Issue 11 Summer 2015
5 Reasons to Wear a Mouthguard
Imagine what it would be like if you suddenly lost one or two of your front teeth. Smiling, talking, eating - everything would suddenly be affected.
Mouthguards, help cushion a blow to the face, minimizing the risk of broken teeth and injuries to your lips, tongue, face or jaw. They typically cover the upper teeth and are a great way to protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining. Knowing how to prevent injuries like these is especially important if you participate in organized sports or other recreational activitiesWhen it comes to protecting your mouth, a mouthguard is an essential piece of athletic gear that should be part of your standard equipment from an early age. In fact, studies show that athletes are 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth if they’re not wearing a mouthguard. While collision and contact sports, such as boxing, are higher-risk sports for the mouth, you can experience a dental injury in non-contact activities too, such as gymnastics and skating.
The best mouthguard is one that has been custom made for your mouth by your dentist. However, if you can’t afford a custom-fitted mouthguard, you should still wear a stock mouthguard or a boil-and-bite mouthguard. If you wear braces or another fixed dental appliance on your lower jaw, your dentist may suggest a mouthguard for these teeth as well. A properly fitted mouthguard may be especially important for people who wear braces or have fixed bridge work. A blow to the face could damage the brackets or other fixed orthodontic appliances. A mouthguard also provides a barrier between the braces and your cheek or lips, limiting the risk of soft tissue injuries. If you have a retainer or other removable appliance, do not wear it during any contact sports. Talk to your dentist about selecting a mouthguard that will provide the best protection. There are three types of mouthguards:
|
Some tips for caring for your mouthguard:
|
Electrolyte Drinks vs Sports Drinks
 |
Sports pre training has begun and each year we see an ever increasing rate of decay in our kids, teenagers and students. We rely on so called “sports drinks” to energise and rehydrate without realising the long term damage to development, teeth and system health. As Lance Armstrong said, if you are not racing or training for more than one hour, there is no need for sports replenishment drinks. Good old fashioned water and a healthy diet is all that is required. But on a hot day you may need to replace your electrolytes as well as fluid . New generation Electrolyte drinks which are free from sugar , caffeine and have a high PH do on the other hand help with recovery and hydration and maybe this is the direction parents should be heading. |
Welcome Back everyone after the holiday season.After all the Christmas celebrations and summer time treats your teeth may be in need of a little TLC. Treat yourselves to a New Year Clean & Polish or even a teeth Whitening treatment.
Either call us on 478 7442 or use our online booking service 
to schedule a time with Claire Henderson or Sheena McPhail (who has taken over from Claire Schumacher)
Congratulations Mike!
Dr Michael Black has recently been elected president of NZDOS (New Zealand Dentists’ Orthodontic Society).
The Society was created to support dentists that provide orthodontic treatment for their patients. All members are dentists who want to educate both the public and other dental practitioners on the advantages of the more modern treatments that are available and that orthodontic treatment commonly should be started at a much younger age than the traditional “teenage” treatments. The Society believes in early assessment and treatment so that any causing factors can be removed so that normal growth occurs. The result of this is less complicated treatment that is usually quicker and therefore less expensive. Most like to see the patients at about 8 years of age, but it can be even sooner. With early detection of problems it is unusual that adult teeth will need to be extracted or that jaw surgery will be necessary. These techniques have been used for many years, and are well accepted throughout the world. For more information on benefits of early treatment go to http://www.northshoredental.co.nz/Orthodontics.html
|
MY JOURNEY TO A BEAUTIFUL SMILE“ My name is Jessica Tyson and welcome to my journey with braces. I’m 21 years old, from a small town named Whanganui and I moved to Auckland to study. I am happy to say I recently graduated AUT University with a Bachelor of Communication Studies majoring in journalism. With my degree I would like to become a news reporter which is part of the reason I decided to get braces. Before I had braces I felt uncomfortable on camera because my teeth were not straight. With a career in television I think it’s important for me to feel as comfortable as possible. I’m so excited to have straight teeth to give me that extra confidence on camera.
Another reason I decided to get braces is because I’d like to enter Miss World New Zealand in 2016. I began doing pageants when I was 15 years old. Pageants have taken me around the world, after winning Miss Teen World Supermodel 2009 in Australia. Since winning an international teen pageant I have always had a dream to become Miss New Zealand and represent our country again. I’m so thankful for the help I am receiving from North Shore Dental. I’m happy that when I enter my next pageant I won’t feel camera shy because my smile will have the x-factor quality!” The biggest compliment you can pay is to recommend us to others.Refer your FRIENDS and FAMILY or post a review on our Facebook page |
