Plaque is the sticky, filmy substance that coats the teeth and covers them in bacteria and bacterial acid which breaks them down. This causes dental cavities and ultimately dental decay and tooth loss. However, there are a number of ways you can remove plaque before it can do any real damage. It is not only important to remove plaque early to prevent damage but also because if left it will harden into tartar which cannot be removed unless by the expert skill of a dentist.
The easiest way of removing plaque is by brushing and flossing. If this is done regularly (dentists recommend brushing for three minutes twice a day and flossing once a day) then the plaque will have no time to build up and your teeth will stay healthy. Make sure you use an appropriate toothbrush and that when flossing you try and get to the hard to reach places.
Electric toothbrushes make a particularly good plaque remover because of the speed they are able to move at. Ask your Swindon dentist which toothbrush would be most appropriate for your teeth and for instructions on how to floss correctly.
As well as brushing and flossing you can also buy specialist tools for the removal of plaque, although it is always advised that you consult a dentist before using these. It is better if you make sure to have a six-monthly appointment with your dentist who will also be able to refer you to a dental hygienist for any additional plaque removal.
Removing plaque is very important for the health of your teeth. It can stop decay and infection before they even have a chance to take hold and will also help to keep your teeth looking as healthy as possible.
Gum disease is a very serious problem that many people are either unaware of or underestimate. Not only can gum disease affect the health of your mouth and teeth, leading to pain and lost teeth but it also has links to wider health conditions such as heart disease and even fatal heart attacks.Gum disease starts when a layer of plaque is allowed to build up on the gums. This bacteria-rich, filmy substance coats the gums and begins to release acid which irritates the tissue. If this is allowed to continue the gum tissue will become inflamed. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis and is characterised by red and sore tissue and minor swelling. At this stage in the disease it can be easily treated and reversed with improved oral hygiene and a visit to your Bath dentists However, if the gingivitis is allowed to get worse the condition becomes the more serious periodontitis which is much harder to treat and has much more serious consequences. It is estimated that three-quarters of all the adults in the UK will have gum disease at some stage which gives you an indication of how widespread the problem is. The health of your teeth and gums should never be underestimated. Having healthy gums will make your life so much easier and the best thing is, it’s really not that hard to achieve. Follow the advice of your dentist and brush your teeth twice a day with an appropriate brush. Also, it is crucial for your gums that you are flossing as this removes plaque from the small secluded areas around the base of the teeth where so many cases of gum disease start. A regular check up with your dentist every six months will also help to limit the chance of gum disease.
To help protect your teeth it s important to know the structure of a tooth and how it is affected by plaque, bacteria and other harmful substances. This will hopefully mean that you can taken better care of your teeth and have a better understanding of what you need to do to give your teeth the best chance of staying healthy and looking their best.
The outside of the tooth is covered by a hard substance called enamel. This acts as a protective barrier for the tooth, stopping damaging substances attacking the more sensitive parts of the tooth underneath. Under the enamel is the dentin, a substance made of hardened minerals, mostly calcium. This again encases the central parts of the tooth and constitutes most of the tooth’s body.
At the central part of the tooth is the pulp, which coats the dental nerve. This is the most sensitive and important part of the tooth and if this is exposed to the bacteria it can be both very damaging and painful.
The best way to look after your teeth is to make sure that they are protected at the very first stage. Brushing and flossing will remove the layer of plaque and bacteria that coat the teeth and release acid that breaks them down. By removing plaque you can prevent the first stage of tooth decay in the form of small dental cavities. Once the layer of enamel has been penetrated, the rest of the tooth will quickly come under attack and may even become infected. Not only will this be very unpleasant but it can also result in the destruction of the dental nerve and ultimately, the loss of the tooth. For more information about the structure of the tooth and how best to protect it, make an appointment to see your Weston-super-Mare dentist.
A dentist from Bath stresses the importance of learning how to floss properly. Most people do not know how to take care of oral hygiene, and neglect various aspects of it. This causes them a lot of problems in the long run, and they have to undergo a lot of discomfort and expense in order to rectify them.
Proper oral hygiene consists of brushing teeth and flossing them as well at the correct time. These two things complement each other and they will keep the teeth as clean as possible. It is insufficient to only brush teeth, since this method cannot remove all the plaque, especially that which is between the teeth. Flossing ensures that any food particles that are stuck in between the teeth can be removed for good.
It is important that people learn how to floss properly so that they can protect themselves against dental problems in addition to heart problems. Plaque, if not taken out, collects on the teeth and gums and forms a very hard substance called Tartar. Tartar, in addition to causing inflammation of the gums, also breaks away and enters the blood stream. It then causes your arteries to become thinner, eventually resulting in heart disease and strokes.
Incorrect flossing of the teeth also can damage the gums, causing them to bleed, leaving them vulnerable to infections that can cause a lot of damage. It is very easy to avoid these gum and health problems by just learning to floss correctly in the first place.
Oral hygiene is very important for the health of your teeth. In fact, making sure your teeth are clean and healthy will help you to avoid a whole series of unpleasant dental conditions that can be the source of great pain, costly treatment and spoil the appearance of the smile.
Oral hygiene is a quite a simple process yet it is all too easy to become complacent and let it slide. By ensuring that you are following your Bath dentist’s advice and brushing and flossing regularly for the required amount of time you should be able to keep your teeth looking and feeling healthy.
Oral hygiene problems occur when brushing and flossing is removing insufficient amounts of plaque and bacteria. This then builds up and releases acids that gradually erode the tooth enamel. When this happens, dental decay sets in and the central parts of the teeth come under attack fro disease and infection. Unless this problem is addressed it will eventually lead to lost teeth.
The gums can also be affected badly by poor oral hygiene. Gum disease is very common amongst adults in the UK, affecting nearly three-quarters at some stage. However, gum disease can be a lot more serious than it is often presumed and has recently been proven to cause heart disease and even fatal heart failure. You can see why dentists are so keen to stress the importance of good oral hygiene.
This involves brushing for three minutes twice a day and also remembering to floss. This will keep plaque down to a minimum protecting your teeth and gums. It is also crucial that you visit a Bath dentist every six months for a check up, to ensure that your teeth are in the best possible condition.
From an early age we are told the importance of brushing and flossing everyday. This is necessary when we are children, to help us understand the importance of keeping our teeth clean and help these processes become so natural as to be second nature. This is good when we are growing up but sometimes we can take oral hygiene so much for granted that we forget the importance of being aware of it. This can often result in ineffectual brushing and flossing and missed dental appointments. This is often the reason behind dental problems occurring, because people were simply not paying their teeth enough attention.
Brushing your teeth is the first line of defence against tooth decay, gum disease and many other oral concerns. Brushing removes plaque from the mouth, especially the surfaces of the teeth and gums. Plaque, if left to build up will release dangerous acids that are responsible for enamel erosion, infection and tooth decay. If left on the gums, the plaque will also cause irritation, inflammation and infection. Gum disease can be very serious and has strong links to heart disease and even fatal heart attacks. Bristol dentist recommend that you should brush your teeth twice a day for three minutes with a soft bristled brush for maximum effect.
It is also important not to underestimate the importance of flossing. Flossing cleans the areas that cannot be reached with a toothbrush such as between the teeth and around their bases. These are often the areas where tooth decay and gum disease start so it is very important to keep them clean. Flossing also helps to keep the breath fresh by removing bacteria and food particles from between the teeth that cause many cases of bad breath. As well as brushing and flossing it is also crucial you combine good oral hygiene with regular visits to your dentist. They will be able to examine your teeth for any signs of disease and carry out any necessary treatment.
There are good habits and bad habits; oral hygiene is a good habit to get addicted to. We need certain routines in our lives, and a good healthy set of teeth is a by-product of a good oral hygiene habit says a Swindon dentist. First off the most important part should be flossing; this procedure will eliminate most of the problems we experience with our teeth and bad breath. Flossing gets into all the crevices that hide the plaque which does the most short and long term damage, brushing away the plaque will be made all the more easier and fruitful if we first concentrate on loosening it. Plaque will build up in the mouth mostly at night, for that’s when we stop producing saliva to neutralise the acid that is part of the production process. Brushing can also affect the amount of plaque we leave in the mouth, a good brush should have a healthy amount of bristles on it, and a worn brush will do more damage to the teeth than no brushing at all. A mouthwash alone won’t clean our teeth, it needs a well planned regime and there are plenty of leaflets at your dentist that show you how to plan a regime properly. Oral hygiene also extends to what we eat and snack on throughout the day, and also how we get rid of any acid that comes naturally with those snacks. Fruit contains acid and that attacks the enamel on the surface of our teeth, we need to swish water around the mouth, and vigorously as well, to stop this natural acid damaging the teeth. If we are sticking to government advice and eating our five a day, we need to be aware that it comes with consequences that we need to address.
Brushing is just one stage of cleaning our teeth, but it has to done properly or we are wasting our time says a Swindon dentist. The brush is the first thing to consider, and choosing one that is right for your mouth can be a nightmare. If your gums are soft then you will need to have a brush that won’t damage the surface, for that is the best way to start an infection. A semi hard brush will be needed in that case. The bristles length also needs to be taken into consideration, we need to be able to get in between the teeth and around the back of them. An electric brush can be a real help or it can be a hindrance, again it all depends on the type, make and style. Your dental hygiene nurse will be best suited to your personal needs in choosing a brush; some chemists do have trained people on hand to advise as well. Once the brush is chosen we need to start using it properly or it won’t be of much use to us, start brushing up and down in a slow motion, get to feel the brush and how it seems to work on the front of the teeth, especially look to see if the bristles are getting in between the teeth themselves. Now start a circular motion, this will move any plaque that has escaped the previous motion, look upon it as if you were polishing a mirror, and even practice on a mirror if you need to. Moving around to the back of the teeth we really need to able to feel the motion of the brush, as we cannot see the results immediately, use the same method of motion in the two mentioned directions. This should be enough to keep plaque at bay.
The essence of good oral hygiene is keeping your mouth free from bacteria, plaque and food debris so that it looks and smells as healthy as possible. This can be indicated by teeth that are clean and free from food particles and staining, gums that are pink and do not hurt or bleed when brushed and breath that does not smell.
This can be achieved by adopting a fairly simple but quite regimented system of cleaning and regular dental check ups. Teeth cleaning is carried out most effectively in several stages. The first and most important is brushing your teeth twice a day with an appropriate brush and paste. A Weston-super-Mare dentist can recommend the most suitable products for your particular teeth. Brushing should be carried out gently so as not to damage the gums and at a forty-five degree angle to the teeth for the most effective cleaning.
Second to brushing in importance is flossing, which dentists recommend should be performed once a day. Flossing is important because it cleans teeth below the gum line and in the difficult inter-dental areas hard to reach with normal brushes. Both brushing and flossing help to prevent the build up of plaque, a substance that releases damaging acids that cause tooth decay if not removed. They also remove food debris that causes over 90 per cent of cases of bad breath.
Further cleaning methods that can benefit oral hygiene are using mouthwashes (always ask your dentist before using), inter-dental brushes and tongue cleaners. Effective brushing and flossing should be enough but these other apparatus can also help in some cases. However, effective cleaning is only really beneficial when teamed with regular check ups with your dentist. Even the cleanest mouth can still be susceptible to dental decay, and only a trained dentist can spot the first signs of decay and gum disease. Dentists recommend a check up every six months to help keep your mouth as healthy and clean as possible.
Teeth have a very hard enamel exterior that is very durable and strong, but poor standards of oral hygiene or dental trauma can breech this tough exterior exposing the extremely sensitive dental nerve within the tooth. This can cause pain ranging from a mild sensitivity due to extremes of temperature in the mouth from eating and drinking to very severe pain caused by dental infections and abscesses.
Tooth enamel is commonly broken down by plaque acids and tartar in the mouth which, if not repaired with a filling or crown, can expose the pulp and nerve of the tooth to bacterial infection. If the nerve or root becomes infected the body will produce an excess of white blood cells to fight the infection. This can build up on a pocket around the tooth leading to a painful, pus-filled abscess. These can be very painful and can also lead to a spread of the initial infection.
Dental pain can also come in the form of erupting teeth or wisdom teeth buried beneath the gum. These can cause interruption to bite and painful irritation that is very uncomfortable. One of the common features of all dental pain is that it is very hard to control. For someone suffering dental pain it can seem there is little they can do to stop it. In most cases over-the-counter painkillers will be effective but patients should always see a dentist even if the pain appears to have disappeared. In cases of extreme infection or serious gum disease patients may require anti-biotics and more serious pain relief. It is important to remember in all cases of dental pain to see a Bristol dentist as soon as possible.
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
Teeth have a very hard enamel exterior that is very durable and strong, but poor standards of oral hygiene or dental trauma can breech this tough exterior exposing the extremely sensitive dental nerve within the tooth. This can cause pain ranging from a mild sensitivity due to extremes of temperature in the mouth from eating and drinking to very severe pain caused by dental infections and abscesses.
Tooth enamel is commonly broken down by plaque acids and tartar in the mouth which, if not repaired with a filling or crown, can expose the pulp and nerve of the tooth to bacterial infection. If the nerve or root becomes infected the body will produce an excess of white blood cells to fight the infection. This can build up on a pocket around the tooth leading to a painful, pus-filled abscess. These can be very painful and can also lead to a spread of the initial infection.
Dental pain can also come in the form of erupting teeth or wisdom teeth buried beneath the gum. These can cause interruption to bite and painful irritation that is very uncomfortable. One of the common features of all dental pain is that it is very hard to control. For someone suffering dental pain it can seem there is little they can do to stop it. In most cases over-the-counter painkillers will be effective but patients should always see a dentist even if the pain appears to have disappeared. In cases of extreme infection or serious gum disease patients may require anti-biotics and more serious pain relief. It is important to remember in all cases of dental pain to see a Bristol dentist as soon as possible.
