We all brush our teeth everyday. It’s something that is instilled into us from a young age, but not nearly so many of us floss. Some people see it as an extra hassle, something that should really be done but doesn’t matter a great deal if it’s not. This could be a very dangerous attitude as dentists are urging all of us to realise how important flossing is for our oral health.

Brushing removes plaque and bacteria that build up on the flat surfaces of the teeth. This helps to prevent tooth decay that causes dental cavities. Brushing also stimulates the gums helping to remove bacteria that stop the dangerous and unfortunately common gum disease. But there are many areas of the teeth and gums that cannot be reached with a toothbrush. The bristles of a standard toothbrush are too wide to fit in the gaps between teeth where food particles and bacteria can accumulate. This allows plaque to take a foothold and start eroding the protective tooth enamel. Flossing allows you to clean these narrow areas between the teeth and also around their base.

In addition, flossing also helps to prevent inflamed gum tissue around the base of the teeth causing further problems. This is because inflamed tissue creates small pockets between the gums and the teeth, which can act as shelters for plaque and bacteria. By flossing, this tissue is cleaned and subsides to a more natural level making cleaning easier. For more information and techniques of how to floss most effectively, make an appointment to se a London dentist.

Making sure your teeth are clean and healthy is very important, but it is important never to forget how important it is to look after your gums. Gum disease is responsible for more tooth loss in the UK than tooth decay and gum disease has recently been established to be a major contributing factor to heart disease and even strokes.

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.

Flossing is very important because it removes food particles and bacteria from hard to reach places not cleaned by conventional brushing. These include in the narrow gaps between teeth and below the gum line. It is these places that are often breeding grounds for bacteria and the location of a lot of dental decay and gum disease.

Dentists recommend that you floss at least once a day to receive the maximum benefits. Proper flossing technique should use about 40 centimetres of floss with the majority wound around one finger on each hand. Tightening the floss between the thumbs until taught, slide the floss up and down between the teeth without forcing it. Gently floss below the gum line all around the bottom of the tooth. For each tooth, use a new and clean section of floss unwound from one of the fingers. To remove the floss, gently work your way back and forth up to the top of the teeth.

It is also important to use the right kind of dental floss for the best results. The two types available are nylon and PTFE. Nylon floss comes in waxed and unwaxed varieties but can sometimes shred when used vigorously between the teeth. PTFE floss is a single thread, unlike the many-stranded nylon thread so is less likely to shred but it is more expensive.

More advice on flossing techniques, which type of floss to use and general dental health advice can be got from your Central London dentist at your next check up. Look after your teeth properly and they will last you a lifetime.

Second only to brushing, flossing is the most important way of keeping your teeth looking and feeling clean and healthy. Brushing alone is unable to remove all the bacteria that builds up in the smallest gaps and spaces in the teeth, so flossing is crucial to thorough dental care.

Flossing involves using a special thin dental wire to remove particles of food, bacteria and plaque form between teeth and below the gum line. Conventional toothbrushes can not fit in the gaps between teeth where food gets lodged, and it also cannot clean teeth below the gum line. It is these hidden areas where decay can really take hold so it is important to keep them clean.

It is also important to remove food particles trapped between teeth as they are responsible for 95 per cent of cases of bad breath. Rotting food particles release foul smelling sulphurous compounds which cause bad breath and lead to tooth decay. A London dentist can demonstrate the most effective ways to floss teeth removing as much bacteria as possible.

If bacteria and plaque does build up in hard to reach areas it can cause cavities and decay that is very hard to treat. By taking the extra couple of minutes each day to floss thoroughly you could save yourself hours of uncomfortable dental treatment and anxiety in the future. It is estimated that teeth cleaning without flossing is like only washing two thirds of your body, which still leaves plenty of room for bacteria to grow. So floss once a day for a complete clean.

Few things are less attractive to members of the opposite sex than bad breath. It seems to signal a complete unawareness and total disregard for personal hygiene. Although, the fact is that we have probably all suffered from bad breath at one time or another. Many people think that bad breath is caused by internal digestion problems but this is only true in a fraction of cases. Over 95 per cent of cases of bad breath are caused by bacteria in the mouth and can easily be cured with better oral hygiene.

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.

Having healthy teeth isn’t a gift, it isn’t a lucky thing either, it is a by-product of having a healthy attitude to oral care. That attitude is best taught when someone is a child; eating habits and dental hygiene are an important part of our education. We teach our children the rights and wrongs of life, so if we exclude dental care we aren’t doing our jobs properly as parents. There’s an old saying that goes “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life”, what great wisdom there is in that saying. If we take the literacy of that and apply it to dental and oral care, we will be doing our children a great service. Not only will they have their teeth longer, but we won’t have to sit outside the dentist room so often, while they get treatment that could be avoided with a little common sense. Eating the right food isn’t only good for our diet, but it is also good for our teeth. When we eat food we chew it first, and in this process we produce saliva that helps us swallow and break down the food into energy. However, this process also produces bad bacteria that damage our teeth, often beyond repair. Teeth aren’t only just for childhood; they can be for life if we use a little common sense, and an early learnt routine of oral care. Oral care isn’t just about brushing, flossing and mouth washes, it is also about healthy eating and keeping bad bacteria to a minimum. Fish, fresh fruit and vegetables as well as sugarless drinks will help us to keep tooth decay to a minimum, as well as those expensive dental bills as adults.

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.

Bleeding gums caused by poor dental hygiene can end up causing heart disease according to health professionals.

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.

Next to brushing, flossing is the most important method of maintaining healthy teeth and good oral hygiene. Millions of bacteria can live in the gaps between your teeth, especially on particles of food that are lodged there. Flossing is crucial in removing these particles that are breeding grounds for nasty bacteria which can cause tooth decay, bad breath and other assorted oral health problems.

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.

A bundle of thin filaments made of Nylon, Teflon or Polyethylene ribbon is known as a dental floss. They help to remove dental plaque and food particles present on the teeth. Regular use of dental floss will help in controlling tooth decay and gum diseases that is commonly seen nowadays. Floss can reach those places like the gum line which is not possible using a toothbrush. It is highly recommended to do flossing everyday for maximum results.

Flossing is a technique which should be performed in the right way to achieve results. Use an 18 inch floss to clean you teeth everyday from the accumulation of plaque and food substances. Wind both ends of the floss on your middle finger and leave around 2 to 3 inches with which you can work on your teeth. Hold the thread strongly between your fingers and scratch the sides of your teeth. When it reaches the base of the tooth, slowly and gently rub the floss on the gums. Do not use your floss harshly as it can lead to bruises on the delicate gums. Repeat the same techniques till you clean every teeth and performing this act everyday will give you a healthy and strong teeth.

There are two types of dental floss which are present nowadays.
• Nylon- It is available in various flavours. As it is composed of many strand of nylon it can sometimes be harmful for the gums especially when it comes to tight contact places.
• PTFE- It is made up of monofilament and slides easily in between the teeth and helps in removing debris and plaque.

Dental flossing is recommended by all the dentists in London for protecting your teeth from decay and preventing gum diseases.