We have been busy at the surgery for the past few weeks, preparing displays for our “Open House” event running throughout National Smile Month; 20th May – 20th June, Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5pm.

Everybody is welcome and will hopefully find something of interest. We have lots of giveaways and a FREE prize draw for a top of the range Oral B family power toothbrush. We look forward to seeing you.

Meanwhile here are some tips for making a difference during Smile Month.

• Brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
• Cut down on how often you have sugary foods and drinks
• Visit your dentist regularly, as often as they recommend

In fact, national smile month has coincided with huge improvements in the UK’s oral health over the past few decades. But there’s still a lot more to do.

So what are the benefits of smiling and laughter? Some thoughts on the ‘softer’ benefits.

• Smiling and laughter relaxes the entire body and its muscles, relieving physical tensions and stress.
• Smiling and laughter boosts the immune system thereby decreasing stress hormones and increasing the level of antibodies that resist disease and illness.
• Having fun triggers the release of endorphins – the body’s “happy” chemicals that make a person feel good, engendering a general sense of wellbeing.
• Having a good time protects the heart by improving the function of blood vessels and blood flow, thus preventing heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
• Smiling and laughter is a great communicator.
• A spot of laughter helps dissolve distressing emotions making it very hard to feel anxious, angry or sad.
• During busy working days laughter helps relax and recharge a person by reducing stress and increasing energy, allowing for greater focus and increased productivity.
• A positive attitude engenders spontaneity and the ability to think of solutions without the encumbrances of the problems being faced.
• Enables us to express our true feelings, thus allowing us relate more realistically and honestly to situations and demands.

Unfortunately the misconception among parents is that ‘milk teeth don’t matter’ and children only need strict brushing routines and dentist visits when their adult teeth arrive.

Survey findings issued by the British Dental Health Foundation reveal that 25% of parents with children under the age of five believe they do not need to brush twice a day, 23% think there is no need for them to avoid fizzy drinks and 67% believe that brushing for just one minute is ok – rather than the recommended two minutes.

We recommend that brushing at the end of each day be closely supervised until children reach 7-8 years of age and fairly regular supervision continues until they are 10.

They are also high in acid and this is where the problem lies as far as your teeth are concerned.

A large quantity of fruit is required to make even a small smoothie and because it is concentrated the acid can literally wash away tooth enamel.

Advice is to limit the amount of smoothies you and your family consumes and if you can’t resist, make sure you drink them through a straw, which keeps the acid away from your teeth. You should also follow them with a small cube of cheese, which helps to bring down the acidity levels in your mouth. Ideally for children you should dilute juices, give them at mealtimes and do not brush for at least one hour after drinking the juice (or taking acidic food), because your tooth enamel will be temporarily softened and brushing can damage it.

Have healthy teeth and avoid toothache by:

• brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste
• enjoying a healthy lifestyle, including eating well, not smoking and limiting your alcohol intake. This is good for your whole body, including your teeth, gums and mouth
• establishing a good dental health routine to help you and your children have healthy teeth for life
• having regular dental examinations that allow your dentist to spot any problems early and deal with them swiftly

Don’t put off going for a dental examination because detecting problems early can mean they’re easier to treat. If problems are not treated, they may lead to damage that is harder, or even impossible, to repair.