Aside from telling my patients that they have to take care of their teeth, I never fail to stress the importance of taking care of their gums as well. If you do not take care of your gums then there will be no place for your teeth. The gums are the foundation for your teeth and if you don’t take care of them then don’t expect to have healthy teeth too.

I’ve seen a lot of patients here in London who always brush their teeth but still complain that their gums hurt. How can this happen? The most important thing that you have to understand is that there are spaces between your teeth and your gums. We’re not talking about the evident little spaces between your teeth. We’re talking about the spaces that are snuggled between your teeth and your gums. This is the kind of space that you can’t see with your bare eyes.

Gum disease is caused mainly by bacteria and germs. The build up of bacteria and germs is caused by accumulated plaque. Plaque is a mixture of food and different kinds of bacteria that accumulate in the mouth. There are a lot of people who brush their teeth but fail to clean these spaces between the teeth and gums. When this plaque accumulates, you will end up getting some sort of gum disease.

Gingivitis is the most common type of gum disease. This is characterized by swelling gums, bleeding gums after brushing, and smelly breath. If you do not treat gingivitis then the gum disease may get worse and become periodontitis. This is when your teeth start falling out of your mouth. It’s scary to go through this so don’t tempt fate!

Brushing your teeth everyday is great for your teeth but there are some areas in your mouth that need expert cleaning. Visit your dentist once or twice a year so that you can have these tricky places cleaned. Preventing gum disease is the best way to have a healthy mouth and a radiant smile. Don’t wait for gum disease to happen and don’t let it get worse if you have it already.

A lot of people I meet around London ask me direct questions about the procedures involved in cosmetic dentistry, and how much it will cost them. Cosmetic dentistry could supplement an already exemplary oral hygiene, or reverse the damage of dental erosion brought about by lifestyle choices (such as extreme addiction to candy floss or smoking). The cost of cosmetic dentistry varies from patient to patient, and mostly depends on the extensiveness of the procedures.One thing that will greatly magnify the cost and extensiveness of a cosmetic teeth restoration is gum disease. Before any procedure can be implemented, the gum or gingival disorder has to be treated and kept at bay. The initial dental clinic visits will determine whether a patient’s gums are healthy enough to accommodate cosmetic dental procedures or not. Some visible signs to look out for include bleeding gums, sensitivity to heat or cold, and changes in the physical appearance of the gums and teeth over time. Once successfully treated, the dentist will then recommend the best cosmetic procedures applicable to the patient.

Whilst the initial procedures could be the most complex, a patient should go back for consultation to maintain of the beauty of the rejuvenated teeth. These subsequent visits may involve touch up, cleaning and more advice on how to continue caring for a patient’s teeth and gums outside the dentist’s office. The patient must strictly abide by the recommended after-care programme for maintenance of his dental health. That last information is crucial and I constantly remind my patients to follow my guidelines.

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.

Although the dental cosmetic industry has gained much momentum in the last few decades in grooming one’s overall personality, awareness regarding overall oral care and hygiene still occupies a backseat among many people. While at one hand, people are concentrating their efforts on building a spectacular set of teeth with dental procedures like teeth whitening and others, on the other hand their gums are being the subject of much neglect. However, the point is to concentrate on the general oral health and thereby ensure a healthy set of teeth and gums, as opposed to just beautiful teeth.The cause has received support from several dental practitioners from London, with the Gum Disease Awareness Week to draw some serious attention of people towards the otherwise neglected gum conditions. The role of healthy gums is undeniable when it comes to a beautiful and healthy set of teeth. Moreover, it is to this end that practitioners from almost everywhere in the planet have joined hands in furthering the consciousness among people affected by gum problems whatsoever.

Latest researches conducted in the field have proved that more than 75% of the world populations above 35 years of age are affected by gum diseases, the symptoms of which have been prevalent among 50% of them since their teenage - if only they were aware! To make things even worse, gum diseases do not always manifest themselves in symptoms and as per reports, more than 90% of the entire world’s adult population suffer from some sort of gum disease. In fact, bad breath is also a condition commonly related to bad gum conditions and improper oral hygiene. The requirements here are regular dental checkups and early diagnosis so that gum diseases and other related problems are a less pestering problem among people!

According to the British Dental Health Foundation, there are around 4,750 new cases of mouth cancer being diagnosed every year in the UK. The incidence of this disease has been observed to increase by at least 30 percent in the last decade. It is further estimated to cause an annual mortality of about 1600 people.That is quite alarming as you can see. Tobacco users and alcohol drinkers are more at risk of developing mouth cancer. And for those who smoke and drink at the same time, the risk is even heightened up to thirty times more.

A few months ago, the foundation launched its Mouth Cancer Awareness Week campaign at the House of Commons in London. The foundation was very enthusiastic about the results of a study which was published on the international scientific journal Cancer Research in September, 2007.

The study which was conducted at the University of Hong Kong found that lupeol, a compound found in fruits such as blueberries, papaya, blackberries, grapes, mangoes, and strawberries, seems to be very effective in preventing the growth of mouth cancer cells.

Anthony Yuen, a professor at the University of Hong Kong’s surgery department said of the lupeol compound, “It can suppress the movement of cancer cells and suppress their growth and it is found to be even more effective than conventional drugs (eg. cisplatin).” He further said that lupeol is even more effective if combined with chemotherapy drugs and has but a few side effects.
Lupeol acts to inhibit the NFkB, a natural protein that promotes cell growth and repair. As this protein is found to be activated in many cancers, Yuen hopes that lupeol may find its use in these other NFkB-dependent cancers as well.

Caries tooth is the single major problem affecting London school children and some of the most important reasons being ineffective cleaning of teeth, lack of fluoride in drinking water, calcium and vitamin D deficiency.  Though enough care is taken in brushing and flossing, there are some areas of teeth, which are inaccessible by the bristles of brush, especially the molars. These molars have many grooves on their chewing surfaces, which make them very difficult to keep clean. Over the time, these areas begin to develop symptoms of dental decay, later on spreading to other parts. There lies the importance of this modern approach in dentistry, i.e. prevention is better than cure. If we can make these surfaces a little smooth, it becomes easier to keep them clean. For this purpose, London dentists use some resin-like materials called fissure sealants to cover the biting surfaces of the susceptible teeth by a special technique. The most susceptible being molars, they are first treated with an acidic solution to prepare them to be sealed with the protective covering. Then a resin-like substance called fissure sealant is applied on the surface, which sets after exposure to a special light, i.e. visible blue light that sets the sealant (the resin) by polymerization and fixes it to the grooves on the surface of the teeth. This technique is generally used in children of age 9 to 14, immediately after the molars develop. If applied correctly, these sealants last up to 5 years. This technique is very simple, easy to use, and cost effective .It is pain-free too. Even though the sealant can protect the biting surface, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to take care of your teeth. Areas in between teeth can still be affected by caries. So regular visit to the London dentist is very essential to make sure that the sealant is intact and there is no sign of any other diseases affecting gums and teeth along with regular brushing, flossing, and cleaning.

Most of us, at least once in our lifetime would have experienced bleeding while brushing. Don’t worry, you are just one among millions who are affected with this extremely common disease, particularly those living in London. This is the commonest gum disease affecting all age groups irrespective of their gender or general health condition and the easiest one to cure, if properly taken care of. Gingivitis is the inflammation of gums that generally presents with soft puffy gums bleeding easily on slightest pressure. If you examine a healthy gum, it has a pale pink appearance and is firm to touch. Hence, if you experience any such symptoms, don’t hesitate to visit your dentist as soon as possible; because if not treated, this early stage can progress to more complicated other conditions such as periodontitis, abscess in teeth, loss of teeth, etc. Gingivitis can develop without you being noticing any of the symptoms because in early-stage, the disease is painless. The condition is caused by multiplication of bacteria, which colonise in between the gums and teeth. The forerunner of all gum diseases is formation of plaque that develops on the gumline of your teeth as a sticky thin coating. This coating is formed from the interaction between oral bacteria and sugars and starch in food. When we brush our teeth, it is removed but forms again and if it stays there for long, develops into tartar, which is much harder and are not removed by brushing or flossing. So the important thing we have to remember is the regular cleaning or brushing after each meal if possible or at least twice daily. Though plaques are the major cause of gingivitis by acting as the reservoir of bacteria, there are some other causes too. They are other health conditions such as leukaemia autoimmune diseases, pemphigus, diabetes, etc., use of some drugs such as antidepressants, antiseizure medications, and immunosuppressants, and smoking tobacco are some to mention. Sometimes viruses or fungi can also cause this condition. Hormone changes have some effect in producing this condition. Nutritional status of an individual has a major role to play in maintaining the health of the gums. Therefore, you have to ensure an adequate intake of vitamin B, C, and D while undergoing treatment for gum diseases.

People of London are health conscious and do give importance to health checkups, but when it comes to minor dental problems, we just don’t remember to keep our appointment with our dentist. So, don’t wait for a bloody spongy gum to remind us of our next appointment to professionally clean our teeth, free of plaques and tartar.