Sometimes being a grandparent can be a delicate juggling act – we all want to guide our grandchildren in the right direction, but don’t want to come across as being too bossy.

This issue can be particularly relevant when it comes to certain triggers such as bedtime and teeth brushing. Of course it’s important that you encourage youngsters to brush their teeth properly, but equally you don’t want your bathroom turned into a battle-ground twice a day!

Luckily, there are a number of excellent resources available which are specifically designed to make brushing fun for children of all ages. We’ve compiled a list of top tips and gadgets that help make brushing ‘cool’ as well as helping you to keep your cool when you’re left in charge!

Babies and toddlers

Chewable Toothbrush and Teether

Dental care can begin from a very early age – even before teeth are visible. This chewable toothbrush and teether from Brush-Baby helps to clean teeth with or without toothpaste, and also helps to sooth painful gums.

Young children

Toothbrushes

There are a vast array of manual and electric toothbrushes designed especially for small mouths and hands. From brightly coloured brushes decorated with cartoon characters, to handles moulded into a myriad of shapes – buying a brush that your little angel will want to use is half the battle!

Timing devices

Two minutes can seem like a long time to little people so using an inexpensive egg-timer type device is a great way of making sure enough time is spent brushing.

Some battery powered toothbrushes have built in flashing timers specifically designed to remind children that they should brush for two minutes.

Mobile apps

The Disney Timer app from Oral B is a fun way of getting youngsters excited about brushing, with the help of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars characters.

Educational fun

A Wild Smile is an initiative from registered charity Heart Your Smile designed to ‘promote and protect oral health using fun and accessible animal themed resources.’

Big brands

Global toothpaste brands Colgate and Aquafresh both have a number of resources on their websites, but be aware – they’re very American in style!

Tweenies

Mobile apps

Philips Sonicare has launched the Brush Buster app designed to make brushing a satisfactory mission for slightly older children – this short film provides more details.

Young adults

Brush DJ

Brush DJ is a free app specifically designed to make brushing fun for older children. Available on Google play and iTunes, Brush DJ randomly selects music from the user’s mobile device and plays it for two minutes – the perfect length of time for a thorough teeth cleaning session. The dentist designed app also provides lots of useful advice and includes a reminder function for dentist and hygienist appointments.

A word of advice

Illume owner dentist Tim Rumney, “Thorough brushing for two minutes, twice a day, is the best way of preventing dental decay.

“Anything which helps children to understand the length of time they need to brush for is great, but using a quality brush is vital. We recommend parents and grandparents stick with reputable brands and use fluoride toothbrush for the best results.”

Illume membership for children

Illume offers membership  for children to spread the cost of regular dental care. Membership for children aged 0-18 includes Healthy Mouth Reviews, and Hygiene Support Visits at intervals prescribed by our dentists and a number of other benefits - all from just £8.80 per month.

Please contact us to find out how you can help give your grandchild the gift of great oral health.

*Please note Illume has not independently tested any of the items or resources referred to in the article above and cannot be held responsible for their accessibility or performance.

As promised, here are Tim Rumney’s thoughts following the second episode of The Truth About Your Teeth, shown on BBC One last week….

Having watched the first episode with some degree of apprehension about what the show might reveal in the name of ‘educational’ television, I was actually more impressed with part two as it was less sensationalist.

The introduction from lead dentist Serpil Djemal again reiterated the fact that ‘dentistry isn’t just about fixing teeth – it’s about changing people’s smiles and boosting their confidence. Good dental work can have a massive impact on people for the rest of their lives and that’s why we do it.’ This is certainly the ethos we have here at Illume in Cheltenham.

Phobia of dentists

According to the show, fear of the dentist ranks more highly than heights, spiders or visiting a GP, but there’s really no need to be scared! Dentistry has advanced so much in recent years that treatment should be pain-free.

Most phobias develop in our formative years so making sure children have a positive experience of visiting the dentist can have a significant impact on their future dental health.

The show advised the following tips to help calm nerves:
•    Don’t arrive too early for your appointment – the less time you wait, the less time you have to worry
•    Tell your dentist if you are nervous – he can’t help if he doesn’t know how you are feeling
•    Bring an iPod to distract you during your dental care
•    Arrange your appointments early in the day – that way you don’t have the whole day to worry

At Illume we make sure we take the time to listen to any concerns our clients may have and we do everything we can to make sure their visit is a pleasant experience.

Eating habits

Most people know the dangers associated with too much sugar intake, but did you know that it’s not only what you eat, but when you eat it that can affect your oral health? The programme carried out a study to identify if eating the same foods, but at different times throughout the day, would make a difference to the bacteria levels in the participants’ mouths and the answer was a resounding yes!

Regular snacking is far more harmful than eating a dessert following a meal as it allows acid, which damages the tooth enamel, to build up more frequently throughout the day.

Hidden sugar

It’s widely recognised that eating too many sugary foods is not good for your teeth, but not everyone is aware of the dangers of hidden sugars lurking in foods where you just might not expect them, such as milk! One young girl featured in part two had to undergo multiple extraction of decaying milk teeth (ironic!) caused by falling asleep with a bottle of milk in her mouth.

Yes, milk contains calcium which is good for growing teeth and bones, but its sugar content can be harmful if it remains in contact with the surface of the tooth for too long.

The importance of effective brushing

Presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken stressed the importance of brushing for two minutes, twice a day and showed viewers the best technique to make sure nothing gets missed ie cleaning from one side of the mouth to the other spending 30 seconds on each quartile.

However, what the show didn’t highlight was the importance of brushing between teeth. Obviously it’s important to clean the surface of the teeth and gums properly, and using an interdental brush and flossing makes a huge difference to the amount of bacteria that builds up in mouths causing plaque and decay.

This short film from TePe shows how to clean between teeth using interdental brushes.

When to brush

Everyone should brush their teeth before going to bed to remove any bacteria and plaque that has built up during the day, but did you know that brushing too soon after you’ve eaten can actually be harmful to the enamel on your teeth? Brushing as soon as you’ve eaten actually intensifies the damage acid from food and drink can do so it’s always best to wait for an hour before brushing.

In the meantime, if you want to freshen up your mouth eating a fibrous vegetable such as a stick of celery helps, and so does drinking water and eating cheese – both of which help to neutralise acids found in foods.

Is proper brushing the secret to a longer life?

Well it certainly won’t have a negative effect on your life expectancy that’s for sure! Dr Van Tulleken took part in a clinical trial organised by leading gum disease specialist, Professor Ian Chapple, which proved that bacteria quickly builds up in the mouths of people that don’t brush their teeth regularly or thoroughly.

This bacteria not only causes bad breath and the first stages of gum disease, but it also puts more pressure on all of the body’s vital organs, including the heart, as well as the brain and blood vessels.

Grinding

The show also featured Joe, a 22 year old man from Uxbridge, who had unusually small teeth. This was caused by a combination of a love of fizzy drinks and tooth grinding - a subconscious habit called bruxism.

Joe ground his teeth away to such an extent that he was having issues eating. Dentist Sirple rebuilt the teeth using tooth coloured resin and recommended he use a mouth guard to prevent against further grinding at night.

It is thought that up to 10% of the UK population are ‘tooth grinders’ – or bruxists. My colleague, Adrian Jones, is experienced in the use of Occlusal Guards which can be extremely useful in helping to protect teeth from the effects of bruxism - as this case study explains in a little more detail.

Top tips for great oral health

1.    Brush for two minutes, twice a day using a small amount of fluoride toothpaste
2.    Don’t rinse your mouth, just spit out excess toothpaste
3.    Clean between teeth using floss and interdental brushes
4.    Don’t brush immediately after eating – wait for an hour
5.    Beware of hidden sugars
6.    Little and often is not good when it comes to food and drinks – it’s far better for your teeth to eat three meals than it is to have regular snacks throughout the day
7.    Water, fibrous vegetables and cheese can all help to neutralise harmful acids
8.    Introduce children to visiting the dental team as early as possible to ensure they have a positive experience
9.    Visit your dentist and hygienist regularly at intervals recommended by your dentist

If you missed episode two it is available to watch on the BBC iPlayer until 14th July 2015.

Last night’s BBC One programme promised to reveal ‘The Truth About Your Teeth’ and whilst, as expected, the show mainly focussed on extreme cases of dental neglect, it did serve to highlight the life transforming potential of effective treatment.

Illume practice owner, dentist Tim Rumney, watched the programme with interest and made the following comments:

My overall impression was that the show provided quite a sensationalist and simplistic overview of the state of the UK population’s teeth. The coverage of each treatment was rather shallow and didn’t provide any insight into what goes on behind the scenes in terms of planning and preparation to explain the costs involved in some of these treatments – particularly the lady who invested her life savings in dental implants.

However, what the show did convey was the positive impact that the decision to engage with dental professionals can have. All of the people that the show focussed on experienced a significant boost in self-confidence when their issues had been dealt with. We regularly see this at Illume and a number of our clients, including young professional Caroline Baker, have recently been filmed saying just that!

The show covered a number of treatments and services that we offer here at Illume – please read on to find out more and feel free to contact our team if you would like to discuss any of these issues in more detail.

Teeth whitening
There is no independent research available on the effectiveness of over-the-counter teeth whitening treatments. With the help of some willing volunteers the show tested various products and the outcome was the same for all of them – the maximum difference measured was just 0.5 shades of whiteness which isn’t even visible to the human eye. At best these treatments are ineffective and at worst could be damaging to teeth and gum tissues.

This is because EU regulations control the amount of chemicals used in these preparations. The professional tooth whitening service offered by dental practices such as Illume is far more effective because dentists are allowed to use stronger solutions. But it’s not only solution strength – a number of other factors should also be taken into consideration before teeth whitening takes place which is why it is now illegal for anyone other than a qualified dental professional to offer this service.

Are drills really soon to be a thing of the past?
Presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken stated that dental drills may soon become a thing of the past due to Peptide Drops. This product is designed to help re-mineralise enamel, enabling it to re-grow therefore eliminating the need for drilling and filling.

This is not widely available yet and won’t rebuild entire teeth as implied but help to reverse early and small cavities. At Illume we sometimes recommend re-mineralising compounds which are rich in phosphate and calcium to help re-balance the surface of the tooth and therefore hopefully avoid the need for a filling, but this relies on early identification of a possible cavity as well as a willing client. This is not a chairside treatment – the compound must be used every day as part of the client’s regular oral healthcare routine.

Unfortunately there is no ‘magic wand’ to treat decay.

Prevention is key
From our perspective as dental professionals, the key message from last night’s programme is that prevention is far better than cure.

The majority of dental decay is entirely preventable and the examples shown in the programme are at the extreme end of the decay scale.

As the presenter stated, brushing for two minutes, twice a day with a manual or electric toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, is key. However, the programme didn’t highlight the importance of cleaning between teeth to ensure all traces of disease causing bacteria are removed, vital for preventing both decay and gum disease.

Diet and lifestyle were also touched upon, but changing attitudes through education plays an important part in prevention. We like to assume that everyone knows the importance of brushing twice a day, but perhaps that message is not getting through as well as dental professionals would like.

UK dental care
The UK benefits from some of the best dentistry in the World. From basic entry level care provided by the NHS, to the most sophisticated treatments - there is a huge variety of support available, but it does rely on patient engagement.

At Illume, we don’t see cases such as those highlighted last night among our regular clients; they have already made the decision to look after their teeth visiting us regularly for a Healthy Mouth Review. The programme stated that even just an annual visit to the dentist can reduce the chances of tooth decay by up to 60% - couple this with a robust oral healthcare routine at home and regular Hygiene Support Visits, and this is the most effective way of preventing more serious dental issues.

However, we do see New Clients with complex dental challenges and have a broad skill base amongst our experienced clinicians to provide excellent outcomes for these clients.  The implication that all British people have poor teeth is wrong. Some do, but many are prepared to invest in high quality dentistry comparable with the best anywhere in the World. As a private practice, cost can sometimes be seen as a barrier to treatment. From our professional perspective, investing in a quality service makes an enormous difference to our clients’ lives. And for more complex treatments, there are finance options available to make them affordable to more people.

Significant advances in technology, coupled with strict cross-infection control measures mean dental treatment at high quality practices like Illume is extremely safe, effective and pain-free.

Next week
Part one of The Truth About Your Teeth can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer until 4th July – we’ll be watching next week’s episode with interest to see if they cover other vital areas of dental care such as the impact of gum disease and related health conditions.

We’ll let you know what we think next week!