There are several emergencies that can crop up in the mouth- some minor, some major, but the one that is the most dangerous of all is an abscessed tooth- in fact it can be fatal. An abscess normally stems, dare we say it again people of London W1, from poor oral hygiene. Once plaque has been allowed to take hold of your teeth, tartar will form that will then start to infect the gums. Left to do its own thing, the tooth will develop a cavity and tooth decay will set in and up until now, you may have been blissfully unaware of anything going wrong, but you soon will be. The tooth will become suceptible to temperature change, your mouth may taste foul, and your face may well swell up- if this happens, it requires immediate treatment as the abscess has already started to poison the bloodstream and your life could be in danger. In some cases, the pain may subside, but that only means the nerves have been killed off but the decay and bacteria are still well and truly alive. Now though at this stage the tooth can be saved with treatment, once an abscess has shown its hand, it has a habit of re-offending and in the end, there is no other option but to remove the tooth altogether.
Archives for September, 2011
The Perils of an Abscessed Tooth in London W1
September 30th, 2011Waterlase and the art of Painless Dentistry in Central London
September 28th, 2011
One of the first things that dentists realized when they started to use lasers in their treatments was just how little damage was done to the tissue and the teeth afterwards, much unlike a drill that can cause shattering through vibration and the scalpel that often left the patient needing stitches. Of course, this type of treatment then evolved into what is known as Waterlase, which is now being used by dentists all around central London. It incorporates water and a laser at the same time and cuts and bores without heat pressure or vibration. This means the damage done to the surrounding areas is minimal, because it is so deftly accurate. Pain in procedures such as fillings, root canals and gum contouring is kept to a minimum, meaning that on some procedures, there is no need for anesthetic. The procedure leaves very little trauma, swelling and bleeding to the mouth and because it is so fast and accurate, it makes return visits to the dentist redundant. Now just imagine how that would feel for someone who suffers from some form of dental phobia- thank god for technology!
The beauty of Botox in the City of London
September 26th, 2011
Okay, so you’ve spent thousands with a dentist in the city of London to get your teeth looking like you did when you younger and the bet is, they look fantastic. However, that has probably highlighted the lips that look a bit like a sparrow’s foot. You can see why dentists hopped on the botox bandwagon- from the teeth it’s a natural progression to the lips. And let’s face it, considering it doesn’t take long to administer botox injection and the fact that a dentist already has the injections to do the job, who can doubt the reasoning- you’re already in the chair! Botox, for all its bad press is perfect for turning back the years; it’s a perfectly safe toxin that once injected, inflates the skin and removes wrinkles that come with age. Generally it only takes around a quarter of an hour to do, is pretty painless and one treatment will set you back around £100. Now that’s not bad for shaving 20 years off your life! But, and there is one, the only problem is that the body will breakdown botox and so you will have to return to the chair again every few months for a top up.
Battling Bruxism in London’s W1
September 23rd, 2011
Stress and poor diet is something that the people of London W1 can probably identify with when they are on the go all the time, which exposes them to the problem of teeth grinding or Bruxism- not that they’d probably know that they are doing it at first, for it is very prevalent when sleeping at night. The stress and anger that often follows a busy day in the city needs to be addressed because you are putting your mouth and upper body at risk. Teeth grinding affects not only the teeth by wearing the enamel away, but it can seriously damage the TMJ- the point at where the lower jaw meets the upper jaw. If this gets damaged, it can lead to tinnitus and sinus problems as well headaches and damage to the neck and upper back. The way of addressing the problem is three-fold once you realize that you have a problem, jaw ache and clicking are the main signs: firstly a gum-shield will be required to prevent any further to the teeth, then a stress management course so that you can learn how to relax more during the day and handle things better. Finally, it’s important to learn how to de-stress once you get home and the stress management course should help you to achieve this, but ignore this and you could be in peril, because if allowed to continue, it may take several operation to correct you jaw, let alone your neck.
How Poor Sleep can hurt your Heart in the City of London
September 22nd, 2011
You’d like to think that when you go to sleep at night along with the rest of the city of London, you are resting your body. Well that’s not quite the case, especially if you are obese, smoke and drink a lot, have an awful diet and poor oral hygiene. When the body sleeps, the automated services take over to regulate your breathing and the way your body pumps blood around your system, namely the lungs, heart and brain. If one of these starts to flounder for some reason, so do the other two. The way you breathe is imperative but sometimes, you can stop breathing and this throw the organs into confusion and if it happens it can put strain on the heart to keep the blood pumping; it can also pull you from a deep sleep to a shallow one causing the effects of drowsiness the next day as if you’ve had no sleep at all – this is sleep apnea and it’s a killer for the heart. You may be blissfully ignorant at first but when you wake, generally exhausted and maybe with headaches, but the oxygen in your blood will be low and this will still be a problem as you start the day when you find yourself tired and irritable. People who have suffered from heart and neurological problems are particularly at risk as the important factor that keep your body automated at night have been damaged in some way, blocking the natural flow between the heart lungs and brain.
Tooth and Gum Disease- the fight goes on in West London
September 21st, 2011
One single problem in the mouth can often start a domino effect in the mouth, kick starting other problems. Tooth decay and gum disease are just two of the conditions that just love to party around west London. It has been said a thousand times before but the two catalysts that start everything off is the lack of oral hygiene that then feeds into the build up of plaque. In time, and if you skip dental dates, plaque will turn to tartar around the teeth where the gums meet. This will invariably infect the gums and the teeth alike; but it’s not the only issue that can cause gum disease. The problem has been linked with poor lifestyle, diet and stress which breaks down the body’s immune system leaving the mouth dry and this is what gum disease thrives on as well. Gum disease is treatable as long as the jaw itself has not become infected. It may take some serious work at the dentist or maybe just a shake up in your everyday routine and how you look after your teeth, changing the products you use, incorporating herbal remedies into your ways, but it can be stopped in its tracks. Tooth disease can also be treated by your dentist with fillings and root canal or root cleansing, but if you want to save your teeth and your body too, you have to wise up to the dangers, for gum disease can cause heart failure in the long run.
Choosing your Products wisely for Bad Breath in Central London
September 20th, 2011
It seems a bizarre thing to think that some oral hygiene products on sale in central London can actually add to bad breath, but in fact it’s true. One of the main contributors to bad breath is suffering from a dry mouth- this can be caused by a myriad of things from stress to diet, but having a dry mouth means that the saliva in the mouth has dried up and this means your mouth is vulnerable to gum disease and tooth decay and so it’s is important to keep the mouth hydrated at all times. If you use toothpaste that contains a bleaching agent however, it can help to add to the dryness. And one of the worst things you can use if you have this condition is alcohol based mouthwashes and others that use masking agents. They don’t actually solve the problem of bad breath, but by the chemicals added, they actually compound the problem by making the mouth even drier. Help should be sought from your dentist who can explain what exactly is in the more popular mouthwashes and toothpastes on the market so that you can avoid them and address the problem of dry mouth using more herbal based products.
What you need to Know about Oral Cancer in the City of London
September 19th, 2011
Treatment for oral cancer is not one of the nicest experiences that a person will ever go through in the city of London but it is beatable if you look out for the early signs of it. What exactly lies behind the disease can still pose a bit of a mystery though: there was a consideration that cancer is handed down through the family and ignites when exposed to what life hurls at us and if you think about it, there is an element of truth in that- stress, poor diet, smoking and drinking are all the evils life lays on a plate to us and making the body and mouth vulnerable to illness. But one thing is for sure, we all know when something is wrong- jaw ache, repetitive ear aches and ulcers, swallowing issues and halitosis are sure signs that you should get yourself to the dentist for a proper synopsis. Time is of the essence here and the sooner you have been diagnosed after a series of tests, your treatment can begin and the better your chances of pulling through. Much of the treatment you receive will depend how advanced the problem is, but the three main treatments include radio and chemo therapy or actual physical therapy combined with a back-up of medication. But the battle doesn’t stop there as it depends on your strength to recover and the desire to change your lifestyle.
The principle of preventive dentistry as applied to gum disease: Central London dentists explain
September 16th, 2011
Your gums are an important part of your mouth and the heath of the whole mouth relies on having gums which are free from disease. Yet they are perennially at the mercy of attacks from harmful plaque bacteria which can cause them to become inflamed and damaged.
The consequences of highly developed gum disease are very serious indeed. If the inflammation in gums spreads to the bones which hold teeth in place then teeth can be lost, not to mention parts of the jaw bone itself. Rectifying this satisfactorily can be very difficult indeed and that is part of the rationale behind the idea of preventive dentistry as applied to gum disease.
It is better to create conditions in which gum disease is highly unlikely than to deal with the consequences of it once it has happened. To this end, central London dentists urge patients to take their advice and floss between their teeth in order that any plaque there is successfully removed.
Additionally patients are encouraged to think about how well they are brushing their teeth so that plaque cannot stay on the gum line of teeth and cause inflammation. Make sure that your saliva production isn’t hampered by activities such as smoking and too much alcohol being drunk; saliva is a natural defence against plaque and if the levels of it are too low then you might be putting your gums at risk.
West London dentists and the full picture of home oral care: do more than brush
September 15th, 2011
Once you have brushed your teeth, that should not be the end of your home oral hygiene routine. There are other things to take into consideration lest you want to be at the mercy of the damaging effects of plaque on your teeth and gums.
The failure to floss can leave damaging amounts of plaque in the gaps between your teeth. If plaque is left there it can erode the layer of enamel and start to cause cavities. These will have to be filled otherwise the pulp chamber inside the tooth can become compromised and the health of the whole tooth will be threatened. Flossing doesn’t have to take very long and it is not a costly pursuit. In fact a box of dental floss represents excellent value as they usually contain many metres of dental floss.
Other things to consider when you are looking after your teeth at home include how you are brushing your teeth and the equipment you are using. Overly vigorous brushing can do more harm than good and the use of a brush with frayed bristles won’t do much remove plaque at all.
Even if you brush your teeth really well and take the advice to floss too, there is one other crucial part of your dental routine that should not be neglected: six monthly visits to your dentist in West London.
