Sunday 20 October 2013

What to do about lisps?


A lisp is a lay term that describes the way a child mispronounces words. Typically it refers to the s sound being produced like a th sound. 
If your child has a lisp and he is only 6, then don't worry at this stage. This happens with many children and most will outgrow it by 7 years of age with no intervention at all. If your child is 7 and still has a lisp then you might consider getting some advice from a speech therapist.
Tips that I can recommend in the meantime would be:
  • Try not to talk about the lisp too much, as this can affect his self esteem.
  • Make sure they can breathe properly through their noses and not breathing through their mouths, this will allow the tongue to lie flat and not protrude out.
  • Keep your child's fingers out of his mouth as much as possible, since thumb-sucking can contribute to a lisp. This is not an easy task, but any distraction might help!
  • Pop a straw in his drinks; since you're using your lips instead of putting pressure on your teeth, this kind of sucking motion promotes good oral-motor strength, which is so important in language development.
  • Have your child blow into something with a small round mouthpiece. This is a good exercise because the effort needed to make a solid sound also strengthens the lips and cheek muscles, and tends to push the tongue back in. Blowing bubbles is another option.
  • Have your child look in a mirror and practice putting his teeth together while he makes an s sound. This exercise can help him remember to keep his tongue behind his teeth. 

Friday 11 October 2013


School visit

Laraine  ( hygienist at our practice) and myself went to the Village prep girl’s school in NW London today, to give a dental talk. There were three classes, aged from 3 up to 6 years of age. 
The girls were ultra cute and sat very quietly whilst they listened to us talk about what we did at the dental practice, explained about what causes holes, gum disease, the effect of sugar on teeth and how to brush teeth. We had a big demonstration model and toothbrush, seen below, and the girls enjoyed practising brushing on this.
At the end of our talk we had a quiz about what they had learned and they did really well. We also showed them some gruesome pictures of what could happen to them if they didn’t brush their teeth properly and look after their teeth and gums- that seem to get their attention!!
My favourite answer today from one of the younger ones to the question of “How many teeth do children have?” was 40!!!


Monday 7 October 2013


Why are baby (primary) teeth are so important
Primary teeth are necessary for your child’s ability to chew and speak, and they save space for future permanent teeth. A baby tooth remains in your child’s mouth until a permanent tooth underneath it is ready to emerge through the gums. The roots of the baby tooth dissolves and it becomes loose and falls out. Later, you’ll see the permanent tooth poke through the gum. Occasionally, a baby tooth comes out too early due to decay or trauma. In this case a space maintainer can be fitted by a dentist. This takes the place of the baby tooth until the permanent tooth is ready to emerge. If teeth on either side of the open space encroach upon the empty space, there may not be room for the permanent tooth, causing a knock-on effect for this tooth and adjacent teeth.


Thursday 3 October 2013


Shark Teeth...

Parents worry when they look in their child's mouth and see a permanent tooth growing behind the baby one, as the baby tooth usually becomes loose, falls out and then the permanent one starts growing in its place. Permanent teeth growing behind baby teeth are not an emergency! 

The norm is for the permanent teeth to push up and the roots of the baby teeth dissolve, causing the baby tooth to fall out. The permanent teeth then have space to erupt.  Sometimes, the baby teeth don't want to leave the mouth, and the permanent teeth come in right behind them.  This condition is technically known as lingually erupting mandibular incisors or shark teeth. There are a few ideas as to why shark teeth occur.  

Some dentists believe that this occurs because the roots of the baby teeth don't dissolve like they normally should and because of this the permanent teeth have nowhere else to go and  come into the mouth where there is the least amount of resistance. Others believe that the permanent teeth start growing behind the baby teeth because there is too much crowding in the lower jaw. Another theory is that the permanent teeth develop behind the baby teeth because they just didn't make it as far forward as they should have. All three are possible explanations and any of them might be true for a specific individual.

If your child's shark teeth fail to resolve on their own within a couple of weeks, ask your dentist to take a look. Removing the baby teeth usually resolves the problem.



Wednesday 2 October 2013

My Professional Bio...
I have been a dental practitioner for 20 years. After graduating from Leeds Dental School in 1993, my first job was as a house officer at Leeds Dental Hospital and this involved A&E and routine dentistry. After that I moved to King’s College Hospital as a senior house officer.  I specialised in wisdom teeth removal and assisted in maxillofacial surgery. I then started at a mixed NHS/ private practice and built up a dental list of over 2000 patients in a 15-year period. 
After I had my children I returned in a part-time capacity to a dental practice in Finchley and from there I moved to Harley Street and have never looked back.  
My training includes a 5-year postgraduate course in restorative dentistry, clear orthodontic  braces, facial rejuvenation and a 1-year course in cosmetic dentistry to date.