September 13th, 2009
Unless you’ve been living in a bubble, or perhaps down a well, it’s unlikely that it will have escaped your attention that we are in the midst of an economic crisis, or as it is more familiarly known, the credit crunch. A recession is never an easy time for anybody. Financial concerns suddenly come top of everybody’s worry list. As we struggle to earn more and spend less it is inevitable that some things must be sacrificed in order to ride out the economic storm. For many it is the expense of a regular dentist appointment that suddenly falls off the bottom of the priority list. On the face of it this might be understandable but in the long term this might be a very bad financial decision.
Regular dental check ups may seem like a luxury during times of hardship, especially if you usually have healthy teeth. But once you start to let your dental hygiene slip it could end up costing a fortune. Dental check-ups are crucial for helping to prevent tooth decay and gum disease and just one missed appointment could give these two nasty conditions the time they need to bed in. Once tooth decay or gum disease has taken hold it will require several visits to the dentist, probably costly ones too, to sort it out.
Saving money for one or two dental check ups could end up costing you hundreds or even thousand sin the future. Not to mention the pain and suffering associated with dental disease. Toothache doesn’t have a bad reputation for nothing remember.
It is particularly important not to skimp on children’s check-ups. Children’s teeth can change very quickly, and while it may be costly to take several children to the dentist, just think about what three or four sets of fillings or dental bridges might cost in a years time.
With dental care, prevention is the enemy of disease. Dental problems can usually always be treated but a small investment of time and money to start with could reap huge dividends in the future. It is an investment you might not be able to afford to miss. A dentist in London W1 will be able to give you a thorough check-up to make sure you won’t be lose money because of your teeth.
July 12th, 2009
Dental caries is a type of tooth decay in which the tooth enamel is dissolved and is mainly caused by infectious agents like Streptococcus mutants and Lactobacillus. These bacteria can penetrate the dentin or tooth pulp tissue causing necrosis, infection and ultimately tooth loss. If left untreated, the excruciating oral pain can also affect eating, speech, swallowing and breathing.
Dental caries was once considered as a major public health concern. With the discovery of the water fluoridation technique, the incidence of dental caries in the society especially among children diminished to a great extent. An appropriate amount of fluoride is added to drinking water which inhibits or reverses the progression of dental caries and causes remineralisation of the tooth enamel.
But fluoride is only beneficial in reducing the incidence of dental caries when present in appropriate quantities. Recent studies by Central London researchers have shown that excess amounts of fluoride are now present in our waters leading to fluorosis, teeth mottling and dental caries. Excess intake of fluoride during the development of tooth enamel in children causes hypomineralisation or enamel fluorosis. This leads to the formation of brittle teeth in children making them at increased risk for developing dental caries. Excess amounts of fluoride are not only present in the drinking water but also in most toothpastes and mouth rinses.
The misconception in society that excessive amounts of fluoride are beneficial to the teeth promotes the purchase of toothpastes and mouth washes that advertise higher levels of fluoride. But remember, fluoride is protective and good for our teeth only in the right amount. An increased amount does more harm than good especially in our little children.
July 12th, 2009
The Department of Health reports that the present recession and credit crunch has led to a dental health crisis with more and more people staying away from dental appointments. The cost of most dental procedures has plummeted sky-rocket. A routine check-up will now cost you 16 and a tooth filling will cost you 41 against the earlier fee of 6 and 17.
Regular dental check-ups have become a luxury than a necessity in these financially troubled times. Most people are finding it difficult to provide their family with the basic necessities and do not have excess cash to spend for routine health check ups.
But London W1 dentists remind the public that prevention is better than cure. This statement holds most true in dentistry where timely check-ups can maintain the normal health of your teeth and gums. If oral problems like plaque or cavities are left unchecked, it can lead to infectious conditions like dental caries and other systemic infections, the treatment of which will be much costlier than the ordinary check-up. Most people remain ignorant about the effect of oral health on the rest of the body. Studies have proved the link between poor oral health and serious medical conditions like heart disease, stroke and low birth weight babies.
Follow a healthy oral regimen like brushing your teeth with good toothpaste twice daily, flossing frequently and visiting your dentist regularly. This will help keep your teeth and gums healthy and prevent you from spending more money during this credit crunch. Remember, ignorance is not bliss when it comes to your oral health.
June 7th, 2009
There is no question that lasers are revolutionising modern dentistry. For example, normally, periodontal pockets would have to be treated with surgery as well as gum contouring. Today, a Central London dentist can simply aim a laser at the pocket and destroy the infected tissue. From there, your dentist will also be able to repair any damage to ligaments and other structures that anchor your teeth into the bone. Even though this technology is fairly new, there are a number of studies available to indicate that it can get rid of almost any periodontal pocket.
Without a question, anyone that is looking for a minimally invasive periodontal procedure will appreciate LANAP therapy. Aside from avoiding one or more surgical procedures, you can look forward to your gums healing faster. This, in turn, may also reduce the risk of developing other infections while your gums are healing.
Unfortunately, there are still many people that did not have access to proper dental care when they were children. At the same time, gum disease and tooth decay continue to force thousands of people into choosing dentures and bridges. Therefore, the availability of LANAP technologies is a true advantage to anyone with advanced gum disease. Chances are, as this type of equipment becomes more available, it will help prevent millions of teeth from being extracted on a yearly basis.
If you know that you have gum disease, you may want to ask about having a LANAP procedure done. As you compare this procedure to conventional scaling and root planing, you will most likely agree that LANAP will be far easier to cope with. You may even be pleasantly surprised to find that you teeth will not develop the kind of sensitivity that normally occurs with more conventional forms of periodontal treatment.
July 19th, 2008
To be able to deserve the title of dentist, I had to go through an extensive process of testing and registering so as to be worthy of that title. There were a lot of documents to be submitted as well as forms to fill out but in the end, I got the coveted title of being a dentist.To belong to the roster of dental professionals means that you are qualified to tackle the responsibilities expected of one. And to be able to do so, you should have had the proper education and instruction from an established university in London and neighbouring countries, including sufficient practice and experience. These are all documented and presented to the UK qualifying body for approval.
To be a registered dental practitioner means that you know what you are doing and your patients can trust you with the condition of their teeth. They have undergone several tests to ensure that they are fit to be one. It is quite scary to entrust your oral cavity just to anyone.
As I prepared for these qualifying exams, I also had to look for a couple of volunteers who would agree to be test patients during the hands on portion of the test. There were several requirements that had to be met before I can choose the right patient such as the degree of decay, the area of the damage, and the condition of the nearby structures. Finding the perfect patient was critical to my passing and being a full fledged dentist. I guess you know what happened next…
June 21st, 2008
Fluoride is found to be the trace element that is needed to keep teeth healthy. Ever since this fact was made known the business of adding fluoride into dental care products boomed. We are able to find toothpastes and even some mouthwashes with fluoride. Some countries even add fluoride into drinking water. However studies also showed that too much fluoride can cause mottling of the teeth. So how much fluoride is too much. Is the fluoride contains in the natural foods sufficient to ensure healthy teeth?
When there are so many evidences against water fluoridation, why there are still so many countries still continue the process of water fluoridation? Is there any hidden agenda lurking in these 50 years of fluoride controversy? Are the authorities around the world still use Sodium Fluoride (NaF), a deadly poison with no effective antidote at low levels in their water fluoridation? Why despite knowing that human only need a trace amount of organic Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) to build healthy bones and strengthen teeth which is found in the natural foods still continue the water fluoridation with non-organic Sodium Fluoride? Sodium Fluoride a water-soluble poison to the body has a cumulative effect of causing brittle bones and teeth when exceeded the required amount.
A great number of evidences showing that water fluoridation did not reduce dental cavities against the 50-60% reduction of the dental decay in the four studies of fluoridation-In Grand Rapids, Michigan; Evanston, Illinois; Newburgh, New York; and Brantford, Ontario.
Below are some researches discoveries about fluoridation:
1. In1988 Mark Diesendorf, a health researcher in the Human Sciences Program at Australian National University had found that dental cavities were as great in non-fluoridated as in fluoridated areas by comparing the results from 24 studies of un-fluoridated districts in eight countries.
2. In 1965 Robert L. Glass of Boston Forsyth Dental Centre, noted that after more than 20 years of fluoridation, the reduction of dental decay were only minimally for Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Newburgh, N.Y., as that of the entire U.S., which then was about 33% fluoridated.
3. The Journal of the American Dental Association recorded that the decline in dental cavities in the U.S. and other Western industrialized countries were about the same in both the fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities.
4. The many cases of skeletal fluorosis throughout the world (India, China, Africa, Japan, and the Middle East) from drinking naturally fluoridated water.
Fluoridation of drinking water is the greatest case of scientific fraud of the 20th century. It is an evil form of mass medication with lies, greed and deception. It is not justified to treat a non-life threatening disease by using a highly probable toxin sodium fluoride. Why trying to kill the small fly (dental decay) with a shotgun (sodium fluoride)? Educated people of the London please see that you are no longer be fooled by the fluoridated water.
June 14th, 2008
In this 21st century era where air travel has become so affordably cheap, medical tourism has become a very attractive commodity for the young, and also the rich and famous around the world. Among the medical tourism the relatively young trend of “tooth tourism,” is fast becoming part of a fast-growing global phenomenon among the travellers. The idea of able to visit the place of your wish and at the same time to fix your dental problem is a dream comes true to many executives. This special package seem to some as valuable because they do not need to ‘waste’ their precious hectic working times to do this necessary task. One of the lady travellers appreciated it so much because instead of wasting her jet-lagged period resting in the hotel room, she could tilt backward in a dental chair to complete her dental procedure. At the end of the tour journey the traveller not only have a great relaxing holidays, she went back with a perfect set of beautiful teeth to smile about.
There are many push factors to attract international travellers to come to London for this tooth travel package.
The possible push factors are:
1. Soaring medical costs at home.
2. Dwindling insurance benefits at home.
3. Lacking of comprehensive dental care centres.
4. Lacking of well-trained dental staff.
Besides the push factors, perhaps the pull factors effect are much greater to attract travellers to England.
The possible pull factors are:
1. Able to see England which they never seen before.
2. To be treated in a world class dental care centre at very competitive price.
3. A wide range of dental service set up to choose.
4. Availabilty of up to date dental technology and equipments.
In order for Central London to be the place of Dental Tourism of excellent, the dentists here should gather their resources together to set up comprehensive state-of-the-art facilities and highly trained medical staff dental clinics and hospitals. Such centres should have complete range of family dental services and advanced dentistry solutions including Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry.
A complete range of dental services should includes: general dental care, orthodontic services, dental implants, tooth whitening, all ceramic crowns/bridges, ceramic veneers, flexible valplast dentures, cosmetic dentistry and reconstructive dentistry.
In addition, other value added services like: on line reservation, on line counselling or consultation, pre-arranged hotel lodging, close by to natural scenic resort or shopping mall must be included in the planning of setting up these dental health centres. These additional services will give the travellers greater choice to select.
In conclusion the traditional dental care for the general public can be revamped to value added income producing industry for the country. Thus giving dentists better satisfaction and greater choices to excel their art of dental treatment.
June 14th, 2008
What is Dental Erosion?
Dental erosion is the irreversible loss of outer dental hard tissue (Enamel) by a chemical process that is not caused by bacteria. In the United Kingdom, the oral health care providers consider dental erosion as a public health problem. This was evident in 1993 when England included the evaluation of tooth erosion in its national dental health survey. It was found that approximately 10-20% of the adult population has some degree of dental erosion. However, it is an advancing dental health concern among the children. A recently concluded study done in the United States of America from 2004 to 2005 involving 900 middle school students age of 10 to 14 years of age discovered a 30 percent prevalence rate of dental erosion. This is an important study because it confirms the suspicions of the high prevalence of dental erosion in the developed countries.
Researchers cited high consumption of acidic beverages as the major cause for dental erosion among the children. Generally, the causes of dental erosion can be divided into two sources: the extrinsic sources and the intrinsic sources.
The sources for extrinsic acids are: foods, medications or environmental acids. The most common of these are dietary acids that are in carbonated drinks, sports drinks and fruit juices. Acidic fruits such as apple, orange and other citric fruits are the next common items.
The source for intrinsic acids is inside the body. Gastric acids are the main cause for dental erosion. The commonest cause for the gastric acids to come into the mouth is through regurgitation of gastric content. Gastric acids, with pH levels that can be less than 1, is highly corrosive to the enamel of the teeth upon reaching the oral cavity. The common medical conditions where gastric acids come in contact with the teeth are: gastro-oesophageal reflux and excessive vomiting related to eating disorders. The classic example of eating disorder is called anorexia nervosa or bulimia.
In order to manage dental erosion better, we must know the risk factors for dental erosion. Below are some known risk factors to avoid:
1. Taking citrus fruits more than twice daily.
2. Athletes consume sport drinks more than once a week.
3. Consuming soft drinks more than 4 times a week.
4. Frequent drinking apple vinegar.
5. Eating disorder like excessive intake of food with frequent induced vomiting.
6. Infrequent of drinking plain water for patients with history of dry mouth.As dental erosion is often missed in its early stages early recognition and initiation of preventive measures by dentists can prevent significant damage to the dentition Delay treatment may result in unnecessary need for complex and expensive restorative care. . Hence dental erosion warrants the careful attention of the Central London primary dental care team with well-illustrated dental health programme.
