10 Things we do to help nervous patients

'Courage is knowing what not to fear'

Here at Aloe Vera Dental Studio, we pride ourselves on our continued work and dedication to treating nervous patients. 

We have come up with a list of 10 things that we regularly do to achieve our success in being able to treat very nervous patients.

1# Provide a calm and relaxing environment. Many patients comment on how peaceful and relaxing our practice is, how friendly and welcoming the staff are and how clean and tidy the practice is kept. This all helps maintain a calm atmosphere.

2# We book a little extra time for our appointments so that we have the time to talk things through, explain and discuss the treatment, or even just have a little chat to help the patient relax.

3# Encourage the patient to bring their own music and headphones. 

4# We use numbing gel before injections on EVERY patient.

5# In worse cases we can provide oral sedation.

6# We give the patients control. By letting the patient tell us when they are ready to start, and agreeing on a 'stop' signal. The patient has control over the appointment.

7# Seeing the same dentist every time and building a rapport with that dentist.

8# Use of a TV above the chair. Patients can bring their favourite DVD and watch it during long treatments.

9# We try to use a calm voice throughout the appointment and regularly remind the patient to take a deep breath and relax in the shoulders. Sometimes something so simple can be so effective.

10# Use of a stress ball. We have a stress ball that we often give to our patients, it keeps the hands occupied and relieves tension.

Fear of the dentist, and dental phobias are extremely common but it doesn't have to stop you achieving dental fitness. 'Fear is just a feeling and you CAN get over it'.

If you are interested in booking an appointment with our lovely dentist Dr Mozhgan, give a member of our team a call on 01245 357 735 - Let's start your journey to health and wellbeing.

Staying Safe this Summer

Our favorite time of year is here... Summertime! 

The season of long sunny days, BBQ'S, Picnics in the park and Holidays.

However this care-free and relaxed season, often leads us to unwittingly up our sugar intake. Whether it be an ice cream by the seaside, a cocktail by the pool or some cold refreshing fruit juice in the garden, there are some obvious repercussions on our oral and general health.

One piece of research found that children consume five times more sugar during summer than any other time of year!

Travelling abroad can also have an affect on our oral hygiene - all starting off with the journey. Even a short flight can disrupt our routine and throw us out of sync with our oral hygiene schedule.

It's also very important to take extra care of our skin in these warmer months, especially when travelling abroad.

Here are some tips to help you through this summer;

1. Try out some healthy sugar swaps in the kitchen.

By making your own ice lollies using ingredients such as fresh fruit, coconut water and Greek yogurt, you can dramatically decrease the amount of sugar per serving and squeeze in one of your five-a-day in the process.

2. Buy a travel toothbrush for your hand luggage.

Make sure you travel with a toothbrush to hand, and feel free to come and pick up a free miniature toothpaste from us at your next appointment (perfect travel size!). Make a point to think about your journey and plan when you will get a good opportunity to at least brush your teeth. 

3. Remember to pack your floss, Inter-dentals and mouthwash.

When you've worked so hard to develop a good oral hygiene routine it would be such a shame to let it all go to waste when you are on holiday as these good habits are easily lost.

4. When you are in a foreign country, if the water isn't safe to drink, it isn't safe to brush with it either.

In this case, use bottled water to brush your teeth

5. Schedule a check-up and deep clean before you go on holiday

Getting the all clear from your dentist before you travel will not only give you peace of mind, it will drastically reduce the risk that your holiday is going to be ruined by toothache. Having a clean, fresh mouth whilst you're relaxing on holiday is an added bonus!

6. Check your travel health insurance covers dentistry.

Should you require an emergency dental appointment whilst on  holiday, check that your insurance actually covers you for dental treatment before you travel. Did you know that all of our AV membership holders receive Worldwide Accident and Emergency Assistance? From as little as £9 per month you can have your check-up, a deep clean with the hygienist AND benefit from the Worldwide Accident and Emergency Scheme.

7. Stay hydrated.

Although it can be very tempting to grab for the ice cold fizzy drink, the refreshing fruit juice or fruity cider when the weather is warm, invest in a reusable water bottle to make sure you have water to hand at every point of the day. Having a treat now and then is of course absolutely fine, but keeping hydrated with water is so important for our health and we should be proactive to ensure we are doing everything that we can to make it always easily accessible to us.

8. Use SPF and remember to cover up.

Use a high factor, 30 or 50 SPF, remember to pack your sun hat and don't stay out in the sun all day long. Neglecting our skin leads to premature ageing, skin damage and in the worst cases skin cancer. 

If you use a retinol in your skin care routine, or have regular chemical peels and you know that you can't avoid being in the sun, it may be worth stopping these treatments and products during this period.

We hope that you found some of these tips helpful, and if you have any tips that you would like to share, please leave them in the comments below as we would love to hear from you.

The Dental Hygienist

Why should I see the dental Hygienist?

What does the hygienist do?

Dental hygienists are mainly concerned with ‘preventive’ dental health and treating gum disease – giving you helpful advice on correct home care (sometimes the tiniest tweaks can make the biggest impact!) and helping you to keep your teeth and gums healthy. 
This includes professionally cleaning your teeth by removing plaque and tartar (usually called a ‘scale and polish’). 
Hygienists also give advice about diet and about preventing tooth decay. The hygienist will work with your dental team to give you the care that is tailored to your needs. 

How often should I go?

Most people should visit the hygienist every 6 months, however if you are a smoker or have gum disease you will need to book in more often. The dental hygienist will advise you on how often you should book on your first appointment, and will modify this if it changes after a period of time. 

How long does an appointment last?

One appointment lasts approximately 30 minutes in total. However if you have a lot of plaque and tartar build up, you may be asked to book a double appointment for your first visit by the dentist. 

What is the cost?

Currently the cost of one appointment with the hygienist here at Aloe Vera Dental Studio is £49.00. We do also offer a fantastic membership plan, where you can pay a small monthly fee and have a set amount of check-ups and appointments with the hygienist included. 

To find out more about the membership plan, please give a member of our team a call on 01245 357 735.

Regular appointments with the hygienist to remove plaque and tartar, combined with looking after your teeth and gums at home effectively will keep your mouth healthy. A clean and healthy mouth not only gives you fresh breath but improves your appearance and gives you the confidence to smile more! :) 

Easter Hacks!

Easter bank holiday is fast approaching, and the shops are filled with chocolate. No wonder it is so easy to over-indulge this time of year!

We have come up with a list of 'hacks' to help you avoid the sugar rush - You're sweet enough already! :) 

1. Try your hand at some refined sugar free baking; The internet is a wonderful source of endless recipes!  We loved Davina's refined sugar free brownies, these definitely satisfied our sweet tooth.

 http://thisisdavina.com/gossip/read/sugar-free-brownies

2. Easter Crafts - This one is particularly great for keeping the children entertained whilst on the Easter half term, and can be enjoyed as a family activity. Home sense, The Range, Home Bargains and Poundland have some fantastic Easter crafts on offer at very reasonable prices. We found so many wonderful ideas on Pinterest, but this one was one of our favourites; DIY Bunny bunting, with pom-pom tails.

3. If you do receive way too many Easter eggs (again particularly aimed at those with children), melt the chocolate down, bake with it, and give them away as cute little Easter gifts. It goes without saying that you will need to test one or two of course! These chocolate Easter nests are so simple to make, and all the family can join in on the fun;

https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/easter-nests

4. Get active! Organised some Easter themed games for all the family to join in and have some fun! Whether it's the classic egg and spoon race, or treasure hunt, a little imagination goes a long way!

We hope that this has been useful and has given you some Easter inspiration, and we'd love to hear from you if you tried any of our ideas or took inspiration from them. Perhaps you have an Easter hack of your own? Leave us a comment below as we love to read your comments.

We hope you all have a wonderful Easter break! - The AV Team 

Spring has sprung!

No matter how long the Winter, Spring is sure to follow! What a great time for new beginnings...

Here at Aloe Vera Dental Studio, we are committed to being a part of your journey to health and wellbeing. We thought what better way to celebrate the start of spring than with a little motivation for a 'Spring Clean'.

Is it time for a 'Spring Clean'?

Dental hygienists are specially trained to look after all aspects of oral health and play a big educational role to help prevent dental problems. Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults but is largely preventable. Visiting a hygienist regularly can help to prevent and treat gum disease by removing plaque and calculus with professional cleaning as well as teaching you techniques at home to maintain a clean mouth. Developing a good oral cleaning routine is key to achieving excellent oral health!

Research shows that poor oral health can have a negative effect on the whole body with recent studies showing links between gum disease and heart disease, diabetes and pregnancy complications, with more links being discovered to other diseases.

Hygienists are also trained holistically to give diet and lifestyle advice to prevent tooth decay, oral cancer and tooth wear.

Overall a clean and healthy mouth can help improve your appearance, confidence and most importantly your health. 

Our hygienist works Mondays + 1 Saturday per month and costs £49.00 for 1 session. The session will last around 30 minutes. 

If you would like to schedule an appointment with our hygienist, please give us a call today on 01245 357735 and speak to a member of our team.