Your dentist in Stevenage goes that extra mile

Although we know your smile is important, we also want to ensure your fillings are durable, long-lasting and make your teeth strong. Since we take your health seriously, Dr Bradley Abrahams and Dr Caroline King have trained with one of the leaders in the field of white composite filings, Dr Didier Dietschi. It means when you come to receive a new filling or to have your old metal amalgam replaced, you can guarantee that we can offer you a great service based in the latest techniques.

Smilecraft, as your local dentist in Stevenage, goes that extra mile to make you smile. We offer a range of treatments that looks after the day to day maintenance of your teeth through to providing care to resolve missing teeth or correct overbites. We’d love to hear from you, so ring our reception today to book in your consultation with one of our dentists.

Think back on the times when you’ve felt anxious. Perhaps before sitting your driver’s test, or giving a speech at your friend’s wedding, or maybe it was when you noticed that nagging toothache getting worse and realised you’d have to visit the dentist in Stevenage. Dental anxiety affects more people than you think. But today dentists are trained to help you work through your anxiety.

At Smilecraft, we certainly go the extra mile to make sure each and every one of our patients feels at ease when they see us for anything from a check-up to a root canal. Here’s how:

A warm welcome

Our bright and homely reception area is staffed by our approachable reception team, who will always give you a warm welcome. You’ll get the same friendly approach when you meet our dentist in Stevenage.

Time for you

Whether it is your first appointment or your 50th, our dentist in Stevenage will always have time to talk you through your procedure, discuss your concerns, and find out how you’re doing.

Painless injections

The phrase painless injections may sound like an oxymoron but we’re not kidding. There are certain dental treatments that require local anaesthetic to be applied so that any pain will be numbed. That’s all well and good once that anaesthetic kicks in but if you dread the thought of getting an injection, the prospect of having local anaesthetic can be nerve-wracking itself.

That’s why when you come to us in need of treatment under local anaesthetic, your dentist in Stevenage will use The Wand, an innovative injection system that keeps pain at bay. The Wand itself looks like a pen and your dentist will hold it like one too. A computer-controlled delivery system enables your dentist to slowly and comfortably deliver just the right amount of anaesthetic to numb an individual tooth, or more if needed. Surrounding tissues, such as your tongue, lip and cheek, won’t be affected, so after your procedure you can drink and smile as normal.

What are you waiting for?

Now you know that dentistry today can be a pleasant experience, why not book your first appointment with our dentist in Stevenage? We’ll keep you smiling a healthy smile.