It sounds fairly obvious to say it, but having healthy gums usually means having healthy teeth. Maintaining a good standard of oral hygiene at all times is the key to avoiding nasty and painful oral conditions such as dental decay and gum disease. Most patients who have healthy gums also have healthy teeth and vice versa. This is because by effective cleaning of the teeth, you will also be ensuring the health of your gums.

Good oral hygiene involves effective brushing, with a soft brush and appropriate toothpaste, and also flossing. Brushing should be carried out twice a day for three minutes and flossing at least once a day. This will help to remove bacteria from the surface of the teeth and the small gaps between them. This can help to keep teeth free from decay and gum tissue healthy and able to fight off infection and irritation.

Effective oral hygiene should always be backed up by six-monthly visits to a City of London dentist. They will be able to offer the best advice about how to keep you teeth and gums healthy. They can also treat the first signs of gum disease to prevent it becoming any worse. This is very important, especially as more severe gum disease has string links to heart disease and even fatal heart attacks.

By neglecting your oral hygiene you may be allowing plaque to get the upper hand. This can cause gum disease, as it will irritate the gum tissue until it becomes infected. By keeping your teeth free from plaque, you will limit the chances of any gum irritation and help to prevent infection.

Nearly 9 out of 10 adults suffer from gum disease at some stage in their life, which means it is very important to look after your teeth properly. Dentists always recommend that you brush and floss twice a day, every day and have check up appointments every six months. But the statistics would suggests that we are probably not good at heeding this advice we have probably heard hundreds of times throughout our lives. This makes it doubly important to start looking after your teeth and encouraging your children to do the same for life of good dental health.

Brushing your teeth twice a day for three minutes helps to remove plaque, the filmy substance responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. If allowed to remain, plaque releases acids, which gradually erode the protective layer of tooth enamel and irritate gum tissue. This will eventually lead to infection in both instances, the cause of more complicated and painful dental problems.

Central London dentists recommend that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head so that you can reach more areas of the mouth without causing any damage to the gums. Try and brush your teeth with the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the gums in order to effectively clean them.

Flossing is almost as important as brushing as it removes plaque and decaying food from small areas between the teeth and around their base. By doing these two oral hygiene tasks well each day and seeing the dentist regularly, and most importantly, sticking to it, you will be protecting your teeth for many years to come.

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes interruption of breathing during sleep. Many sufferers of sleep apnea are completely unaware that they have to condition because it happens when they sleep.

There are two variants of sleep apnea that are caused by different areas of the body. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) occurs when the soft palate at the back of the throat collapses, temporarily blocking the airway. This causes a temporary cessation of breathing that will eventually right itself. This can happen many times a night, several nights of the week and can be the underlying cause of stress and anxiety during waking hours. It can also be very difficult for partners and loved ones to live with because of the associated noise. OSA can be treated with various appliances fitted to prevent the collapse of the soft palate.

The other kind of sleep apnea is called Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) and is caused when the respiratory centre of the brain omits to send a message to the lungs to breathe. This can be a very serious condition and is often indicative that the patient may be suffering from another serious health complaint. Because the area affecting CSA is the brain, it may be a sign that you are suffering from a condition such as Encephalitis or Neurodegenrative illness that is affecting your brain.

If you or a loved one is suffering or thinks they are suffering from any kind of interrupted sleep caused by cessation of breathing it is vital to make an appointment with a Central London dentist. They will be able to determine whether your sleep apnea is central or obstructive and put you in touch with the right people whatever the outcome.

Looking after your teeth is very important. There are a few oral hygiene habits that are crucial to keeping your teeth in the best possible condition.

Most importantly is brushing. City of London dentists recommend that you brush twice a day for at least three minutes. This should be done with a soft bristled brush, to protect the gums, and preferably one with a small head to allow a greater access to all parts of the mouth. You should try and hold the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the gums so that they are gently stimulated as you brush the flat surfaces of the teeth. This removes bacteria and plaque from the teeth, substances that combine to release acids which gradually erode tooth enamel causing decay. Effective brushing can be the key to fighting decay and gum disease but it is more effective still when combined with flossing.

Flossing allows you to clean the parts of the teeth that are difficult to reach using a conventional toothbrush. This includes the areas between the teeth that are too narrow to be cleaned by the bristles on most brushes. Food particles and bacteria often accumulate in these gaps, which cause not only decay but also can be the underlying cause of bad breath. Flossing also allows you to clean the part of the teeth and gums around the base that are hard to get to with a brush. This helps to prevent inflamed gums which can trap bacteria and cause unpleasant bleeding.

As well as brushing and flossing you may also want to use a tongue scraper or tongue brush a couple of times a week to remove bacteria for the tongue.

We all brush our teeth everyday. It’s something that is instilled into us from a young age, but not nearly so many of us floss. Some people see it as an extra hassle, something that should really be done but doesn’t matter a great deal if it’s not. This could be a very dangerous attitude as dentists are urging all of us to realise how important flossing is for our oral health.

Brushing removes plaque and bacteria that build up on the flat surfaces of the teeth. This helps to prevent tooth decay that causes dental cavities. Brushing also stimulates the gums helping to remove bacteria that stop the dangerous and unfortunately common gum disease. But there are many areas of the teeth and gums that cannot be reached with a toothbrush. The bristles of a standard toothbrush are too wide to fit in the gaps between teeth where food particles and bacteria can accumulate. This allows plaque to take a foothold and start eroding the protective tooth enamel. Flossing allows you to clean these narrow areas between the teeth and also around their base.

In addition, flossing also helps to prevent inflamed gum tissue around the base of the teeth causing further problems. This is because inflamed tissue creates small pockets between the gums and the teeth, which can act as shelters for plaque and bacteria. By flossing, this tissue is cleaned and subsides to a more natural level making cleaning easier. For more information and techniques of how to floss most effectively, make an appointment to se a London dentist.

Looking after your children’s teeth is very important, not just for the present but also to ensure that they develop good oral hygiene habits for the rest of their life. Everybody wants the best for their kids but by ignoring their dental welfare you may be unknowingly setting them up for a lifetime of painful and costly dental problems.

Looking after a young child’s teeth is very much up to the parents. This will involve brushing and flossing your child’s teeth for them, but as they get older it s vital you show them the proper ways to brush and floss and stress the importance of healthy without going too far. Try to encourage your child to brush correctly. Never try and force them or make them brush their teeth because this can build up resentment. Make the activity fun or reward them for doing it well. This way the correct methods will become natural.

Take your children to the dentist early to reassure them that there is nothing to be scared about. Most dental phobias stem from an incident in childhood when a child was afraid at the dentist. You may also want to ask you London dentist about fluoride. In some areas it is necessary to supplement your child’s fluoride intake as water supplies vary, but make sure you seek advice first as an excess of fluoride can cause discolouration of enamel later in life.

Your role as a parent is very important to your child’s dental health so if there is ever anything you are unsure about or are having difficulty caring for your child’s teeth, your dentist is always available to give advice and support.

The fact that you’re reading this obviously means that you are concerned about bad breath. It can certainly be a very worrying condition. Not only is it quite unpleasant and embarrassing but it is also very hard to now if you are suffering unless you have the misfortune to be told by someone else.

The fact is that there is no secret magical remedy to getting rid of bad breath apart from good old-fashioned common sense. The one-treatment cure promised by various internet marketing campaigns and oral health products may be misleading you. According to City of London dentists the only real way to get rid of bad breath is to improve your oral hygiene routine. This involves spending more time on effective brushing and flossing.

Most cases of bad breath are caused by bacteria in the mouth, releasing nasty smelling sulphur compounds that are then carried out on the breath. These bacteria live on food particles trapped in the teeth or in the groves of the tongue. Oral products such as mouthwash may kill the majority of this bacteria but they also destabilise saliva production which causes the problem to return. Brushing and flossing, and even tongue cleaning, remove bacteria and food naturally but also allow the mouth to function as normal to keep the remaining bacteria at a stable level. Cit of London dentists advise that you should brush your teeth for three minutes twice a day and also floss at least once a day. Drinking water after meals can also help to keep bacteria and food debris to a minimum. There you have it, no magic solution, just a little bit more hard work.

Xerostomia, more commonly known as dry mouth, is a condition caused by a lack of production of saliva. This can cause problems because saliva is integral in the mouth for eating, talking and the regulation of bacteria. There are hundreds of millions of bacteria that live in the warm and moist oral cavity controlled by saliva, so any interruption in this process can cause the numbers of bacteria to rise sharply. This can cause unpleasant oral hygiene conditions such as halitosis.

This lack of saliva can also lead to a dramatic rise in the number and seriousness of dental cavities. Saliva also removes bacteria that form part of the filmy substance called plaque, which causes enamel erosion. Plaque releases acid when the bacteria and food debris in it break down gradually destroying the protective layer of enamel and causing cavities. Saliva is the mouths natural defence against plaque so a drop in production can be dangerous for your teeth. Saliva also has the effect of re-mineralising the enamel, making it stronger and more resistant to attack from plaque acids.

Xerostomia is caused by a number of factors ranging from alcohol consumption in excess, diabetes and even physical trauma. It is also a common side-effects of many medications such as anti-depressants. Treatment usually involves eliminating the cause of the problem and paying extra attention to oral hygiene. This will certainly help to reduce the impact of bad breath and dental cavities. Central London dentists can examine your mouth for the signs and symptoms of xerostomia and can offer advice and improved hygiene methods to help you deal with this unpleasant condition.

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that generally erupt in people’s late teens or early twenties. In some patients with smaller jaws the wisdom teeth may never fully erupt which cause them to push forward potentially causing significant damage to the roots of other teeth. This can also cause infections and cysts to develop in the tissue surrounding the teeth.

Wisdom teeth can also cause pain if there is enough room but they are not aligned correctly. In fact, in studies it has been found that incorrectly aligned teeth can be just as likely to develop infection as teeth without enough room. These infections can cause very unpleasant pain that will need dental treatment to stop. This usually involves the removal of the wisdom teeth by a City of London dentist or maxillofacial surgeon. Depending on the severity of the problem, this will be carried out in either the dentist’s surgery or in the hospital for more extreme cases. The more compacted or misaligned, the more complicated and lengthy the surgery. Ignoring wisdom teeth altogether can lead to tissue and nerve damage in the facial muscles.

Dentists will usually check patients of a certain age for developing wisdom teeth to see if they are going to pose a problem. It is better to remove wisdom teeth likely to be problematic before they actually begin to cause pain as this makes removal far less unpleasant. Wisdom teeth are easier to remove in younger patients because the roots are softer as they have not had time to properly develop.

Teeth discolouration can be a problem for some people causing self-confidence issues and embarrassment but fortunately it is easily treated with modern and effective teeth whitening systems. Everybody suffers from discolouration as teeth naturally lose their colour during your lifetime but it affects some people more than others. Other people suffer from extra discolouration difficulties due to excess fluoride in the water or due to lifestyle choices such as smoking or drinking red wine.

Teeth whitening has been used for many years to restore the natural white colour of teeth but in the last few years it has become increasingly affordable and available, and is now offered as a routine procedure at most dentists. Most whitening treatments involve a thorough cleaning of the teeth before applying a whitening gel in a specially modified tray. The tray keeps the gel in contact with the surface of the teeth while simultaneously protecting the soft tissue of the gums and lips.

The active ingredient in whitening gels is usually hydrogen peroxide, which penetrates the stained enamel and bleaches it to restore the colour. This gel can be dangerous to soft tissue in high concentrations so it is advised that any teeth whitening you have is applied or prepared by a professional. Whitening kits bought for home use or from the internet can be dangerous if applied incorrectly.

Whitening can have a dramatic impact on a person’s appearance. Because whiter teeth are associated with youth, even subtle whitening can make you appear younger. Whitening usually takes a few treatments to show visible results but once whitened the effects can last for up to three years. City of London dentists offer teeth whitening for all patients with all budgets.