Teeth problems have been associated with TMJ dysfunction. These problems can be treated in the London Dental Clinic. Loose and mobile teeth are usually due to resorption or damage of the surrounding oral bone by excessive lateral influences on the teeth. Tooth movement may cause the jaw to close down or bite in a misaligned position, thus changing the configuration of the mouth, teeth, temporomandibular joints, and jaw and facial muscles. Dental pulp inflammation can also occur if the forces are too great.
Outside causes put excessive stress on the TMJ. Some of the causes are: (1) Opening the mouth and jaw further than it normally should open, and habitual and recurring lateral and forward movements of the lower jaw; (2) alteration of the biting surfaces of the teeth due to excessive wear, neglecting oral hygiene (i.e., dental cavity formation), or tooth damage; (3) inadvertent speaking patterns; (4) too much gum chewing or chewing of finger nails; (5) too much lower jaw activities when exercising and/or teeth grinding; and (6) over-stretching of the mouth when eating. Also, several investigations have shown an association between TMJ disorder and people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Proper occlusion must be restored if the teeth are decayed or damaged. Some medications may relieve the primary pain; however these medications may not work in all cases. Several tricyclic antidepressants have been shown to work better than pain medication in some cases. Prior to using drugs or surgery to help alleviate the pain associated with TMJ dysfunction and correct the problem, you and your London dentist should try every other conservative approach to resolve the problem.

Tooth sensitivity is tooth pain that can be caused by the following sensations on your tooth or teeth, these are; excessive heat, cold, sweets or sour foods and drinks. Even breathing cold air or touching your tooth or teeth in the wrong area, may produce this sensitivity. The ache felt in the tooth may be sharp and abrupt, and penetrate deep into your tooth’s nerve endings. The causes of tooth sensitivity and its treatment can both be explained to you, and treated, in our  London Clinic.
The causes of tooth sensitivity happens when the tooth’s dentin layer is exposed due to receding gum tissues, or when the tooth is not properly covered all the way around by enamel on the crown portion of the tooth, and cementum on the root portion of the tooth. When this occurs, exposed minute dentinal tubules, which make up the dentin layer of the tooth, are exposed to the environment. These dentinal tubules communicate with the pulp of the tooth. The pulp contains nerves, a blood supply, and other tissues. When exposed, these dentinal tubules (or channels) allow the external stimulus to create a situation where the nerve cells endings are triggered, leading to pain.
There are many reasons why people have tooth sensitivity. These include, but are not limited to: using a hard bristle brush and being overzealous with your brushing, thus wearing down enamel over time; gum recession; gum disease; cracked, chipped, or decayed teeth; teeth grinding; overuse of whitening products, abrasive toothpastes, plaque accumulation (as end-products of bacteria are acidic), several over-the-counter mouthwashes that are acidic, and acidic drinks and foods. Also, individuals between the ages of 25-30 years olds are at increased risk of tooth sensitivity. Regular dental therapies may also leave your tooth or teeth sensitivity however this is usually a temporary situation.
There are several things that you can do to reduce or eliminate tooth sensitivity. These include but are not limited to: maintaining good oral hygiene; using a soft- bristled toothbrush; using fluoride-based toothpastes for sensitive teeth (e.g., smear it on your tooth with your finger and let it penetrate for a few minutes and then brush); pay attention to what you eat and drink; try to avoid grinding your teeth, use fluoridated dental products, and visit your dentist regularly. If you cannot manage tooth sensitivity by yourself using the above methods, speak with your dentist. Your dentist may recommend the placement of tooth bonding materials, fluoride based polishes or dentin sealers.

Bruxism is the term used by dentists referring to the act of teeth grinding. This problem has been successfully treated in London for many years. Bruxism usually occurs when you are sleeping, and there are numerous causes, including but not limited to: a discrepancy in jaw position when the teeth meet upon biting creating a slip when the teeth are clenched together; malposition or misalignment of teeth; and stress. Bruxism also occurs in children, usually because their teeth are not touching each other properly during their development. This will not usually last when the adult teeth develop and are biting together in the mouth. However, it is important for both children and adults to visit the dentist when teeth grinding occurs, and to also have their regular dental check-ups.Although bruxism is not a major health problem, it may initiate problems, such as mouth, jaw and facial pain. Bruxism can also occur because of faulty dental restorations, ill-fitting partial or full dentures, missing teeth, teeth prematurely biting together, etc. Your dentist can place a thin piece of carbon-like paper between your teeth to see if you are biting prematurely on certain teeth. There are also numerous other tests that can be performed by your dentist to see where the problem may lie. Your dentist may fabricate either a customized soft rubbery appliance or hard clear acrylic appliance for you to wear as both a diagnostic aid, or as treatment for your teeth grinding. If your regular dentist is unable to help you, you may be referred to the proper specialist for help.

There are several common therapies for bruxism. One of these is stress management, and referral to the proper professional. However, this may not be easy to accomplish, because some people do not readily see the mouth-mental health connection. As previously mentioned, an acrylic appliance can help both diagnose and provide dental therapy to people that grind their teeth. Also, a soft rubbery appliance can be manufactured. These appliances should be custom made for each individual, using a mold of their mouth that is taken by a licensed dentist. Dental procedures that restore the proper bite and functioning of the patient’s teeth may also be necessary, along with bite adjustments where the dentist marks the teeth and properly adjusts the patient’s bite. Perhaps helping the patient to overcome some long-developed bad habits such as improper teeth, mouth and jaw positioning would help. Sometimes dentists will use short-term medications to help to relax their patient, but this could lead to dependence on these medications and this is not highly recommended.

Having sensitive teeth is something most of us have experienced. It is so common that many of the patients in London and around the world make toothpaste for sensitive teeth their brand of choice. Dentists in London report that the complaint they hear the most is that of patient’s teeth being very sensitive. It was found that one in five adults have some sort of tooth sensitivity.
Those who have sensitive teeth know that when something hot, cold, sweet, or sour is felt by the teeth, it gives off a sharp pain. It does not last long but the intensity of it is enough to make one stop and take notice. Some individuals have teeth that are so sensitive; a puff of cold air to the mouth will cause the pain to occur.
Most sensitivity of the teeth is a result of the enamel coating on the outside of the teeth being worn down. This enamel is the covering for the dentin and when it is gone, the pain occurs. This sensitivity can also be a result of someone who grinds their teeth, has missing fillings, has a tooth which has been cracked, disease of the gums, receding gums, plaque on the teeth, abrasive brushing, whitening of the teeth, eating foods that are acidic.
If the sensitivity gets worse, you should see a dentist who can help diagnose the problem and find ways to help the condition. They have a treatment known as iontophoresis that applies fluoride to the tooth through electrical currents to help the problem.

Most parents in London could have heard their kids grinding their teeth during sleep. Some people grind/clench their teeth when they get anger or stress. That is quite normal. But this tooth grinding action can be with or without their knowledge. The Medical term for teeth grinding is bruxism. Teeth grinding or chewing action is a complex neuromuscular reflex activity, which is controlled by the brain (higher center) when we are awake. During sleep, the higher center or brain is inactive and the chewing reflex center, which becomes active, is not controlled by the inactive higher center resulting in bruxism. Most people who grind their teeth do so during sleep and this is called sleep bruxism.  These people are quite unaware of it until someone sleep with them notices. Sometimes people don’t notice at all and become aware of it when evaluated for other conditions such as jaw pain, headaches, dental sensitivity or dental erosion or TMD. The aetiology of this complaint is actually unknown. There are various theories such as stress, psychological causes, nutritional deficiency of vitamins such pyridoxin, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium etc. In some people, it is associated with some sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, etc. Teeth grinding is very common in children during teething, both when milk teeth appear and also when permanent teeth develop. Children generally outgrow this problem when the teeth erupt completely hence, no treatment is required. However, if your child grinds off his/her teeth for long, it might require treatment. In London, dentists generally suggest the use of mouth guards to protect the child’s teeth, if they don’t require any specific treatment. Sometimes they might be just stressed out or anxious before going to bed. So, when you identify this problem, don’t wake him/her from sleep to tell them, “hi you’re grinding your teeth”. Instead, just help them relax by telling or reading out some good small stories, or by just talking to them about nice things when they go to bed.  Some adults are also found to have this problem, which occasionally is associated with other dental problems such as nonalignment of teeth, malocclusion, structural abnormalities of the jaws etc., hence treating the root cause helps to get rid of this problem without any special treatment. So if you suspect you have bruxism, better not hesitate to visit your dentist and find out whether you have any dental conditions that is causing this problem.  Sometimes this clenching or grinding of teeth could result in serious problems with temporomandibular joints. Bruxism can also lead to wearing off of teeth, chronic headaches, pain in jaws, restriction in the movement of mandible, ear pain, etc. For adults, the use of dental guards could be of some help in constraining bruxism and protecting their teeth from irregular wearing and early erosion. So, the next time you feel like clenching your teeth, just relax… count 1,2, 3,…. and your teeth are saved.