‘The world is not enough’ whereas in west London ‘the brush is not enough’ and there’s a good chance 007 is carrying more than a gun and passport in his briefcase these days. Next to other gadgets, there’s got to be a roll of dental floss and a mouth-wash in there somewhere. Yes, it’s great that we brush as often as we can during the day, especially after meals, but your average toothbrush is just too large to ‘get right in there’ where it matters- between the teeth. Flossing is a difficult technique to master, but with patience and practise, you’ll get there in the end. Of course, you can by packets of disposable floss-in-holders these days that take the sting out of the process for you. Inter-dental brushes have also become very popular; again easy to use and very effective. And lest we forget mouth-washes for there is an extensive range out the to suit all types of mouths and their condition, whilst aiding in the fight against plaque- the very reason we are going to all this trouble in the first place. We should never underestimate how a good daily oral hygiene program helps to keep our mouths fresh and clean and healthy. So ‘Mr Bond how would you like your floss…on a roll or between the sticks?’
Archives for June, 2011
The Brush just isn’t enough in West London
June 30th, 2011Dentistry without the pain! Waterlase methods at Central London dentists delight patients
June 28th, 2011
For many people who suffer from dental phobia (the fear of visiting the dental surgery) the main thing that makes them feel anxious is the thought of the dental drill. But technology has conspired to produce and effective way of carrying out many of the same procedures as drill but using jets of water instead! Patients are reporting that the benefits are immediate and obvious and they are a lot happier to go to the dentist for vital work.
Caries removal, some gum procedures and cavity protection can now be carried out using a new method called Waterlase. Jets of water that are enhanced with lasers perform the same functions as a dental drill but without the skull-shaking vibrations and high pitched whining sound. All in all, when the drill is silent, a dental surgery is a more pleasant place to be for every one.
Dentists are finding that they can be far more accurate with their work when they use Waterlase and are delighted that many patients are simply more relaxed in the surgery. The increased accuracy is reducing the length of time it takes to complete some procedures, meaning that you need not necessarily take the whole morning or afternoon off work to have a dental job done in your mouth.
If this all sounds like welcome news to you because you’ve been putting off a vital piece of work, have a chat with your Central London dentist and ask them if they are using Waterlase in their surgery. This silent, accurate and pain-free improvement to the dental drill is becoming more widely used in the United Kingdom and you can benefit from it.
Get help with your abscessed tooth from London W1 dentists
June 25th, 2011
If you have a persistent pain in one of your teeth, life can suddenly seem very difficult. Going to work might seem like the last thing you want to do and that morning cup of tea suddenly becomes more of an issue than it ever has before. If it is showing no signs of going away you should definitely report the problem to your dentist as it might be that your tooth is abscessed.
Abscessed teeth can often be the result of one off accidents which have affected your face. Not only will your tooth hurt but there might be a noticeable swelling to the side of your face as well. It is important that this is dealt with as soon as possible.
Neglecting to report such a situation might lead to having to have the tooth removed. If there is damage to the hollow interior of the tooth (called the pulp chamber), then root canal surgery can usually rectify the problem. But if this is not carried out soon enough then the tooth might fail and simply have to be removed.
Pain of such magnitude in your mouth is unlikely to just go away of its own accord so you should not hesitate in booking an emergency appointment with your London W1 dentist. It might be that some major work is required in order to restore your teeth your health. You shouldn’t wait until your next six months check-up because it might have got worse by then. Remember: you only get one set of healthy teeth in a life time so it is not worth playing fast and loose with their integrity.
City of London dentists improve patients’ smiles with botox
June 23rd, 2011
In recognition of the marvellous facilities that many dental surgeries have and the adaptability and professionalism of the staff, dentists are broadening the services that they are offering. In many surgeries you can now have cosmetic procedures carried out as well as the usual root canal treatments and tartar removal. This makes sense, given that the cosmetic dentistry branch of dentistry is primarily concerned with improving the looks of patients anyway.
In a number of surgeries in the United Kingdom, patients can now get an injection of botox to improve the look of their smile. Botox is a chemical that can be injected into muscles to paralyse them and stop wrinkles from coming about. It is a perfectly safe substance to have in the body because it will naturally break down and leave the body in the usual fashion.
The procedure of having a botox injection will probably last around one hour and twenty minutes and can cost less than one hundred pounds. It is worth thinking about if you are worried about the look of your smile and feel that your confidence is suffering from wrinkles around your mouth. Patients sometimes report that they feel a little nauseous after the injection but the effects are immediate in terms of firming up your smile.
Next time you are talking to your City of London dentist, ask them about which cosmetic procedures they offer. More than four million people have botox injections in the United States of America every year and the numbers are increasing in the United Kingdom. Why not give it a go and see what it can do for the look of your smile?
London W1 dentists treat patients who are having problems with grinding their teeth in their sleep
June 22nd, 2011
It is just as common as snoring and yet far less talked about. Grinding your teeth in your sleep can have effects on the health of your mouth and if you think you are doing it then you should report it to your dentist as soon as possible. There is no need to feel embarrassed about raising it as it is a common complaint and your dentist will be sympathetic.
The effects of grinding your teeth in your sleep (it is clinically known as bruxism) can be detrimental on the health of your mouth. If your teeth are grinding together night after night the tough enamel which coats your teeth can begin to wear away, leaving you more open to cavities and tooth decay. The teeth themselves can even become broken down, with cracks or chips starting to appear. Bruxism also puts a degree of pressure on your jaw and can contribute to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). You might find evidence for nocturnal teeth grinding not in your teeth but in painful feelings in your jaw.
Medical professionals have determined that there are two main causes of bruxism although the two are not always mutually exclusive. Feelings of stress can manifest themselves with teeth grinding at night and it might be appropriate to receive therapy. The dental cause of bruxism can be that teeth are misaligned and when you are asleep they are clashing against one another because they are not in the right position.
In either case it is advisable to get a mouth guard fitted so that the impact of the grinding is softened and your teeth won’t get damaged. If your teeth are misaligned then you should talk to your London W1 dentist anyway about getting a brace fitted.
Find out about the links between sleep apnea and heart failure with City of London dentists
June 21st, 2011
Unfortunately sleep apnea has consequences for sufferers beyond simply disrupting their sleep. For those who haven’t heard of sleep apnea, it is a condition that causes people to wake up in the night when the supply of oxygen is restricted as a result of the muscles at the rear of the mouth relaxing inappropriately. The brain sends a signal to the body to come out of deep sleep if not enough air is getting through to the lungs.
Dentists can help to diagnose sleep apnea because they have privileged access to the rear of the mouth during their thorough six month check-ups that you hopefully attend. It is worth reporting to your dentist if you are finding that your sleep is being regularly disrupted and you are not sure why.
Sufferers will experience extreme fatigue during the day because of the disruption to sleep and they might find that they are more prone to accidents at work. The body relies on having a full, uninterrupted sleep on a regular basis and if it does not get this then hypertension can ensue. It is only a short step from hypertension to sufferers having an increased risk of heart failure.
Sleep apnea can be dealt with by wearing one of several inter oral devices (IODs) during sleep. These are worn in the mouth and basically make sure that your throat muscles cannot stop air getting through into the lungs. The improvements to the everyday lives of sufferers are palpable and the lowering of the risk of heart failure is most welcome. Talk to your City of London dentist next time you are in the surgery if you need to know more about sleep apnea.
West London dentists help patients prevent tooth and gum disease by advising them about oral health
June 20th, 2011
Tooth and gum disease are a set of related ailments that can have serious consequences for the health of your mouth. It is best not to neglect looking after your mouth because in doing so you leave yourself open to the pain and indignity of tooth loss, not to mention the prospect of invasive and uncomfortable surgical procedures.
As most people will know, the most basic thing to bear in mind is that as much of the acidic substance known as plaque needs to be removed from your mouth on a daily basis. This can be achieved by effective brushing with a tooth brush that has firm bristles and the use of fluoride tooth paste that helps to strengthen teeth against further attack.
Flossing is a vital part of looking after your teeth too as it helps to guard against dental decay as well as gum disease. You should pull dental floss between the gaps in your teeth after you have brushed. This is because your brush will be unable to reach all the plaque that is in between teeth.
Allowing plaque to flourish lets it attack the enamel on the surface of your teeth and holes will begin to form. Eventually teeth can become not fit for purpose and removal might be the only option left. Gum disease is actually a greater cause of tooth loss though than the decaying of teeth itself. This is because the advanced stages of gum disease leads to the bones which hold your teeth in place becoming inflamed and unable to hold teeth in.
Keeping your West London up to date with what’s going on in your mouth is a vital part of keeping your teeth and gums healthy and free from disease.
Central London dentists give patients all the facts about oral products and bad breath
June 17th, 2011
Nobody wants to have to shield their mouths at parties and social occasions, but the awareness that there are foul odours emitting from your mouth might drive you to do so. Bad breath is a nightmare for anyone it affects and most people will do their utmost to combat it. Anyone who watches televisions and reads magazines will see the adverts for mouth washes which proclaim an end to bad breath but dentists are advising patients that they can actually make the problem worse.
The thing about mouth washes is that they kill pretty much all of the bacteria in peoples’ mouths. This is a good thing in the sense that bad breath bacteria are killed, but not all of the bacteria in your mouth are bad; some of them are beneficial. The fact that all of the bacteria are killed by mouth wash actually then leaves the mouth in an ideal condition for more bad breath bacteria to form quickly and then hang around. This is because bad breath bacteria love a dry mouth because it enables them to stick to teeth more easily.
The best way to combat bad breath effectively is to make sure that you are brushing your teeth properly and flossing too so that none of the bacteria can hide between teeth. Diet too can play an important part and we all know that certain foods are worse for bad breath than others. Your tongue is also a favourite spot for bad breath bacteria so it is a good idea to brush there too. Feel free to take any of your bad breath concerns to your Central London dentist because he or she will be able to help.
City of London dentists diagnose oral cancer so patients can be treated early and effectively
June 16th, 2011
Oral cancer is just one of the cancers which will affect one in every three people living in the United Kingdom. It has fairly high rates of survival but it must be caught early so that it can be treated to good effect. By visiting your dentist every six months you are giving yourself the best chance of beating oral cancer should it develop in your mouth.
Rates of oral cancer are higher in men than women and smoking tobacco and regularly drinking too much alcohol have been found to be contributing factors also. But women also get oral cancer, as do those who refrain from smoking and drinking. You can’t anything for granted to it is best to be vigilant for oral cancer like you would be for many other more common conditions.
The signs that you might spot could include hardened patches on the tissue inside your mouth. These may be a rusty colour and can be felt for with your finger. Sudden and unexplained weight loss can also be a sign of oral cancer but it can also be a symptom of many other things besides.
Oral cancer can be treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy like other cancers but the best chances of coming through are to be gained by an early diagnosis. This is where dentists can help. They are trained to look for the signs of oral cancer when they are giving your mouth a general examination. If your City of London suspects that they have found the early signs of oral cancer they will immediately refer you to an oncologist so that a more thorough examination can occur.
Preventing Gum Disease in Central London
June 15th, 2011
Trying our best to keep gum disease and tooth decay at bay each day in central London is the prime directive of oral hygiene, or if you want to be technical, preventative dentistry. These two evil elements only pose a threat if they are allowed to advance, and boy, can they advance! They can lead to halitosis, tooth and bone loss, heart disease and organ failure- pretty good reason to prevent them then! If you feel at any time you are having problems, you should get down to the dentist and find out how to tackle them. Sure the dentist will do the scale and polish bit, but between you, you should iron out a plan on how to look after your mouth. The dentist will check your dental records and based on that and any current problems, and then suggest ways to improve your oral hygiene. This will take into account such matters as diet, medication and things that you do but shouldn’t be doing, like smoking and/or excessive drinking. You can also discuss the brushes and toothpastes you use and maybe adjust them accordingly The dentist can get your teeth into the best possible shape and make you look pretty, but what they can’t do is keep an eye on what you are getting up to elsewhere. At the end of the day, it’s down to you to take responsibility for the health of your teeth, gums and mouth.
