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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Keeping Your Gums Healthy in Swindon

There are many reasons to maintain healthy gums in Swindon. Gum disease can cause many problems throughout the body as well as the mouth- gums can weep and bleed, causing bad breath, heart disease, oral cancer and tooth loss. The way of stopping problems arising in your gums starts with having a healthy diet, as this can affect the level of saliva in the mouth; good saliva levels breakdown the bacteria that leads to a build up of plaque and tartar and invariably gum disease. Of course, good oral hygiene helps to maintain healthy gums. Most dentists will advocate a daily program of brushing and flossing at least twice a day, with a correct toothbrush and toothpaste, backed up by mouthwashes. But also, any part of the body will respond to stimulation and it’s no different with gums, gentle massaging of the gums with herbal oils, exercising the teeth by chewing gum and flossing will activate the blood in the gums and keep them healthy. If you visit your dentists regularly, they will also be able to gauge the health of your mouth and rectify any problems that may have cropped up since your last appointment. Healthy gums rely on a choice of lifestyle. If you take things in moderation, such as smoking and drinking whilst keeping your body healthy, there’s no reason why your gums and teeth shouldn’t remain healthy too.

March 20, 2011 at 8:16 am | general dentistry | No comment

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How Dentures Can Help You in Bristol

Whilst losing some or even, all of our teeth can have an extreme psychological affect on how we live out our future in Bristol, it’s also time to get over it, get our lives into perspective and embrace the idea of having dentures fitted- for several reasons. Losing our teeth instantly affects the occlusion or ‘bite’ in the mouth. Chewing without teeth, puts new stresses, pressures in the head and can lead to irreversible damage in the lower jaw, leading to sinus, ear, head, neck and shoulder problems. The lack of teeth can also alter the shape of the face; skin will start to sag into and around the mouth and age you within weeks of the loss. Having dentures fitted can eliminate all these problems as well as giving your back a healthy lifestyle attitude. Dentures have always had bad press, but new, more natural looking materials, fixadents and mini-implants have made dentures not only made dentures look good in the mouth, but also make them stay in the mouth. They maintain a youthful look to the face, keeping it healthy looking and retaining the shape. But modern dentures also allow you to carry on life as normal as before. You can eat-out normally, socialize normally and generally, live life normally. Like it says in certain adverts on TV….’can you tell which one is wearing dentures?’ as a couple bite into a couple of French bread rolls.

March 17, 2011 at 6:27 am | dentures | No comment

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Causes of Bad Breath in Weston-super-mare

There are many factors that cause bad breath in Weston-super-mare and they don’t always relate to the mouth. Having a healthy diet can retain a strong immune system, keep the blood clean and keep your gastric system healthy, which in turn, affects the state of your teeth and gums. Smoking and excessive drinking also impact on the health of your breath. A combination of all these can affect the level of saliva produced in the mouth. Saliva is a natural repellent to bacteria that builds up on the surface on the teeth. If the saliva dries up, so does the mouth, making the teeth and gums vulnerable to a build up of plaque and tartar that leads to tooth decay and gum disease, out of which comes bad breath. Another factor that contributes to the problem is poor oral hygiene. Irregular cleaning and flossing can allow bacteria to develop from foodstuffs that are lodged between the teeth; the food can become pungent and leave bad tastes in the mouth and if something tastes wrong, it will smell wrong. Treating the problem can take a lot of effort to remedy. Firstly, a consultation with the dentist would be advisable before undertaking a course of healthy living and good oral hygiene. But bear in mind, having bad breath can not only unsociable, but indicates more serious problems such as oral cancer.

March 13, 2011 at 9:09 am | dental disorders | No comment

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Dental Veneers v Teeth Whitening Methods in Bath

There are many choices in Bath when it comes to keeping your smile white and healthy and two of the more popular treatments around are teeth whitening or bleaching and veneers. Choosing what is best for you depends on the condition of your teeth and gums but if you are having doubts as to which is best for you, can easily be resolved by a consultation with your dentist. If your have strong, healthy gums and teeth that are suffering from discoloration, teeth whitening is for you. There are many methods to choose from home bleaching kits to laser whitening- each offer fantastic results and are quick and cheap, though limited to the teeth being in good shape to start with. But as we age, our teeth can suffer from general wear and tear, cracks and gaps can develop and gums can start to recede. Teeth whitening will not be able to rectify these problems, whereas having a veneer fitted can, although at a little more expense. A simple procedure, fitting a veneer, can rectify these problems and can be coloured to match the rest of the teeth in the mouth, hence it is good for restoring the sheen to a single tooth. Both procedures have their place in your mouth. Ironically, if you have veneers fitted that have discoloured over time, a teeth whitening treatment will work on both the veneer and the other teeth to restore your smile.

March 10, 2011 at 6:16 am | teeth whitening | No comment

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The Importance of Daily Dental Hygiene in Swindon

In Swindon, we can quite often place a heavy burden on dentists to resolve problems that arise in our mouths, and then usually scoff at the prices they charge for treatments when the bill comes in. It rather highlights the ignorance we have towards oral health because if we just took a little time out to research how to look after our teeth and gums, then we wouldn’t need our dentist that often. Oral health starts at home, as does taking responsibility for how we look after our bodies and our teeth. For starters, good diet and taking everything in moderation, like smoking and drinking, can help to build up our immune system and give strength to our teeth. Not only this, there are enough oral products out there at reasonable prices that make poor oral hygiene inexcusable. A daily routine of brushing with the right paste and brush, flossing and mouth washing should be enough to keep plaque and gum disease at bay- that and a couple of visits to the dentist each year for check-ups. But the importance of keeping our mouths healthy affects our overall health. Poor oral hygiene can lead to gum disease and in turn, to heart and kidney complications as well as oral cancer. There is no excuse for ignorance in dental hygiene, seeing as not only do we have our dentist to consult with, the internet is a hive of information on how we can look after ourselves.

March 6, 2011 at 7:42 am | oral hygiene | No comment

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