Everyone is prone to suffer from tooth decay. However, it can be prevented/controlled by proper dental hygiene and a wholesome diet.
Dental caries or tooth decay refers to a gradual deterioration in the state of a person’s oral health, which is brought about due to the tooth enamel giving away. This damage of the tooth structure linked to decomposition can result in holes forming in the teeth, which are generally known as cavities.
Causes of Tooth Decay
Very frequently, the choice of diet and dental hygiene habits are instrumental in causing tooth decay.
The majority of the foods consumed by us are rich in starches and sugars. If not properly cleaned, and food particles remain on the teeth, then plaque (the glutinous substance that develops on teeth) mixes with the bacteria residing in the mouth. It is this mixture that generates acids, which destroy the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay.
The Role Of Diet and Nutrition in Tooth Decay
Adhering to a wholesome dietary regime with good nutrition is vital for advancing proper dental hygiene and preventing tooth decay. Drinks and food that contain elevated levels of sugars are far more likely to produce the acid that damages the tooth enamel leading to decay. Restricting drinks and foods that have high levels of sugar and carbonation could aid in checking tooth decay and enhance dental hygiene.

I have been approached several times by people who merely want to inquire about a possible dental treatment. One topic that is usually brought up is the number of sessions it will take before they complete treatment. Although they do not mention their reasons for asking about these things, I can tell that they are concerned about the inconvenience of returning to a dentist’s clinic and the cost of subsequent treatments.The potential for a more permanent establishment of the cosmetic dentistry industry in London is massive! One possible reason is the increasing awareness of the benefits. Going around the city and meeting new people, I frequently get introduced as a dentist and people surprisingly become very interested in what I do. It is quite disconcerting to be bombarded by so many questions, but I can tell that genuine interest is present. The concept of cosmetic dentistry is still new to some, as most still have lasting memories of getting dental fillings composed of amalgam or gold. Whilst these materials are effective in treating decayed teeth, they do not contribute much to the over-all aesthetics of a person’s teeth because of their unattractive colour.

There are some one-session, relatively inexpensive dental treatments that people can avail of, including composite resin bonding, which is recommended for stained or decayed teeth. This procedure takes approximately 45 minutes to one hour, and is quite long lasting. The patient does have to visit again for maintenance, preferably at six-month intervals.

Dental sealants can be placed during the early phases of tooth decay, or for preventing further decay. Treatment takes approximately 15 minutes and the sealant could last up to ten years. For stains or teeth discolouration, I recommend whitening or bleaching. Tooth contouring and reshaping are also permanent treatments that a patient can avail off in just one session.

Tooth abscess is a state when pus accumulates in or around the roots of a tooth. It causes severe pain and the affected tooth may loosen. Taking pain killers and draining the gum boil is just an act of first aid. It is advisable that you visit a dentist.

Symptoms of tooth abscess:
 Agonizing pain which increases on touching the tooth. Pain is severe when biting or chewing.
 Swelling appears on the gum which is red and the affected tooth loosens.
 Foul tasting secretion is discharged into the mouth.
 When the contagion spreads to nearby tissues swelling appears on your face and you develop fever.
Treatment of tooth abscess:

The aim of abscess tooth treatment in the dental hospitals of London or anywhere else is to first of all remove the infection. Once the infection is eliminated the tooth is preserved. This will prevent further complications.

The abscess has to be drained so that the infection can be eliminated. Root canal is the process through which tooth drainage is conducted. In some cases root canal surgery is also recommended so that any diseased root tissue is removed once the infection subsides. Finally a crown may be positioned over the tooth.

Drainage of the abscess can be carried out through the socket by extracting the tooth.

The last method of draining the abscess can also be carried out by slitting the swollen gum tissue.

Once the abscess is drained then you will have to take antibiotics to help you to fight the infection. To get relief from the pain and discomfort linked to an abscessed tooth, you can use over the counter pain killers or rinse with warm salt water.

Prevention of tooth abscess
Tooth abscess can be prevented by adopting good oral hygiene practices. And if you feel that your tooth has loosened then it is advisable for you to seek immediate dental attention.

No one really likes visiting their London dentist but it’s really necessary that you do get a check up done atleast once in six months. The main reason for this is that gum disease is a really insidious condition which has no major symptoms until the disease has advanced to a very bad condition. Here’s how it starts!The formation of soft and hard deposits on the teeth surface is really common and occurs for everyone. But most of the time with proper care plaque is not allowed to accumulate. But irregular brushing and poor oral hygiene can result in plaque accumulations which are infected with bacteria starting gum diseases. The plaque that slowly hardens over time and collects at the gum line is then called as calculus or tartar. Plaque or tartar now houses colonies of bacteria which infect the adjoining gums to cause gingivitis or gum inflammation. This infection can spread into the bone and can cause peridontitis.

If you do not catch this condition immediately for treatment, it can lead to loss of teeth, loose teeth or shrinking gums. Proper brushing techniques and flossing will help a lot to remove plaque formation. Oral health is also very important especially in pregnant women and in diabetic patients. People in this category are more susceptible to develop serious gum diseases. Other than loss of teeth, gum disease can cause serious inflammations in heart valves. The bacteria in the infected teeth can spread into the blood stream while chewing or eating and then reach lungs and other organs to cause serious infections.

We’ll have a Coke for a mid morning drink. Or you may like to have different types of commercial fruit juices, sports drinks, herbal teas, beer salts, and some types of Lucas brand of candy.All these products contain large amount of acids which can eat away or dissolve the surface enamel of your tooth. Shallow cavities can form all over the tooth surface called as dental erosion cavities. These acids strip away the hard enamel out coating of the teeth and expose the delicate inner dentine to the oral environment. Dentine is filled with a lot of nerves and these get exposed to the sudden changes in temperature or acidity causing severe sensitivity.

Sometimes it becomes difficult to locate exactly where the erosion cavities are located and treating the shallow saucer shaped cavities becomes difficult. Dental erosion creates a polished appearance to the enamel without any pain or sensitivity in the early stages. Most patients are not even aware of the problem until the situation becomes really bad.

A good ways to keep a close eye on your teeth is to get regular check up every two months at your London dentist and preferably avoid all drinks contain a large amount of acids.

When your child transitions from a baby bottle to a sippy cup, this is a big development. The dentists in London make a very strong note to all parents to not give juices to their kids in sippy cups.The reason behind this fact is that as long as those juices or sugary drinks stay in the sippy cups, it is for that period of time that your toddler is going to be exposed to them, which is a major contributor to cause cavities.

Therefore it is expressed time and time again by London dentists to all the parents that they should give water to their toddlers in the sippy cups instead. The juices or sugary drinks only cause the kids to be at high risk for tooth decay.

There are some important facts that parents should always take into consideration and this includes to never ever let your child sleep with a sippy cup having any sugary drink, they should only be given water.

At meal time, sippy cups should always contain water. Another important fact that needs to be taken into consideration is that sippy cups are not to be used for a prolonged period of time in a day.

Using sippy cups for your toddlers is a major landmark and it is the time when most care is needed to prevent your child from developing any tooth problems at such a young age. Prevention now can avert serious dental conditions from happening in future.

Recent researches have shown that oral problems in children are five times more frequent than respiratory disorders and seven times more frequent than ordinary hay fever. Researches have also confirmed that tooth decay is the most serious ailment that affects children between five and seventeen years and that it is no less a threat in infants. Therefore, the assumption that children have better teeth than the adults is only a misnomer and that is why extra care should be taken to ensure complete oral health in children and infants, so that they are not faced with too many complications in the future.What a child eats mostly affects the child oral condition. Sugars, starches, food acids, etc cause tooth decay and contribute to a whole myriad of other dental and periodontal problems. Added to this fact, a child’s teeth are even more difficult to clean, resulting in bacterial growth. Although a baby’s deciduous teeth will eventually be replaced with the permanent ones, a healthy set of teeth is crucial to the baby’s overall development and health.

It is best to consult a professional dentist for your child’s overall oral hygiene and for this you can refer to any qualified paediatric dentist in London. A professional will be the best person to prepare a checklist for your child’s oral health while he/she grows up from a baby. A general child oral care checklist may include regular teeth cleaning, regular dental visits, optional sealant application sessions, fluoride treatments, dental flossing sessions, regular mouth washing, and orthodontic treatments.

Dental abscesses, more than often, are caused by oral bacterial growths that primarily originate in the gums or teeth. If the abscess has been initiated in the teeth, it is more likely to be related with an untreated cavity, which, in turn, is caused by the effects of carbohydrate-rich food items coupled with the activities of bacteria, living in the oral cavity. Although there might be several varieties of bacteria thriving in the mouth, only a few of them are directly linked with teeth cavities.These bacteria are generally found in colonies and they draw their nutrition primarily from the carbohydrates that we intake, subsequently digesting a part of them and releasing acids. These acids then readily dissolve the hard enamel coating of the teeth causing tooth decay, eventually affecting the blood capillaries and nerves present in the teeth pulp, causing much pain and discomfort. Certain varieties of dental abscess are also caused by gum infections, causing loosening of teeth and creating a pocket for bacterial growth. Dental abscess can be dangerous if left untreated, causing swelling in the mouth that can effect regular respiration, even choking the patient to death.

Dental abscess has various treatments in London, the choice of which primarily depends on the severity of condition. If the abscess is being caused by tooth decay, the preferred treatment would be to undergo root canal treatment or a probable removal of tooth. If the abscess has generated in the gum, it might be treated by surgically cleaning the affected area. Irrespective of the source, a more serious condition will require the professional practitioners to make a small incision in the gum, thereby draining the abscess. The surgery, most of the times, is followed by pain relief medications and antibiotics.

Although cavities are most usually thought of as the general signifier of tooth decay, a faculty member at The Health Science Centre, University College London, has articulated his concern, through a recently conducted research on teeth erosion, of more and more citizens becoming susceptible to the occurrence of the same. Tooth erosion, in contrast with tooth cavity, refers to a syndrome whereby the teeth lose their protective enamel making them more vulnerable even to the slightly unfavourable conditions. The threat becomes even greater because teeth erosion occurs silently and hardly manifests any medical symptom before late, the effect being most pronounced in the global metropolises, London not being an exception here.Researches, conducted by Prof. Bennett and his colleagues at the University of Texas, confirm the prevalence of the syndrome among more that 30% of all 10-14 years old and that the threat is showing only an upward trend. The multi-centre study involved 900 middle-school goers, which finally reached a conclusion jointly at the Health Science Centre and The Indiana University, University of California, San Francisco.

Prof. Bennett identifies some acids, found in various food products that are being increasingly consumed these days, being detrimental towards the natural behaviour of the teeth enamel, thereby causing steady erosion in the same. These acid-rich food items include some varieties of fruit juice, soft drinks, sports drinks, beer salts, herbal teas, some varieties of candy, etc, which when consumed in excess affects the teeth enamel causing gradual decay in the calcium cover. Although teeth erosion causes no pain or irritation in its early stages, prolonged exposure to these harmful substances can make the problem painful and a lot severe. Therefore, early detection is necessary in order to keep the condition well under one’s control.

Did you know the fact that acidic foods can cause tooth decay? A lot has been written about this subject. The acidic foods such as the acid found in sodas, energy drinks, juices, wine, etc. can all cause wearing off of tooth enamel in turn causing tooth decay.It must seem a bit different to hear, but one should not have acidic foods before going to bed. The major reason for that is the decreased production of saliva during that time, which can cause increased acid exposure.

Another thing, which can help you provide better protection against acid decay is to brush your teeth about half an hour before consuming acidic foods. It should be noted here that you should not brush after having acidic foods.

Therefore it is always best to have acidic foods in moderation and at right times, which can help protect your teeth and obviously your beautiful smile. Take care of yourself as much as you can. Better health to my fellow Londoners.