The Truth About... s01e05 Episode Script

There's something rotten in the state of Britain's teeth.
Today, millions of people are living with tooth decay, gum disease, broken teeth and bad breath.
And for some people, the problem has got out of control.
We want to do something about it.
So we've set up our own special clinic in one the busiest dental hospitals in the UK, King's College Hospital in London.
Over the next six months, our team of top consultants and dental specialists will help to fix Britain's teeth.
I'm Jasmine Harman and tonight I'll be meeting the people whose problems with their teeth are ruining their lives.
From the mum who's taken dentistry into her own hands I use glue on the top of the tooth, and then I put it back in place until the glue is set.
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to a young dad who's been rotting his teeth away.
I used to drink 24 cans every shift.
JASMINE GASPS I'm Dr Chris Van Tulleken.
And from our clinic, I'll be investigating how the latest scientific discoveries can change the way we all look after our teeth.
Tonight, I'll reveal how teeth affect the way you're judged Do you think she's somebody who looks after herself? No.
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how to cure bad breath Brilliant! .
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and I'll investigate if tooth-whitening kits are a waste of money.
At last! I look like the lady on the box.
EVERYONE CHEERS AND CLAPS Everyone who comes into our clinic will have their smile transformed.
Oh, let's see Ah! Amazing.
This is the show that will fix your teeth and change your life.
I'm going to cry again.
Oh Thank you.
Is that OK? This is the truth about your teeth.
Today, we've opened the doors to our clinic for the very first time.
Welcome to King's College Hospital.
Sit back in the chair, just relax.
Is this patient new as well? Yep.
Our clinic will be run by one of the UK's leading dentists, Dr Serpil Djemal, consultant and clinical lead at King's College Hospital.
He's got the patient in the chair? Yeah, no problem.
Serpil has spent much of her life devoted to fixing the nation's teeth, one mouth at a time.
OK, I'm just going to have a little peep inside your mouth.
Just needs a bit of air, like that, OK? How are we doing? She'll be in charge of giving all of our patients back their smiles.
It isn't just about the mechanics of dentistry, it's about changing people's smiles and boosting their confidence.
How good does that look? That's what it's all about.
Actually helping people live happier lives.
Before we meet our first patient, I want to show you why teeth are so important.
Recent research shows that your teeth can affect your quality of life in ways you could never imagine.
To show you how, I've come to a graphics house to begin an experiment.
What we're going to do is we're going to take an image of someone's face and we're going to create three different pictures and the thing we're going to change is the teeth.
Then we're going to take these three pictures and ask people what they think about this person.
Are they in a relationship? Do they have a good job? Are they educated? Are they smart? We want to find out how the teeth affect the way that person is judged.
We don't want people to think, "Oh, that's Jasmine off the telly," as it will affect their opinion.
So we've made a few tweaks to her face.
I'm going to start with a picture of Jasmine with her good teeth and a question about her education.
Let's have a look.
Hello, lads.
Hi.
Have a good look at the girl's face.
Mm, nice.
That's the picture we're showing.
Do you reckon she's been to university? Yes.
Do you think this person's been to university? Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah.
Definitely.
Now, I'm not interested in whether people think she's attractive or not.
I'm only interested in judgments on her personality, something you might think would have nothing to do with her teeth.
Yeah, she's all right.
How friendly does she appear on a scale of one to five? Oh, five.
Five? How friendly does she appear on a scale of one to five? A four.
Yeah, she's very friendly.
Very friendly? Now it's the same questions, but different teeth.
How friendly does this person appear on a scale of one to five? I'd say two.
Two? Not very two.
Not very? How friendly does that person appear? About a three.
She doesn't appear very friendly to me.
Do you think she's someone who looks after herself? No.
No.
I'm being hard.
Very hard! I tell you what, the girls are much more honest.
Sorry! Much more honest than the boys.
I've done this experiment on anyone and everyone.
Nearly everyone I spoke to thought Jasmine with bad teeth was less friendly, less educated and less likely to be in a successful relationship.
So, if you think that having bad teeth is no big deal, well, think again because, as wrong as it may be, we all of us judge others by their appearance.
Five million people in the UK haven't been to the dentist in the last ten years.
It's these kinds of people we're desperate to get into our clinic.
Our first patient is one of them.
I'm here at Euston Station to meet Angela off the train.
She's travelling down for her first appointment, so I imagine she's going to be pretty nervous.
To be honest, I'm conscious that I've been incredibly lucky with my own teeth.
I've had them whitened in the past and I really look after them.
I just hope Angela won't feel that I'll be judging her in any way.
Hey, there's Jasmine.
Hello! How are you? 'I don't want anything to get in the way of her getting the right treatment.
'Angela's been so reluctant to see a dentist, 'it's taken months of negotiation to get her to our clinic.
' For you to even be here is amazing.
Oh, yeah.
You know? And I feel good about that.
I feel proud of myself.
Hi.
Hi, Jasmine.
Are you Angela? I'm Angela.
Hi, nice to meet you.
This will be the first time Angela's let a dentist see in her mouth for a decade.
All we're doing is I'm just lining you up with the lights that we've got here, OK? Perfect.
Serpil and her team go to work to find out as much as they can.
Angela's been keeping a secret she's been ashamed to share with anyone.
Do you want to tell me what problems you're having with your teeth? Erm I've got a few with holes in and I have one at the front that has fallen out.
How did you get it back in? I'm afraid I've been gluing it back in.
How have you been doing that? Just when it comes, it comes out, I just put a little bit of glue and try and hold it in place to keep it So I don't have a gap in my teeth.
It's probably one of the worst cases that I've seen and certainly one of the worst cases of desperation, to superglue a tooth back in the mouth.
Open for me.
So, just going to have a little peep around Four occusal amalgam.
Three retained root.
Angela's front teeth are coated in a thick layer of plaque and superglue.
It's a result of years of desperation that go as far back as her childhood.
I've always been scared of the dentist, because my mum died at 34 from throat cancer.
Right, two grade two.
She had a tooth out and that's how they found she had cancer.
Three grade one.
I was nine and that fear is in the back of my mind.
You just get your mind set and you just think, you don't go, you don't make that phone call.
Try and relax.
All right, my lovely? Yep.
I feel better for just .
.
you know, opening my mouth to you.
I really do.
Angela has been in our clinic for nearly two hours Only now can Serpil decide whether her teeth can be saved.
I'm not looking forward to having this conversation.
She knows she's got a problem with her teeth.
And what I'm going to tell her is just going to confirm her worst fears and it's going to, you know, devastate her, I think.
Unfortunately, in the top jaw, you've lost nearly 90% of the bone supporting your teeth.
The bad news is that we're looking at losing all of the top teeth Yep.
.
.
and I would say quite a few of the bottom teeth.
I'm upset because I know I've got to lose the teeth.
Yeah.
But, I had a feeling about that all the way along.
Are you all right? Ah Just ready to go home.
Are you? Yeah.
What happened? It's not good.
I've got to have them all out.
It's a very emotional thing to be told that you're going to lose your teeth.
Because they're part of you.
And it's, like, almost like a loss, isn't it? Yeah, yeah.
My My mum said, "It's like a bereavement," when she lost her teeth.
She felt so upset because it was a part of her that was gone.
Angela is not only upset about losing her teeth.
Serpil's only option is to replace them with removable dentures.
I just get this impression of, like, you see old men, you know, gurning.
Yeah.
It's like, well, I don't I just don't want to be out and smile and then they drop out.
Or something like that, you know? My mum has had dentures.
And that is how her teeth look now.
And she can smile with total confidence.
I think I just need to go home and think about it I'm just gutted for Angie because, to be told at the age of 48, that you've got to lose all of your top teeth is devastating for her.
I mean, it's going to be pretty difficult for anyone to deal with.
So, I think the best thing now is for her to just take a bit of time to let the news sink in.
Hello, there.
How are we doing? While Serpil and Jasmine are with our patients at the clinic, I'm off shopping.
In the UK, we spend ã800 million a year on a staggering array of teeth-cleaning products that make all sorts of promises.
But which ones work? Have a look at this We've got Deep Clean Whitening, Cavity Protection, Advanced Clean, Advanced Freshening, Max White One.
That's kids'.
That is one brand and I think it's at 16.
We've got nine Sensodynes.
There's a whole row of Aquafreshes.
I mean, how could you ever decide which one of these you wanted? We see this in the mouthwashes.
We see it in all the different picks, the wide, wide range of toothbrushes.
How would you ever pick a brush? There are thousands of products on the market just for our teeth and my guilty secret is I buy most of them! Right, I want to show you something.
This is my bathroom and this is my bathroom cabinet.
And I'm embarrassed about this.
I think a bathroom cabinet is a real window into someone's mind, maybe even into their soul.
Look at this 'I've worked it out.
'And I spend well over ã100 a year on this stuff.
' Honestly, I haven't set this up.
I've got five different toothbrushes and my wife's electric toothbrush here.
And look at this I've even got an air pick.
I've been wondering if I really need all these products.
I'm a research scientist, so I'm going to do my own investigation.
What's the stuff about the levels of fluoride used? And what about the mouthwashes? What do you reckon about the quality of the evidence? I've spoken to the British Dental Association.
I've spoken to the dentists that we work with, the experts, and I've read myself the scientific papers that cover the evidence about how to look after your teeth.
And here's my summary If you have a good manual toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste and you brush for two minutes, twice a day, effectively, getting to the back of your mouth, doing every surface of every tooth and your gums, that's what's needed.
All the other stuff that I've got in that cupboard, it's not that we think it doesn't work, it's that we don't know that it does work.
And if it does work, it probably doesn't add a massive benefit.
The thing to do with that two minutes is brush your teeth with a manual toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste.
That's all.
Everyone happy? Yes? Any problems, let me know.
OK.
All right? Yeah, sure.
Otherwise, let's go.
OK.
See you later.
Back in our clinic, Serpil and her team are in full swing.
I'm just looking at the gum at the moment.
Mm.
Bite together for me.
Now, dentistry costs the NHS ã3.
5 billion a year.
And a big chunk of that ã3.
5 billion is spent on tooth decay, which is, of course, really easily preventable.
If we can get a scan done today, could you come back at two o'clock to start having some treatment? Yeah.
Yeah? If you see your dentist just once a year X-ray.
.
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you can reduce your chance of tooth decay by 60%.
But our next patient hasn't been to the dentist for years.
Hello.
Hiya! How are you guys? Jasmine has gone to Aylesbury to meet young dad, Richard.
What is it about your teeth you don't like? Everything.
I feel like, if I smile properly, then you can, like, see the decaying bits.
I know other people notice it because they sort of look at my teeth as I'm talking to them and I'm, like, "Hm" Let's have a look, then.
So, is it like that all the way around? Yeah.
Richard's mouth gives him pain almost every day, but he hasn't visited a dentist for fear they'll remove all his teeth.
It's changed the way I am, who I am.
Er, my everyday life, really.
What made your teeth like that? Energy drinks.
I used to work 12-hour shifts, day shifts and night shifts.
I found that energy drinks keep me awake.
I used to drink 24 cans JASMINE GASPS .
.
every shift.
So, that's one every half an hour, pretty much? Yeah.
So, why now have you decided that it's time to take control of the situation and get your teeth sorted? Because of Cody.
I don't want him growing up thinking that my teeth are normal.
Erm, that it's OK to have teeth like it.
Cody looks up to him.
Proper daddy's boy.
I won't having Cody going, "Oh, but Daddy's teeth are like that, "so, you know, why can't my teeth be like it? "Why can't I have sugary stuff?" and things like that.
I want him to have, you know, nice teeth, nice smile, like I used to.
I'd like to see them two standing in the bathroom, brushing their teeth together, smiling away.
I'd love that.
Not just about your teeth, is it? It's affected all kinds of different areas in your life.
Yeah, I mean, it has affected my life.
You know, everything about it, really.
Work, social life, son, family.
.
.
.
meals, me as a person.
Two weeks later, Richard is coming to our clinic.
Since having a family, he's decided to confront his fear and today he'll see if there's any hope of saving his teeth.
If they said that they've got to take some teeth out, I wouldn't be surprised at all.
I'm expecting them to say that.
Erm, I think I'd be more shocked if they said that there's teeth in there that they can actually sort of do something with.
OK.
Here we go.
Through here.
So, just going to lie you back.
OK, pop your head back and just relax, if you can.
Until now, he'd have had to be in extreme pain to even think about getting into the dentist's chair.
Delayed bleeding on probing.
Upper left eight missing.
Four's missing, space closed.
Richard's got lots of decay, but decay on the smooth surfaces of the teeth.
We don't see that often.
He must be soaking his teeth in a lot of sugar.
Bite together.
Class one.
Open.
It is heartbreaking when you see relatively young patients with decay that's going to result in them losing their teeth, because that's totally, totally avoidable and it's all based on sugar in the diet.
This black hole here is dental decay.
These two teeth are shot to death.
You can see that yourself.
Yeah, that's there.
Where you've got not much of the crown, that's grossly decayed.
And you've virtually just got one little bit of a root left here on the left-hand side.
Things aren't looking good for Richard.
It's really sad when you see patients come in with lots of holes in all of their teeth because decay is a preventable disease.
It's a very slow process that, over the years, the decay gets bigger and bigger.
And I'm not sure with Rich how many of his teeth we're actually going to be able to save.
Serpil has to remove five of Richard's teeth and begins the fight to save the others.
Is he really embarrassed about his teeth? Yes.
He hasn't got his confidence.
So, this is a big thing for him.
Amazingly, she is able to drill away the decay and rebuild his remaining teeth.
Luckily, we caught the decay at the right stage, where we could fill the teeth.
Had he not presented now, he would have had been wearing dentures in six months' time.
If he changes his diet, changes the sugar intake, then he shouldn't get any more decay and he can save his teeth.
Your behaviour will affect the whole family, so you need to maintain this change in your lifestyle.
I am going to be the role model.
Incredibly, after just two hours of treatment, it's time for Richard to reveal all.
Oh, there's Daddy! Look, Daddy! Oh, let's see Oh! Oh, my goodness! Wow! Look at that! I know.
Are these your real teeth? They're mine.
These are your actual teeth? You haven't had other ones put in? This is from that .
.
to that.
I'm just shocked and amazed and so proud of you.
And for the first time he can smile with confidence in front of his son.
Definitely worth it! Look at Daddy.
You don't even recognise him hardly.
Look at those lovely teeth.
Richard's task now is to look after not only his own teeth, but his young son Cody's as well.
PHONE RINGS Hello, Research Dentistry.
How can I help you? Us Brits are known the world over for our bad and yellow teeth.
But things are changing, as more of more of us hunt for the Hollywood smile Cosmetic dentistry is a booming industry in Britain and, to a very large extent, that's because of an increase in tooth-whitening.
Now, it is possible to spend over ã800 having your teeth whitened, if you go to a place like, say, Harley Street.
But for those of us that can't afford that amount of money, there is a cheaper alternative.
These over-the-counter products that you can buy and then use yourself at home.
You've got iWHITE, BLANX, pearl drops pure white, Brilliant, Rapid white.
More pure white, extra white, Pro Lite.
A different Rapid white with the blue light.
An extra white.
An enormous range of products.
The thing that's really interesting to me about these things is there is no independent research that clinically proves anything about these products.
So, to deal with that problem, we're going to do our own study.
To make sure it's all done properly, I've enlisted the help of scientists from De Monfort University and Dr Wyman Chan, who has a PHD in tooth-whitening.
He's one of the UK's foremost experts and a proud possessor of some of the whitest teeth you'll ever see.
Doctor Chan.
Hi! First, let's give out the kits Guys, I've got a tooth-whitening kit for each and every one of you here.
They range in price from ã5 to ã50 and you are randomly allocated, so you can't swap them around.
Starting with the Brilliant five-minute kit.
Next up the Rapid white EXPRESS.
And next, BLANX EXTRA WHITE.
And, finally, the Lustre Pro Lite teeth-whitening system.
I'm actually rather pleased I've been allocated this one, because it says on the back, "to prepare for compliments.
" EVERYONE LAUGHS I think it's the greatest claim for any treatment that I've ever heard.
Mine just says, "Good luck.
" Before we start using our new whitening kits, Dr Wyman is measuring the colour of everyone's teeth, both electronically and by eye, so we can compare the whiteness after the treatments.
Is there a particular reason you're interested in having white teeth at the moment? I've got a wedding coming up and there'll be a lot of photographers.
My ex said my teeth were rubbish.
Was this mid-way through the relationship or at the bitter end? I think it was all a bitter end! Let me see what colour they are now.
You know you see on the TV, Simon Cowell teeth You want to look like Simon Cowell? I'm not saying I'd go that far.
Is it a thing you think that guys or girls think about in their partners? I have to be honest, when I'm talking to a man, I do look at his teeth and his shoes.
I literally said to my wife as I left this morning, I said, "These shoes are a bit muddy, but it's a show about teeth.
"They're not going to film my shoes, are they?" I'm going bright red! As Dr Wyman continues to measure how white our teeth are, a whole range of shades is emerging.
I think it's about this colour.
Let's turn left, have a look This is like when you buy paint at a DIY store.
This is the colour chart of teeth.
It is.
It's a colour chart of teeth.
And this is as white as you can get for them.
Because teeth-whitening is so popular, especially in America, these teeth are not white any more.
They have made some whiter teeth just especially for the Americans.
If you look at that, their teeth will look yellow now against the American teeth.
What you're saying is in Britain .
.
in Britain we have this scale of colour for teeth? Yes.
But Americans are, actually, literally off the scale.
Off the scale.
It's your turn now.
Great.
Sort of great.
I feel quite self-conscious.
Smile.
Oh, they look horribly yellow now, don't they? I've just You never Yeah, your canines, your side teeth are pretty yellow.
Yeah.
How dark is that? This is the second darkest.
It's quite dark.
I'm actually really excited about this.
They are a really great group of volunteers.
I think everyone's going to do it properly.
And what's very funny is I've kind of come away from today with a problem I didn't even know I had.
So, I thought I had quite white teeth.
But, actually, they are quite yellow.
I accept that.
And for once in my life, I'm taking immediate remedial action.
So, I'm very excited to see if this actually works.
I can see why your dentist didn't want to try and save it.
Yeah.
It's really difficult, this one.
I want to throw the ball, honey, but Wiggles has got it.
Wiggles! Back in Cheshire, professional dog walker Angela is still terrified at the thought of dentures.
All aboard! What really scares me about dentures is the thought of having to take them out.
And then looking at yourself, like, "Hm," you know? And I just think, "Like a gurner.
" I don't want that.
The embarrassment of talking to somebody or having a laugh, going out with the girls and them coming out, or something like that, you know, really, really horrifies me.
I'd rather put up with what I've got than, you know, go through that.
With Angela not returning to our clinic, I'm heading to Cheshire to see how she's coping.
I just feel so self-conscious that I don't do any You know, I don't go anywhere, really.
Really? Hm.
Even going in a shop, I feel embarrassed.
They'd be, like, "Nudge, nudge, look at her," you know? No! Sorry.
Oh I noticed that, when you're talking, you're really self-conscious about your teeth.
Even in front of my son, I'm embarrassed to, like, sit and have a conversation with him.
Mm.
So, I just, you know, turn my head away while I talk to him.
Half the time, I talk, you know, with my hand over my mouth.
I know I shouldn't, really, because it draws the eye even more.
Angela is so ashamed that she's still fixing her own tooth with superglue when it falls out.
I use glue on the top of the tooth, and then I put it back in place until the glue is set.
As you push it in Yeah, the glue, yeah.
.
.
it spreads.
It spreads.
It's just a normal superglue.
It says it's an irritant.
Something tells me this is not stuff that you should be putting in your mouth.
Watch your nose.
'I'm really worried for Angela.
'I just hope she'll come back to the clinic, 'because she can't carry on the way she is.
' Stuff like that or let's go out for the day.
Yeah.
Now, the appearance of your mouth isn't the only thing that's important.
How it smells matters, too.
Almost all of us experience bad breath at some point in our lives.
And one in four adults suffers from it regularly.
And it's definitely something that makes me feel a bit paranoid.
It's all right when you're at home.
You can just brush your teeth.
But what about when you're out? Or you're at work or you're at a job interview or even a date? You get a whiff, a whiff of morning breath or coffee breath or even booze breath from the night before.
What do you do? Well, the first thing I do is make sure I have got bad breath.
You can either do a kind of elaborate smelling routine, like that, but it doesn't work very well.
The best thing is to lick your wrist, let it dry and then smell it.
Not a pretty picture.
So, ideally, your mouth should be like a crystal stream, flowing with clear saliva that will wash away the bacteria that are responsible for the foul odours of halitosis.
But if your mouth dries out for any reason, because you're nervous or because of alcohol, because you've been asleep and you've been snoring, it becomes more like a stagnant pond.
To get rid of the stagnant pond smell, you need to drink water.
Water will help to wash away the smelly sulphur compounds that are producing the pong.
Next, you've got to find yourself some fibrous veg with a really high water content, like cucumber or celery would be good, or a carrot.
So, the water content cleans your mouth, and the fibre, when you chew it up, produces saliva.
So, it's like a two-in-one combined mouthwash and toothbrush provided by Mother Nature and it tastes good.
And it's 60p a pound.
Fabulous! So, that's going to be quite a bit of a dilemma.
Which one do you sacrifice? Put it down.
Go on.
Good boy.
Go on.
Go on.
It's been a few weeks since I saw Angela and she's finally made up her mind.
She's not coming back to our clinic.
She's so frightened of having dentures that could fall out at any time that she's found an alternative.
Today, a top private dentist will fit implants, false teeth that are permanently screwed into her jawbone.
The treatment costs thousands of pounds and will use up all her life savings.
I've come to an agreement with the dentist that the remaining amount will be done via finance, so I'm really, really happy about that.
Serpil is unable to offer Angela the same treatment.
Only patients who have suffered trauma or have genetic conditions that affect their teeth are eligible for implants on the NHS.
But she's also worried about Angela's health.
Although she would like to have implants, if she doesn't stop smoking and if she doesn't improve her cleaning, you can still get gum disease around implants.
She could spend a lot of money having implants, but it may be for a short period.
Hiya, love.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Both dentists have told Angela the risks of implants.
But her decision is made.
All right, so let's get started.
11 of Angela's top teeth are about to be extracted.
And the first one she can do herself.
So, what I'm going to ask you to do, if it's OK, are you going to be able to take that tooth out for me just to get rid of the initial tooth? Yeah.
Is that all right? Get out.
Bye! Get rid of it! Yeah, say goodbye to it.
We're definitely never going to be seeing that again.
Really, that's a denture.
She's made herself a denture out of superglue, hamulus Just having that out her mouth is going to make her mouth feel so much better.
Her other teeth aren't putting up much of a fight, either.
There's so much bone loss around them that they're only really supported by tissue.
After the extractions, six titanium screws are inserted into Angela's jaw.
And her dental implants, with 12 new teeth, will be permanently attached.
OK, that's better.
OK, we're on.
You all right? Dr Kailesh Salenki has ten years' experience fitting implants.
He sets all his patients a strict maintenance and cleaning plan.
They've got to understand that they're having this kind of work done, there's maintenance involved.
You know, they can't just have a treatment like this and expect it's going to last them for the rest of their life and they don't have to do anything ever again.
You know, this is probably higher maintenance, unfortunately, than having her own teeth.
After surgery, Angela returns home.
I'm swollen.
I'm a bit upset about it.
Blah, blah, blah But it's the best thing I've done.
She must wait for a few weeks for the swelling to subside.
I'll just persevere.
Have the ice packs.
Only then can she really see the result of her expensive surgery.
I'll come back to see her in a few weeks' time.
Back at our clinic, Serpil and her team are busy working their way through a range of problems.
And it's not just wobbly teeth and bleeding gums What were the injuries? Injuries.
Convulsion of the Today, in our waiting room are some dental emergencies.
So, as well as being an amazing all-round dentist, Serpil is an expert in teeth trauma.
And the top five injuries she sees day-to-day are bike accidents, car crashes, fights, falls and fools.
I was in a children's play park, on a wet day, racing a friend to the top of a climbing frame.
You should know better! Have you had previous trauma? My front two teeth.
The same two front teeth or? That one and that one.
And I knocked them out when I was, like, six.
I tried to jump over a skateboard when I was about 12, knocked them out again.
So, is this something you do every six years? Because there's six, there's 12 and now 18.
All right, 20 Yeah, close enough.
You can see the nerve just poking through just there.
This is the acid.
It's blue in colour.
I promise your tooth won't be blue.
Ha ha, if you're good! You've got to make it look like a tooth and feel like a tooth for the patient.
And he's had so many of them before, I've got to make it look really nice! Now, let me have a look first.
Look at me.
Give us a smile! OK, let him have a look in the mirror.
I think it looks better than the one next door! Amazing! In Robbie's case, because of his character, and because of the activities he likes to engage in, he's more likely to actually knock his teeth again and again and again And against everyone's better judgment, Robbie is allowed back out into the big, wide world.
Thank you! Take care.
This way Oh, God! He's a sweetie! When you knock a tooth out, a lot of us make our way to the dentist with tooth in hand.
And that's completely the wrong thing to do.
So, I'm going to demonstrate what to do if a tooth gets knocked out, using this slightly odd set of fake teeth.
First of all, pick it up, but not by this very delicate root.
That has cells on it you want to keep alive.
You pick it up by the bit that's protected by enamel, the bit you normally see.
Then lick it to get off any dirt.
Don't brush it, don't scrub it, or you'll damage these very sensitive cells that you want to keep alive there.
So, it's pick it, lick it and then, finally, stick it back in the gum in exactly the place it came from.
And minutes count here.
The quicker you get it back in your mouth, the more likely the tooth is to survive.
Never put it in ice or water, it'll either kill the tooth with cold or the water will cause the sensitive cells on the root to explode.
And don't leave it in your pocket.
It'll dry out and definitely die.
But if you really can't put it back in your mouth, pop it in milk.
That'll keep it alive for up to six hours.
But remember, this advice is only for adult teeth.
There is a bay free, is there? Yeah, A8's already done.
Perfect.
Bad teeth affect every aspect of your life.
Your appearance, your confidence.
And if they're causing you constant pain, then even simple activities like eating can become almost impossible.
In fact, over 13 million people in Britain struggle to eat because of their poor teeth.
Our next patient is one of them.
I'm meeting Denise at a South London food market.
The biggest impact that obviously is there, every single day is when I'm going to have something to eat.
I can't bite using the front of my teeth.
And that's only going to get Try as I might.
Obviously, yeah.
It'll get worse.
So, when you go home this evening and you're eating, think what it'd be like if you had three wobbly teeth at the front.
How would you bite into that? To be able to go into McDonalds, or anywhere like that, and just get a burger that's in a bun, to bite through it, I can't do.
I could quite easily bite into that burger and, as I'm sort of pulling away, what's in my hand, that me tooth is going to come out as well.
So, that's something.
And I know a lot of people would take that for granted.
Ten years ago, Denise lost all her top front teeth and was fitted with a temporary denture.
But she found the treatment so traumatic that she abandoned it halfway through and hasn't been back since.
That is quite gummy.
To avoid ever returning, she's made an extraordinary decision.
I made my mind up about ten years ago, what I've got left will rot in my mouth.
Eventually, nature will take its course and they'll rot to the point that they will just naturally fall out.
That is quite severe.
I'm quite happy Really? .
.
for them to rot and fall away.
True to her word, her remaining teeth are close to falling out.
This one here will be the first to go.
That's been shaking for about two-and-a-half years.
So, what are you making tonight? I'm making a chicken curry with erm .
.
a pumpkin and sweet potato rice.
So, these are all things that you find easy enough to eat? Oh, yeah, definitely.
Again, because once this is cooked, it's like potatoes.
So, you could even have it mashed.
It's very, very soft.
What is it about the dentist, what experiences have you had that have just put you off? All of my recollection of dentists has always been pain and there's always been trauma.
Denise's bad experience at the dentists has given her a phobia that has affected the whole family.
My daughter doesn't have a registered dentist.
I don't believe my son has a registered dentist.
As a mum, in that respect, I've partially failed them in terms of looking after their teeth, because I had my own issues around it.
Fortunately, their teeth aren't rotten, so that hasn't added to the guilt that I have to carry and acknowledge.
That's why I have to change this.
See you again soon.
Bye.
Bye.
I honestly do not know how Denise has coped.
She's been through so much with dentists that I think it'll be tough to put all that behind her.
You know, but she's at breaking point now, so I just want to get her into the clinic and get her teeth sorted.
Our investigation to test whether high street tooth-whitening kits really work is underway.
For the last two weeks, all of our volunteers, including me, have been filming our mission for whiter teeth.
Try and see what I'm working with.
I don't know if it's made some sort of difference or not.
WHITENER BEEPS Bear with me.
It's time for application number one.
Accelerator on.
Oh, God Does look a little bit whiter.
Maybe it's just my imagination.
Do I look like Simon Cowell? Not yet.
OK, so I'm actually going to read the instructions for the first time in my life.
"Get ready for a beautiful, whiter smile in no time.
"Pre-treat with the whitening, "brush each tooth with the activator whitening gel.
" No, OK "Apply the dual-action whitening light.
" WHITENER BEEPS Between us, we're testing four different types of tooth-whitening products.
Mine needs to be done three times a day.
So, I'm at work and I'm going to go and whiten my teeth in the er, in the work loo.
Let's hope no-one else sees me.
Can I see a difference? I mean, I think I can see a difference mainly on the front one, two, three, four, five Front six teeth.
I'm determined to complete this treatment properly, no matter where I am.
Nobody's said anything about my teeth.
So, erm, I'm a little bit disappointed, because I think I was expecting that to happen.
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who's whitening their teeth on call tonight.
How long ago was the trauma? Back at the clinic, Serpil and her team are preparing for the arrival of Denise.
They know she is a nervous patient.
Today, she's facing her fears and heading to our clinic at King's for her first consultation.
Yeah, I have to do this.
If not now, at some point in the future and I've been saying that for the past ten, 15 years.
Her daughter Tashai has come along for support.
I swear this is probably one of the worst parts, is waiting.
Denise? See you in a bit.
What is it about the actual being in the dentist's chair that you don't like? My biggest fear is when I'm laying back and my mouth's open and I have to put that trust in you.
My fear of dentists really started when I was about 13 or 14.
I had an extraction and the only food I could eat for near on six weeks was Weetabix through a straw.
The pain and trauma and all of that, if that's what you have to go through to go to the dentist, I don't want it.
I think it's positive already the fact that you're sitting there in the chair and you're speaking out about what you don't like about dentistry, because the endgame should be that we see what we can do to try and get you to have faith in dentists again.
She's not been interacting with people, she's not eating out.
You know, she hasn't being doing the normal things that you and I take for granted.
And she's been, you know, struggling up until now.
And my aim is to, hopefully, help her get to a point where she can live her life again.
Three is a crown with mesial caries.
One missing, two, three, four, five all missing, Gold crown and its grade three mobile.
Four, five, six, seven and eight missing.
Denise has managed to keep calm throughout Serpil's examination.
Back together.
Perfect.
But for the last 20 years, she's needed sedation for any treatment.
It's, literally, come to me with the tweezers, or one of them fine, skinny things, that's when the problem starts! She's about to find out what treatment Serpil recommends.
I think you're going to have to have a lower denture, because you're going to lose three bottom front teeth, yeah.
All right? So, I think extract that one and that one and keep these two to help anchor a denture in place.
Now, I'm going to say something that you are really not going to like or want to hear Go on.
These teeth are so loose that the palaver of giving you the sedation is going to take longer than just numbing you up and taking the teeth out.
Honest! Just think about it, anyway.
I want you to think about it.
My stomach's churning! OK.
See you again soon.
Yeah, all right.
All the best.
Denise has been asked to return to our clinic in two weeks' time for the next stage of her treatment.
I really hope Denise comes back for treatment.
I mean, some phobic patients come for the first appointment and then you never see them again.
And, let's face it, Denise has kind of done that in the past.
She had this temporary denture made that was only supposed to be for a few months and she's worn it for years now.
And that was due to her fears.
I really hope that this time is different and she makes the leap and actually comes for treatment.
Erm, let's wait and see.
Almost all of us have fillings.
I certainly do.
And if you've had them, you'll never forget the feel and the sound of a dentist's drill.
DRILL WHIRRS When you have a filling, your dentist drills away decay and fills the hole in your tooth with amalgam.
Think of it like tooth concrete.
The good news is that drills could be a thing of the past, because some scientists have invented an alternative.
It's completely painless and it's all contained within one tiny drop of liquid.
In this drop of liquid, there are tiny fragments of protein called peptides and they act like a scaffold, allowing the enamel on your tooth to regrow.
This is called remineralisation.
So, imagine this sink is a decayed tooth.
A few drops of this special liquid and, hey, presto! A fixed tooth with no need for drills or concrete.
So, perhaps the drill could be replaced by the drop.
When I first met Angela, she was practically a recluse.
She didn't want to go out of the house for fear that someone would judge her.
I want to see her new teeth and how she's changed.
Hey! Let me see you! How are you? Oh, my goodness! Oh! Lovely to see you.
Let me see that smile.
Oh, my goodness! I know.
Can I have a really closer look? Yeah.
I mean, yeah, you can't see anything, can you? No.
Wonderful, isn't it? I feel amazing.
And there's no hand over my mouth or embarrassment and Oh! The difference people have said in me, noticed in me, my friends, things like that, they're just like, "Oh, my God, you're more outgoing.
" So Oooh, here we are! Angie just looks sensational.
She is transformed.
Hello, sweetie.
Hello, darling.
She knows that there's a chance her implants won't last, especially if she doesn't look after them.
Cheers, girls! Here we go.
Thank you very much, girls.
But I think she will.
She is committed to making it work.
It's a new start for Angie and I couldn't be happier for her.
Our trial, looking at how well over-the-counter teeth-whitening products work is coming to an end.
I'm excited to see what the results will be when I go back.
Don't think I've noticed a difference.
Going to brush them one more time and they're going to go from average to Simon Cowell.
I'd like to think that something's happening, since they're promising me a smile transformation and to prepare for compliments.
Dr Wyman is measuring just how much whiter our teeth have become.
Thank you very much for taking part in the experiment.
What did you all make of the kits? I do think it worked.
We were the same, yeah.
Yeah, we had the same product.
But I don't know.
I really feel like it made a difference.
I convinced myself that it was working.
I spent an awful lot of time brushing chemicals onto my teeth and shining lights at them.
I want to see if it made any difference.
Can I just have a look at my teeth? Well, you can have a look.
This is before and this is after.
Tell me if you see any difference? After OK, have a look again.
I'll go back to before, yeah? No.
I don't see any difference.
No.
'Dr Wyman has photographed each of my teeth 'and given them an electronic whiteness score.
' So, this is 'It can measure shades of whiteness completely imperceptible to the human eye.
' The only difference is I haven't got that bit of food between my teeth! And it's the same result for the rest of the group.
Most volunteers' teeth showed no change of whiteness.
A few showed an improvement of just half a shade.
We've only detected half a shade difference between the first date we measured it and after the whitening treatment.
O.
5 shade is so small it's not even worth mentioning as a result.
Your fancy machine can see half a shade? Yes.
The human eyeball can't? No, you would not be able to see even two shades or three shades.
So, whywhy aren't they working? Firstly, the chemical they put into the product is not er, is not enough.
Why don't they put in more? Because of the EU regulations.
You could go to a dentist, it'll work, because we can use 60 times more concentration than normal over-the-counter products.
Dentists are allowed to work with higher concentrations because they're professionals working with potentially dangerous chemicals.
We contacted all the companies that made the products.
The manufacturer of Rapid white EXPRESS and Brilliant tooth-whitening 5-minute kits said their products comply with EU regulations and, over the past 12 months, they have had 1.
5 million satisfied customers.
So, what do you guys think of the results? We've measured a half a shade difference, totally invisible to the human eyeball.
I'm not entirely surprised.
Me, neither.
It is untrue if they're promising four shades.
Well, they say up to four shades and, in theory, half a shade is We did wonder, psychologically, there are a lot of people, "Well, I've been doing this for seven days now, "I've been doing it for two weeks, Oh, yeah, I do see them whiter.
" Because you almost convince yourself.
Well, you did.
I can't believe I did! I know! This is you.
I feel stupid.
In fact, that product's made me feel stupid.
None of the products that I have come across have done any, any credible or clinical trial at all.
I haven't seen a single one.
The whitening kits didn't do much but there are a few tricks you can do at home.
Now, I've never put on bronzer.
Can you Right, OK.
And don't be afraid to slap it on.
It's contrast we're after here.
Right, we'll look like either I've been on holiday or I've got jaundice.
Erm, it's leaning more towards jaundice! Are we done? It feels like I'm done.
EVERYONE LAUGHS If I could see myself in the mirror! Next up How do I do this? .
.
a bit of lippy with a hint of blue.
Oh, my God! You look horrific! Wait, I haven't seen The contrast really works.
They look a lot whiter, your teeth.
Looking OK, then! And finally So, have we got a volunteer? .
.
a hairdryer on the cold setting.
Believe it or not, there is a bit of science in this.
Your front teeth are whiter.
Drying out the enamel turns it cloudy, hiding the yellow dentine inside.
Don't close your mouth, because then it'll put moisture back in.
You actually can see a difference.
At last! I look like the lady on the box! CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Denise has spent much of her life terrified of the dentist.
She's been hoping that all her teeth fall out so she never has to return.
But today, she's tackled her fear and come to our clinic to meet Serpil, this time for treatment.
There's still that fear of going in that chair, of actually still having the teeth pulled or the noise of the drilling.
That kind of stuff is what I'm most fearful of.
It's going to happen, it's something I've got to do.
I just want to get it done now.
And she's even agreed to try and have her teeth extracted without being sedated.
You're doing well.
You're doing really well.
To reduce the chance of infection, Serpil first needs to do a thorough deep clean.
OK.
All done.
Do you need a little breather? No, I'm cool.
You sure? That's an achievement.
That's brilliant.
THEY LAUGH Oh, was that on the cards? Anything is possible with this one, though.
So, let's take the teeth out, shall we? Yes? Shall I let you into a little secret? Look One's come out already.
OK.
All right? Mm-hm.
You didn't feel that, did you? So, you going to count for me? Denise's gum disease has caused drastic bone loss, so the extractions take just seconds.
Stop me by raising your hand if you need to, OK? Two It's just the soft tissue holding them in.
She's having her lower teeth extracted and both upper and lower dentures fitted.
All done! Denise's top set of dentures will be ready in a couple of weeks.
So, shall we try the lower one? But her new bottom ones are ready now.
I'll go gently, first of all.
Fantastic.
Take your glasses off.
What do you think? Probably the first time in 20 years that I can actually feel everything all round closing.
And I've not had that.
MAN: It looks amazing now.
You're shellshocked, aren't you? Thank you for helping.
I hope it's tears of joy Hm, yeah.
It's just been a long time.
Yeah.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Thank you.
It's been a few weeks now and Denise's old ill-fitting dentures are a thing of the past.
I want to see how she's getting on with her new ones.
Hello! Hi! How are you? I'm good.
Let's have a look Oh! What a beautiful smile! Wow! Do you like them? So, how have things changed for you? It's given me, I think, an inner confidence.
I can pretty much order anything and just get on with it.
And I think a lot of people that don't have problems with their teeth would never understand that.
Oooh! Today, Denise has ordered something she could never have eaten before.
Yeah.
How long since you've had a burger like that? Five, six years maybe.
This is my moment in time! Wowsers! And I've still got my front teeth.
That's amazing! I can actually eat a burger.
I've got food all round! It's all going on.
That's amazing! Coming up next time You've got the teeth of a 65-, 70-year-old.
Can Serpil and her team transform a singer's smile and give her back the confidence to perform again? As soon as you put a microphone in front of my face, then all the focus is here.
And I stopped in the end because it made me feel so self-conscious.
And I'll discover new science that proves that brushing your teeth properly can add years to your life.
These are cells not behaving the way they should be behaving.
That would be bad for your heart, that would be bad for your brain.
This will hurt every single organ in you.