Teeth can be knocked out in many situations. It could be as the result of a sporting injury, a motor accident or even as the result of a particularly nasty disagreement. But having a tooth knocked out is never a laughing matter. Not only will a missing tooth spoil the appearance of the smile but it will also be very painful and cause all sorts of dental problems in the future if the damage is not repaired.

There are a number of ways your Central London dentist can replace your missing tooth and restore both the appearance and the functionality. This could involve using a dental implant or even a partial denture. However, one of the most effective and popular choices is the dental bridge.

A dental bridge is just as it sounds, an artificial tooth that literally bridges the gap created by the missing tooth. The artificial tooth, or pontic from the Latin for ‘bridge’, will be attached by either two dental crowns or resin bonded strips. This will very much depend on the condition of the adjacent teeth.

The dental bridge will last up to fifteen years if it is properly cared for with effective brushing and flossing. The other major advantage of the dental bridge is the cost. When compared to other dental substitutes, the dental bridge is very cheap yet still very effective. You may have to be slightly careful when eating harder foods but other than that, the dental bridge will behave and appear just like a real tooth. If you have suffered a knocked out tooth or need to replace an old dental substitution then make an appointment to discuss dental bridges with your Central London dentist.

Everyone has heard the old saying that prevention is better than cure. This saying is often very true, especially when it comes to the health of your teeth and gums. Dental problems can range form being easily treatable to being very serious and cause for urgent treatment. However, in many cases, dental problems are caused by factors that can easily be prevented. These include tooth decay and gum disease, both of which can be virtually eliminated with improved oral hygiene.

The two main prongs or oral hygiene are brushing and flossing. Brushing the teeth is perhaps the most important defence against dental disease. Brushing removes plaque and bacteria that builds up on the surface of the teeth and gums. Using toothpaste, gently brush the teeth angling the brush towards the gums. This should be done for about three minutes, twice a day after eating. Ideally you should brush your teeth after every meal but this is not always convenient. London dentists recommend using a soft-bristled brush with a small head for maximum efficiency when cleaning.

After brushing comes flossing; this helps to remove bacteria from the areas between the teeth and around the base near the gums. These areas are very small and almost impossible to clean with a toothbrush. This means they can often be the most dangerous areas for the start of decay and disease. Flossing at least once a day will help to remove bacteria and also any trapped food, which may be the cause of bad breath.

However, even if you have a very strict oral hygiene routine, there is still no substitute for a regular dental check up at least every six months. This will ensure that the first signs of any decay or gum disease are identified and dealt with before they can become a problem.

If you have ever suffered from a toothache you will know just how sensitive your teeth can be if the central part is exposed to stimuli. Teeth that are cracked or brittle can be particularly vulnerable to this and may need urgent attention from a dentist to prevent it causing you a great deal of pain. The best way to protect brittle and damaged teeth from further complications is to use a dental crown to act as a protective barrier.

Dental crowns can be made from a number of different materials but most commonly are manufactured from metal or ceramic, usually porcelain. They are skilfully fabricated to resemble the size and shape of the real teeth so as to minimise the aesthetic impact of an artificial tooth.

Once the crown has been manufactured, and with modern computerised technology this is now possible in just one appointment, it then needs to be fixed in the mouth. This usually involves the City of London dentist removing some of the existing enamel so that the crown can fit comfortably over the existing tooth.

The crown is cemented in place using composite dental bonding. It may be necessary for the dentist to etch the surface of the existing tooth so that the bonding has a greater grip. The crown will cover all parts of the tooth exposed above the gum line to form a complete barrier to sources of heat and cold, as well as bacteria and infection.

A dental crown can last for many years if it is properly maintained and cleaned by brushing and flossing but can easily be replaced in the future.

Cleaning your teeth is hard enough at the best of times, but when you`re wearing a brace it can be really awkward says a Central London dentist. The most important thing with braces is flossing; this will remove more food debris and therefore bacterium, than any other method of cleaning your teeth. You should also buy yourself a specially designed tooth cum brace brush known as a Proxabrush; ask your dentist about these particular brushes or at a major chemist shop. With flossing, if you choose non-waxed, thin thread floss then you will be able to get around the frames on the teeth. You will also find that using the thin floss you will be able to thread it through the wires and get into places that are hard even for the Proxabrush. Always give your mouth a good rinse out, using a good mouth wash, floss first then brush. Usually you will see your dentist every 6 months, but with braces you will need to halve that to 3 monthly appointments as they will need to remove the tartar build up more frequently. Braces needn`t always be a burden, it just needs a bit more better planning when it comes to the cleaning regime. Bacterium and acid builds up in the mouth and will cause you extra problems with braces, at night the saliva gland stops working, so throughout the day and night keep some water handy to swig, and swish around your mouth. There are now braces that do all the usual things a brace does, but they are removable when you need to clean your teeth or eat, they are called Inman Aligners and Invisalign Braces and are used mainly with adults, but the old style braces are still out there; and it just needs a little careful planning and common sense when keeping them clean and sterile.

As children we were always told of the wonders of Fluoride in the water, but is it really that important in an age when we drink so much bottled water asks a City of London dentist. The simple answer is yes, and the main reason for that is that Fluoride is a natural element that is one of the most common found in all water supplies. Even bottled water has it, so it doesn’t matter if you only drink designer water, you`ll still get the natural protection from it. It works both in our blood system and on the surface of the enamel that our teeth are coated in. When we eat and drink we are putting bacterium in our mouths, this is fine most of the time as this is needed by our digestive system to help break down the fat and sugar that our body needs. In the blood, fluoride helps to keep bad bacteria under control and then take it out of our bodies in our urine. On the teeth it neutralises the acid that bacterium produces; it contains natural alkaline properties that stop acid from wearing away our enamel. If we fail to keep acid under control it will crack our teeth and allow bacteria into the inner chambers, this will decay the teeth and we will lose them before they have served their time. The infections also cause us a lot of pain, lost days off work and expense at the dentist, and all for the sake of a natural product that nature has cleverly put into water to protect our teeth. All in all Fluoride is an essential part of our Oral Hygiene program, it isn`t put into water as most people think. As mentioned it is a natural element prevalent in all water supplies. So, you can carry on using Fluoride water without worrying about the urban myths that the government puts it in against our wishes.

We all buy Oral Care products and we all use them, but just how good are they and do they really do what they claim to do asks a London dentist. Most of the products we buy these days will contain the usual suspects, so to speak, these are chemicals that claim to cure our oral hygiene problems. The truth in some cases is that many of these products actually do more harm than good, and we should really look at natural ways to keep our teeth and breath fresh and clean. Sucking on mints will just load your mouth with sugar or some kind of artificial sweeteners, these will in the long term help to breed bacterium which will in turn produce acid, acid that will eat away at your teeth enamel and cause you tooth loss and infections. This is all because we think that sucking a mint will cure our bad breath. Mouth washes will contain chemicals that are suppose to neutralise the bacterium that causes bad breath, however all they`ll usually do is to give your mouth a minty wash out and remove bacterium that ordinary tap water will remove anyway. All water contains the natural element Fluoride, this is an alkaline element that will kill off bacterium and stop acid from eating away your teeth enamel. Many tooth pastes claim to whiten your teeth, this can only be accomplished if you spend a lot of hours grinding away the discolouration. There are no strong chemicals in tooth paste that can bleach your teeth. Bleaching is a tried and tested method of teeth whitening. Most tooth pastes that claim this contain an abrasive that will just take off your top layer of enamel if you use it enough times. The best way to clean breath and healthy teeth is flossing, brushing and constant water washes, especially at night when the saliva glands stop working

Orthodontics has undergone something of a revolution in the last ten years. There are a number of new straightening tools on the market to suit the needs of all patients. One of the latest and most impressive is called the Six Month Smile braces, so called because it aims to straighten teeth in only six months. Thanks to new braces such as Six Month Smile, many patients are finally changing the way they feel about wearing a brace.

Many patients have been put off in the past because of the unsightly appearance of braces but the Six Month Smile brace has taken a modern approach addressing and improving these issues. Still retaining the straightening power of a traditional fixed metal brace, the Six Month Smile brace has tried to give it more of an aesthetic twist.

Maintaining the same amount of power without using the same amount of force is the key to the Six Month Smile’s success in providing a more comfortable straightening experience. They have also designed the brace to have clear fixed brackets and tooth coloured wires, making it seem a lot less imposing in the mouth, one of the main complaints against old fixed braces. In fact, it is quite hard to see the Six Month brace unless standing very close to the patient.

Many patients therefore find that the Six Month Smile causes far less disruption to their life than they had previously imagined. More comfortable and less visually intrusive but still capable of producing stunning straight teeth and a beautiful smile, ask your Central London dentist about the very latest in orthodontic straightening.

A dental crown is a `cap` that fits over a tooth, it’s called a crown because it fits like a hat says a City of London dentist. If you have a problem with a tooth that needs a crown, then it is most likely to be a cracked tooth. This can be the result of an eating accident or a fall, it may be that you need one to finish off a root canal treatment. This is where the entire inside of the tooth is drilled and scraped out, then it is treated with a light to kill off any bacteria. The hole is then filled with a hard material to strengthen it and a crown is placed over the top to protect and seal it in place. A cracked or chipped tooth will need to be fixed as soon as possible, or the result will be infections, a lacerated tongue or worse. Dental cement is used to wipe over the cleaned out crack, then a crown will be placed over the crack to seal it in. If the crack is on the front of the tooth, then the crown will sit on the entire front of the tooth. A new method of making crowns is now available at many dental surgeries, it allows the dentist to do the job in just one visit. It’s called the CEREC method and is a machine that works on a 3D program controlled by a computer. You will be able to see your new crown even before it is made. The dentist will take digital photos and scan them into the machine, this then works out the dimensions of the crown and recommends a blank for the job. This is loaded into a milling machine that sculptures the crown while the dentist prepares your tooth to accept it. Within around 30 minutes max, you could be having a crown fitted onto the treated cracked tooth.

Braces can help to radically improve the appearance of a smile. Not only do they align and straighten teeth but they can also improve bite and profile altering the appearance of more than just the teeth. However, braces can cause other problems in the mouth, especially if they are of the fixed bracket variety. Certain parts of braces such as wires and elastic ties can attract bacteria and brackets and palates can trap food particles which can be breeding grounds for bacteria.

If teeth are not cleaned sufficiently when wearing braces they can leave patched areas when the brackets are removed at the end of treatment. Therefore it is very important to keep teeth clean when you are wearing braces. This involves sticking to a cleaning regime very diligently and one that may be more vigorous than for people without braces. If teeth are not kept clean during orthodontic treatment it can cause dental decay and gum disease that may be very difficult to treat because of the braces. This can increase the damaging power of these conditions.

Central London dentists recommend that patients undergoing orthodontic treatment try to clean their teeth and braces four times a day, after each meal and before bedtime. This helps to remove food trapped in the brace and any bacteria that may have accumulated. It is also recommended that brace wearers floss at least twice a day. Carrying floss and a travel toothbrush with you can help you to remember to clean your teeth even if you are not at home. Your diet can also help to keep your teeth clean. By avoiding sugary foods during orthodontic treatment and eating more fresh fruit and vegetables you can help to keep your teeth healthy. Also, you will need to keep up your six monthly dental appointments.

Patients with very badly discoloured teeth are very often ashamed of their condition, which can severely affect self-confidence and undermine self-esteem. It can cause a reluctance to smile or even be in social situations for fear of being noticed but there are several things you could do to improve their appearance.

Cosmetic bonding and teeth whitening are two options for whitening discoloured teeth. Teeth whitening can be dramatic but it can also be fairly ineffectual depending on the condition of your teeth. Dental bonding covers discolouration but can look unrealistic and uneven. By far the most dramatic and successful way to restore the appearance of white teeth is to use dental veneers.

Veneers are porcelain tooth caps that are cemented over the top of original teeth. They can be made from porcelain that compliments your facial tones and are incredibly thin to retain the translucent appearance of tooth enamel. Some of the latest veneers available on the market are as thin as a contact lens and require little or no enamel preparation prior to fixing.

Modern technology has made it possible to design and fit a set of veneers in only one appointment with a Central London dentist making it possible to have a smile you can be proud of the very same day. Veneers vary in price depending on the nature and quality of treatment but can you really put a price on a beautiful smile.