By Peter Saner, Clinical Director.

It’s no surprise that lots of our patients are well advanced in years. We love older people. Although we treat everyone as an individual, in general the longer you’ve been around the more stories you have to tell and the more complicated your dental history has been. Many of our patients have experienced all the highs and lows of dental care in the UK over the last 70, 80, 90 plus years along with the dietary changes that have happened over that time. Fluoride toothpaste was developed in the 1950s but became widely used in the UK in the first half of the 1970s. This has possibly had the biggest significant effect in reducing dental decay, but the last 50 years has also seen a huge rise in the intake of sugar in the diet which has somewhat offset the benefits that should have been seen with the power of fluoride to reduce decay.

So, the upshot of all this is that lots of us have lots of fillings, crowns, gaps where teeth were removed and yet we still have lots of life left in us. We want to eat our food – whatever we want – and smile – without putting our hand over our mouth. We don’t want pain or sensitivity and we want to enjoy all this like we did when we were in our 30’s – which is basically where we are in our heads anyway.

The good news is that dentistry has advanced massively in the last 50 years and keeps on doing so. We are passionate about keeping teeth and have the technology to mean in many cases we can restore what’s been damaged, plus with implants we can now replace teeth which have been lost or maybe were lost a long time ago to restore the bite or the smile so you can go on with being 30 again.

Maybe you’ve been worried about your mouth and what it will need to get it fixed. Can I encourage you to come and find out. Then we can put your mind at rest and talk you through the reality rather than the fears. A new patient consultation at Ferring Dental Practice costs just £85 and nothing else. We’ll take x-rays and photographs and explain what’s happening. You can tell us what you want, and we can make a plan.

Of course, the most important thing is to avoid dental disease in the first place, so we practice preventive dentistry and hence our subscription membership. This gives you as many check-ups as you need to catch things early on and to support you in your goals to keep your teeth, along with regular hygiene visits to re-set your teeth and gums to be the best they can be. Membership also gives massive discounts on treatments for those teeth that need it and covers emergency visits for when problems arise. We are reaching our capacity with members so don’t delay if you’ve been thinking of joining. We would love to have you. Give us a call on 01903 246858 or book online at www.ferringdental.co.uk.