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Forget expensive night creams and lotions, the answer to a more youthful appearance might just lay with a visit to your dentist.

There are a plethora of products out there for every skin and beauty concern, so it comes as no surprise that the anti-ageing market is big business. Whether it’s reducing lines and wrinkles, smoothing skin, plumping lips or ironing out crows feet, Australia has now surpassed America as the country with the most cosmetic procedures per capita^[1].

But it may come as a surprise that it’s not just your skin that has an impact on how youthful you appear.

Psychologists have recently found that other people will under-estimate your age when you smile^[2] and that in turn, smiling does in fact make people happier^[3] .

So perhaps the fountain of youth is hiding in plain sight.

Your teeth support the lower third of your face, so dental issues such as tooth wear, tooth decay, discolouration or gum disease (from a lifetime of chewing, clenching, grinding, and not-so-healthy nutritional choices or social habits such as smoking) can mean this support structure begins to be impacted.

The more tooth surface that is lost, the less you show when you smile, resulting in a prematurely aged appearance. Besides the physical symptoms of damaged or worn teeth such as sensitivity or pain, the social and psychological impact of not being able to smile with confidence or enjoy food and drinks as you might once have, can have a greater impact on your wellbeing. Something that creams and potions can’t fix.

So while injectable clinics and beauty counters may get all the attention when it comes to anti-ageing, there is one beauty expert you may not have considered – your dentist.

Your dentist can provide you with a range of tailored options to suit your lifestyle, budget and goals to help reverse the damage caused by a lifetime of using your teeth.

Some of these options include regular cleaning and polishing, teeth whitening and replacing old worn-down fillings to rejuvenate the smile, to more advanced dentistry such as ceramic crowns, veneers, bridges, implants and dentures that can all help replace or strengthen broken down or missing teeth.

Advances in technology and orthodontics also means that your options for orthodontic care are now greater. Invisalign aligners can help you to straighten your smile without traditional metal braces by using a clear aligner system – a discreet way to gently move your teeth in to your desired location for a straighter smile.

But of course, no matter your age, the most important thing for your teeth and gums is for them to be healthy, which is why checking in with your dentist twice a year is essential. At your check-up, your dentist will be able to address any concerns you may have regarding the appearance of your teeth as well as detect any issues that may lead to problems down the track.

Book an appointment with your nib Dental Care dentist today.

 

 

[1] https://www.whimn.com.au/look/beauty/australians-are-having-more-cosmetic-procedures-than-americans/news-story/eeac4c6909504b9c914d9824fd8c6e3b

[2]Psychol Aging. 2012 Jun;27(2):265-77. doi: 10.1037/a0025065. Epub 2011 Sep 5.

Let me guess how old you are: effects of age, gender, and facial expression on perceptions of age.Voelkle MC1, Ebner NC, Lindenberger U, Riediger M.

[3] Nicholas A. Coles, Jeff T. Larsen, Heather C. Lench. A meta-analysis of the facial feedback literature: Effects of facial feedback on emotional experience are small and variable.. Psychological Bulletin, 2019; DOI: 10.1037/bul0000194

 

Teething time often means a cranky baby, irritability, flushed cheeks, and sore, red little gums. Regardless of your teething experience, what can you do now – and in the future – as baby teeth emerge? And how do you best look after these baby teeth?

How can I help my baby cope with teething?

Baby teeth start to emerge from between 4 and 10 months of age. The first teeth to appear are usually in the middle of the lower gum. There’s a wide range of ‘normal’ so no need to panic if your little one is a little early or a little past the 10-month mark, or if they sprout a random tooth instead of the usual ones.

While the addition of a tooth is an exciting milestone, it can be a pretty exhausting lead up to the tooth finally making its debut. If you think that your baby is experiencing discomfort due to teething, you can try applying a cool soft cloth to the gums, giving them sugar-free teething rusks or chilled teething rings to chew on. Distraction also works wonders – so shower them with plenty of love and attention to get them across the line.

How can I keep my child’s mouth healthy?

48% of Aussie children aged 5-6 have a history of dental decay in their baby teeth, according to a 2017 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. To prevent your child becoming a statistic, starting them early with a good dental hygiene routine is the best way to set them up for a life of healthy teeth.

Before you even see that first tooth appear, you can get babies used to having things in their mouth by wiping their gums with a soft damp cloth twice a day. When the first tooth does appear, you can continue to wipe over it with a soft cloth or upgrade to their first toothbrush and gently massage their gums. Doing this twice a day will get them used to a brushing routine early on and develop great dental hygiene habits. Even if baby is not yet on solid foods, once a tooth is in their mouth, it is prone to plaque and bacteria build-ups, which can lead to decay.

When cleaning baby’s teeth in those early days, there is no need to use toothpaste. In fact, you probably don’t need to start using children’s toothpaste until they’re around one and half, and even then it only needs to be a small amount. Find a super-soft toothbrush and give their tooth (or teeth) and gums a light massage. Once they have two or more teeth in a row, you might like to begin gently flossing if teeth are close together.

To keep those little mouths healthy, there are a couple of things you’re best off avoiding such as dipping dummies in anything sweet, or putting babies to bed with bottles of milk or juice. The risk here is that when baby falls asleep on the bottle or sugar-coated dummy, the sugar sits around the teeth and creates the perfect environment for tooth decay.

When should my baby first see the dentist?

Generally, you should book your child in for their first dental check-up around 12 – 18 months old. These early visits are more about getting your little one used to the dentist and being able to seek advice on how to best care for their teeth as they continue to come through.

At that first appointment, the dentist will perform a basic inspection – counting teeth, looking inside that little mouth (as much as they are allowed!) and offering a ride in the hydraulic chair.

Take this opportunity to ask the dentist any questions you may have – remedies for teething, sharing the best brushing techniques, foreseeing any issues caused by plaque or decay and discussing habits such as thumb sucking. If you have any questions or concerns around the development of baby’s teeth, your dentist will be able to help you.

Ready to make that first appointment? Book an appointment online today.

Smiling releases endorphins¹ to our brain which boosts our mood and happiness – in fact, when we smile, others see us as being younger than we are². So, having white teeth not only improves self-confidence, but boosts other people’s perception of us as well.

Often the colour or appearance of teeth prevents people from smiling, so even the smallest of cosmetic changes can make a difference in how they feel about their smile.

It’s probably no surprise that teeth whitening has become one of the most commonly asked for dental procedures¹. We now see hundreds of products on the market with claims to whiten and brighten your smile. But how do we separate fact from fad? And how are the cheaper solutions so… cheap?

We did some research and took a closer look at some of the more popular alternative methods of teeth whitening.

Oil Pulling

A teaspoon of coconut oil is swished around the mouth for 20 minutes on an empty stomach before it is ‘pulled’ and forced between the teeth. Research into oil pulling is not extensive^4,5,6 but what little we do know doesn’t give us any proof that it helps to whiten teeth. Oil pulling has its roots in ancient India as an Ayurvedic practice, where natural ingredients are used to heal the body.

Pros: May reduce gum inflammation and bacteria levels.

Cons: Oil pulling takes a long time and is highly dependant on the actual technique – you’ll see better results with just an ordinary toothbrush and toothpaste!

Tooth whitening: There is no evidence to show that oil pulling reduces staining on teeth.

Activated Charcoal

Charcoal toothpastes are plastered all over social media of late, so chances are you’ve come across charcoal toothpaste promising to give you that gleaming white smile at a fraction of the cost of having your teeth professionally whitened. While charcoal toothpaste may lift superficial surface stains, they won’t make a difference to deep stains or for teeth that are naturally yellowed. One study by Creighton University School of Dentistry in the US found that extended use of charcoal toothpaste resulted in a significant loss of enamel⁷. As the toothpaste made its way into the dentin of the teeth used in the experiment, they adopted a grey shade – the opposite of what you’re hoping to achieve when whitening your teeth!

Pros: May help to remove some surface stain and delay the recurrence of stains.

Cons: Doesn’t contain fluoride and may cause staining or greying around existing fillings or crevices.

Tooth whitening: There is no evidence to show it whitens the teeth from the inside.

Spices, fruit and… bicarb soda.

Brushing your teeth with turmeric, whitening your teeth with strawberries, brightening your teeth with bicarb soda… do a quick Google search and you’ll open up a whole world of natural remedies said to provide miracle brightening and whitening. While turmeric tooth-brushing probably won’t do you any harm – after all, it’s a well-known antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory spice – it certainly won’t give you a whiter smile. Unfortunately it’s the same story for strawberries and bicarb soda. A 2015 study⁸ from the University of Iowa looked at the effects of using a mix of strawberry and bicarb on teeth, 3 times a day over 10 days. The study found that while the mixture did remove surface plaque and debris, giving the illusion of a whiter smile, it didn’t actually bleach or whiten.

Pros: May reduce gum inflammation and bacteria levels.

Cons: Can be costly when strawberries aren’t in season.

Tooth whitening: There isn’t any evidence to show that it whitens teeth.

Shopping Centre Pop-ups, tooth whitening strips and kits

The teeth whitening industry is largely unregulated, and a variety of options including whitening strips and mail order trays have popped up in recent years. An investigation by Choice magazine found that potential hazards associated with going to an unqualified practitioner include “lack of proper infection control, careless application or ill-fitting bleaching trays, causing irritation to gums and lips”.

Seeing your dentist for a whitening procedure may cost more, but the difference is noticeable. Firstly, dentists are able to use up to 38% hydrogen peroxide (compared to 6% – the maximum allowance for non-registered dentists in a clinical setting). Your dentist is also able to assess the quality of your teeth, potential problems or disease that could be exacerbated by whitening, and provide you with custom-fitted trays which ensure the bleach stays on your teeth. It may not be the cheap, quick fix you were hoping for but in the long run, it’s much better for you, and way more effective.

Pros: A cheaper alternative to in-chair whitening treatment.

Cons: Unknown ingredients, risk of increased sensitivity or chemical burns to the gums.

Tooth whitening: Might produce some whitening effect, however safety remains a concern.

 

nib Dental Care centres offer teeth whitening services to patients. Please be aware that cosmetic treatments like teeth whitening aren’t covered by health insurance. To book an appointment to discuss teeth whitening with your dentist, book online or phone your nearest centre on 1300 345 300.

 

 

1. https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/famelab-whats-science-behind-smile
2. Hass NC, Weston TD, Lim S-L (2016) Be Happy Not Sad for Your Youth: The Effect of Emotional Expression on Age Perception. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0152093.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152093
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532338214000499
4. Oil pulling for maintaining oral hygiene – A review J Tradit Complement Med. 2017 Jan; 7(1): 106–109. PMCID: PMC5198813 Published online 2016 Jun 6. doi: 1016/j.jtcme.2016.05.004
5. Essential oil mouthwash (EOMW) may be equivalent to chlorhexidine (CHX) for long-term control of gingival inflammation but CHX appears to perform better than EOMW in plaque control.J Evid Based Dent Pract.2012 Sep;12(3 Suppl):69-72. doi: 10.1016/S1532-3382(12)70017-9
6. Effect of oil pulling in promoting oro dental hygiene: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med.2016 Jun;26:47-54. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.02.011. Epub 2016 Feb 20. Gbinigie O¹Onakpoya I²Spencer E³McCall MacBain M⁴ Heneghan C⁵
7. Charcoal toothpastes: what we know so far. Linda Greenwall, Pharmaceutical Journal
8. https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/cosmetic-dentistry/teeth-whitening/strawberry-teeth-whitening-and-other-weird-whitening-methods-0117