Dr Eric Gill Society

Since the Egyptian times man has tried to implant false teeth into our jaws when natural teeth have been lost. This came to a head in the 1960’s when numerous systems were being tried and dental implants received a very bad press as they had a 90% failure rate.

The change came when in 1952 Professor P.I.Branemark of Gothenburg Sweden discovered that a piece of titanium placed into a rabbits leg, to allow him to view how blood flowed through the bone, became fused to the bone and could not be removed.

He termed this process Osseointegration. In 1965 the first of this new type of dental implant, called root form implants, because they are shaped and act like the normal root of a tooth, were placed in a human. The results of his work were not published till 1981, when he had sufficient long term data, to be sure that the process worked.

The sterile placement of dental implants

Dental implants are metallic cylinders, made of titanium though sometimes with different coatings on them, that are surgically placed into the jaw bone where original teeth once existed. These root like cylinders are used to secure a replacement tooth in placed when a tooth or teeth are missing. The implant acts as a false root which then allows a crown or bridge to be placed on top of the implant just as if it were a natural remaining root or tooth.

The use of dental implants to replace a missing tooth or teeth, unlike conventional bridgework, does not involve the removal of large amounts of tooth tissue from the adjacent teeth and thus weakening these teeth in the process. Because adjacent teeth are not involved the use of dental implants also avoids the additional stresses that would otherwise have to be placed on the adjoining teeth and can, in fact, improve their long term prognosis.

Snoring is a noise that is produced due to the vibration of your soft palate. The noise can be quiet or it can be very loud, often with the person snoring not even aware of it.

Whether you are snoring or being kept awake by snoring, you must look for a solution.

Snoring itself is the symptom of many possible underlying causes, such as:

Narrow pharyngeal opening (the back of the throat). Jaw muscle relaxation during sleep, with the lower jaw assuming a backward position. Fatty deposits around the neck area. Blocked nasal passages. Your tongue falls into the back of the mouth; often, this happens when you sleep flat on your back. Snoring is more common with age and overall is more common in men than women.

Snoring can, if left untreated, increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as cause drowsiness or sleep deprivation. Dentists can help.

• If it doesn’t wake up the person snoring, it is often identified by a friend, partner or relative who is kept awake by the noise.

Snoring can also indicate sleep apnea, where you stop breathing for brief periods while asleep.

Each pause can mean missing several breaths and can happen many times during the same sleep session. Snoring and sleep apnea ( briefly stopping breathing while asleep) are major causes of road traffic accidents. Less oxygen entering the body can lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

Fortunately, though mild or severe, Dr Eric has many solutions to cure snoring and is the region’s leading snoring clinic.

More

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/snoring/

Almost 1 in 3 adults show signs of tooth wear due to a lot of acid and sugar in our diet. Many foods have hidden sugars, like certain fruit juices.

Fizzy drinks, including diet drinks, are responsible for tooth wear and decay in many children and young adults. Fizzy drinks are also having a bad affect on your general health.

Heart professor Graham Macgregor recently has told the Sun that “people on such drinks don’t seem to lose the weight they should and a preference for sweet things increases calorie consumption”.

Graham Macgregor has also claimed that the government should tax fizzy drinks in light of these recent findings.

The Pro Enamel team at Sensodyne have stated that as few as 4 acidic “moments” a day can put your enamel at risk.

Have a think about what your Acidic moments might be….

1. Do you drink full sugar or diet drinks throughout the day? – we recommend you stop drinking these and opt for water instead. If you are going to have a fizzy drink, try and limit it to once in a while and have it at meal times.
2. Do you use a nutribullet or a juicer daily or more? – juicing highly acidic fruits, such as limes, oranges, and pineapples, will attack the enamel of your teeth.
3. Go to the dentist more often if you can’t cut down your sugar or you are getting wobbly teeth or bleeding gums.
4. Do you snack on sweeties? – Many sweets on the market are highly acidic, particularly chewy and fruity.
5. Gym fanatic? – what are your pre-workout energy boosts? Many sports pre-workout juices and powders are full of sugar and are acidic. Drinks like Red Bull and Monster not only wreak havoc on your teeth but can also affect your health if you are drinking too much daily.

Sensitive Teeth Causing a Problem?

Overzealous and harsh toothbrushing; specially with whitening toothpastes. This can cause abrasion of the thin enamel at the neck of the tooth, which exposes the pores underneath and leads directly to the tooth nerve.

• Excessive use of over-the-counter whitening products.
• Excessive consumption of acidic and carbonated drinks (fizzy drinks) as these cause chemical erosion of the protective enamel layer and lead to exposure of the sensitive underlying dentine.
• Excessive consumption of fresh acidic fruit juices; e.g fresh apple and orange juices.
• Tooth grinding and clenching habit.
• Presence of enamel cracks and defective fillings or other restorations.
• Presence of tooth decay and/or gum disease.

If you suffer from tooth sensitivity,you must make a dental appointment now.

More

1. Healthwatch Stockport
2. Remote Dental Treatment

Do you or someone you know suffer from Parkinson’s Disease?

If so, you will know the devastating effects it can have on yourself and your loved ones.

Don Woodward has lived with the disease for more than twenty six years. In this informative and entertaining book he provides insights and advice for all those affected by Parkinson’s:

– ways to minimize the impact on yourself and your family;
– how to deal with the emotional consequences of living long term with the disease;
– the current state of research and the outlook for the future

and much more.

The combination of practical advice and humorous stories in this book will both entertain and inspire you to realize that Parkinson’s need not mean the end of living a full and satisfying life.

When I was just forty-two I suffered a severe stroke. Paralysed on my left side and unable to walk, I was confined to hospital for three months, and then spent about a year recovering, slowly getting myself back into the world.

When I was seriously ill in hospital, I longed to read a book that would tell me that I might expect in convalescence and also give me something to think about. . .’

‘Not only a riveting account of his sudden illness, but of love being put under a real test: a heart-warming triumph’ Kazuo Ishiguro, Sunday Times Books of the Year

‘With its lucid heartfelt prose, My Year Off gives voice to the millions of people who suffer strokes . . . More importantly, this book is a testament to the parallel trials and courage of the family members of stroke victims’ New York Times Book Review

‘Few of us can write in perfect health with the wit, skill, honesty and compassion that McCrum manages following a stroke’ Professor Anthony Clare

About the Author

Robert McCrum is literary editor of the Observer and was formerly an editor at Faber & Faber. He writes regular reviews and is the author of the critically acclaimed P. G. Wodehouse: A Life.

A wonderful account by a man too young to have a stroke. Since my mother had a stroke a few years later it has been a great help to understand the frustratingly long recovery, but my strongest memory of this story of recovery is Robert’s wife for whom it was almost harder to cope with, yet came through as central in his recovery, and is just amazing.

For advice on how to make your lifestyle healthier, click here.

Friday 21 – Sunday 23 June 2022 Times: Friday 2pm & 7.45pm, Saturday 2.15pm & 6.40pm, Sunday 1pm & 4pm Greenwich + Docklands International Festival Island Gardens, Saunders Ness Road, Tower Hamlets, London E14

• World premiere of The Limbless Knight – A Tale of Rights Reignited directed by Jenny Sealey

• Featuring performers from the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony

Graeae returns to Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF www.festival.org) for the fifth year with a brand new show The Limbless Knight – A Tale of Rights Reignited, a production which re-unites the creative team behind The Garden and Against The Tide. This new tale is an immersive piece of theatre where the audience are invited to play extras on a set where nothing is what it seems.

The initial starting point was born out of wanting to adapt The Rite of Spring into the world we currently live in. The Limbless Knight was further developed with ex-servicemen during a two day research and development period. Out of this came the grey stories that need to be told and the desire to create a monument to the living where death will always be present. It is a story of past and present sacrifices.
Films are in black and white or colour. This film is in grey.

Through a fictional film setting The Limbless Knight explores the need to ignite the future at a time when human rights are on the verge of being rewritten. Directed by Jenny Sealey and featuring performers from the London 2012 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony this new aerial and sway pole outdoor production has all the Graeae aesthetics of sign language and audio description embedded within the narrative. Young people from George Green’s School, will be creating performance installations to tie in with the production based on the Rights of a Child.

Directed by Jenny Sealey Design by Sofie Layton Music and Sound Design by Lewis Gibson Aerial Choreographers Tina Carter and Grant Mouldey

Director Jenny Sealey said:
“Post Paralympics the world is a different place. It is not only crucial for us to continue to profile the skills of our performers but it is also time to address the brutal truth of the standing of Deaf and disabled people within the current economic climate. Glimmers of humour and hope shine through the darkness of the subject matter because we accept exactly who we are; we are just waiting for the rest of the world to join us.”

GDIF Artistic Director Bradley Hemmings said:
“GDIF is thrilled to be hosting the premiere of this new outdoor Graeae show, particularly as it will recapture some of that amazing spirit of 2012 and the Paralympics in particular at this year’s Festival. Having been fortunate to have worked with Jenny Sealey as co-director of the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, I’ve seen her extraordinary vision, passion and dedication at first hand, and so it’s a great personal pleasure to welcome Jenny and Graeae back to GDIF with what promises to be an exhilarating and emotional rollercoaster for Festival audiences”

Head of Drama at George Green’s School Claire Gordan said:
“Our students are conscientious individuals and they believe in standing up for the rights of all. The school is in the process of becoming a Rights Respecting School and as such students here have been looking closely at the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has ignited their enthusiasm to ensure that the world becomes a place of equality.”

Graeae presents The Limbless Knight – A Tale of Rights Reignited In association with Strange Fruit

Healthy gums are the foundation of healthy teeth. The gums form the first barrier against mouth bacteria which; in sufficient amounts; could cause advanced gum disease and eventual tooth loss.

It has also been proven scientifically that there is a close link between gum disease and heart disease in many cases. Therefore, gum health is one of the important factors in maintaining your general well-being.

How does gum disease start

Well, gum disease is mainly caused by plaque bacteria. Plaque is a film of bacteria and other substances which cling to the tooth surface. If plaque is left unremoved, it increases in thickness, and the bacteria increase in number. Bacteria inside the plaque film are very toxic to gum tissue, and the first sign of gum disease is gum bleeding when you brush or spontaneously. Gum bleeding is not caused by brushing; it is caused by plaque bacteria secreting toxins and causing gum inflammation.

At this stage, getting the right advice on the appropriate brushing technique in addition to cleaning between the teeth (not with a toothpick!) and following the advice are sufficient to remove the plaque film and reverse the inflammatory process. This will reduce or eliminate bleeding and return the gum to excellent health. This is the stage of gum disease that dentists call gingivitis.
Gingivitis is preventable and easily treated; you only need to visit your hygienist or dentist regularly to get advice on keeping your teeth plaque-free and your gums healthy and comfortable.

In the another post I will be discussing the advanced stages of gum disease, their causes and the ways to prevent their occurrence, and possible ways of managing advanced gum disease; it is worth remembering that without professional help and advice, gum disease could progress quite rapidly and eventual tooth loss could be the result; it is also worth noting that without professional advice and treatment; over the counter remedies alone would not work.

How much does treating your gums cost. Well Mint, a London dentist, has treatments starting at £73.

Bleeding Gums

Bleeding when brushing or spontaneously is never normal. Imagine rubbing your skin or eye then discovering that this leads to some bleeding; would you consider this normal? Would you overlook it, and consider it as “one of those things that happens from time to time”? Hardly.

Gum tissue is naturally tough, as it must resist the trauma of heat and cold, rough and tough foodstuff, brushing and many other stimuli. Gum bleeding is a sign of inflammation caused by bacteria present in the plaque that accumulates around the gum tissue and is not effectively removed by regular homecare.

The enzymes and toxins secreted by the plaque bacteria cause damage that starts the inflammation process, which in turn changes the natural toughness of the gum tissue. As a result, and in response to the attack by plaque bacteria, the tiny blood vessels in the gum tissue start to open up to increase the flow of blood, which contains the necessary defence cells. The gum tissue becomes swollen and bleeds easily and profusely to minor trauma e.g. brushing and chewing.

Surprisingly, many people, when experiencing bleeding gums, think that brushing lightly, brushing with a soft brush, or even not brushing at all would stop the bleeding! Indeed it may; but not because the cause of the bleeding has been eliminated; the plaque will still be there and the damage that it is causing would certainly continue.

• Now, you may think I am assuming you do not brush your teeth!

I never said that; in fact, I know you do, maybe once , twice or even more per day; however, this does not mean that you are “cleaning” all the plaque off. Most of us; including myself; when we were young; were given a toothbrush and toothpaste and were asked to brush twice a day; and that was it! No one showed us how to “clean” the plaque off; in fact no one showed us what the plaque looks like! Much like giving someone a hairbrush and asking them to brush their hair and make it tidy without a mirror in sight! And expecting a good job!

Most people brush; most people use toothpaste, and most people use mouthwash, but most people expect these things to do the job of cleaning the plaque off! The sad fact is..they won’t. It is you who can clean the plaque off and prevent gum disease from causing irreparable damage. 

If you do not have gum disease, you would most certainly not lose any teeth, and you would not spend a lot of money on your dental care.