Looking after your teeth is very important. There are a few oral hygiene habits that are crucial to keeping your teeth in the best possible condition.

Most importantly is brushing. City of London dentists recommend that you brush twice a day for at least three minutes. This should be done with a soft bristled brush, to protect the gums, and preferably one with a small head to allow a greater access to all parts of the mouth. You should try and hold the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the gums so that they are gently stimulated as you brush the flat surfaces of the teeth. This removes bacteria and plaque from the teeth, substances that combine to release acids which gradually erode tooth enamel causing decay. Effective brushing can be the key to fighting decay and gum disease but it is more effective still when combined with flossing.

Flossing allows you to clean the parts of the teeth that are difficult to reach using a conventional toothbrush. This includes the areas between the teeth that are too narrow to be cleaned by the bristles on most brushes. Food particles and bacteria often accumulate in these gaps, which cause not only decay but also can be the underlying cause of bad breath. Flossing also allows you to clean the part of the teeth and gums around the base that are hard to get to with a brush. This helps to prevent inflamed gums which can trap bacteria and cause unpleasant bleeding.

As well as brushing and flossing you may also want to use a tongue scraper or tongue brush a couple of times a week to remove bacteria for the tongue.

Looking after your children’s teeth is very important, not just for the present but also to ensure that they develop good oral hygiene habits for the rest of their life. Everybody wants the best for their kids but by ignoring their dental welfare you may be unknowingly setting them up for a lifetime of painful and costly dental problems.

Looking after a young child’s teeth is very much up to the parents. This will involve brushing and flossing your child’s teeth for them, but as they get older it s vital you show them the proper ways to brush and floss and stress the importance of healthy without going too far. Try to encourage your child to brush correctly. Never try and force them or make them brush their teeth because this can build up resentment. Make the activity fun or reward them for doing it well. This way the correct methods will become natural.

Take your children to the dentist early to reassure them that there is nothing to be scared about. Most dental phobias stem from an incident in childhood when a child was afraid at the dentist. You may also want to ask you London dentist about fluoride. In some areas it is necessary to supplement your child’s fluoride intake as water supplies vary, but make sure you seek advice first as an excess of fluoride can cause discolouration of enamel later in life.

Your role as a parent is very important to your child’s dental health so if there is ever anything you are unsure about or are having difficulty caring for your child’s teeth, your dentist is always available to give advice and support.

With so many different styles, shapes and gimmicks on the market it is difficult to know which toothbrush is the right one for you. It can be confusing making a choice but here are a few things to bear in mind.

Firstly, most dental health care professionals recommend a soft bristle brush, as it is best for removing plaque and food debris caught in teeth. It is also advised that brushes with small heads are better as they are more able to reach the difficult and heard to reach areas of the mouth. This is useful as these are the areas where tooth decay commonly occurs. Pick a brush with a handle or grip that is comfortable for you. Brushing your teeth is very important and needs to be done at least twice a day for three minutes so it’s always better if you are happy when doing it.

In the last few years there have been more and more affordable electric toothbrushes, which can do a lot of the work for you. Generally, the rule is that you get what you pay for so the more expensive it is the better it will work. Toothbrushes should be replaced whenever they begin to show wear or every three months, whichever is sooner, as a worn toothbrush is rarely if ever effective. Old toothbrushes can also collect germs which you are then effectively spreading around your mouth which can lead to infection.

The one sure-fire way to know if you are using the right toothbrush is to ask your dentist. They are the ones who have the best view of your teeth and know what is and isn’t required. At your next appointment with a London dentist, take your toothbrush and ask if it is suitable for your teeth and gums. The right toothbrush can have a very dramatic impact on your oral hygiene.

Most cases of bad breath, as many as 90 per cent in fact, are caused by poor standards of oral hygiene allowing bacteria and food debris to build up in gaps in the teeth and on the tongue. This bacteria then starts to dissolve releasing sulphurous odours into the mouth that are carried out on the breath.

Many products promise an end to this odour by killing the bacteria using an antiseptic. While this undoubtedly kills the bacteria it is also likely to cause side effects like dry mouth and dehydration. This can lead to an underproduction of saliva, the body’s natural defence against bacteria and bad breath. This means that when the bacteria return it may be more of a problem.

The only sure fire way to beat bad breath is to avoid using outside help and improve your standards of oral hygiene to give your own defences the best chance of beating the bacteria. Millions of bacteria live in the mouth, some good, some bad, but effective brushing and flossing helps to remove the bad bacteria that cause the smell. Other tools such as a tongue scraper or inter-dental brush can help to remove trapped food and bacteria form difficult to reach places in the teeth and mouth.

By simply controlling the bacteria and not prohibiting the production of saliva you can get rid of bad breath without using nasty chemicals or mouthwashes. A London dentist can offer instruction about the most effective ways to clean teeth and which utensils will be best for your mouth.

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.

Your oral hygiene may be more than just an indicator of your dental health, as links have been proven between periodontal disease and a heightened risk or cardiovascular disease.

These links have always been suspected but a new study seems to conclusively prove the relationship. The study showed that adults who had lost more than ten teeth were much more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. This happens because bacterial infection affecting the teeth and gums can start a chain reaction of chemicals that causes inflammation throughout the whole body. Inflammation of the arteries causes a narrowing of the arteries, which can be the main cause of a heart attack.

The study followed 711 people over the age of 57 and found that those who had lost teeth due to decay and periodontal infection correlated with those most likely to suffer some form of cardiac disease. The study is particularly shocking because periodontal disease and tooth decay are so preventable with improved oral hygiene. More effective and regular brushing and flossing can reduce the amount of plaque in the mouth and severely cut the risk of infection. This in turn would keep the arteries free form the effects or inflammation helping to keep the heart and other major organs healthy.

Another important aspect of maintaining good standards of oral hygiene is by making regular visits to a Central London dentist for a check up. They can spot and treat the first signs of decay and infection, helping to keep your mouth and heart healthy. For the sake of a few extra minutes cleaning a day you could help to minimise the risk of heart disease, one of the biggest killers in the UK.

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.

A Central London dentist has recently given advice on the prevention and treatment of gum disease. Tooth loss is generally thought to be due to the tooth simply coming loose, but in most cases it is actually due to a periodontal disease. This is an advanced form of Gingivitis. Is it preventable? A Central London dentist recently advised that gum disease is a natural product of modern living, the food we eat is full of chemicals that are necessary to keep it fresher for longer. The sugar, fat and salt content of our diet, even a well balanced diet, can affect our gums and create the breeding grounds for gum disease. It isn’t preventable entirely, but with a good healthy approach to oral hygiene and regular dental checks; we can lessen the burden. Removing the causes of the disease is a must to keep the mouth as disease free as possible. Plaque is the main contender and the bacteria it contains is in everything we put in our mouths. Keeping the levels down to a minimum will ensure a lot less gum disease. The disease will eat away at the base of the tooth and prematurely cause a breakage from the bone. It also causes the gums to shrink; gums are a protective layer over the teeth that guard against damage to the most vulnerable part of the tooth; which is the base. In losing the gums to a disease like Gingivitis it is not only painful, but in most cases irreversible, it really is a case of prevention rather that cure because there isn’t one. The best a dentist can do is to slow down the process, the rest is really up to us as the owner of teeth, and prevention is always better than cure.

Good oral hygiene can be determined by a few obvious signs. A healthy mouth is a mouth that looks good and smells clean. More specifically, this means a mouth where the teeth are clean and free of debris, where gums are pink and healthy and are not irritable or caused to bleed when brushing. And obviously bad breath is a sign that all is not well in the oral cavity.

If you are experiencing any of these problems you will need to change your oral hygiene regime. Your City of London dentist or dental hygienist can advise you of the best and most effective ways to clean your teeth and gums and recommend products best suited to your teeth.

Effective cleaning can usually be attained by correct brushing and flossing. Dentists recommend brushing the teeth twice a day for three minutes holding the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the surface of the teeth. It is important to use a brush with suitable bristles for your teeth and gums and to use a toothpaste with suitable fluoride levels.

Flossing helps to remove food and plaque that is caught between the teeth and cannot be removed with a regular tooth brush. Decaying food matter between the teeth is the cause of over 90 per cent of cases of bad breath. Other cleaning tools that can benefit oral hygiene include interdental brushes to clean between teeth and tongue scrapers to remove some of the 6 million bacteria that live in the moist grooves on the tongue.

Not only will good oral hygiene keep your mouth looking and feeling healthy but it helps to protect teeth from decay and gums from disease. A healthy mouth can also be indicative of a more general well-being.

Maintaining a good standard of oral hygiene is crucial in the war against tooth decay and gum disease. Just a few minutes of brushing and flossing each day could save you a lifetime of costly and painful dental treatment.

When it comes to oral hygiene, prevention really is better than cure. Dental problems are very easy to prevent but often very difficult to cure. Dentists recommend that patients brush their teeth twice a day for three minutes using an appropriate brush and toothpaste. This helps to prevent the build up of plaque on the tooth enamel. Plaque is a filmy substance made up of bacteria, decaying food particles and other debris. It breaks down the enamel causing cavities to develop, which if left unchecked will eventually penetrate to the root of the tooth causing toothache, abscesses and even tooth loss.

Flossing helps to remove plaque from between the teeth which is very hard for regular toothbrushes to reach. It allows you to clean below the gum line which is also hard to clean with a normal brush. This can be significant in the prevention of gingivitis, or gum disease as it is more commonly known.

Brushing and flossing are the front line defence against all forms of dental decay and disease and their importance cannot be underestimated. However, it is important, no matter how much of a fervent brusher you are, to keep up six-monthly check-ups with the dentist. Even patients with good standards of cleaning are susceptible to tooth decay, and a dentist will be able to spot the first signs of any problems.

Keeping teeth and gums clean can also have the added advantage of keeping your breath fresh. Flossing removes trapped food particles from between the teeth which are the cause for over 90 per cent of all cases of halitosis. Using tongue cleaners and inter-dental brushes can also help to keep your mouth free of bacteria. A London dentist will be able to offer you advice on which brushes are most suitable for your teeth and give further instruction on the best methods of maintaining good oral hygiene.