The two main prongs or oral hygiene are brushing and flossing. Brushing the teeth is perhaps the most important defence against dental disease. Brushing removes plaque and bacteria that builds up on the surface of the teeth and gums. Using toothpaste, gently brush the teeth angling the brush towards the gums. This should be done for about three minutes, twice a day after eating. Ideally you should brush your teeth after every meal but this is not always convenient. London dentists recommend using a soft-bristled brush with a small head for maximum efficiency when cleaning.

After brushing comes flossing; this helps to remove bacteria from the areas between the teeth and around the base near the gums. These areas are very small and almost impossible to clean with a toothbrush. This means they can often be the most dangerous areas for the start of decay and disease. Flossing at least once a day will help to remove bacteria and also any trapped food, which may be the cause of bad breath.

However, even if you have a very strict oral hygiene routine, there is still no substitute for a regular dental check up at least every six months. This will ensure that the first signs of any decay or gum disease are identified and dealt with before they can become a problem.

In its milder form, gum disease is known as gingivitis, which can be treated with relative ease by a dentist and with improved oral hygiene. However, if the problem is allowed to persist it will eventually become periodontitis, a more dangerous form of the condition. In recent years several studies have identified a link between periodontitis and heart disease, one of the biggest killers in the UK.

The link occurs because infected matter in gum tissue enters the bloodstream. There it causes a chemical chain reaction which leads to a narrowing of the arteries and heart concerns. Treatment of periodontitis ranges from antibiotics to tissue removal and even hospitalisation.

The key symptoms of gum disease are swollen, red or inflamed gums, an unpleasant smell and bleeding gums. Gum disease can be prevented by maintaining regular check ups with a Central London dentist every six months.

In an age where heart disease is a very serious problem and affected by so many aspects of our modern life it is important to give yourself every possible chance of avoiding this very serious condition. Heart disease can result in high blood pressure, heart attacks and even fatalities. Ask your dentist for more information about the link between the two.

There are many mild and series dental problems that can affect the teeth and gums. Dental decay begins with small dental cavities in the surface enamel. Although easily treated, like with all dental problems, if left without attention it can quickly become something more serious. For instance, if the cavities penetrate to the centre of the tooth, they can cause an infection that will attack the dental nerve. This is not only pretty painful but can also result in the loss of the tooth and spread of the infection to others in the mouth.

It is a similar story with the gums. Constantly under attack from plaque and bacteria, it is not uncommon for the gums to become irritated and suffer from mild infections. Again, if the problem is addressed it can be easily cleared up but if left can lead to more serious concerns. This includes periodontitis, the most serious form of gum disease, characterised by bleeding gums and swollen tissue. This may well need treatment with antibiotics and even some tissue removal.

Bleeding gums can also be the sign of more serious concerns in the oral cavity including oral cancer so it is always wise to visit your Central London dentist if you notice that your gums are bleeding.

Dental problems such as tooth decay and gum disease are caused by plaque and bacteria that build up in the mouth on the surfaces of the teeth and gums. This plaque releases acid that erodes the protective layer of tooth enamel around the teeth and irritates the gums causing infection.

The most effective way to prevent this happening is to brush your teeth twice a day and floss. This removes the bacteria and plaque, keeping the enamel free from attack, the teeth free of food particles, which attract bacteria and the breath fresh. City of London dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for at least three minutes twice a day, using a soft bristled brush at a forty-five to degree angle in favour of the gums. This will remove the majority of the bacteria responsible for enamel erosion and stimulate the gums to keep them healthy.

Flossing is equally as important as brushing as it helps to remove bacteria from the difficult to reach places in between the teeth and around their base. Normal toothbrushes find it very difficult to clean these areas and it is often in these paces where the decay takes hold.

It is also important for your oral hygiene to regularly visit the dentist for a check up. Every six months is the standard amount of time you should leave between check ups in order to give you the best chance of avoiding dental disease.

For these reasons, City of London dentists usually recommend that patients who have lost all or the majority of their teeth have a set of dentures fitted. In the past dentures have often come with a stigma that they look false, are uncomfortable and are prone to falling out causing embarrassment. However, over the last ten years improvements in denture technology have seen vastly more realistic and well-fitting dentures become available for all patients.

A good pair of dentures should remain in place through suction around the gums alone. Many patients resort to using denture adhesives to keep loose dentures in place. These are effective but can also be messy and limit what foods the patient can eat. Your dentist can adjust your dentures so they will stay securely in place without the need for adhesives.

Alternatively, you could opt to have mini-implants fitted to the jawbone to act as a secure base for the dentures. These will keep the dentures securely in place without any unnecessary fuss or mess. You can even still use your regular dentures, which can be fitted with special clips so they can attach to the implants. In all, five mini-implants are used to secure one set of dentures.

Tooth and gum disease is caused by a build up of plaque and bacteria. This is allowed to happen through a lack of or ineffectual dental hygiene. In this sense the problem is self-inflicted, yet we are still reluctant to ask for help to beat it. This could be making a very serious error, as tooth and gum disease have recently been proven to have a significant effect on heart disease and can even cause heart attacks. This is because infected matter from oral disease enters the bloodstream where it can head straight to the heart. This causes a chemical reaction that can cause arteries around the heart to narrow putting strain on the heart.

City of London dentists will be able to treat any signs of tooth or gum disease in its early stages to avoid it becoming a more serious problem. They can also provide you with tips and advice on how best to keep your teeth clean and which products are most suited to your individual teeth. Tooth and gum disease are both completely preventable with a little extra effort. Just one or two more minutes a day and you could avoid a whole range of unnecessary and unpleasant health complications.

Effective oral hygiene can be achieved in two ways. Firstly, by proper cleaning of teeth at home with brushing and flossing and secondly, by going to the dentists every six months for a check up. Brushing and flossing remove plaque and bacteria from the mouth that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque is a filmy substance that coats the teeth and releases acids, which erode the tooth enamel. If this is allowed to continue it will eventually penetrate to the sensitive central part of the teeth and cause an infection. Not only will this be painful but it could also result in tooth loss. By brushing and flossing you can keep your teeth free from as much plaque as possible helping to reduce the chances of enamel erosion. There are other ways of keeping your teeth clean such as inter-dental brushes and tongue scrapers also help to remove harmful bacteria from the oral cavity. Ask your Central London dentist how best to look after your teeth.

Brushing and flossing don’t just keep teeth clean but they can also help to prevent bad breath. Food particles that are stuck in the teeth attract bacteria which release foul odours. This is the cause of most cases of bad breath and is quite easily dealt with by stepping up your oral hygiene.

Finally, remember to visit your dentist on a regular basis. They can address any issues that are nor being dealt with by teeth cleaning and treat the first signs of any decay or disease, as well as checking for oral cancer.

There is little doubt that fluoride strengthens teeth, reinforcing them against decay and plaque. This is why for many years it has been added to water supplies. As a result, the numbers of people suffering dental decay has fallen. However, fluoride can pose a risk for children’s teeth. Dentists advise against giving children any kind of fluoride dental health products, such as toothpaste, as excessive fluoride may cause discolouration to occur later in life.

For most adults it is important to use small amounts of fluoride in dental health products. Once the teeth have fully developed they are less likely to suffer from flourosis but are still constantly under threat from cavities. The one sure-fire way to know if you are getting too much or too little fluoride is to ask your local dentist. Dentists in Central London will know the fluoride levels of the local water supply and can also examine your and your children’s teeth to see how they are reacting. Make an appointment today to be sure that you are getting the right information from an expert.

This is why it is so important to make sure you see a Central London dentist every six-months. Your dentist will be able to examine your teeth to make sure that you are not missing any crucial spots where plaque is getting the upper hand. After all, it is almost impossible to know if you if you are cleaning all parts of your teeth thoroughly. You dentist or the dental hygienist will then be able to carry out a deep clean using techniques called scaling and polishing, if it is required. This involves using a small scaling hook to remove any plaque or hardened tartar that poses a threat to your tooth enamel. Scaling can be a little uncomfortable but is rarely anything more than that.

Once the teeth have been thoroughly scaled they can then be polished using a mechanical rotating polisher. This removes any residual plaque from the surface of the teeth. This makes the teeth smooth and makes it more difficult for bacteria and plaque to stick to them. In this way scaling and polishing are used as preventive dentistry measures, returning your teeth to the cleanest state they can be and leaving it to you to see that they stay that way. Effective cleaning and polishing can leave your teeth feeling very clean and give them valuable protection against future dental problems.

Dentists recommend that we brush our teeth twice a day for three minutes. They also say however, that we should floss our teeth at least once a day. Brushing is great for removing the plaque from the flat surfaces of the front and back of teeth, but when it comes to the small gaps in-between and around the base of the tooth, the bristles of a regular toothbrush may be ineffectual.

Using dental floss after meals helps to remove plaque and bacteria from these small gaps. It also helps to remove food particles from between the teeth that can provide food for other bacteria in the mouth. Flossing helps to alleviate gums that are inflamed, which may create small pockets around the teeth, often the location of initial decay. As well as flossing, some dentists recommend using a tongue scraper. This, used once or twice a week, will help to keep the moist surface of the tongue free from bacteria and food particles. This will also help to keep breath fresh. Inter-dental brushes, with very small bristles are another way of making sure your mouth is as clean as it can be. If you are just brushing and are concerned your teeth are not as clean as they should be, make an appointment to see a London dentist to discuss how you could better care for your teeth.