Dental plaque and tartar build-up on your teeth and oral soft tissues. Your London Dental Clinic can help you to learn to properly take care of your teeth and gums. If dental plaque is allowed to remain on your teeth for more than 48 hours, it will harden and become more difficult to remove. After twelve days, it becomes very hard, and is then called tartar. Your London dentist agrees that proper oral hygiene is required to properly remove dental plaque and to prevent plaque from becoming tartar. The best treatment for plaque and tartar build-up is prevention. It is very important to brush your teeth at least twice daily for two minutes each time, to floss your teeth, and to also brush your tongue. Tartar tends to build-up more on your back teeth, so it is important that these teeth are brushed and flossed satisfactorily. For the hard to reach smaller places of your mouth, use a brush with a small head. Make sure to brush your teeth before bedtime. This is the time when plaque may build-up on your teeth, due to the lack of saliva flow at this time. Be certain to change your toothbrush every three months, as the bristles begin to splay and tear. Your London Dental Clinic dentist and dental hygienist will teach you how to properly brush your teeth. If they see some problem areas, special advice may be given for these areas of the mouth. You are also advised to avoid carbonated beverages, especially sugary ones, and sweet foods and snacks. The best types of foods to eat are unsweetened and high fibre foods.

Considered to be the breeding ground of oral bacteria, dental plaque forms on the teeth’s surface. Since they are just soft deposit, you can easily remove them with regular flossing and brushing. In addition, you will have to visit your City of London dentist for dental cleaning in order to avoid gum disease due to plaque buildup.

Surveys in the UK have revealed that:

• 7 out of 10 adults have visible plaque
• Half of the 7 adults are already suffering from various gingivitis degrees
• 2 out of 10 aged 15 to 18 have periodontitis with pockets of depth about 4 to 5 mm
• 8 out of 100 adults suffer from severe periodontitis with pockets of minimum depth 6 mm

You must keep in mind that although everyone can develop dental plaque, only some develop periodontal or gum disease. For this reason, it is important that you aware of the risk factors associated with gum disease due to plaque:

• Poor hygiene that encourages the build up of plaque
• Smoking
• Weakened immune system
• Diabetes

In order to prevent gum disease due to plaque, you should:

• Brush teeth 2-3 times a day for about two minutes
• Use power toothbrushes which are found to remove plaque and debris better than regular toothbrushes
• Visit dentist regularly for dental cleaning
• Stop or avoid smoking

Treatment for gum disease associated with plaque depends on the severity of the disease. Your City of London dentist will give you an antiseptic mouthwash in addition to special dental treatment that can remove stubborn plaque in deep pockets.

Many Londoner’s have gum disease (gingivitis) and don’t even know that they have it until it becomes more severe and begins to cause problems for them. Gingivitis occurs as a result of bacteria, their end-products, and dental plaque; cause the gums to become inflamed. Several signs of gingivitis are; swollen and bleeding gums, gum redness, temperature, or visible pus oozing from around the If gingivitis is caught early enough it can be treated and reversed. However, if this is not the case, more severe problems will arise including, periodontal disease with oral bone loss, and even tooth loss.
When you visit your London dentist, they will perform a complete intra-oral examination of you, complete with x-Rays and periodontal charting to look for signs of gingivitis or periodontitis. Your dentist will review the results of the oral examination, and if it turns out that you do in fact have gingivitis, a treatment plan will be discussed with you on how to best proceed. First and foremost, if you are experiencing pain due to your symptoms, these will be addressed first. Prevention is first and foremost. Your London dentist and dental hygienist will teach you how to brush and floss your teeth properly, and you should have regular dental check-ups, and professional cleanings at least twice a year. You may also be referred to a periodontist (i.e., a gum specialist) for treatment of your gingivitis and periodontitis. Your gingivitis will be treated using; scaling and root planning, antibiotics, and possibly gum surgery.

There are numerous countries where people do not practice oral hygiene, and where oral health is not sought. This is mostly due to no dental education. Dental caries and gingivitis are very common problems, even in countries where dentists can be readily found. Dental problems affect both the indigent and the wealthy. Although, not lethal, these diseases cost a lot of money and lost work for some people. Dental problems are caused by oral bacteria and dental plaque formation, which require daily removal. Practicing good oral hygiene from a very early age is very important.
We cannot overstress the importance of good oral hygiene at home. Teeth have 5 surfaces, and all of these surfaces must be cleaned regularly. When brushing your teeth, place the brush at a 45 degree angle to your teeth, touching the gum line. Use a soft bristle brush if available. Use a giggly vibrating motion and brush back and forth. Then use the same action for the inner sides of your teeth, and point the brush parallel to your front teeth and use the same 45 degree angle. Then shrub the biting surfaces of your teeth. Use only a small amount of toothpaste, so that the bristles actually touch your teeth. Use dental floss to reach between your teeth in a back and forth motion. Your dentist or dental hygienist will teach you how to brush and floss properly. By performing good oral hygiene, your teeth will last you a long time!

 
The majority of adults in London have some form a gum disease (gingivitis). Gum disease occurs when bacteria, their end-products, and dental plaque, create inflammation in the gums that are not defendable by the body’s immune reaction. Signs of gingivitis include; gum swelling, redness, temperature, bleeding and/or visible pus around the gums. Gingivitis can be influenced by local factors (e.g., bacteria and plaque), and modified by host influences. Gingivitis can be treated and reversed if treated at an early stage. However, if not properly treated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis. Once oral bone is lost around the teeth, the term periodontitis is used. Periodontitis is classified as a loss of tooth attachment and surrounding tissues, e.g., periodontal ligament, gums, and/or oral bone.
Anaerobic bacteria are usually responsible for gingivitis and periodontal disease. These bacteria release damaging by-products and end-products that produce an inflammatory reaction in the gum tissue.. Periodontitis is the loss of oral bone formation and formation of periodontal pocket(s) that can cause tooth loss. Gingivitis and periodontitis can go overlooked until the time pain comes about from abscesses, bleeding gums, and/or bad breath. Your diet may also suffer due to the pain, as you may not want to eat.
Prevention is the key, but there are also various treatments available in London. Your London dentist suggests brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily for 2 minutes each time in order to remove any tooth bacteria and plaque. You should have regular check-ups and have your teeth and gums cleaning at least twice a year. If your London dentist recognizes gum problems, you may be sent to a periodontist (i.e., a gum specialist). Scaling and root planning, antibiotic regimen(s), and maybe gum and oral bone surgery may be required to combat these problems.

The dental hygienist is a very integral part of the London treatment team. They help you to keep your mouth healthy. They are specially trained to clean your gums, and guide you in the prevention of dental caries and gum disease. Proper oral hygiene is the foundation of keeping your mouth healthy. Good oral hygiene needs to be addressed from a very early age, and our hygienists are very kind and work all age groups. During your initial visit to the hygienist, they will perform an intraoral examination of your mouth, and chart any gum irregularities and tooth decay. The dentist will then re-perform the examination as a double check. That way our dental team is sure that nothing is missed. The hygienist will then get the go ahead to clean your teeth and gums. Depending on the extent of your dental plaque/calculus, this could take one or two visits.

The dental hygienist, will also show you how to keep your teeth and gums clean, and your mouth healthy. They will evaluate your brushing and flossing methods, and help you to make any needed adjustments. This way you can help to remove plaque bacteria from your mouth, and maintain good oral health. Plaque is that sticky material that adheres to your teeth. The goals are to keep your mouth clean, odourless, and healthy. More specifically, to prevent further problems in your mouth due to dental caries, gum disease, and periodontal disease. The dental hygienist will also review any necessary dietary changes and lifestyle changes that need to be addressed. Therefore, it is important for you to make an appointment and come in and see our dental hygienists and dentists here in London.

In London, your dentist will properly care for your dental needs to prevent calculus from forming on your teeth. Some dental plaques mature into dental calculus. Some people do not form calculus, others form only moderate amounts, and still others form heavy amounts. Before supragingival plaque (above the gums) mineralizes to form dental calculus, you can remove it with proper oral hygiene. As the plaque matures, it becomes more resistant to removal with a toothbrush, and significantly more pressure is required for its removal. Once dental calculus is formed, your London dentist, using professional instrumentation needs to remove it; you can no longer remove it.Calculus itself is not harmful; however calculus needs to be removed because its presence makes routine oral hygiene more difficult or even impossible and it may contribute to greater plaque accumulation and stagnation. Calculus formation is related to the fact that saliva is saturated with calcium and phosphate ions as well as other ions, such as magnesium, zinc, fluoride, and carbonate. Supragingival calculus that forms on the tooth crown frequently developing opposite the duct orifices (openings) of the major salivary glands and is often found where saliva pools on the lingual surfaces of the mandibular incisors. It can also form in the grooves of the tooth (called fissures). Subgingival calculus forms from calcium phosphate and organic materials derived from blood serum which contributes to its mineralization, and may be darker in appearance.

Local factors, behavioral and systemic conditions affect calculus formation. Conversely, medications such as beta-blockers, diuretics, and anticholinergics can result in significant reduced levels of calculus. The medications are either excreted directly into the saliva affecting the rate of crystallization, or they alter the composition of the saliva, and as a result indirectly affected calculus formation.