Archive for the “general dentistry” Category
The importance of dental check ups from Swindon dentist
Dental check ups are possibly the most important way of looking after the health of your teeth. Although brushing and flossing are the frontline defence against dental problems, it is only with the expert eye of a dentist that you can truly be safe from nasty dental complications.
Swindon dentists recommend that you have a dental check up every six months. By keeping this up, you will significantly reduce your chances of suffering from gum disease or dental decay. Even those who brush and floss every day for the required amount of time can still suffer from these conditions and without the opinion and expertise of a dentist you never know when your teeth are under threat.
When it comes to dental disease, the earlier the problem is assessed and diagnosed the easier it is to treat. This means that catching gum disease in its early stage is ten times easier to treat than if the condition has set in and spread. Successful dental care is all about prevention rather than cure and remember, teeth cannot heel themselves so once they are damaged they may need costly and at times rather unpleasant treatment to protect them from further damage.
One of the other key reasons why it is so important to see a Swindon dentist every six months is so that they can carry out an oral cancer check. This is again a disease that can be treated effectively in its early stages, but leaving it too long and the consequences are far more severe than a lost tooth or a filling. Oral cancer is a particularly nasty form of the disease and is fatal in almost all cases not treated early enough. This alone should be a reason to make an appointment as soon as possible.
August 3, 2010 at 4:01 am | No comment
Know the dangers of gum disease – ask a Swindon dentist
The two most common things that affect our oral health are tooth decay and gum disease. Tooth decay occurs when plaque and bacteria are allowed to build up on the surface of the teeth and release acid that erodes enamel. This eventually leads to decay, infection and ultimately tooth loss. Gum disease is also caused by plaque and bacteria. This sits on the surface of the gum tissue and again releases acids, which cause irritation to the gums. If this process continues, the gum tissue can become infected which is the start of gum disease.
There are two main types of gum disease. Firstly, gingivitis which is the milder form of the disease, characterised by mild inflammation and irritation. This can cause some discomfort but is easily treated with improved oral hygiene and some treatment from a Swindon dentist. The other mores serious form of the disease is called periodontitis. This is when the infection has really taken hold in the gums, beyond the point that more effective cleaning will help. This may cause bleeding of the gums, tissue destruction and considerable pain.
If not treated effectively, periodontitis will eventually result in tooth loss and the spread of infection to other areas of the mouth. More worryingly perhaps, is the recent evidence for links between periodontits and heart disease. If the infection is allowed to enter the bloodstream it can cause a chain reaction that can have seriously damaging consequence on your heart and even cause fatal heart attacks. It is therefore very important to be aware of the health of your gums and do all you can to keep them clean. Better brushing and flossing combined with six-monthly dental check ups will help to keep your teeth clean and your gums healthy. With nearly three quarters of adults suffering from gum disease of some kind during their lives, it seems there is a lot more we can do to prevent it.
July 4, 2010 at 8:19 am | No comment
The importance of check ups at Weston-super-Mare dentists
It’s very easy sometimes to think that you can miss a couple of dental check ups because your teeth feel fine and you’re really busy. But whatever the excuse, missing a dental check up or not going every six months as dentists recommend could be putting your oral health at risk. Alongside good oral hygiene, a six-month check up is the most important way of ensuring your teeth and gums are healthy and free of disease.
With tooth decay being on the increase again and three quarters of adults in the UK suffering with gum disease at some point in their lives, it is more important than ever to look after your teeth. A dental check up will take no longer than half an hour and the more often you go, the less likely there is to be any problem.
Decay and gum disease can appear very quickly but are easily treated in their early stages. Your dentist will be able to thoroughly examine your mouth and make sure that your teeth and gums are not at risk. They will also perform a routine check for oral cancer and other nasty oral diseases as part of your check up. This could make a very important difference to your life, especially when it comes to oral cancer, which is treatable if caught in its early stages.
Brushing and flossing at home are obviously very important but even the most diligent oral hygiene routine can be at risk to the combined threat of gum disease and tooth decay. After all, if you think about it, it is most likely to be the spots you are missing where the problem starts. Dentists in Weston-super-Mare will also be able to design an oral hygiene routine to focus on the areas that may need most attention and are trained to help you keep your mouth in the best possible condition.
June 24, 2010 at 4:52 am | No comment
Prevent tooth decay with treatment from Chepstow dentist
Tooth decay can be a very serious and unpleasant dental condition. It can result in pain, ranging from mild to severe, infection and ultimately tooth loss. Tooth decay does affect some people more than others, but it is true that with a combination of good oral hygiene and regular dental check ups it is possible to avoid tooth decay altogether.
Tooth decay begins when plaque and bacteria are allowed to build up on the surface of the teeth. Plaque is a sticky, filmy substance that coats the enamel and releases acids from decaying bacteria. These acids gradually erode the protective enamel layer of the teeth causing small cavities to form. This is the first part of the decay process. Once the enamel has begun to decay, it will eventually be breached. This exposes the softer, bone-like dentin underneath. This is also easily eroded by plaque if it is not removed by effective brushing or the decay not repaired with a filling or dental crown. Tooth enamel will not grow back once it has gone so dental treatment will be required to sure up the tooth.
Within the dentin there are many small passageways that lead to the dental nerve. Extremes of hot or cold can aggravate the dental nerve when passed down these passageways. Again these will need to be sealed off or somehow protected with dental treatment. If this decay process is allowed to continue, it will eventually penetrate to the root canal and attack the dental nerve. This will be in the form of a bacterial infection. This may cause a dangerous abscess, which is not only painful but can cause the infection to spread. As well as the abscess, if the infection is allowed to attack the nerve it may destroy it, which could result in the loss of the tooth.
Tooth decay can be prevented by better oral hygiene to remove plaque and bacteria. If the process has already begun, treatment from a Chepstow dentist is essential to prevent any further suffering or damage.
June 17, 2010 at 3:48 am | No comment
Prevent dental injury with mouth guard from Chepstow dentist
With nearly half the teeth lost to dental trauma each year happening as the result of sporting injury, it is important that we do all we can to protect our teeth when playing sport. One of the easiest ways to do this is to wear a mouth guard fitted by a Chepstow dentist.
Physical sports such as rugby and boxing or any sport involving a fast moving ball can pose a threat to your teeth. Just one ill-timed tackle or unlucky deflection and you could be looking at one or more lost teeth that will be the source of great pain, embarrassment and financial cost. Knocked out teeth, if they cannot be replaced immediately, can require enormous amounts of costly and unpleasant dental work to restore. This could involve replacing the missing teeth with dental implants of dental bridges, both of which while effective are also pretty expensive.
Having a mouth guard will add a dimension of protection to your teeth as it spreads the impact across the mouth meaning individual teeth are less likely to be lost. Mouth guards are usually made of rubber which also cushions and absorbs some of the impact. While it is possible to buy mouth guards in sporting good shops, these are often generic and will not fit your teeth well. This limits the amount of protection they are able to offer. A Chepstow will be able to design and manufacture a mouth guard that will fit your specific teeth. Using dental moulds and x-rays, your dentist can make the mouth guard very accurate and comfortable and make any adjustments that are required. This may cost slightly more than a ready-made mouth guard from a sport shop, but the extra protection you will be giving your teeth could just be priceless.
For children, it is important to remember that their mouth guard will need to be changed more often to accommodate for their developing teeth and jaw. Ask your dentist for more details.
June 6, 2010 at 5:12 am | No comment
Protect teeth from sporting injury with mouth guard from Weston-super-Mare dentist
When playing a physical sport or a sport that involves fast moving balls, it is important to afford your body the maximum protection. This involves covering or padding any areas that could be vulnerable. One of the most vulnerable areas of your body when playing sport is your teeth. Over half the cases of knocked out teeth seen by dentists occur as the result of a sporting injury of some description.
It may be possible in some case to replace the tooth immediately but if not you will be looking at costly and painful dental treatment to restore the appearance of your teeth. This may involve a dental implant, dental bridge or partial denture. These will need regular dental care and even replacing at various points in your life. But there is a way to give your teeth an extra degree of protection when playing sport that could prevent lost teeth.
A mouth guard from a Weston-super-Mare dentist will cover the teeth and spread the load of any impact, thus protecting the individual teeth and preventing damage. Although mouth guards are available form most sport shops, these are generally quite ill-fitting and offer only minimal protection. A mouth guard from a dentist will be specifically designed to fit your teeth. This means it will be snug fit and offer more protection to your teeth. The fitting process is very simple and quick and when compared to the cost of dental restoration treatment, is really very cheap.
Dentists can also make mouth guards for children but it is important to have these changed regularly as developing teeth change very quickly.
May 3, 2010 at 7:21 am | No comment
How regular are your dental check ups with Bath dentist?
Dental check ups are one of the most effective ways of keeping your teeth clean and healthy and avoiding unwanted dental complications such as decay and disease. Although the majority of oral hygiene is carried out at home with brushing and flossing it is very important that you give your Bath dentist the opportunity to examine your teeth on a six-monthly basis to check for the telltale signs of dental disease.
Brushing and flossing will remove the majority of plaque and bacteria from your teeth and gums if performed correctly but all too often patients miss small spaces between the teeth and around the base near the gums. It is the areas that are hard to reach that your dentist will be able to examine and check for the onset of enamel erosion and tartar. Even the most effective dental hygiene routine can fall foul of decay in the harder to access parts of the mouth. Your dentist will be able to clean these areas and also give advice on how best to look after your teeth in the future.
Dental check ups serve a number of other purposes. Oral cancer is on the increase in the UK. This is a very unpleasant disease that can be treated effectively as long as it is caught early. Early treatment of oral cancer will give you a greater than 80 per cent chance of beating the disease, which otherwise could be fatal. Your dentist will check your mouth for the symptoms of oral cancer as part of a routine check up.
A dental check up should take little more than half an hour, which every six-months is hardly a lot of time. This half an hour could really make the difference to the health of your teeth and prevent the need for plenty more hours in the treatment chair repairing decayed teeth.
April 5, 2010 at 8:30 am | No comment
Treatment times reduced thanks to digital x-rays at Swindon dentist
Of all the modern technological advances in dentistry, few have been as revolutionary and useful as digital x-rays. They have reduced waiting times and treatment times and also made possible a new series of treatments that are changing modern dentistry.
Digital x-rays produce an immediate and three-dimensional image of the patient’s mouth and teeth onto a computer screen. This has replaced the old style traditional x-rays which produced two-dimensional black and white images. This ;also needed developing that could take up to several days depending on the number of patients.
Swindon dentists can now get an incredibly accurate image of the patient’s teeth almost immediately, which they can then use for further treatment. One of the newest methods of treatment is called Cerec. This allows dentists to produce dental restorations such as crowns, veneers and dental inlays in only one appointment. The process is able to work because of the images produced by the digital x-rays. The dentist can use this image to create a dental crown or veneer on the computer. When satisfied with the size and shape he can then utilise a computer-guided machine to sculpt the restoration from a single piece of porcelain. This takes as little as six minutes per tooth and represents an astonishing leap forward in dental technology.
Digital x-rays have not only improved the time of treatment but they have also improved its quality. The images available now are accurate to microscopic degrees. This has allowed treatments to become more accurate and means dentists no longer need to rely on clumsy and time-consuming dental moulds.
April 2, 2010 at 12:12 pm | No comment
Tips for Your Child’s Healthy Smile by a Bristol dentist
A child’s smile is such a lovely thing to see, the little mites are so full of life that when they smile they don’t care about how they look, although we as parents do. A Bristol dentist is advising their patients on tips to keep that smile healthy; one factor is a healthy diet without too much acid or sugar in the basic ingredients. What we put in our mouths as part of our dietary plan will affect our smiles in two ways, firstly the food has to go into our mouths and then it is consumed by the body, and gets into the blood stream. The vitamins in our system are fed to our gums, the same gums that are still fighting the bacteria that come with the food. It seems that we have to fight attacks on the teeth and gums from inside and out. Baby bottle diets can attack the teeth even before they start growing, bacteria is prevalent in all our food and it needs to be kept under control. Acid is a product of the bacteria that feeds off our food residue, we produce saliva to counteract it, but if we feed our babies with a bottle and then allow them to sleep we are damaging their teeth. Saliva stops producing when we sleep, so baby needs to be kept awake for at least 30 minutes after feeding to stop the build of this harmful substance. Sweet stuff will keep them quiet, but this also produces a lot of acid that attacks our children’s teeth; and in turn their smile. There is a lot more to our children’s smiles than the eye sees, and just a few conscious tips like these will help to keep their little faces smiling; and they won’t also have too many problems with decaying teeth.
March 5, 2010 at 5:54 am | No comment
A Bath dentist explains what foods to avoid for good dental health
Food is the fuel we need to keep our bodies working and we all have our favourites, but do we know which ones are good for our teeth. A Bath dentist has advised patients that although certain foods may be good for us, they are harmful to our teeth, on the top of the list are sugar and acid based foods and that doesn’t just mean sweets, chocolate and candy products. Literally any food that is hard to chew is not good for your teeth or gums, these foods will cause an abrasion on the gums and also at the same time scratch off the enamel that protects the surface of a tooth. Ice is a no-no and should be avoided like the plague, especially if you wear braces. Fruit is good for us and we are advised to eat five a day as apart of our diet, this will also help to keep our gums and teeth healthy through the vitamins they naturally have within them. However, fruit contains acid and it is this acid that harms our teeth. We therefore have to take counter action to avoid this rather than avoiding the fruit itself, and washing our mouths with water afterwards will go a long way to neutralising that acid. A swishing motion is needed to do this, think of it as a mouth wash, and indeed use a mouth wash after eating fruit especially citrus types and apples. Lots of so called healthy bars are also a no-no as they use sugar based chewy substances to hold the bars together. The food content may seem appealing and healthy with lots of natural seeds and nuts, but take a look at the labels to see what else they contain. It isn’t just a case of certain foods being good for our bodies; we need to be careful what they contain as our mouths are also part of our body.
February 14, 2010 at 8:06 am | No comment
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