Bath dentists help patients avoid periodontal disease with their expertise

There are a number of good reasons to visit your dentist every six months for a check up. The fact is that your dentist knows a great deal about teeth and gums and can help you look after your mouth. The main reason to visit him or her is so that any nasty condition which is developing can be spotted, diagnosed and then treated before it gets worse. When it comes to the health of your mouth, most of the conditions which can affect it are not that serious in and of themselves but they need to be dealt with because further down the line, real problems can result.

This is especially true of periodontal disease, commonly just known as gum disease. Gum disease is rife in the United Kingdom and many people simply aren’t aware that they even have it. Greater sensitivity when you eat or drink hot or cold foods, or reddening of the gums, might mean that you have gingivitis, the most basic form of gum disease.

It’s nothing to worry about as long as your dentist diagnoses it early. It can be dealt with by some special formulated mouth washes and in some cases antibiotics are prescribed. Usually it is just a case of refining your oral hygiene routine by brushing more effectively and flossing.

If gingivitis is left to progress it can become periodontitis, which is a very serious proposition indeed. Periodontitis is the reason why one can say that gum disease is a leading cause of tooth loss, more so than dental decay itself. It involved the inflammation of the gums spreading to the bones which hold the teeth in place. It’s as painful as it sounds and ought to be avoided by regular visits to your Bath dentist so he or she can keep a close eye on the state of your gums.

April 18, 2011 at 4:05 am | gum disease | No comment

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Fed up with discoloured teeth? Get teeth whitening from your Swindon dentist

How many of us would like to get that perfect sheen back to our teeth that we had when we were younger? There’s something so special about the sparkle of a child’s teeth and yet as we grow older many of lose it. It doesn’t matter how well you take care of your teeth and even if you avoid things like smoking, red wine and coffee which stain teeth, it is highly likely that your teeth will become more dull in colour with the passing years.

What can you do about it? There are a number of options which your Swindon dentist will be able to advise you about. Any trip to a super market or pharmacy, let alone a quick search on the internet, will reveal how prevalent home teeth whitening kits are. They are often affordable and convenient too, with some startling results available. They usually comprise a set of trays which are to be filled with whitening gel and then worn on your teeth at night for a set period of time.

Some people prefer to have their teeth whitening overseen by the dentist in the surgery. Often this is a more expensive option and perhaps not as convenient if you have a very busy schedule, but the peace of mind offered makes it worth it for some. The concept is similar to that of the home whitening kits as it usually involves some sort of formulated gel which is applied to the teeth. The advantage that in-surgery teeth whitening has is that dentists can also utilise special curing lights. By shining these onto the teeth it can give them a truly exceptional finish.

April 14, 2011 at 4:58 am | teeth whitening | No comment

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Good oral hygiene: Ask your Bristol dentist about how to make sure of it

Taking excellent care of your mouth is not exactly rocket science, which is a good thing! By following a few simple guidelines you can ensure that you have a life time of good oral hygiene, allowing your mouth to function as it should. The consequences of not pursuing good oral hygiene habits can be rather inconvenient to say the least.

The main aim of taking care of your mouth at home is to remove plaque, a troublesome subject produced when you eat and drink. Plaque is what causes teeth to decay and gums to become diseased. First of all you should be brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Use tooth paste which contains fluoride because it helps to strengthen enamel (the hard substance which coats your teeth). You ought to brush for about three minutes at a time but not too aggressively as it can damage the very things which you are trying to look after.

Make sure you floss too as plaque can easily be missed by your tooth brush, no matter how adept you are at using it. Plaque finds its way between teeth and can only be removing by pulling floss back and forth. Eat a healthy, balanced diet too as this should minimise the amount of plaque which is produced in your mouth. Avoid such activities as regularly drinking too much alcohol and smoking as they can be bad for the health of your mouth.

Your Bristol dentist will be an expert in all areas relating to the hygiene of your mouth so you shouldn’t hesitate in asking him or her if you have any queries about how best to look after your teeth and gums.

April 10, 2011 at 7:00 pm | oral hygiene | No comment

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Give your child’s teeth the best start with advice from Weston-Super-Mare dentists

All parents want to give their children the best possible start in life; it’s a natural instinct of parenthood. You want to send your child to the best school, ensure they have the right group of friends and are pursuing the hobbies which interest them. Making sure that their health is good is a priority too and, from a young age, you ought to be doing your best to make sure that your children’s teeth are in the best of conditions too.

The sad fact is that children will have to live with the consequences of any lapses in dental health for the rest of their lives. Make sure that from a young age you build up a rapport with your Weston-Super-Mare dentist and allow your child to feel comfortable in going to the surgery; it is something that they should be doing for the rest of their lives after all.

Children can be very insistent in their desires for sweet treats. But you ought to make sure that they are kept to a minimum and that brushing occurs afterwards. This is so that cavities do not ensue as a result of plaque building up. Getting children to brush their teeth can be a battle in itself but don’t give in. Give them incentives like offering rewards for proper brushing. You can draw up a fun and colourful wall chart that they can fill in themselves, thus giving them ownership of the health of their teeth. Child psychologists regard this as crucial.

Over the age of about eighteen months, it is quite safe for children to use tooth paste containing fluoride and dentists recommend it so that their teeth can reap the benefits of being strengthened as a result.

April 7, 2011 at 6:08 am | general dentistry | No comment

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Put an end to bad breath with advice and treatment from Bath dentists

Near the top of most peoples’ lists of embarrassing social conditions is definitely the prospect of suffering from bad breath. Emitting unpleasant odours from your mouth can leave you trying to avoid social interactions because of the fear of what other people might think of you. Parties and business meetings become a nightmare when they ought to be enjoyable.

Thankfully your Bath dentist can help you if you are suffering from bad breath, or halitosis as it is clinically known. The main cause of bad breath is the presence of certain bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria can be made more prevalent because of certain foods but ought to be easily removed by a good oral hygiene routine at home. You should brush not only every morning and night but after meals too if you are suffering from bad breath. Be sure to floss too as the bacteria can hide between teeth.

You might want to brush your tongue as well as the bacteria which cause bad breath can gather on your tongue. Just be careful not to clean your tongue too vigorously as it is a sensitive organ and you don’t want to damage it. Many people use mouth wash to combat halitosis and make their breath smell more fragrant. Unfortunately this is not always the right course of action as it can actually lead to greater instances of bad breath. This is because mouth washes actually make your mouth rather dry which is the condition that bad breath bacteria like as it means they can stick to your teeth with greater ease. Chewing gum can help to make your mouth more moist and actually helps to dislodge the bacteria too.

April 3, 2011 at 4:59 am | dental disorders | No comment

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Eat your way to good oral health: Get top advice from Swindon dentists

When you are taking care of your teeth and gums you shouldn’t limit your strategy to brushing and flossing. Of course they are vital activities which should be carried out daily in the correct fashion: brushing twice for at least three minutes and again after meals if desired, using a fluoride enriched tooth paste and so on. But there are other things to consider when trying to give your mouth the best chance of staying healthy.

Certain foods cause more plaque to be produced and these should be avoided, kept to a minimum or eating immediately prior to brushing. It is substances which contain a lot of sugar and or starch which produce the most plaque in your mouth. Plaque can attack the enamel which naturally protects your teeth and so it is best to minimise the amount of it which can thrive in your mouth. Sweet treats should be just that: treats. But also foods like fruit and fruit drinks can produce a lot of plaque. These should not be avoided because they are nutritious but you should think about when you are eating them.

Sometimes people like to brush immediately after a meal so that plaque is stopped in its tracks. Some choose to have a little cheese after their dessert because this can actually remove some of the plaque that your sugary course will have produced in your mouth.

The key is to be sensible with your diet and eat all the food groups in balanced proportions. There is nothing inherently wrong with eating sugary and starchy things, indeed the body needs them, but you should keep them to a minimum. Your Swindon dentist is an expert in such matters and can advise you about the right diet to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

April 1, 2011 at 6:17 am | oral hygiene | No comment

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Fighting Wisdom Teeth Pain in Bristol

The growth of wisdom teeth in Bristol is an adult form of teething- just as uncomfortable and just as painful as it is for a baby. The only difference being is that you and your dentist should have prepared for the event. It generally happens anywhere onwards from the age of 17, yet combating any pain is similar to how you would treat a baby. If the tooth seems to be growing naturally, and this can be checked with X-rays, then, it’s a matter of grinning and bearing it until it erupts. Painkillers, clove oil and regular chewing of gum should be enough to see you through the event. But life is just not that simple for everyone. Wisdom teeth have a habit of growing in all directions if they don’t have enough room to grow naturally, some will not appear at all, and this can lead to great pain that can only be cured with an extraction. If it reaches this stage, a multiple extraction of all wisdom teeth may be recommended in a single visit to get it over and done with. This has now reached ‘operation’ status and normally performed in a hospital. The stresses involved in such an extraction are immense and dangerous and it’s important to monitor the pain once the operation has been completed. The gums and surrounding teeth are also exposed to serious infection and need to be treated regularly, as well as taking painkillers to soothe the process.

March 30, 2011 at 4:49 am | general dentistry | No comment

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Dental Implants in Weston-super-mare

Getting an implant in Weston-super-mare these days has become as common as having a check-up. Implants were once a very specialist treatment used to replace individual teeth. The gum would be cut with a scalpel and a hole drilled to take the titanium implant. The gum would then be resealed and a lengthy healing process would have to take place before the new tooth could be attached. Of course, the treatment was exclusive and hence, expensive then. But with the invention of the computer and the laser, procedures have become so much more precise with micro surgery and plasma healing treatments, less damage is done to the gums, healing times have come down, and prices for the treatments have dropped dramatically because implant availability has become widespread- once you have paid for an implant, it’s there for life. This has also lead to other uses for implants in dental procedures. The dream of implants is to confine the use of dentures to history and it’s almost there- an implant offers complete restoration to tooth loss, but they also used to give extra strength to the fitting of bridges and crowns. Mini-implants are also used for anchoring dentures, they can be fitted and used in a day; the dentures click onto the implant into place. What with falling prices and payment plans, implants are no longer exclusive to the rich minority, they are available to everyone.

March 26, 2011 at 7:32 am | dental implants | No comment

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Treating Tooth Decay in Bath

Tooth decay is an ongoing problem to everyone that lives in Bath. From childhood to adulthood, it will affect us all at some point. It’s caused by build up of bacteria in the mouth from starchy foods and sugary drinks which then turns to acid, combined with poor oral hygiene. Once the bacteria sets in, plaque will develop and gnaw away at the tooth’s enamel. In time, cavities will form and then tooth decay will take over. If this is spotted early on normally through an X-ray at the dentists, the tooth and its nerve can be saved with a simple filling at the dentist- dental sealants and fluoride are also used to combat tooth decay in children, preventing bacteria from reaching the natural surface of the tooth. But serious decay may require a root canal. As harsh as it sounds, it’s become a regular procedure for dentists. Once the decay and nerves are removed, the tooth can be capped with a crown to save the tooth. If the decay is extreme, then the tooth will need removing. Fluoride treatments and chewing sugar free gum helps to maintain a high saliva level in the mouth (along with a positive diet), that naturally helps to breakdown bacteria in the mouth. Good oral hygiene with flosses, good brushes and pastes, and mouthwashes also help to fight the bacteria in the mouth and prevent tooth decay.

March 24, 2011 at 9:32 am | general dentistry | No comment

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Dry Mouth and Dental Cavities in Swindon

One of the main causes of dental cavities in Swindon stems from the problem of having a dry mouth, especially in older people. Cavities arise from bacteria being allowed to develop in the mouth, normally from certain starch based foods and drinks or sweets that contain sugar. Combined with poor oral hygiene, the bacteria will form tartar and plaque in the mouth and the acid from these attacks the enamel of the teeth- cavities soon set in and the tooth will suffer decay if left unchecked. The natural fight against the build up of bacteria relies on the mouths saliva, but take away the saliva and the mouth becomes dry, leaving the teeth exposed and vulnerable. Dry mouth can be caused by many things; medication, radiotherapy and poor diet are the main causes of dry mouth. Smoking, anxiety and a poor immune system also contribute to the problem, leading to bad breath and even speech impediment. Dental hygiene is very important in the fight against dry mouth, as is regular contact with the dentist for advice. It’s important that the body is kept constantly hydrated with water during this process to build up the saliva levels; sugar free gum and sweets are also useful for stimulating the production of saliva whilst avoiding any drinks that contain caffeine.

March 22, 2011 at 7:33 am | general dentistry | No comment

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