London cosmetic dentistry

Posts Tagged ‘teeth and gums’

The importance of a dental check up in London

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Keeping your teeth healthy should be a high priority to everybody, but according to most dentists in London, this isn’t the case. In fact, dental hygiene rates fairly low on peoples requirements. The mouth is the gateway to the body and it is important that teeth and gums are kept healthy, for any complications here can cause other complications throughout. A regular bi-annual visit to the dentist can spot problems in their infancy. A common problem is plaque. If this is allowed to develop unchecked, it can lead to gum disease, tooth decay and cavities (sometimes tooth loss) and then, the work required to rectify these problems can become complex and expensive. Going for a check up allows the dentist to monitor the health or your teeth and build up a history of your mouth. They can take x-rays and mouldings, to check the condition of the roots and the position of the occlusion (the bite), remove tartar, fill decayed cavities. Generally, a dental visit is the chance to give your mouth an MOT and like any mechanic, suggest any repairs and a course of action. But a dental check-up is also the prime opportunity for you to consult with the dentist. Are you having problems maintaining oral hygiene with brushing, toothpaste or mouthwashes? Maybe you’re considering some cosmetic restoration to give you back your smile. A check-up is a time for questions and answers, and a visit twice a year should be seen as a high health priority, not a chore.

Stop smoking to improve your smile with help from London dentist

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

The health consequences of smoking are well documented. Not only are you far more at risk from very serious disease such as cancer and heart disease but you may also want to consider the consequences for your dental health. Not only is smoking very damaging for the appearance of the teeth but it can also be responsible for casing very serious conditions such as periodontitis and oral cancer.

The toxins in tobacco smoke leave the tooth enamel with a very unpleasant looking brown staining. This is very difficult, if not impossible, to remove unless you have an expensive tooth whitening procedure. But the chemicals in cigarette smoke can also cause damage to the gum tissue.

Smoking makes the gum tissue a lot less able to repair itself and slows down the healing process. Gum disease can be very serious if not treated in sufficient time and can require tissue removal and even hospitalisation in serious cases. Gum disease has also recently been linked to heart disease, as the infection can easily enter the bloodstream within the mouth.

Patients who smoke are also much more likely to suffer from oral cancer. Smoking is one of the primary causes of cancer and it is estimated that smokers are up to six times more likely to suffer from oral cancer.

At whatever stage of life you are at, stopping smoking could help to drastically improve your oral health. London dentists are specially trained to help you give up smoking with the minimum of difficulty. They can provide you with the necessary information and tools to beat the habit and once again give your teeth and gums the respect they deserve.

City of London dentist helps patients maintain good oral hygiene

Monday, December 14th, 2009

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.

Oral Hygiene Problems – Whom to Approach in London

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Oral hygiene is extremely important for maintaining the overall health of the human body. With the expansion of dental medicine, dental hygiene has become a branch in itself and the people who specialize in it are referred to as dental hygienists.
Their job mainly involves preventive dental care. A dental hygienist teaches his patients on how to maintain their teeth in perfect condition and also gives tips on practicing proper oral hygiene. A thorough examination of the patients’ teeth and gums helps them to record abnormalities and diseases, if any. They are also the people to consult if you have any soft or hard deposits on your teeth to be removed.
Oral hygienists work in close association with dentists and help them in diagnosing the disease. They perform procedures like cleaning the teeth, scaling and polishing, root planing and taking radiographs. They also are in charge of applying dental sealants and fluorides which are cavity-preventive agents.
Hygienists are in much demand these days with more and more people suffering from dental problems owing to the current junk food fad and lifestyle. According to the London Employment Bureau, dental hygienists have excellent employment opportunities with good salary packages and their demand will only continue to grow in the coming years. Another reason that makes this profession very popular is flexible timings. You can work full-time, part-time or just on weekends as it suits your schedule. This option helps most hygienists to work in more than one dental clinic.
A dental hygienist must possess good manual dexterity and should be courteous and easy going with patients as most people do not enjoy a dentist’s appointment. It is the duty of a hygienist to put the patient at ease, listen to their problems and give valuable advice and tips on how to maintain a healthy oral system.

London Dentists Help Improve Your Aesthetic Appeal

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

Cosmetic dentistry is one field of dentistry which mainly focuses on your aesthetic appeal. If you want to perfect your smile or correct the alignment of your teeth cosmetic dentistry is the way to go. Your local dentist in London will be able to help you out here by suggesting the possible options that can be explored for your case.

Every individual is different from the other and so are his teeth. Hence, going for something your friend opted for might not be the perfect solution for you even if you two have the same ailment. Hence, it is pertinent that you visit your dentist who will be able to examine and suggest the best possible method that can be used. Dental bridges and implants are two of the most widely performed procedures in cosmetic dentistry.

The first time you visit the dentist; he checks your teeth and gums and then suggests what can be done. In the case of dental bridges, he has to prepare the surrounding teeth so that they are able to support the artificially modeled teeth. The dental bridge is used to hold the teeth perfectly where it is expected to and is more reliable than implants. The dentist prepares an exact replica of your teeth on a putty-like material which is used by a skilled lab technician to model the artificial teeth. This is very important since if the bridge is not proper, there are chances of cavities and tooth decay.

With proper oral care dental bridges are known to endure the wear and tear for several years and come very cheap when compared to implants.