February 28th, 2011
If you have lost a number of teeth from tooth decay or an accident then you should get them replaced so that your mouth can function properly again. Your mouth is a highly specialised organ that relies on having all the right parts in place so that it can eat, drink and talk with ease. Having a gap where teeth ought to be can compromise these activities and your cheeks can sag in so that you appear older than you actually are.
A bridge is a method replacing teeth by attaching them to existing teeth. There are three main types of dental bridge. Traditional or fixed bridges are when a false tooth is fused between two neighbouring teeth. This is a particularly stable method but may not always be appropriate if the surrounding teeth are not strong enough.
In the case of resin-bonded or Maryland-bonded bridges, the resin is concealed when the bridge work is done at the front of the mouth. This is to preserve the aesthetic appeal of your smile. If your front teeth are too weak to support a replacement tooth then a cantilever bridge is used where the replacement tooth is anchored on just one side instead of two.
You might need to have a little of one of the surrounding teeth removed in order to accommodate the replacement. Your dentist can determine whether this is necessary by taking a mould of your mouth or by giving you a digital x-ray. While the replacement is being constructed you might need to wear a temporary replacement to keep the area stable.
If you have lost a tooth, talk to your West London dentist about the options available using dental bridge work.
February 27th, 2011
Serious and sudden problems affecting your mouth are best dealt with immediately so that things do not get much worse in a short space of time. If you have such a problem you should contact your London W1 dentist without delay so that your mouth can be examined by a trained professional who is expert in oral matters.
Dental emergencies can occur if you have had a serious accident. In physical situations teeth can easily be dislodged or knocked out altogether. One of your teeth or a number of them might have been subject to heavy impact which leaves them in excruciating and sustained pain, sometimes with a change in colour too.
If your teeth become sufficiently damaged to the point where an infection occurs then this can compromise your general health as the infection might enter the blood stream. For this reason it is vital that a dentist is consulted as soon as possible so that the problem can be put right.
Your dentist might need to replace a tooth or perhaps remove a damaged one and installing a temporary replacement so that infection cannot spread and there is a functioning replacement tooth in the place of the lost one. If your tooth has been damaged internally then root canal treatment might be necessary to clear it of infection or debris.
It is better to be safe than sorry and you should always go and see your London W1 dentist if you fear that a dental emergency is occurring. Your oral health is not worth compromising for the sake of saving face and your dentist should always be understanding about your concerns.
February 25th, 2011
Having a cavity form in one of your teeth can be a painful process which requires a filling. Once a cavity has formed your teeth cannot regrow and it is something that will be with you for the rest of your life. Children can be especially at risk from dental cavities and it is essential that their teeth are protected. The use of dental sealants can help.
A dental sealant is a plastic coating applied to the rear teeth of children. It is a simple and effective barrier against bacteria harming the youthful teeth. By using them, the child’s teeth are protected from bacteria and plaque which can cause them to decay.
Often patients have dental sealant placed at about the age of six when the permanent molars erupt and again at the age of twelve when the second molars erupt. They are affordable and will last several years before they need to be supplemented. The process of applying dental sealant is painful and will not cause children discomfort.
It can sometimes be difficult to get children to brush their teeth properly and with them snacking on sweets in the play ground at school, it is worth while giving their teeth the extra protection afforded by dental sealant. After all, it is better to protect teeth at a young age so that life long problems cannot take hold.
If you are concerned about the state of your child’s teeth, make an appointment with your Central London dentist and ask them for more expert advice about dental sealant and what it can do for your child’s teeth.
February 23rd, 2011
Losing a number of teeth can be traumatic to say the least, especially if you have lost them all. But it is important that some replacements – in whatever form – are fitted so that your mouth can effectively function again. Eating, drinking and talking with ease are things that you no doubt take for granted if you have a full set of healthy teeth but losing them can put those activities in jeopardy.
One popular option to replace a set of lost teeth is to have dentures made. These removable replacement teeth can be secured either with a fixing agent that can be applied daily or by relying on the natural suction of your gums.
Many now prefer the more permanent solution of having replacement teeth installed with dental implants, given that dentures can slip and cause the wearer embarrassment. Dentures can become messy too and trap food but the fact that they can be removed could also be seen as an advantage. If you are still making up your mind about whether you wish to undergo the invasive treatment involved with dental implants then you can always wear dentures in the mean time.
Modern dentures are far more life like than they used to be with plenty of wearers these days finding them to be extremely discreet. Complaints about how uncomfortable dentures are are tending to become a thing of the past too as friction free braces become increasingly available.
Your London W1 dentist has all the expert advice about what to do if you have lost your teeth. Speak to him or her at your next appointment and ask about the pros and cons of wearing dentures.
February 22nd, 2011
There are great treatments flying around dental surgeries in the London W1 area designed at covering the problem of tooth loss.
Bridges and crowns, and even dentures were for a very long time top of the choices, although there was another lurking around in the background- dental implants. However, this was a very complex operation to do, very expensive and so, very exclusive and it would take over half a year to complete because of the healing process- it was all drills and scalpels back then.
But then along came the computer and the laser that was soon fed into dental implant surgery and the procedure became so refined and quick, that you can now have multiple implants done in a day. Once you have had them fitted, and your gums have healed, you are then fitted with a completely, stunning new set of teeth that will be as strong as the ones you once had.
An implant is a small titanium rod that is screwed into the jaw bone to act as the new root and being so strong, it should be there for life, being the base to attach anything you like to. All of these new techniques in implant technology have meant that it has become available in most surgeries around the city because it is now so easy to perform, and this has seen a rapid drop in price. So aside from how slick the treatment has become and the costs involved, its popularity has risen dramatically to become the most preferred option to overcome tooth loss.
February 21st, 2011
We all know how important it is to look after our teeth but how many of us pay enough attention to our gums? The fact is that gum disease is actually a greater cause of tooth loss than tooth decay itself. Many people in the UK have some form of gum disease and don’t even know about it, but it is worth dealing with so that it can’t progress into something much worse than just a bit of sensitivity in the mouth.
One of the least pleasant aspects of suffering from gum disease is that bad breath – or halitosis – can occur. The emission of unpleasant smells from the mouth can make social situations that bit more awkward and can lead to embarrassment and even withdrawal. Who wants to be covering their mouth at a wedding or business meeting?
Gum disease is usually caused by a build up of plaque on the gum line of teeth, which causes the gum to become infected. This will manifest itself in greater sensitivity when eating and drinking and a change in the colour of your gums from a healthy pink to more of a red colour. Bad breath might be another symptom too.
If you have bad breath it is best to get your mouth examined by a trained professional to see if gum disease is the cause. Gum disease can usually be rectified by tightening up your home oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing as recommended by your dentist. Sometimes special mouth washes can be used or it might simply be that a certain food you eat a lot of is causing halitosis.
Talk to your West London dentist for more advice about halitosis and gum disease.
February 19th, 2011
Of all the things that can affect your mouth, oral cancer is probably the most damaging. It can leave you needing invasive and difficult treatment and can be fatal. It has not had the large scale coverage that other cancers have had in recent years but it ought to be taken seriously. Thankfully you have a good chance of beating oral cancer if you keep up the habit of visiting your dentist every six months so your mouth can be monitored by a professional.
The high risk groups for oral cancer include those who smoke and regularly drink an excess of alcohol. Men are more likely to contract the disease then women too. But it should be born in mind that a quarter of all oral cancer patients are not from these high risk groups.
Symptoms of oral cancer might be that your gums are beginning to seem a little swollen and have rust coloured patches on them. You might find that your teeth don’t seem to ‘fit’ that well in your mouth anymore and your gums are more sensitive than they used to be. Sudden weightloss is sometimes associated with the onset of cancers generally and this applies to the oral variety too.
Contact your Central London dentist if you are worried about oral cancer. The survival rates are fairly high if oral cancer is spotted early and dealt with effectively but, like all cancers, the further it is allowed to progress the more grim the prognosis. Be sure to visit your dentist every six months so that the state of your mouth can be monitored by someone who knows all the early signs of incipient oral cancer.
February 17th, 2011
Even if you are the most rigorous of brushers and floss effectively too, it is hard to recreate the feeling of having had your teeth professionally cleaned by the dentist. This is because of the special equipment that they use which allows them to clean your teeth with a far greater depth than you could ever manage at home.
Professional dental clean involve the processes of scaling and polishing. Scaling is the physical act of scraping away built up plaque and tartar from the surface of your teeth with a small and sharp hook. This process is an essential part of the fight against tooth decay, caused by plaque attacking the enamel on your teeth.
Once plaque takes hold it can form into tartar which cannot be removed by tooth brushing alone and must be dealt with in the surgery. Another good reason to get tartar removed is that it is an unsightly brown colour and makes your teeth look less attractive. The process of scaling is a generally painful procedure, with dentists increasingly concerned about relaxing their patients while they are in the surgery.
Once scaled, an electric polisher is used to buff the teeth. This not only makes them look whiter but the extra smoothness achieved leaves plaque with less rough patches to cling onto. This too, is a painless process.
The benefits if scaling a polishing are easy to see. It is much better to let your dentist help you with your oral hygiene than excluding him or her from the process. After scaling and polishing from your Central London dentist you will have a brighter smile, your teeth will feel great and you will experience greater peace of mind knowing that plaque and tartar have been removed from your mouth.
February 16th, 2011
Although we would all like to cling onto our youth there are certain changes which affect our bodies as we get older. One of these, and it is as natural as the greying of your hair, is your teeth losing their brilliant, white sheen. Teeth can become stained or grown dull as a result of drinking such things as red wine, cola and tea and coffee. Thankfully your dentist can help; having dull or stained teeth is not something that simply has to be put up with.
Dentists offer a number of solutions that are available in the surgery. Some of them involve the stains being blasted off with high pressure solution that is fired at the teeth. Another method is with special bleaching gel that is applied to trays worn over your teeth. They might be worn in the surgery for a time or taken home and worn in your own time for the gel to work on your stained teeth.
Some of these kits are available in retailers such as supermarkets and pharmacies. They can be extremely effective, not to mention affordable, and they are done in your own time without having to visit your dentist.
If you feel embarrassed about the shade of your teeth, whether they are badly stained or have just become rather dull with the passage of time, you might want to consider getting some sort of teeth whitening treatment. The boost to your confidence will be palpable, allowing you to smile with confidence in social occasions. Your London W1 dentist will have all the information you will need to make a decision.
February 14th, 2011
Having pain in your teeth can make a number of activities rather more inconvenient than they need to be. Eating, drinking and even talking can be difficult and you should contact your dentist in case the pain is a symptom of something worse, like an abscess.
You might find that consuming food and drink which is especially hot or cold is more difficult as your teeth react to the temperature. It might be that the enamel on your teeth has been worn away by excess plaque and the nerves are being compromised when you eat and drink. Permanent tooth ache can ensue and you might end up with a tooth that has to be removed.
If the pain is especially severe then it might be that you have an abscess in your mouth. This can happen if you have suffered a serious accident which affected your mouth. This excruciating pain might be accompanied by a noticeable swelling to the face. Any such symptoms should be reported to your dentist without delay. An abscess is a serious business and might require surgery.
You ought to keep your dentist informed of what’s going on with your mouth and the best way to do this is at the check ups you should be having every six months. It is important too that you don’t hesitate in making an appointment whenever a problem should occur. This is preferable to waiting for your next check up as the problem might have got a lot worse by that point.
Contact your City of London dentist if you are experiencing tooth pain and are worried that it might be the result of an abscess.
