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.
If you pay a visit to any dentist in Bristol, you can put your mind at rest, knowing that the person who is about to access your mouth, has been trained to a certain level, to carry out general dentistry practises on you to a set of prime directives (we hope!). Essentially, this involves finding out if you have any problems and then solving them, to maintain your oral health. Of course, some problems are not reversible, but your dentist is trained to give it a blooming good go. When you have had check-ups throughout your life, your dentist will have built up an historical profile of you by charting your visits. X-rays would have been taken and records kept of any work done. Along with this, your general dentist will always have a set of guidelines to follow to check the health of your teeth and gums. They will check for any signs of plaque and tartar build up, gum disease or tooth decay and then set about corrective treatments such as cleaning, polishing filling and even removing your teeth They are also there to give advice on any problems you may have, any cosmetic treatments you are considering- everything This is what’s known as general dentistry. Of course, once they have built up this data, they will be in a better position to refer you to someone, if you require specialist treatment, for the best possible results.
Having a perfect smile is important at any age but if you have children you are probably especially concerned about that of your child. Your teeth develop in childhood and it is particularly crucial that the mouth is looked after during the formative years. It is important that a good relationship is struck up with a dentist in these times so that your child’s mouth can be looked over regularly by a professional.
Eating too many sugary foods is bad for anyone’s mouth but children ought to be especially wary. Sweet snacks should be kept to a minimum and consumed only as a treat. The plaque which sugary foods produce can cause teeth to develop cavities and no-one wants their child to have to have a filling.
It is important that children get into the routine of effective brushing from an early age. As a parent you can help them with this by encouraging them and perhaps offering rewards when they successfully follow the routine. Just like adults, children ought to brush for about three minutes, usually in the morning and before sleep. It is important that they reach all areas of their mouth so that plaque is not allowed to take hold.
The mouths of children are rather sensitive so you might want to get your child a special tooth brush with softer bristles. Children can have a tendency to brush quite vigorously so softer bristles can ensure that they are not damaging their gums when they are engaged in their oral hygiene routine.
Get into the habit of taking your child to see your Bristol dentist and explain to them that it is a positive and worthwhile experience. Your dentist will have lots more handy hints to ensure that your child grows up with a healthy smile.
Maintaining excellent oral hygiene makes activities that you take for granted so much easier. If you allow your oral health to slip then you could be face with tooth decay and even tooth loss. These can be painful and inconvenient, making it much harder to eat, drink, talk and even smile. Brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist every six months are crucial, of course, but you can help ensure good oral hygiene by avoiding certain foods.
Foods which contain lots of sugar and or starch contribute to excess build ups of plaque. Plaque attacks the teeth, causing cavities and eventually the break down of teeth which might come loose. Brushing and flossing should rid your mouth of the vast majority of this plaque but it is easier in the first place to simply avoid certain foods so that you don’t end up having to deal with a plaque problem.
Sweets contribute hugely to plaque formation and the same can be said of sugary and carbonated drinks. These should be eaten in moderation. Unfortunately fruit and some vegetables also contain plenty of sugar and starch. Although these fruit sugars are good for us generally, they can contribute to plaque. As such you should try and brush your teeth after you have eaten fruit or have your fruit before your main meal so that the process of eating the other courses can dislodge some of the plaque that will already be starting to form.
Having a generally healthy diet can contribute to good oral hygiene. If one part of you is unhealthy it is likely to affect the rest of you too and this is true of teeth. Talk to your Bath dentist today to get more advice about how a healthy diet can aid good oral hygiene.
Your mouth is a finely tuned composite of different parts which are meant to work in tandem, allowing you to eat, drink and talk free from discomfort. Visiting your local dental professional every six months for a thorough check up is of course very important in keeping your mouth healthy but good oral hygiene begins at home and how you take care of your teeth there. By looking after your teeth effectively you will be avoiding nasty oral diseases and the need for invasive treatment.
A good start is to make sure that you are brushing and flossing in the correct fashion. Brushing should take place at least twice a day to remove plaque from the teeth so that it cannot begin to attack your enamel. You should be brushing for around three minutes and take in the whole mouth. Floss as well as plaque and debris can easily be missed as it lurks between the teeth.
Your diet is also important for your oral hygiene. Eating too many sugary and starchy foods produces more plaque for your mouth to deal with and you may find that cavities begin to develop. Smoking tobacco decreases the production of saliva – a natural defence against plaque – so is best avoided. The same can be said of excess alcohol consumption as it can lead to oral cancer.
Be vigilant about your mouth and look out for warning signs such as extra sensitivity when you are eating, reddening and bleeding gums, bad breath and odd tastes in the mouth. These can all be signs that there is a problem in your mouth and they are worth reporting to your dentist. Speak to your Swindon dentist next time you see them to get more expert advice on your daily dental hygiene routine.
For all our best efforts to keep our teeth healthy in Gloucester, sometimes problems get through. Tooth decay starts with the build up bacteria, leading to plaque, gum disease and ultimately tooth decay. Often, tooth decay or caries are a result of poor oral hygiene and lack of dental visits over a period of time and getting treatment can be expensive. If the decay is in it’s early stages, the best course of action may be a flouride varnish or paste. Flouride with strengthen the enamel in the tooth and make it resistant to the causes of decay. If however, the decay is in a more advanced state, the tooth may require a filling, a root canal or a crown. A filling is used where the decay has not penetrated deep in to tooth, and can be made from various materials, the most common being a silver amalgam, but the more popular being a tooth coloured composite. Gold inlays and onlays can also be used to fill the cavity. If the decay is very bad, it may require a root canal to remove the dead nerves and pulp inside the tooth, then the tooth can be filled or have a crown fitted. Crowns too come in various colours and materials. But sometimes, the dentist will have no choice but to extract the tooth. Once this has been done, replacement can be expensive, in the form of a bridge or an implant.
In Bath, it’s not always obvious that you have bad breath and the first time you discover you do is when someone tells you. It can be embarrassing, anti-social and leave you wondering why people don’t talk to you anymore. Bad breath can be caused by many reasons and can be pinpointed to three major areas. The first is in the mouth. Teeth can harbour foods that stagnate and if left untouched through bad oral hygiene, can give off a pungent odour. Of course, this can lead to a build up of bacteria leading, to gum disease and tooth decay; diet and lifestyle can also add to the problem- excessive smoking and drinking contribute to bad breath. The second area stems from the airways to the mouth. Dryness and sinus problems can be affected by a mucous build up that can indicate bronchial problems or the approach of flu or pneumonia. The third cause of bad breath can indicate gastric problems and food stagnation in the stomach. From a personal level, a constant bad taste in the mouth is a sign that you have bad breath and that something could be seriously wrong with your health. Treatment should be sought either through your dentist or a clinic, but also an intense program of good oral hygiene should be practised at all times.
Dentists are highly qualified in all aspects of dentistry. This means that they can examine your mouth for any oral health issues and offer diagnosis and treatment. They are trained to look not just at your teeth but also your gums, tongue, soft palate and jaw and can diagnose oral cancer and sleep apnea.
The routine work involved in general dentistry is the six month check up where your dentist will assess your mouth for any signs of disease so they can be diagnosed early and undergo treatment before complications set in. Your Bristol dentist will be looking for build ups of plaque which damage enamel and leave your teeth open to attach from acids which cause cavities to form.
You may visit your dentist at another time if you have a specific problem. Perhaps you had an accident which has damaged your teeth and you need your dentist to decide on how to rectify it. You might have had a long standing problem with crooked teeth or teeth that have become stained. In this case your dentist might decide that you need to have crowns installed to restore a natural look to your mouth.
If you have begun to experience bleeding gums or regular tooth ache you may make an appointment so your dentist can discover what the root of the problem is. Dental practice has changed a lot in the past decade and dentists are now extremely concerned with relaxing their patients and putting them at ease, especially if an invasive procedure is involved.
Contact your Bristol dentist today to discuss any aspects of general dentistry and how it can work for you and your mouth.
Fluoridation is the process by which fluoride is added to the main water supply to prevent cases of tooth decay amongst the general public. Cases of dental decay remain high in the UK and in some areas are even increasing as people take the health of their teeth for granted. The idea behind fluoridation is that it creates low levels of fluoride in the saliva, which protect the tooth enamel from developing cavities.
Fluoridation has been the source of some controversy over the years as in some cases, especially young children, early exposure to fluoride leads to discolouration in later years. This staining of the teeth is irreversible and in some cases can be very severe. The process has been used in the UK for many decades and for the most part is harmless. It is always worth finding out from a dentist what the fluoridation levels are like in your area. Your Swindon dentist will be able to tell you at your next appointment.
In some cases, where the levels of fluoride are low, and if you are in a high-risk group, you may need to use products such as tooth paste with added fluoride or even add it to your water manually. Again, you should always seek advice from your dentist before acting.
Whatever people feel about fluoridation, the truth remains that it has substantially reduced the cases of tooth decay in the UK over the years and for the most part is extremely effective. In some cases it may cause damage but this is easily prevented as long as you have the right knowledge.
Dental extraction is the process of having one or more teeth completely removed by a dentist. This usually takes place either during one appointment or over a number of sessions depending on the number of teeth that need to be taken out. There are many reasons why teeth may need to be removed but some of the most common are: severe gum disease or tooth decay has made it too painful and dangerous to have the tooth remain in the mouth, a tooth that is broken beyond repair, teeth that are too overcrowded and need some space to align and due to wisdom teeth issues.
There are alternatives to extraction in some cases such as antibiotics and painkillers but these are more often than not simply short-term solutions and the wider issue will remain. For overcrowding issues it is possible to correct the problem with braces and by moving teeth in different ways. An orthodontist would need to see if this was possible without an extraction. If a tooth is infected it may be possible to save it with a root canal operation instead of an extraction, but not in all cases. Again, a Swindon dentist would need to make an assessment.
Before you have an extraction it is important that you prepare in the right way. This may mean keeping your teeth cleaner than usual and not smoking in the days and weeks before the operation. Similar care will be needed after the operation to ensure that you do not suffer from an infection. Obviously the procedure will take place under an anaesthetic but after this wears off you may experience some pain. Your dentist will be able to recommend something to help you with this and will tell you what other precautions to take.
Dr Gerrard is a Bristol based Cosmetic dentist with many years of experience and is one of only a small number of dentists accredited by The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
