The Benefit of Milk

The second part of The Truth About Teeth was aired last night on the BBC.

It was great to see my old professor for University, Ian Chapple, on the big screen. A leading expert in the field of gum disease. Even now, it still shocks me when I see the devasting effects of gum disease on peoples lives and the risks to the rest of our health.

We take a special interest in this area and are happy to help those who need advice and treatment for their gums.

Diet played a big role in last night’s show. Even though they highlighted the sugars in milk, it was it a bit over the top!! Milk does contain sugars, but dental professionals class them as “natural sugars”, just like the sugars present inside the fruit we eat. They are less harmful compared to refined sugars found in sweets, chocolates, biscuits etc.

Having a balanced diet is the key factor here. Keep the frequency (i.e. how often in the day) and quantity of sugary or acidic products in our diet as low as possible. Avoid these types of food and drink before bed time too. Read more about this at the British Dental Health Foundation website.

And tooth grinding? Such a big problem these days. We spend a lot of time counselling our patients about this problem. Mouth guards are one way of managing the problem. Many patients are finding help through clincial hypnotherapy too. Contact us for more information.