One of the most common periodontal diseases is receding gums. If left untreated, it could actually lead to loss of tooth as well as heart attack, diabetes, stroke and respiratory disease. For this reason, it is vital that you consult with your London dentist in order to prevent such complications arising from receding gums.

There are actually two known causes for receding gums. They are:

• Over brushing or brushing too hard
• Bacterial infection

With over-brushing, you can easily manage receding gums by replacing your toothbrush with one that has soft bristles and making sure that you brush your teeth and gums gently.

As for the second cause of receding gums, the bacteria in your mouth, if uncontrolled, could reside in your gum lining and start to secrete toxins which will destroy the cells in your gums. The result: bleeding, tender and sore gums.

Normally, your saliva can protect your from these oral bacteria but there are cases when it would not be enough. For instance, use of certain toothpastes, mouthwashes and other alcohol-based oral care products could dry your mouth, resulting to less saliva production.

Suffering from receding gums is actually a serious condition and should not be ignored. Diagnosis and treatment of this oral condition will involve thorough dental check up and assessment in order to determine cause and best possible treatment option.

Your dentist could recommend gum grafting in order to cover the exposed root and prevent further damage to the bone. Also, a non-alcohol mouthwash will be prescribed to kill oral bacteria effectively without affecting saliva production.

In any case, it is important that you follow your London dentist’s advice if you are serious about treating receding gums.

Any discomfort or pain you experience from drinking either hot or cold foods and drinks can be attributed to sensitive teeth. Although this dental condition is not as serious as the other oral problems, it could be quite uncomfortable. In order to address sensitive teeth, you will need the help of a London dentist.

Sensitive teeth can be the result of the removal of the cementum or enamel of the tooth, exposing its dentin. There are actually two kinds: dentinal sensitivity and pulpal sensitivity. Dentinal sensitivity could be due to the following:

• Brushing too hard
• Poor and/or improper oral hygiene
• Tooth wear
• Cracked filling or leak
• Receding gums
• Gum surgery
• Excessive use of tooth whitening products
• Eating acidic foods and beverages

On the other hand, pulpal sensitivity, which affects the root of the tooth, could be due to:

• Infection or decay
• Recent filling
• Pressure from teeth grinding or clenching
• Broken or cracked tooth

If you think you have sensitive dentist, it would be wise to seek proper attention form your dentist. a complete examination of your mouth will be done in order to pinpoint the exact cause of the sensitivity. In addition, you will undergo several tests to check whether you require a root canal treatment in order to save the tooth.

Other treatment options include mouthwashes, rinses, special toothpaste and even dental tools or appliance that could cure clenching and grinding. Your London dentist will be able to recommend the best treatment option based on your needs, preferences and even budget.

You would be surprised to learn that periodontal disease actually affects a lot more people than you would think. Such condition could range from a relatively-simple inflammation of the gum to much more serious problems resulting to the destruction or the teeth and soft tissue. But with the assistance of your London dentist, you might be able to understand and successfully treat any periodontal disease.

Any kind of disease involving your gums should be treated immediately. If not, the likelihood of losing your teeth is increased.

There are basically two common types of periodontal disease:

• Gingivitis – mild inflammation of the gums that result to red, swollen and bleeding gums. This disease can be reversed simply with improved oral hygiene as well as regular visits to your dentist for cleaning.
• Periodontitis – if gingivitis is left untreated, it could lead to this much more serious inflammation. The gums will pull away from the tooth, forming pockets which would also be infected. Ignoring this condition can lead to the destruction of the connective tissue, gums and bones, resulting to loose tooth.

Symptoms of periodontal disease include bad breath, loose teeth and swollen gums. Prevention is certainly better than cure and in this case, you can prevent periodontal disease by:

• Brushing your teeth with toothpaste that contains fluoride
• Flossing daily
• Visiting your dentist regularly
• Eating balanced meals
• Avoiding smoking

If you choose not to treat periodontal disease, you should know that there are studies that link it to other serious health conditions such as increased likelihood of a stroke or heart attack, increased chances of preterm delivery and difficulty in controlling sugar levels in the blood of diabetics. .

Several options are available for treating periodontal disease. Your London dentist will most probably discuss deep cleaning, medications and in extreme cases, even surgery.

Most people have suffered from painful sores in their mouth. These sores, which can be located on the gums, under the tongue and even inside the lips or cheeks are called canker sores. Although these sores usually go away even without treatment, it is still recommended that you have them checked by your City of London dentist.

Canker sores usually appear as oval or round with red borders. Before these sores appear, you might feel a burning or tingling sensation in the said area as well as fever, swollen lymph nodes and listlessness.

To date, there are basically three kinds of aphthous ulcers or canker sores:

• Minor – the most common type characterized by an oval-shaped lesion; typically lasts a couple of weeks
• Major – large, irregular-shaped lesions; lasts for several months and could result to scarring when healed
• Herpetiform – appear as clusters of tiny lesions, which usually merge forming one large ulcer

Possible causes for canker sores include the following:

• Weakened immune system
• Oral injury or trauma
• Allergy
• Nutrient deficiency
• Hormonal changes
• Stress

Whatever the reason is, your dentist will be able to help you manage these canker sores allowing you to recover from them safely and quickly. Treatment options available for these aphthous ulcers include:

• Oral rinses or mouthwashes
• Topical pastes
• Nutritional supplements
• Oral medications

Naturally, your City of London dentist will have to correctly diagnose canker sores before any treatment plan is recommended. It is vital that the cause is determined in order to reduce the frequency of recurrence of these sores in the future.

Also referred to as endodontics, a root canal treatment is usually done when the nerves of your tooth are believed to be infected or injured. Before being recommended this treatment, your City of London dentist will first make a proper assessment of your teeth’s condition.

At this point, it is important that you understand the need to undergo a root canal treatment before the pulp becomes too infected, resulting to abscess. If still untreated, the infection could spread to the rest of the tooth and it might be necessary to extract it.

Basically, the root canal treatment is designed to:

• Remove infection
• Clean the infected tooth
• Fill the infected tooth in order to protect it from another infection

During your first visit to the dentist, the pulp that is infected will be removed. In addition, all abscesses will be drained and the root canal will be thoroughly-cleaned as well as shaped as part of the preparation for a temporary filling.

On your second visit, the tooth will be checked for any signs of infection. If there are none found, your dentist can now fill the tooth permanently.

Although a root canal treatment can be painful, keep in mind that it is better to save the infected tooth than leave it until it rots out or even have it extracted. Most dentists would recommend this procedure in order for you to enjoy more natural teeth.

Caring for your tooth after a root canal treatment will require nothing special. Your City of London dentist will probably suggest a good oral hygiene program, healthy lifestyle and proper diet in order to ensure perfect oral health.

If you have noticed a consistent odorous breath, it is possible that you are suffering from halitosis. Although this condition could be quite embarrassing, it is best that you seek treatment from a reliable City of London dentist.

Bad breath or halitosis can be caused by a number of things. These include:

• Poor oral hygiene – without proper flossing and brushing, food will be left in your mouth which will serve as the food source of oral bacteria
• Foods – certain foods can give off bad breath such as onions and garlic
• Improper denture cleaning – dentures may collect bacteria especially if food particles are not removed
• Periodontal disease – suffering from gum disease could also be the reason for the bad breath
• Dry mouth or Xerostomia – with decreased saliva production, the mouth has no natural defense against odor-causing bacteria
• Smoking – in addition to its lingering smell in your mouth, smoking tobacco could also affect the acidity of your mouth, attracting more bacteria
• Health condition – certain disease such as diabetes and chronic sinusitis could actually be characterized by foul-smelling breath

To treat halitosis, your dentist will have to first determine the exact cause, extent of the problem and your preferences. Once these have been established, a treatment program can be recommended.

Among the various treatment protocols are:

• New oral hygiene program
• Periodontal cleaning
• Anti-microbial mouth rinse

Your City of London dentist will ask you to return periodically in order to make sure that the halitosis has been controlled and successfully-treated.

One of the most common dental procedures is tooth extraction. In order to feel more comfortable with the idea of having your tooth removed by a London dentist, it will probably help if you learn about what this procedure involves.

Simply put, tooth extraction is the removal of one or more teeth as part of a treatment program. There are actually a lot of reasons why your dentist will recommend extraction of the tooth and they include the following:

• Decaying tooth – if not extracted, it could lead to nerve damage and painful abscess due to infection
• Teeth crowding – if your teeth are simply too big for your mouth resulting to crooked teeth. Removal of a tooth or several teeth will solve this problem.
• Impacted tooth – when one of your tooth is impacted
• Gum disease – if the tooth have loosened because of damage to the bone and ligaments that hold it in place

The tooth extraction procedure will involve the use of sedative to help alleviate your anxiety as well as anaesthesia. Depending on your preference, you can choose to stay awake or be asleep for the entire procedure.

Using an elevator and special forceps, your dentist will first loosen the target tooth and then move it gently until the actual extraction. You should expect bleeding from the site and there are even cases when the procedure will require stitches.

Some swelling and discomfort will be experienced after the tooth extraction. You could ask your dentist for a mild pain reliever. There are actually very few complications that come with this dental procedure including:

• Sever pain
• Fever
• Prolonged bleeding
• Severe swelling

If you experience any of these, you should immediately contact your London dentist

Considered to be the mildest form of periodontal or gum disease, gingivitis results to swollen or inflamed gums. Due to its mildness, it is possible people do not realize that they have it until it becomes worse. For this reason, regular check ups with your City of London dentist is advisable to protect yourself from gingivitis.

Among the symptoms of gingivitis that you should watch out for are:

• Bleeding gums
• Swollen and soft gums
• Bad breath
• Change in gum color from pink to red

If you are wondering how gingivitis develops, you should not be surprised to know that it is linked to plaque buildup. This bacteria breeding ground can actually harden into calculus or tartar, making it difficult to remove. With the tartar irritating the gingival, bleeding and swelling results.

Ignoring the symptoms of gingivitis could result to worsening of the gum disease leading to periodontitis. Unlike gingivitis, periodontitis could result to destruction of the gum tissue and even tooth loss. If you do not want this to happen, then it is vital that you stop gingivitis dead on its track.

In order to avoid developing gingivitis, it is important that you maintain good oral hygiene. On the other hand, treatment for this gum disease includes:

• Complete dental cleaning
• Mouth rinse (antiseptic)
• Flossing
• Brushing
• Fixing fillings and dental restorations

Although your City of London dentist will clean away the tartar and plaque build up in the gum line, it is still your responsibility to ensure proper oral care.

A lot of people have begun becoming conscious about the color of their teeth. As testament to this, there are presently millions of teeth whitening products being sold in the market.

If you are among these individuals who have been wondering why teeth darken, your London dentist will be able to help you.

So, why do teeth darken?

There are actually several reasons why your teeth are not as shiny white as you might want them to be. Among these are:

• Smoking – staining due to the nicotine content of cigarettes
• Coffee, tea, red wine – discoloration due to the dyes as well as caffeine
• Old age – thinning of the enamel which exposes the dentine
• Medication such as tetracycline – results to blue-gray discoloration
• Genetic Influence – family members have discolored teeth; some races have distinct teeth color compared to other races

If the reason for the darkening of your teeth can be attributed to smoking and drinking coffee or tea, then you should immediately stop doing so. On the other hand if the reason is due to the other factors, then you should probably ask your dentist about possible options available to lighten your teeth.

Today, you can easily solve your problems involving discolored teeth with the aid of teeth whitening products. These products can be applied by your dentist according to a teeth whitening program or you could choose one which you can apply in the comfort of your own home.

As always, it is still best that you consult your London dentist for the best whitening product that will fit your needs and budget.

Although brushing your teeth after each meal is considered to be hygienic, there is what dental experts in London refer to as over brushing. In fact, there is an increasing trend of dental problems associated with this brushing behavior.

Studies have revealed that the incidence of over brushing is currently high. A lot of dentists have noticed a growing number of individuals showing signs such as:

• Enamel damage
• Increased sensitivity

Contrary to popular belief, over brushing cannot be blamed on the bristles of your toothbrush but on the kind of toothpaste you are using. In recent years, people have started buying tooth whitening products left and right not knowing that a lot of them can damage the enamel of the teeth. Combine this with the incorrect habit of brushing vigorously and you will get damaged teeth.

You can easily avoid over brushing teeth by having a bit of common sense. Keep the following in mind:

• Follow your dentist’s advice regarding the frequency of brushing your teeth — 2-3 times per day is considered just right
• Avoid using too much toothpaste — a pea-sized potion should be more than sufficient
• Brush slowly and gently, applying just the right amount of pressure

Over brushing is not something that should be taken lightly. The consequences can be long-term and will surely be a nuisance. Worse, they could even lead to more dental problems.

If you think that you are one of the people who over brush their teeth, you should immediately see your London dentist before you completely destroy your enamel and suffer from sensitive teeth and eroded enamel.