Halloween Hacks!

Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative.

Halloween is just around the corner, and every year our children are overloaded with sweets and chocolates that are very bad for their teeth as well as their general health.

We have put together some food swap idea’s to help avoid all the sugar filled nasties, without loosing all the fun!

Many of our idea’s we have found online, in particular on Pinterest.

Websites like these constantly have new ideas.

Tip: When the ‘Trick—or Treat’ sweet fest can’t be avoided or monitored, Ensure that your Child spends a little bit longer brushing their teeth before bed time!

Silly Apple Bites

Use Slices of Green Apples & Strawberries to create the face and tongue of these crazy fruity monsters!

To help with the ‘sticking’ part, use any healthy nut butter or alternative.

Sunflower seeds, Dried Fruit or anything similar you may have in your cupboards make excellent teeth.

Tip: When the ‘Trick—or Treat’ sweet fest can’t be avoided or monitored, Ensure that your Child spends a little bit longer brushing their teeth before bed time!

Tip: When the ‘Trick—or Treat’ sweet fest can’t be avoided or monitored, Ensure that your Child spends a little bit longer brushing their teeth before bed time!

Grapefruit Jack-O-Lanterns

Use a Grapefruit skin (Or a large Orange) to carve out a pumpkin face, and fill it with a lovely chopped fruit salad.

Cheesy Witches Brooms

For the broom stick, use a bread stick or pretzel stick.

For the brush, use cheese (or alternative) and slice to create the bristles. To attach, use a fresh chive, or a little piece of cucumber skin. 

Halloween Cookie Cutters

We are huge fans of cookie cutters! They are such a great way to make fruit and vegetables appeal to our children and encourage them to try new things. 

Halloween themed cookie cutters are very easily available online, and are also very cheap.

They great to use on fruit and veg such as melon, carrots, cucumber (the possibilities are endless!) –A very quick and easy way to add a theme to your snack time.

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.

Back to School!

Congratulations, You have survived another Summer with the kids! 

What better time than the new school year, to get motivated on what to pack for our children's packed lunch.

By giving your child a healthy balanced diet, you are ensuring that your child is getting all the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that children need for healthy growth and to develop.

A well planned and balanced meal (& drink!) will keep them fuller for longer, avoid any 'sugar crashes' and help them stay hydrated. This in turn will help them thrive when in class by improving concentration.

The NHS Eatwell Guide shows that to have a healthy, balanced diet, people should try to:

• eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day (see 5 A Day)
• base meals on higher fibre starchy foods like potatoes, bread, rice or pasta
• have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks)
• eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein
• choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat them in small amounts
• drink plenty of fluids (at least 6 to 8 glasses a day)

Tips:

1# Lunch Boxes - The Bento Box

The Bento box is absolutely perfect! Not only does it make it very easy to see whether the lunch is well balanced, it is also great for fussy eaters, that do not like their food touching.

This is a win-win for both parents and children.

This particular bento box can be found on Notonthehighstreet.com, however there are cheaper options available on both Amazon and Ebay.

2# Refillable Water Bottles

If you have read any of our previous blogs, you will know that we are huge fans of refillable water bottles. They not only encourage us to stay hydrated but they are much kinder to the environment than buying single use bottles.

Let your child choose their own bottle, and this will encourage them to keep drinking and stay hydrated. 

Water really is the best choice to be giving our children, however if you are finding this very difficult with your child, choose a 'sugar free' fruit squash rather than a 'no added sugar' as these can still contain a high level of sugar.

3# Get Creative

Getting creative doesn't necessarily mean time consuming. Thinking of new ways to present our children's food stops them from getting bored, encourages even the fussiest of eaters and helps us sneak in a few extra veggies.

We love these Sandwich Kebabs. All you need is some wooden kebab sticks, these can be washed and reused (and be sure to cut off the sharp end). 

You can play around with different types of bread, wraps, bagels and swap out different types of fruit and vegetables to keep things interesting. Adding both a protein i.e chicken, ham or boiled egg plus cheese (or cheese alternative) also helps keep the meal balanced.

This is also a great way to get your little one to try foods such as olives, pickles and radishes and expand their taste buds.

4# Cookie Cutters

A saving grace for the fussy eater! Cookie cutters can be used to quickly and creatively cut fruit and veg such a watermelon, cucumber, carrots, pineapple and kiwi. Offering  the food in this way will encourage your little one to eat their fruit and veg, and to try new foods.

We are all about being environmentally friendly here at Aloe Vera Dental Studio, so any waste created by using the cookie cutter can be used in a smoothie, porridge or overnight oats. 

5# Refined sugar-free baking

We've said this one time and time again, but trying out some refined sugar free recipes (if you haven't already) is a great way to still feel like you're having (or giving your child) a naughty treat...without the guilt. Its also another great way to sneak in some veggies without your children realising it.

Perhaps you could set aside some time at the weekend to make a batch of something like these refined sugar free brownies, pop them in a seal tight container and you have some prepared for the packed lunches throughout the week. This could even be a family activity that you do together?

https://ifoodreal.com/healthy-zucchini-brownies/

Honestly, you would never know these brownies contain courgettes - They were delicious!

We hope that you have found some of our tips useful and that it has given you the motivation to start the new school year well. If you have any more tips that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you so please leave your comments in the comment section below.

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.

10 Things we are doing to be more 'Environmentally friendly'

Aloe Vera Dental Studio goes Greener!

We thought we would share with you 10 things that we are doing at the practice to be more environmentally friendly.

Disclaimer- As a medical setting, hygiene and cross contamination will always be something that we prioritise and take very seriously, so for certain areas within the practice we are aware and appreciate that we are not very eco friendly, but we are trying to make up for it in other areas where possible.

1. We do not offer Amalgam (Silver) Fillings.

From the day that Aloe Vera Dental Studio began, we made the conscious decision to only offer white fillings. This wasn't done just because they look nicer, Amalgam fillings contain mercury which really isn't good for us or the environment. Our Principle dentist Mozhgan felt that it wouldn't be right to offer a treatment that she doesn't particularly agree with, and we are so pleased that she made that decision!

2. Digital X-rays

This is something else that has been used since Aloe Vera Dental Studio opened. By using digital x-rays the amount of radiation sent up to the universe is reduced by 90%. It also avoids the use of toxic processing chemicals and lead foils.

3. Trying to be more 'Paperless'

This one is still very much a working progress! But we are starting off by printing the bare minimum. A way that our patients could really help us out with this one, would be to provide us with a contact email address (we promise we won't spam you with marketing information unless you really want us to!). This way appointment reminders can be emailed rather than posted.

4. Autoclavable metal trays

We have stopped using single use plastic trays, and instead we are using metal trays that are sterilised after every use. This in turn has reduced our waste a great deal.

5. Reusable Water bottles

Our staff are encouraged and continue to use reusable water bottles here at the practice. This one hasn't gone unnoticed either...We receive lots of comments on our bottles, particularly at the front desk. This was such an easy change to implement.

6. Refillable packs

We always order the refillable packs of disinfection wipes instead of ordering the whole plastic tub. This has continued to reduce the amount of plastic waste that we produce at the practice for a long period of time now.

7. Paper Straws

This may seem like a strange one for a dental practice, but during long dental treatments, we will often take a five minute break, and offer our patient a drink of water to stay hydrated. When your mouth is super numb from the injections, drinking from a cup can be very difficult so using a straw can help! Like many companies have done, we have stopped buying plastic straws and switched to paper straws.

8. Floss Picks = Temporary

We have started advising our patients to try and switch to floss. Although floss picks are a great way to start off and to get into the habit of inter-dental cleaning, they produce so much waste plastic and should only be used temporarily.

9. Recycle/Reuse cardboard boxes

Any deliveries we receive at the practice, tends to be in a cardboard box. We re-use these cardboard boxes where possible and anything that can not be used, we recycle.

10. Bamboo Inter-dental brushes

We are currently in the process of switching over to bamboo, biodegradable inter-dental brushes. We have used Tepe brushes for such a long time and this switch has been so refreshing! Inter-dental brushes are key to maintaining good oral hygiene, however they produce so much waste plastic. When we saw Piksters being introduced we just knew instantly that we needed them at the practice.

They have a sustainably grown bamboo handle, 100% recycled biodegradable packaging and are naturally anti-microbial. We also advise that if you take good care of your inter-dental brushes, they can be used more than once, and do not need to be discarded after one use.

Have you made changes that have worked really well at home or for your business? Perhaps you have a suggestion to help us improve? We would love to hear from you, so please leave us a message in the comments below, we would really appreciate your support!

'We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our children'

Get Summer Ready!

Confidence is beautiful

Summer is upon us and there’s no better time to give our confidence a boost so that we look and feel great all summer long.

Tip #1

Don’t damage your skin by using sunbeds and by laying in the sun all day. It ages us, gives us wrinkles and can also cause serious skin problems such as Skin Cancer. Its great to be outdoors, but use SPF!

If you really want a golden glow, try using some fake tan, or get a professional spray tan.

We recommend trying the new Isle of Paradise range of tanning lotions. Its vegan friendly, smells great, and gives a beautiful looking tan. (Remember to use a mitt!)

Tip #2

Take extra care of your face. Using SPF 50 on your face all year round will provide you with protection against harmful UV Rays and will therefore help fight off signs of ageing!

Environ have some great skin care products, each product designed to suit different skin types and needs. As a registered stockist of Environ, Dr Setoodeh can discuss suitable products and can order them in accordingly.

We recommend using La Roche Posay 50+ Anthelios XL on your face everyday.

Tip #3

Brighten your smile. With a simple whitening treatment your teeth will look brighter, whiter and more youthful.

Here at Aloe Vera Dental Studio, we offer two types of whitening treatments;

Zoom! In Chair Whitening

· Produces Instant Results

· Done in the surgery by the dentist

· Home Kit Included

£500

Home Kit

· Done over 10-14 Nights

· Done in the comfort of your own home

· Contains 4 Syringes of solution & custom made whitening trays

£300

Keep your gums healthy, and your teeth looking fresh by having regular Dental Hygiene appointments.

Our Dental Hygienist costs just £49.00 for a 30 minute session

What can be done if I am already showing signs of ageing, or have sun damaged skin?

We offer a variety of anti-ageing treatments, that can reduce wrinkles and fine lines, reduce deep lines and give fresh glowing skin.

Azzalure Botox Injections

These tiny injections work well reducing frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines etc.

It is recommended that you have them every 3 months for at least your first year however Dr Setoodeh can discuss this with you in your consultation.

Excess sweating? Did you know that Azzalure botox injections can be given underarm to drastically reduce sweating. 

Speak to a member of our team to find out more.

01245 357735

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