Keeping your gums clean is a simple matter of removing plaque. Plaque is a filmy substance that sticks to teeth releasing acid which erodes tooth enamel causing decay. It also sticks to gums destroying tissue and causing infections we know as gum disease. Most gum disease is mild and can be treated with improved cleaning but if it becomes the more serious periodontitis it can require tissue removal and hospital treatment.

The gums can be cleaned easily by angling the toothbrush at a forty–five degree angle when brushing. This gently clears gums of plaque and food debris which cause disease. Flossing below the gum line also helps to remove bacteria and food trapped in small pockets between the gums and teeth.

It is also important to make regular visits to a Central London dentist who can examine teeth for the first signs of gum disease and carry out thorough cleaning. Don’t get caught out by gum disease, as it can be a painful and unpleasant experience and one that is easily avoided.

Bacteria in the mouth attach themselves to tooth enamel using their sticky outer membrane. If the bacteria are not removed by effective brushing they can build up forming a plaque acid. This acid erodes the protective enamel of the tooth causing cavities that lead to infection and eventually tooth loss. Brushing twice a day for three minutes with an appropriate brush and paste can remove plaque forming bacteria keeping your teeth clean and strong and your breath fresh.

Dentists recommend that you brush at a forty-five degree angle to the teeth pointing the brush towards the gums. This way the gums are also brushed clean from bacteria and debris, but it is important not to brush the gums too hard as gum tissue can be eroded. It is also important to floss your teeth at least once a day to remove bacteria and food debris from places a toothbrush can’t reach. Brushing without flossing is the equivalent of only cleaning two thirds of your teeth.

It is important to remember to change your toothbrush every six months as bristles become bent and flat and do not provide a thorough clean when overused. Central London dentists can advise you which is the most suitable brush for your teeth at your next appointment.

Bad breath is mostly caused by decaying food matter trapped between the teeth or in the grooves of the tongue. Because the spaces between the teeth are hard to clean with a regular brush, food can get lodged there. If this happens, bacteria begin to break down the food, releasing nasty smelling sulphurous compounds, which are carried out on our breath. The same process happens on the grooves of the tongue where it is too spongy to be cleaned effectively with a brush.

The way to deal with these problems is to remember to floss and use a specially designed tongue cleaner. Flossing reaches the parts of the teeth that normal brushes can’t. The wire goes in the tiny spaces between teeth to free up lodged food and remove plaque. A tongue cleaner or scraper removes some of the millions of bacteria that live on the moist, warm surface.

If you or a loved one suffer from bad breath, it is always a good idea to see a Central London dentist who can offer advice on more effective cleaning and isolate the exact source of the problem. There is no need to suffer in silence or live with the anxiety of bad breath any longer. By making a few simple changes and visiting a dentist you could have clean fresh breath all the time.

Dentists recommend that patients brush their teeth twice a day for three minutes using an appropriate brush and the correct toothpaste for their teeth. Brushing helps to remove plaque, which is a filmy substance that builds up around the tooth enamel. Plaque is made up of bacteria and other debris that attacks enamel, eventually breaking it down and causing cavities. If a dentist does not repair these cavities they will penetrate to the root of the tooth causing pain and eventual tooth loss. Plaque can be removed by normal brushing but if it is not it will turn into tartar which cannot and will require a dental hygienist to remove it.

It is also very important to floss everyday. Flossing cleans the spaces in between the teeth that cannot be cleaned by regular brushing, where plaque can build up undisturbed. Flossing also cleans below the gum line, another hard spot to reach with a regular toothbrush. Brushing and flossing are the front line defence against dental problems and should prevent most dental disease. However, brushing and flossing alone are not sufficient to prevent all dental concerns. It is crucial that patients visit their dentist every six-months so that they can check for the first signs of any problems. Even the most ardent of brushers may still be susceptible to tooth decay and catching it early really can save a lot of pain and financial burden in the future.

Dentists are also trained to examine patients for the signs of other oral concerns such as cancer. Oral cancer is a particularly virulent form of the disease but has an 80 per cent survival rate if caught sufficiently early. A City of London dentist will examine for the signs of oral cancer as part of a regular check up and can take a swab of any suspicious looking material.

Maintaining a good standard of oral hygiene could save you a lifetime of costly and painful dental problems. Most dental issues are easily remedied at early stages but treatment becomes more and more difficult the more advanced the problem. A few minutes spent brushing and flossing each day, combined with a twenty minute check up every six months from a City of London dentist could be all it takes to keep your teeth and gums healthy for life.

Dentists advise that you brush your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening before bed, using a brush with appropriate bristles for your teeth. They also advise that patients floss at least once a day. This is crucial to maintaining a good standard of oral hygiene which can help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

If teeth are not correctly brushed, a filmy substance called plaque builds up around them. Plaque is full of bacteria, which attack the enamel of the teeth, breaking it down and causing cavities. If a cavity penetrates to the root of the tooth, it will erode the pulp and eventually lead to a painful infection. This can spread to other parts of the mouth and will eventually lead to tooth loss. Bacteria in the mouth can also cause painful gum disease, also know as gingivitis, which is an infection of the gums. This can cause gums to bleed and bacteria to enter the bloodstream and spread to other areas of the body.

The mouth is one of the dirtiest places on the human body, with over 500 million bacteria calling it their home. If it is not properly cleaned this bacteria will thrive in these perfect conditions causing all of the above problems and more.

It is also important to note that nearly 90 per cent of cases of bad breath are caused by poor standards of oral hygiene, particularly a lack of flossing, which helps to remove food particles from between the teeth. If left, these particles break down releasing foul smelling sulphurous compounds which cause bad breath. So not only are good standards of hygiene important for health, but also for your social life. A London dentist will be able to offer advice on how best to maintain good oral hygiene and prevent a whole range of painful and costly dental procedures.

People who don’t brush their teeth correctly, or who don’t floss regularly enough, often suffer from bleeding gums. It is thought that this might provide an entry to the bloodstream for the hundreds of millions of bacteria that call your mouth their home. This could result in an increased chance of heart disease and even a heart attack.

The mouth is one of the dirtiest places in the human body when it comes to bacteria. Allowing the bacteria into your blood stream from the mouth can be very dangerous. Once in the blood it sticks to the platelets, the cells responsible for coagulating to heal cuts and wounds. Once bacteria have attached themselves to the platelets it can cause blood vessels to become blocked which is obviously bad for the heart.

The only treatment for this kind of bacterial blockage is an aggressive course of antibiotics. But as bacteria become ever more resistant to modern antibiotic medicines this form of treatment is becoming less and less effective.

The one sure-fire way of beating this form of heart disease is prevention. Maintaining a healthy standard of oral hygiene can limit the number of dangerous bacteria in the mouth and ensure that they have no pathway into the bloodstream. Dentists in Central London recommend brushing teeth at least twice a day to help prevent the build up of plaque, the filmy substance around the teeth that is the breeding ground for bacteria. Flossing at least once a day can also help to destroy plaque, and kill bacteria.

Inadequate brushing or flossing can lead to cavities or gum disease (gingivitis) which can cause weakened gums to bleed and recede. Shutting this door once and for all could save your life and help you have a healthy heart, and for a few extra minutes a day, that really can’t be bad.

If these areas are not regular cleaned the bacteria will eventually produce acid, which will eat into tooth enamel and cause cavities. It will also produce foul smelling sulfurous compounds which are the major cause of embarrassing bad breath.

The bacteria live in a substance called plaque, which is made up of mucus and other debris. Brushing can get rid of plaque but often misses harder to reach places such as between the teeth and below the gumline. Flossing regularly can ensure that these harder to reach areas are kept clean and prevent the build up of plaque.

If plaque is not removed by brushing or flossing it will eventually harden into a substance called tartar which can only be removed by a dentist. If tartar is left to build up it can produce nasty toxins which can cause gingivitis, a disease that causes painful irritation of the gums. Eventually, this can lea to the erosion of the bone structure that hold the teeth in place and will result in tooth loss. There is a also evidence to suggest that flossing regularly can prevent oral cancer and other cancer in the body.

The American Dental Association recommends flossing the teeth at least once a day. For advice on how to floss your teeth properly consult your London dentist who can show you how to protect your smile for a lifetime.

Here are some pointers. Use a soft or medium bristled toothbrush. Hold your brush so that it is comfortable in your hand. Place a small amount of toothpaste on the brush, wet it, and place it against your teeth and gum at a 45 degree angle, and move it back and forth in a vibrating motion. Make sure that you brush all of your teeth on both the outsides and insides. The brush should be held in a vertical position to brush your front teeth on the insides. Then scrub the biting surfaces of your teeth, and floss your teeth (even behind your last teeth, as plaque also forms there). Brush for at least 2 minutes at a time and at least twice daily.