Dental plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth and oral soft tissues. Your London Dental Clinic can help you to learn to properly take care of your teeth and gums. If dental plaque is allowed to remain on your teeth for more than 48 hours, it will harden and become more difficult to remove. After twelve days, it becomes very hard, and is then called tartar. Your London dentist agrees that proper oral hygiene is required to properly remove dental plaque and to prevent plaque from becoming tartar. The best treatment for plaque and tartar build-up is prevention. It is very important to brush your teeth at least twice daily for two minutes each time, to floss your teeth, and to also brush your tongue. Tartar tends to build-up more on your back teeth, so it is important that these teeth are brushed and flossed satisfactorily. For the hard to reach smaller places of your mouth, use a brush with a small head. Make sure to brush your teeth before bedtime. This is the time when plaque may build-up on your teeth, due to the lack of saliva flow at this time. Be certain to change your toothbrush every three months, as the bristles begin to splay and tear. Your London Dental Clinic dentist and dental hygienist will teach you how to properly brush your teeth. If they see some problem areas, special advice may be given for these areas of the mouth. You are also advised to avoid carbonated beverages, especially sugary ones, and sweet foods and snacks. The best types of foods to eat are unsweetened and high fibre foods.

Oral thrush is caused by the overgrowth of Candida albicans, a fungus. Your London dentist will tell you that Candida albicans is present in approximately fifty percent of the population. It is also present in denture wearers, without the reported negative effects Oral thrush isn’t a problem for people, unless there is an alteration of the microflora of the cavity that favours the overgrowth of Candida albicans instead of other oral microflora. This can occurs as a result of taking certain antibiotics over a period of time, or some types of chemotherapy for cancer, etc. Diabetes, malnutrition, drug abuse, AIDS, or other immune deficiencies, can also cause this to occur. Denture wearers whose dentures do not fit properly can get oral thrush. Your London dentist may recognize some other symptoms, such as angular cheilosis of the lips, and pale spots on the lips. In the case of oral thrush, there are elevated to yellow spots in the mouth that bleed slightly when scraped with a tongue blade. Oral thrush also causes a burning sensation of the mouth and throat. Your London dentist will perform a thorough examination of your mouth to determine if you have oral thrush. Once it is determined that you have oral thrush, the condition that caused the oral thrush should be brought under control. Your London dentist will work together with your physician in order to get your oral thrush under control. Your London dentist will then give you an antifungal medication, either as a suspension or oral suppository to be sucked until it is dissolved. This will allow the antifungal agent to work locally. Several types of antifungals used are nystatin, amphotericin or miconazole . Antifungal tablets may be required to eliminate the thrush that has spread. Oral thrush makes your mouth more sensitive, so use a soft bristled toothbrush to clean your mouth and rinse with a diluted three percent hydrogen peroxide solution

Dental fluorosis is the result of a high consumption of fluorides during tooth development. This occurs in some areas of the world where the fluoride levels in the soil and drinking water are very high. The result is teeth that are hypomineralized, porous, brittle, and hypocalcified. In some cases, these teeth are very unaesthetic. Your Central London dentist can provide help for your dental fluorosis. Bleaching the teeth hasn’t been very successful, so your dentist may opt to apply dental bondings are porcelain veneers. Your Central London dentist will clean your teeth with pumice, etch your teeth, apply an unfilled resin, and then bond your teeth. Depending on the region of the world and the amount of fluoride exposure, your teeth can have a very abnormal surface and vary in colour from yellow to grey. Some patients may only want to try bleaching to remove the discolouration. If the tooth surface is pitted or uneven, it is best to try to smooth the surfaces of the teeth affected so that they won’t pick up extra dental plaque and result in dental caries. There are varying levels of fluorosis, and you should visit your Central London dentist to determine the level of treatment you will require for your desired results. Also, smoking, drinking coffee and tea, and eating dark coloured foods will stain these teeth.

Your tongue surface is covered with hundreds of finger-like projections called papillae. Your tongues taste buds are contained among these papillae. These papillae are constantly being shortened in length as their natural turnover. This shortening does not occur in all people, and these projections can grow extremely long. Then it is easier for these projections to trap bacteria and food debris. When this occurs the tongue looks black and hairy. This is what is referred to as “black hairy tongue.” Your City of London dentist will ease your concern, as this is not an infection or cancer. The exact cause of “black hairy tongue” is unknown. However your City of London dentist will explain what may increase your risk of this problem. Smoking, some antibiotics, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or uncontrolled diabetes can increase your risk for “black hairy tongue.” This condition is not painful, but does cause bad breath. Brushing your tongue and avoiding smoking are the best ways to prevent ‘black hairy tongue” The use of a tongue scraper will also help. After two weeks, your tongue should return to normal. Visit your City of London Dental Clinic if you notice any anomalies on your tongue.

Your City of London dentist treats injuries to your lips, tissues under your lips, floor of your mouth, inner cheeks, and soft and hard palates. Some injuries, such as your throat or tonsils may have to be referred out to a specialist, either an oral surgeon or an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Injuries to your cheeks and tongue may occur by biting them possible due to biting them, or being hit in the mouth during an accident. Cuts and bruises that occur in these areas can be tended to by your City of London dentist, possibly by placing a few sutures where the tissue is cut. Cuts to your lips, both upper and lower, may be due to an accident of fall. Many of these injuries do not go through the lip, however may require sutures if the cut is deep. Other times your tooth or teeth can go through your lip and sutures will be required on both sides of your lip. More serious injuries often occur when something is being held in the mouth between the teeth or lips, and is dislodged due to a fall or being hit. These injuries are more involved to treat, and your may be referred to a specialist. Call you City of London dentist upon an injury to your mouth immediately, and if you are with someone who has had an injury to their mouth. Time may be of the essence. Make sure to keep the telephone number available of your City of London Dental Clinic. Someone is always on call.

Your London dentist can answer your questions or concerns about your child’s thumb sucking habit. Sucking is a natural reflex of instinct of infants, which sometimes stays with them into childhood. Thumb sucking tends to give a child a happy and secure feeling. It also allows them to learn about the world around them when they suck on various objects such as pacifiers. Children usually use thumb sucking to relax themselves and to also help them fall asleep. Sometimes children never suck their thumbs and only suck on their pacifiers. If allowed to suck their thumbs while their permanent teeth are forming, thumb sucking can cause numerous preventable problems as the child becomes older. Thumb sucking can cause problems with the proper growth of the permanent teeth and also the roof of the mouth and the pre-maxillary region. All of these can lead to an open anterior bite. Thumb sucking should stop when the formation of the front permanent teeth begins forming; 2-4 years of age. Pacifier use is usually an easier habit to stop for children. Several tips and suggestions that your London dentist has for you are: 1) thumb sucking usually occurs when a child is feeling anxious or insecure, so try to figure out what the causes are and correct them; 2) compliment your child for not sucking their thumb, and don’t give them negative feedback when they do; and 3) try to have your child involved in the stopping process and how they can best succeed to break this habit. Your London dentist can help to explain to your child what the outcome may be if they continue to suck their thumb. If you are not too successful, maybe a sock over the hand at night or some unpleasant tasting medication or foods applied to the thumb may work. However, seek profession advice about what to use before you use these methods.

Your Central London dentist can use sedation dentistry to make sure that you have an anxiety-free dental visit, and that you are relaxed during treatment. Dental anxiety and phobia are the cause of a lot of people avoiding the dentist. Your Central London dentist explains that the purpose of sedation is to create a relaxed patient and dental visit That are different types and levels of dental sedation that can be administered by either oral or intravenous means, or both. Sedative drugs such as anti-anxiety medication, depressants, tranquilizers, etc., can be used to achieve the sedative effect. Nitrous oxide has also been shown to be useful in the dental office. Intravenous sedation must be administered by someone with the proper training. Oral sedation dentistry is now being used more often to reduce and even eliminate the fear of dental treatment. The best type of sedation is that which is administered safely, relaxes the patients, and helps them not remember the dental procedure. The benefits of sedation dentistry are multi-sided, including distorting time, so that you don’t know how long you’ve been in the dental chair having a procedure or procedures performed. It is important that you bring a responsible adult to the dental visit with you, as you may require help getting home and caring for yourself for a few hours.

Your City of London dentist will recommend different types of orthodontic treatments depending upon your individual situation. Your City of London dentist may suggest the Invisalign® or the Inman aligner if they feel you are a good candidate. Invisalign® is made up of a sequential series of clear plastic trays to place over your teeth using computer technologies, The Invisalign® system is comfortable, nearly invisible, and usually takes one-half to one-third the time of regular orthodontics. Some cases where Invisalign® isn’t used include very crowded teeth or teeth that are only partially erupted, and shouldn’t be a substitute for required regular orthodontics. If your City of London dentist that feels that you are a good candidate for Invisalign® after examining your mouth, your dentist will perform a comprehensive oral examination, complete with dental X-rays and diagnostic plaster casts. The casts will then be sent to the laboratory where a series of 12-48 clear plastic sequential aligners are fabricated. Your dentist will then help you and show you how to place your first aligner tray. This tray will snap over your teeth, but may feel that it doesn’t fit correctly. The aligners are fabricated to accurately fit your teeth when your teeth reach their new desired position. Your City of London dentist may also suggest the Inman Aligner that functions to straighten your upper and lower front teeth quickly. This removable appliance only takes six to eight weeks to achieve its desired results. It works by cooperatively applying mild forces to the front and back of the front teeth simultaneously; moving them into position The Inman Aligner uses miniature springs to maintain its tightness. Both of these accelerated orthodontic treatments are well tolerated.

Your London dentist has a lot of experience at treating impacted teeth. Impacted teeth are teeth that have not erupted fully or not erupted at all into the oral cavity This is usually caused by; teeth crowding, a misaligned tooth or teeth, another tooth blocking the eruption of the impacted tooth, or the tooth being attached to bone and not being able to erupt into the mouth. Wisdom teeth are the teeth most often to be found to be impacted. Usually when the dentist views a panoramic X-ray, they can tell if a tooth is impacted or not. It seems that the lower wisdom teeth are more often impacted than the upper wisdom teeth. This is usually due to the lack of space in the lower dental arch. Impacted teeth almost always require removal, due to their ability to continue to grow and form cysts, and cause other more serious problems. Retaining this impacted tooth can also cause crowding of the erupted teeth, and if they impinge on the cementum of an adjacent tooth and a root canal may be required. This is due to the enamel being harder than the cementum and dentin of the tooth. Partially erupted teeth can also have a piece of gum tissue over them and food and bacteria can be trapped underneath the gum tissue, causing an infection. This infection should be treated before the tooth is removed. So, visit your London Dental Clinic for help with your impacted teeth!

Your Central London dentist says that “your face is the first thing the people look at when they meeting you. Having a beautiful smile improves the way people view you when meeting you for the first time, and also thereafter. If you have irregular teeth, you may be viewed differently by those that do not yet know you.” If your teeth are abnormally aligned, too crowded, spaced, and/or discoloured. Irregular teeth may also cause malocclusion and you may require a specialist (i.e., an orthodontist) to straighten your teeth and help them to bite together properly. Why do these irregularities exist? It may be due to a discrepancy in skeletal jaw size versus tooth size. This may occur because of genetics, not eating an adequate amount of hard foods, or habits such as thumb or finger sucking. Premature loss of baby teeth may cause more crowded teeth. There may be upper to lower jaw size discrepancies. All of these problems can be solved and treated at your Central London Dental Clinic. You should consider correcting these teeth irregularities by the time your child is 12 years old. However, each case is unique and this time may be variable. Treatment for these teeth irregularities can be treated with orthodontics. However, these irregularities can also be treated by reshaping of the teeth, and bonding to close spaces. Besides beautifying your smile, treatment for irregular teeth can help to improve your gingival health, chewing, ability to perform oral hygiene, reduction of dental caries, and reducing the risk of bad breath.