Keeping your teeth clean and free from plaque by brushing and flossing can help to prevent tooth decay and gum disease and can keep your mouth looking clean and healthy, but cleaning alone is not enough to prevent all dental problems. As well as a strict and effective dental hygiene routine it is also essential that you keep up six-monthly appointments at the dentist.

The dentist will be able to spot any signs of decay or disease that may be happening even if you clean effectively. It is often the most hard to reach places that are the main areas of decay and dentists can monitor and clean these difficult spots to keep teeth as healthy as possible. Dentists are also able to spot the first signs of more serious problems such as oral cancer or infection.

As well as seeing a dentist, it may be a good idea to see a dental hygienist. They are becoming more and more common in the UK as they allow the dentist more time to focus on their caseload and allow patients a more direct and focused cleaning appointment. Hygienists can offer thorough dental cleaning as well as liaising with the dentist to develop a more effective cleaning plan.

Most City of London dentists will now offer a dental hygienist as part of a regular six monthly check up service. It is not advised that you go longer than six-months between appointments unless your dentist has advised it for some reason. Some patients may need to see the dentist more regularly.

Sometimes we are all guilty of taking short cuts when it comes to our dental health. We all know we should brush our teeth twice a day for three minutes and floss to keep our teeth and mouth as healthy as possible, but sometimes with the demands of modern life these seemingly little things can get overlooked. But could be this be dangerous and not just for the health of our teeth?

Dental and oral hygiene can often be an indicator of overall health. Many diseases in the body have manifestations in the mouth to indicate that we may be suffering. Likewise, many conditions that begin in the mouth can have a larger impact on our bodies that we might not realise. The mouth is the gateway to our internal organs so it makes sense that any problems occurring in the mouth might well be linked to internal problems.

Recent studies have proved a link between periodontal disease and heart disease. Oral infections can cause an inflammation of the arteries that causes them to narrow. This is one of the underlying factors of many heart attacks and cases of cardiovascular disease.

Periodontal disease may also be indicative of diabetes as it makes it more difficult to control sugar intake. Diabetics are also far more prone to infection increasing the risk of dental complications. The risk of osteoporosis is also increased by poor standards of oral hygiene.

Oral hygiene can be easily influenced by our actions. Effective brushing and flossing can significantly reduce the risk of oral disease, therefore reducing the risk of heart disease and other complications. Regular check ups with a City of London dentist is also key to preventing gum disease and tooth decay limiting the risk of any further health complications.

The old adage that prevention is better than cure is nowhere more true than when it comes to your teeth. The most important weapons in the war against dental decay, gum disease and tooth loss is effective cleaning and regular six-month dental check ups.

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.

Dental check-ups in London are getting affected due to the high unemployment rate prevailing in the city. People skip their meetings with the doctor so that they can save their money. According to the recent studies it has been proved that more than thousands are loosing their job nowadays.Unemployment is directly proportional to the decrease of dental check-ups. People tend to forget about their toothache because there are more important matters that have to be solved with the money they have in hand. Parents prefer to pay the fees of their children rather than getting their dental complaints straightened out. Children are not taken for their regular check-ups and in the latest studies it was evident that 1 out of 3 is not seeing their dentist.

Individuals are not able to meet their daily expenses and the fee of a dentist is quite high which makes them reluctant to visit a clinic on regular basis. Government is trying to take adequate measures to increase the number of individuals visiting the clinics for their dental check-ups. It is expected that if the recession period comes down then people will start visiting the clinics again for their dental problems.

Regular dental check-ups are being introduced in the schools to provide treatment to the children. It is a schedule which is introduced by the government for all the children below the age of 5 years. A small amount of payment is taken along with the school fees to avoid a burden on the parents. Dental problems are being ignored by many people due to their unemployment.