March 31st, 2011
Pain in your teeth can be very uncomfortable and extremely inconvenient. It can totally inhibit the way that you eat, drink and even talk. It can seem like your life is put on hold thanks to the discomfort produced by perhaps on one of your teeth. If you experience it you should tell your dentist about it immediately so that it can be dealt with and you can get on with your life once more.
Tooth pain potentially has a number of different causes and it is important that your dentist examines your mouth to determine which one is responsible for your pain. It might be that you are developing cavities in your teeth thanks to a build up of plaque. Once the enamel on the outside of your teeth has been breached then your nerves inside are exposed and your teeth will become painful.
If you are grinding your teeth in your sleep then you might find that your teeth are rather painful because of the impact. Your enamel might be being worn away as a result of the grinding and your teeth might ache during the day.
If you had an accident which affected your mouth then one or more of your teeth might have been giving you some pain since. It might be that you have got an infection inside the tooth as a result of the accident that has affected the pulp and nerves inside.
Keep up the routine of visiting your London W1 dentist every six months so that the health of your mouth can be monitored. Be sure to tell your dentist if you are experiencing tooth pain; it might be nothing serious but it is better to be safe than sorry.
March 29th, 2011
Your smile is one of the first things that people will notice about so it is a good idea to try and keep your smile in good shape so you can be proud of it. Unfortunately, with the passing years, the brilliant shiny white colour that your teeth had in your youth will inevitably fade. What’s more, activities such as smoking, drinking tea, coffee and red wine can lead to them becoming stained.
Thankfully dentists offer a wide variety of treatments and procedures to reverse this and give you back the youthful glint in your teeth. Some of these procedures are all but miraculous and restore teeth to the whitest possible shade of colour. Usually they involve special whitening gel which is applied to the teeth by way of trays which are specially made to fit your uniquely shaped mouth. Then your dentist might use a curing light to ensure an excellent finish.
Teeth whitening kits are also available for purchase in super markets and pharmacies and can be bought over the internet and delivered straight to your door for extra convenience. These procedures can be carried out in your own time but usually involved whitening gel and trays too. They are usually worn when you sleep for a recommended stretch of evenings.
Your Central London dentist will be an expert in all matter relating to the whiteness of your teeth and you should talk to him or her if you are fed up with your discoloured teeth and want to do something about it. There will be an option that is right for you so that you can improve the look of your smile and enjoy the benefits that will bring to your self confidence.
March 27th, 2011
Metal braces have been the stalwart of teeth straightening for many years now. Although they are always effective they can cause discomfort for patients who find them unsightly and yet have to wear them for several years. This could be especially difficult for teenagers who already experience enough social awkwardness with a mouth full of metal as well. Thankfully there are new options available for teeth straightening.
The clear material that Invisalign braces are made from will eliminate that feeling of social awkwardness as even your closest friends will barely notice that there is anything in your mouth. They lose nothing in effectiveness by being see through however. They are individually made to fit the unique shape of your mouth and this can be done quickly, using digital imaging technology, rather than dental putty and moulds.
Invisalign braces need to be worn for at least twenty two hours a day but you can take them out whenever you need to, perhaps at meal times or if you have an important social occasion. Even if your do choose to wear them during meal times they are easily cleaned. This is a vast improvement on metal braces whose wires and brackets were a magnet for food to get trapped in and could be most awkward to clean.
Invisalign braces are simply replaced as and when you need them so there is no tightening involved. The new one you receive will just be slightly tight so that the adjustment process of your teeth continues. If your West London dentist is registered with Invisalign you can have a free consultation to see if it is the right choice for you. Take the first step towards a brilliant, straight smile.
March 25th, 2011
For the many people who suffer from diabetes, there are lots of things to worry about. The condition can affect the nerves, kidneys, eyes and heart, to name but a few. But it can also affect the health of your mouth. If you suffer from diabetes it is imperative that you regularly visit your dentist so that your oral health can be monitored.
Diabetes patients are at particular risk of suffering from gum disease. In its most basic form it is known as gingivitis and is quite easy to deal with but must be sorted out so it doesn’t develop into periodontitis that affects the bones holding teeth in place. This is a leading cause of tooth loss, responsible for more lost teeth than dental decay itself.
The reason for this link is the problems that diabetes patients have with controlling the amount of glucose in their blood and this directly affects the gums. It is a further reason for diabetes patients to be rigorous about how well they deal with the blood sugar issue. Excellent daily dental hygiene care can also make a major difference and diabetes patients should brush and floss as directed just like every one else.
Keeping up the routine of visiting your dentist every six months is vital for everyone so that your mouth can be examined by a trained expert and any potentially nasty conditions can be dealt with in their infancy before they get any worse. This is especially so for diabetes sufferers given that they can easily develop gum disease. If you suffer from the condition and want more information, talk to your West London dentist today and he or she will be able to advise you about how to proceed.
March 23rd, 2011
Dealing with a broken down, cracked or chipped tooth will do wonders for your self confidence by improving the look of your smile. Dentists offer a variety of different procedures to deal with these problems and you should decide which is the best one for you. One of the ones you will be offered is to have a dental crown fitted to cover up the offending tooth, leaving you with a smile you can be proud of.
The modern variety of dental crown is amazingly discreet, not to mention durable. They effectively cover up broken or chipped tooth so that no one can see it and the look of your smile will be improved no end. Advances in technology means that these crowns can be fitted quickly, allowing you to get on with your life. Date from digital x-rays can be sent to online milling machines which construct crowns in just over five minutes.
The porcelain they are made from is highly durable but also adaptable so that your dentist can match it to your surrounding teeth in terms of colour and texture, even translucence. So thin is the porcelain that will be used, it is likely that you will hardly need to have any of your existing tooth removed in order to fit the dental crown. This will be welcome news for those who don’t like invasive procedures.
Having a dental crown fitted is more affordable than ever thanks not only to the modern technology which eliminates lab fees and cuts down the amount of time you have to spend in the surgery; also because of interest free repayment plans which allow you to spread the cost. Talk to your Central London dentist for more information.
March 21st, 2011
Losing a tooth or teeth can be a traumatic experience whether it was the result of an accident, gum disease or dental decay. But it is imperative that you get them replaced so that your mouth can function again as it is meant to, allowing you to eat, drink and talk in comfort. There are a number of options which your dentist will be able to discuss with you such as dentures or dental implants but dental bridges are popular because they are more permanent than dentures and less invasive than dental implants.
In dental bridge work, replacement teeth are basically anchored to healthy teeth which are still in the mouth and there are three main types of dental bridge. Traditional or fixed bridges are the most common form. A replacement tooth is able to be anchored on both sides because the gap is surrounded by two healthy teeth. This is the ideal situation for dental bridge work because it provides the most stability.
Cantilever bridge work is carried out where the replacement tooth can only be secured on one side. This technique will be used if the tooth on the other side is not healthy enough to be a part of the bridge work. The third type of dental bridge is called a Maryland-bonded or resin-bonded bridge. This consists of bridge work where it is imperative that the resin used to anchor the replacement is concealed. This might be appropriate when a tooth at the front of the mouth needs to be replaced and the patient is concerned about not compromising on aesthetic appeal.
Talk to your City of London dentist if you have lost a tooth or teeth and need more information about dental bridge work.
March 19th, 2011
Bad breath is something that most of us dread. The thought of emitting unpleasant odours from your mouth while you speak and smile is an unpleasant one. But it happens to many of us from time to time. How to deal with it then?
The first thing to understand is how bad breath (medically known as halitosis) is caused. The presence of certain bacteria in the mouth gives off unpleasant odours. Most people will be able to rid their mouths of these bacterium by brushing and flossing as advised but sometimes it is not enough.
Brushing your tongue can also be helpful because the offending bacteria can thrive there too. Be gentle though as you don’t want to damage your tongue in the process. Some people favour the use of mouth wash because it kills bacteria in the mouth and leaves your breath smelling immediately fresher. There is a problem here though because mouth wash actually leaves your mouth rather dry, an ideal condition for bad breath to actually stick to teeth. So in freshening your breath in the short term, you might find that, in a few hours the bad breath has returned with a vengeance!
Chewing chewing gum can be helpful if you are in a situation where you cannot brush your teeth but are anxious about having fresh breath. It dislodges any left over food in the mouth, and stimulates saliva production which moistens the mouth, not to mention giving your breath the smell of whichever flavour the gum is.
Don’t be embarrassed about bad breath, talk to your City of London dentist and take the first step towards beating the problem once and for all. Just think about how much easier social occasions will be!
March 16th, 2011
If you’ve noticed of late that your teeth are starting to get a bit grubby and are starting to lose their sheen, it may be time to consider getting your teeth whitened. Now just what route you should take is probably best discussed with your dentist, for there are a lot of treatments out to choose from. But one of the treatments that are highly rated in dental circles right now is Enlighten tooth whitening, because of its track records of results. Most bleaching techniques, especially home kits, can leave a rather cheap powdery, finish to the teeth, because of the speed in which they work. But Enlighten works more slowly over a period of 14 days. Once you have chosen the treatment, bespoke trays are made up for you at your dentists. Then, you take them home, and just before you go to sleep, you fill them with the bleaching agent and pop them over the teeth. You repeat the process every night over two weeks, whilst avoiding foods likely to stain, but using toothpastes that contain whitening agents- and then you pay a visit to your dentist for a quick laser treatment. Enlightening hey? Another reason behind this treatments success is that the whole of your teeth look as though you have had a mouthful of porcelain veneers fitted; that takes a fortnight too. Veneers for the whole mouth can cost over £20000, Enlighten from £600….you do the maths because that isn’t much in the city of London.
March 15th, 2011
Fast diagnosis leads to fast treatment, and that can save your teeth from some very expensive restorative treatments in the future, and to help them in their fight, most dentists in west London are switching to digital X-rays. Old X-rays could often take a couple of weeks to develop, which can be ample time for a cavity to worsen. With digital, you can have an image on screen within a couple of minutes and not just a profile image, for it can be turned into a colour coded, 3-D image, giving pinpoint accuracy to where the problem lies, so allowing a swift diagnosis to be made for an immediate treatment. These are also a lot easier to store and cross-reference for future procedures that you may require in the future. That’s not to impugn or throw away the value of old X-rays, for these can also be scanned onto the computer and used in conjunction with digital images. But digital X-rays can also be used, as in MRI scans, to take images of the nerves and blood flow in the teeth and gums. This allows the dentist to make precise decisions when it comes to treatments like root canals or impacted wisdom teeth. It’s a wonderful measure of how technology is helping us to keep our mouths safe and healthy.
March 14th, 2011
Unlike their predecessors, many modern dentists in W1 are very sympathetic to patients who have lost some, or even all of their teeth and that now require dentures. Dentists are trained to understand the fears of their patients and with modern denture technology at their fingertips, they are in good position to offer you the best treatment to get you through, what can often be with tooth loss, a very traumatic time. Dentists prefer to save as many teeth as they can these days, because partial dentures, such as Cu-Sil, anchor more stably around remaining teeth. But even if all the teeth have gone, dentures have advanced incredibly to give you back your freedom again. Before false teeth looked ‘false’, were made from plastic and it made it difficult to keep them in the mouth, even with a fix-a-dent. Dentures are made from a lot softer materials today, which adhere to the gums more firmly. Combined with modern adhesives and mini-implants that lock the dentures into place, they can give you back a quality of life that you thought you’d never see again. For health reasons, dentures can also help retain the shape of your face and protect the mouth’s occlusion or ‘bite’.
