September 2nd, 2010
Chewing gum has made the jump in recent years from confectionary to boosting your dental health through cavity control and plaque protection. A number of high profile dental health agencies including the American Dental association have recognised the benefits of chewing gum. This has meant that chewing gum has enjoyed spectacular growths in sales over the last few years. But just what is it about gum that makes it so good for your teeth?
There are many benefits associated with stimulating saliva through the chewing of gum. It is the simple motion of chewing that stimulates the salivary glands and produces more saliva. In theory you could chew anything but gum is convenient and can be made to taste in many flavours.
Research indicates that there are further health benefits from chewing gum that include keeping plaque at bay, strengthening enamel and cleaning the teeth. Chewing gum can also help to reduce gum disease and bleeding gums. There are also some studies that show that chewing gum can have wider health benefits including helping weight loss and improving short-term memory.
However, there are a few things that you need to bear in mind when you decide to start chewing gum. One of them of course is that the gum needs to be sugar free in order to have the beneficial qualities. Obviously, chewing gum with a high sugar quotient will not be good for the teeth and could even damage them further. Low-sugar gum is widely available from most shops and newsagents, as well as specialist dental gum from chemists and your Central London dentist.
August 13th, 2010
A toothache is a kind of dental emergency, accidents also happen all the time and a chipped or cracked tooth can result from one, this is what a dental emergency is says a City of London dentist. What we all should have is some knowledge of dental emergencies, so we can effectively deal them at any time. Most of us know what to do with cuts and abrasions, and have some antiseptic cream and plasters handy, but not many people know what to do in a dental emergency or even have anything to deal with it. Next time you`re passing the chemists go in and buy a dental kit, they contain enough handy things to temporarily deal with most dental emergencies. For a filling that has dropped out you have dental gum that will plug the opening, and protect the nerve until you get to a dentist. For tooth ache you have Oil of Cloves, and for a cracked or chipped tooth you`ll need some dental cement. If you get caught out just mixing up some ground salt and pepper into a paste, using a drop or two of water, will also help, it’s an old wives tale cure, but it works. Like Oil of Cloves the mixture produces heat and that will calm the nerve, it won`t deaden it entirely but it will go some way to giving you some relief. Whisky or Brandy can be left to lie around the tooth, but don’t drink lots of it as a pain killer, remember that you`ll want to get to a dentist as soon as you can, and going there drunk isn’t a good idea.
August 2nd, 2010
Looking after the health of your teeth is fundamental to avoiding dental problems occurring in the future. When it comes to the health of your teeth it really is prevention that plays the biggest part in keeping them healthy. As well as brushing and flossing as part of a complete and thorough home dental hygiene routine, it is also very important that you keep up regular six-month dental appointments with your dentist.
West London dentists recommend six-moths as the maximum time you should go without having a check up. In some cases it will need to be shorter but your dentist will keep you fully informed. Six-months is the maximum time because this will give you the best chance of avoiding any dental problems that can arise. Even if you start to succumb to dental decay or gum disease, as long as you visit a dentist within six-months it will usually be enough time to catch the problem before it gets too serious. Treating decay and disease at their earliest stages will give you the best chance of beating the condition and avoiding the need for more serious, costly and painful dental treatment. It will also help to keep your teeth in the best condition possible.
There is also a more serious reason why check ups are important. With one in three adults in the UK suffering from cancer at some point it is crucial we do all we can to be aware of the disease. Oral cancer is a very nasty form of cancer that occurs on the soft tissue of the mouth. A dentist will carry out a thorough check for cancer as part of a routine check up which could just save your life.
July 21st, 2010
Dental technology is advancing all the time. New tools and devices are being used to improve the quality and efficiency of treatment and one such device is the new Waterlase laser tool which uses a gentle spray of water to make dental treatments more comfortable and less unpleasant for patients. A relief, I’m sure for those of you who aren’t exactly keen on going to the dentist . Unlike the old-fashioned dentist’s drill, which uses heat, vibration and pressure to be effective, Waterlase lessens the impact on the mouth meaning patients require less anaesthetic and in some cases, none at all.
With Waterlase, your appointments will not last as long and you will be free to carry on your normal business much sooner and with far less discomfort. You also most likely wont need a nasty anaesthetic injection before surgery, common with other tools. This has understandably made Waterlase very popular with patients. For dentists, it means that operations and procedures can be carried out quicker and with fewer appointments.
Lasers themselves are not new to dentistry but the revolutionary use of water with Waterlase has improved upon the existing technology. Lasers can be used in many dental procedures including for fillings, crowns and root canal surgery. The other benefits of lasers at London W1 dentists are that they sterilise the wounds and make recovery time quicker. They can also cauterize any open tissue making the chance of infection significantly less. Ask your dentist about the new Waterlase technology for your next procedure.
July 18th, 2010
The role of the dentist: to repair our teeth when something goes wrong or when we are suffering pain. That seems to be the conventional opinion of the dentist but over recent years a new form of dentistry has emerged that has revolutionised the way we think about our teeth. Working on the premise that prevention is better than cure, this new kind of preventative dentistry aims to stop dental and periodontal problems occurring in the first instance.
The first stage of preventative dentistry is to book yourself an appointment with a West London dentist. At this stage the dentist will examine your teeth for any signs of damage or disease. At your next appointment, the dentist will make any necessary repairs, fill any cavities and restore any broken or chipped teeth with dental bonding. They can also repair any discolouration with dental bonding. Once the teeth are fixed and adequately protected against the elements which damage them, it is then the turn of the dental hygienist to clean and restore the appearance of the teeth.
They accomplish this using a series of treatments called scaling and polishing. This involves scraping the teeth to rid them of any bacteria and plaque that might still be hanging on. The teeth are then polished so that it is harder for bacteria to stick to the teeth.
Your dentist and hygienist will have worked together to come up with a plan to keep your teeth clean that involves sticking to a hygiene routine. This, if followed well and with regular check ups should keep the teeth clean and free from plaque and protect them in the future. Don’t wait until it’s too late to do something about your teeth, prevent the problems in the first instance.
July 17th, 2010
It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul. A lovely poetic metaphor I’m sure you’ll agree but little more than that. What is fact, however, is that the oral cavity is the gateway to the rest of the body. All of our nourishment, both food and liquid, enters through the mouth, as well as it being the cavity for breathing. So suffice to say, it is very important that we look after our mouths and keep them healthy.
It is also true that if our mouths are unwell it can really affect the body and the reverse is also true. Symptoms in the oral cavity are often the first sign that there is a wider health issue going on. This is why the GP will always examine your mouth as one of the first standard procedures. We all know the wooden stick on the tongue with the accompanying ‘Say aaagghhh’.
Therefore, keeping your mouth healthy and having it regularly examined for problems could be of paramount importance to your general health. This is why it is so important to go to your central London dentist every six months for a check up. They can examine the state of your teeth and gums, addressing any problems, as well as checking for oral cancer and a list of other health problems that manifest themselves in your mouth.
For example, patients who are experiencing heart problems could also be suffering from gum disease. Recent studies have intrinsically linked the two and found that gum disease could be a major contributing factor to many forms of heart disease. By preventing gum disease in its early stages, you could be improving your chances of avoiding heart disease and staying healthy for longer. Make a check up appointment today, there is nothing to lose and plenty to gain.
July 10th, 2010
The health of our teeth as a nation is getting worse. In an age when dental technology has improved so dramatically over the recent decades, there is really no excuse for this other than that we are simply ignoring the health of our teeth. Perhaps this is due to a complacency and reliance on modern dental technology to keep our teeth healthy. It is true that modern dentistry is capable of amazing things and even the most damaged teeth can be repaired but then we must remember that this repair comes not only at great cost but also after a great deal of pain.
The simple fact remains when it comes to our teeth, that we are responsible for looking after them and doing so is relatively easy providing we follow a few simple rules. The twin evils of tooth decay and gum disease can be prevented by maintaining a high standard of brushing and flossing.
This is because effective brushing removes plaque and bacteria, the two main causes of gum disease and tooth decay. By not removing these substances acids are released that attack the surface of the teeth and start to break down the enamel. They also cause irritation to the gum tissue that if not treated will eventually cause an infection that can be very painful and also lead indirectly to heart disease.
The other main way to prevent gum disease and tooth decay is to keep up your regular check up appointments with your West London dentist. They will be able to identify the initial appearance of any dental concern and offer advice and treatment to keep your teeth as healthy as they can be. When it comes to your teeth, prevention really is better than cure.
July 9th, 2010
There is much information, especially on the internet, that can give very conflicting opinions so it is often hard to know what is the best solution. This is especially true when it comes to the health of your teeth. One very clear example of such confusion is when it comes to using fluoride. Some reports say that it is good for the teeth but others say it could be potentially damaging not just for the teeth but for the rest of the body as well. So how do you know which advice to follow?
The first thing you need to know is that fluoride is already present in most water supplies and some toothpastes so it is clearly no cause for alarm. However, the issue arises when it comes to adding more fluoride into your dental health care routine.
Fluoride undoubtedly does help to strengthen the teeth, which is the reason it has been added to water supplies for so many years. The number of patients suffering from tooth decay has fallen significantly since this has been happening but fluoride can pose a risk for children’s teeth. This is why dentists advise against using fluoride when it comes to children. This includes not giving them fluoride in the form of toothpaste and other dental health products. This is because it may cause discolouration later in life.
Adults should use small amounts of fluoride in their dental health products as once the teeth have fully developed they are less likely to suffer damage as the result of an excess of fluoride. The best way to know if you are getting the right amount is to ask a local expert, and who is going to know better than your local Central London dentist.
May 22nd, 2010
There are many new technologies and treatments currently being used by West London dentists in the UK. Dental technology is advancing at an incredible rate with tools such as dental lasers making dental surgery less uncomfortable and more accurate, and also significantly reducing the time taken to carry it out. One of the most important and useful new technologies available to dentists is the digital x-ray. This has made possible a huge number of other dental treatments and reduced waiting times and treatment times for all dentists.
Digital x-rays have several major advantages over conventional x-rays. One of the most obvious is the time taken to receive the image. Traditional x-rays needed to be developed in a dark room in special conditions using a number of chemicals. Digital x-rays simply transfer the image directly to a computer almost instantaneously. This means the image can be either printed out or stored in the patients file. This makes comparing x-rays before and after treatment much easier for the dentist. The image is usually available about fifteen seconds after it has been taken and is of an excellent quality. Old x-ray images were developed like photographs and often suffered from the same drawbacks, such as being slightly blurred or of inferior quality.
Digital x-rays also use up to 80 per cent less radiation than the old style x-ray machines. This means they are much safer to use and less damaging to both patients and dentists. This has been a major concern for dentists using x-rays for many years.
Digital x-rays are also very useful for diagnosing muscular problems related to the teeth and jawbone such as TMJ. Internal examinations for these problems are very difficult, if not impossible but digital x-rays allow the dentist to gain an impression of the muscles around the jaw.
May 18th, 2010
When playing any physical sport it always necessary to ensure you are wearing the right protection. For football this will include shin pads; for cricket you will need pads, a box and gloves; for motor racing a helmet and protective suit. But it is very important when playing games with a high physical risk to protect your teeth. This involves wearing a mouth guard.
Over half the cases of knocked out or broken teeth seen by dentists are caused by sporting injuries. A misplaced hand or ill-timed shot is all it takes to have a tooth knocked clean out or broken in the mouth. Ask anyone who has experienced a dental trauma such as this and they will tell you that it is pretty painful and unpleasant. You also have to bear in mind that you may well need several months or even years of costly dental surgery and restorations to restore the appearance of your teeth.
A mouth guard from a Central London dentist could prevent this eventuality with relative ease and at a fraction of the cost. Although it is possible to buy mouth guards in sporting good shops, dentists recommend that you have one professionally fitted. This is because an ill-fitting mouth guard can offer little more protection than none at all.
A good-fitting mouth guard will protect all the teeth by cushioning any impact and spreading the blow across the whole of the dental arc rather than just impacting on one or two teeth. This will help to ensure that your teeth are not dislodged or broken.
