Alex Kingston, star of such shows as Dr Who and ER, has revealed that she recently had a nasty fall that put her in hospital, as she bit through her bottom lip and knocked out her two front teeth. Speaking to Graham Norton on his BBC1 chat show, she mentioned that she had injured her head earlier in the day and was feeling dizzy, ‘I was jet-lagged, working with comedians and I walked into a lamppost, ‘she explained.

Displaying true English grit, the 48-year-old actress, who was born in Surrey, pulled herself together and got back to work, more concerned with her dented pride than anything else ‘It was a comedy moment,’ she admitted, ‘but I was so embarrassed because I thought I would be the butt of their jokes, so I pretended I was fine.’ However, later than night, the comedy turned to an emergency, when Alex started to feel woozy, then fell flat on her face, injuring her mouth and seriously damaging her teeth.

‘It was really awful, ‘Alex said, ‘I was doubly concussed and had to go straight to ER.’ Although she didn’t mention any subsequent dental treatment to fix her broken teeth, she seemed in good spirits and is set to appear on BBC period drama Upstairs Downstairs, as well as possibly reprising her role as River Sing in the next series of Dr Who, ‘You may see her again,’ she taunted fans of the show, adding ‘Let’s just say, Upstairs Downstairs and Doctor Who don’t film at the same time.’

Girl group member Una Healy is no stranger to publicity, she’s part of one of the biggest girl-bands in Britain at the moment – The Saturday’s, and she recently announced that she was expecting her first child with Rugby player boyfriend Ben Foden, but she had to keep her winning smile out of the limelight for a few hours on Sunday, after she chipped one of her front teeth.

The 29-year-old was quick to call on her celebrity contacts for assistance when she knocked out piece of her tooth, enlisting the help of dentist-to-the-stars, Dr David Bloom. Dr Bloom has hit the tabloids in the past few months, when he was named as the surgeon behind X-Factor judge Tulisa’s new veneers, and he boasts several other big name clients. Like her fellow celeb, Una took to Twitter to thank the dentist, and she wasn’t afraid to mention his name outright – despite the hot water Tulisa found herself in for doing something similar.

‘Oh no, just knocked out a chip from my tooth filling!’ The Irish singer tweeted on Sunday night, before updating her fans just fourteen hours later, stating that the damage had been repaired; ‘Yay my tooth is all fixed up thanks for drdavidbloom.’ Dr Bloom might find a lot more business coming his way, thanks to the free advertising from his famous friends.

Essex dentist Tony Clough has been chosen to manage the team of dentists who will care for the teeth of thousands of Olympic athletes at the 2012 Games. Tony, from Chelmsford, is well experienced in the area, having provided dental care for the competitors, their back-ups and the officials at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Tony points out that they were likely to see a lot of emergency dentistry treatments carried out among the 40,000 strong Olympic team, with the focus on quick procedures that can keep the events rolling along smoothly. He says; ‘If it’s something that is minor we can patch it – maybe a tooth that’s broken. Within about five or ten minutes they’re back on the field of play. If they’ve got a loose tooth we can splint it and get them back on.’
Athletes, although in good shape physically, can sometimes neglect their teeth whilst training and competing, leading to problems such as abscesses and gum disease. Tony comments that a lot of athletes come from underprivileged backgrounds, and so haven’t received a good quality of dental care thus far. He adds ‘It’s because they’re constantly drinking sports drinks, fizzy drinks and sweet drinks, because they need to. For example, with a rower, they need to put in 4,000 to 6,000 calories per day and the way they do that is through drinks.’
Mr Clough and his team will be based at the Olympic Park in Stratford, with two satellite clinics working in Weymouth and Eton.

Tissue regeneration for emergency dentistry is becoming a reality.

A new technique that could see people with severe gum complaints regrowing lost tissue has been developed by researchers.

Scientists from Columbia University have created a technique that utilises stem cells to create tissue grafts that match a person’s DNA signature perfectly – thereby ensuring rejection does not become an issue.

Dr Jeremy Mao, a professor of dental medicine, has designed a form of miniature scaffolding that can be used to ensure tissue growth is regulated to the right dimensions for the task – significantly improving the ease by which dental professionals can carry out these grafts.

Elsewhere, Suncoast News recently reported that the use of new cutting-edge technologies can help dentists to diagnose problems more easily.

The publication revealed how US dentist Dr Garland Forbes is using 3D X-rays to make the diagnosis process much more straightforward.

People could avoid trips to the emergency dentist.

The number of people who make trips to see an emergency dentistry professional could be cut considerably if people took better care of their teeth, it has been argued.

Simple toothache is the number one reason that people have emergency treatments carried out and this is often caused by decay, KDRV reports.

As such, having in place a regimented oral health routine could see people reducing the likelihood of having emergency treatments carried out and could save them a lot of pain in the process.

Dentist Dr Beau Kappthe commented: “The biggest part that can prevent tooth decay is what the person or patient can do at home with the proper home care.

“Brushing and flossing – and that doesn’t seem to really cost a lot of money.”

Elsewhere, Dr Nigel Carter, head of the British Dental Health Foundation, recently told the Independent that daily flossing can play a major part in ensuring people remove plaque and therefore cut their risk of developing tooth decay.

Snooker legend Alex Higgins requires dental implants.

Snooker legend, 61-year-old Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins is in need of dental implants.

The two-time Snooker World Champion – he won the title in 1972 and 1982 – has been battling throat cancer and has now lost so many teeth due to the radiotherapy that he is forced to live on baby food.

As a result, his friends have come together to raise awareness of his plight and hope to raise a significant amount to help him have dental implants fitted.

His former PA Will Robinson said: “We are desperately trying to raise £20,000 for teeth implants, which his dentist insists will help him eat properly again.

“He’s still loved by many and we’re hoping people will remember what he brought to the sport.”

Meanwhile, WorlDental recently highlighted the top reasons for dental implant rejections. It noted that in the majority of cases this does not happen, but occasionally it can and that infection is normally the number one cause.

A new chip could help solve the problem of not having dental records.

A new device that can be implanted into a tooth could help to save time and hassle for dental professionals.

The new I-Denti-Fied chip – designed by dentist Kevin Brunski – can be inserted into a tooth during a routine procedure and can be set to contain a person’s entire dental history.

In this way, a simple scan of a person’s mouth could provide dental professionals with their complete medical history, including any oral health problems, treatments they have received in the past, as well as their personal details.

Elsewhere, Cambridge dentist Dr Brian Swann recently claimed that he is on a mission to stamp out tooth decay and to educate people about good oral health so they can avoid painful trips to the emergency dentist.

He commented: “I’m proud that I’ve been able to do work that’s made a difference in people’s lives around the world.”

People from deprived social classes may be more likely to need emergency dentistry, it has been suggested.

Many people may already be aware of the importance of brushing twice a day and taking care of their oral health to ensure that they do not have to go for any emergency dentistry.

However, one expert has pointed out that people living in deprived areas of the country may have different attitudes towards this than those living in more upmarket regions.

Peter Ward, trustee of the Shirley Glasstone Hughes Trust Fund, claimed that “much-needed evidence” is required to assess how people from different socio-economic groups view oral health.

“No substantive evidence currently exists and the trust is now looking to commission primary research in this important area,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Karen Coates, a dental adviser for the British Dental Health Foundation, recently told the Express that although there are plenty of home teeth-whitening kits available, the procedure is often much better when it is carried out by a professional dentist.

Tooth decay is an issue that one dentist is keen to tackle.

Cambridge dentist Dr Brian Swann has claimed he is on a mission to stamp out tooth decay and to educate people about good oral health so they can avoid painful trips to the emergency dentist.

Dr Swann is chief of dental services at Cambridge Health Alliance and stated that his lifelong love of dentistry was sparked when he went for a regular check-up when he was 12 and left after having discovered he had 13 cavities.

From that point onward, Dr Swann has learnt all he can about improving oral health and now hopes to inspire others to take better care of their teeth.

He commented: “I’m proud that I’ve been able to do work that’s made a difference in people’s lives around the world.”

Elsewhere, Dr Robert MacGregor recently claimed that individuals who smoke should give up the habit immediately due to the harmful impact it can have on a person’s teeth and gums.

He argued that smoking can lead to an array problems, most of which will impact on the gums, as well as weakening the mouth’s defences against other oral health issues, such as cancer.

Two dentist ran the Flora London Maratahon to raise money for treatments.

Two dentists recently ran the Flora London Marathon in a bid to raise money for emergency dentistry procedures for people in Tanzania.

Dr Katherine Opie-Smith and Dr Chris Waith ran in the 30th annual marathon on April 25th in order to raise money to help people who would otherwise be unable to receive treatments like bridges, dental implants and dentures.

Both have previously worked in Tanzania as part of Bridge2Aid’s Dental Volunteer Programme.

Dr Waith said: “All in all, it left me extremely tired and emotional but the thought of my gorgeous family Michelle and baby Dylan, who have supported me throughout, as well as those amazing people I met in Tanzania last year kept me going until the end.’

Elsewhere, Brits taking part in sports were recently advised they should invest in a mouth guard to help protect their teeth.

Dr John Roberson, a board-certified oral surgeon who practices oral and maxillofacial surgery in Hattiesburg, said that fractured teeth and other oral health problems can be avoided in this way.