London Bridge Dental Practice Blog » bad breath

Dealing with Oral Cancer in London SE1

admin — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 06:00:22 +0000

Through all the advertising and advice that we are given to keep ourselves healthy in London’s Se1, we are still drawn to the evils that can have serious health implications, and especially to our mouths, as what is put into the body starts here first. Smoking, excessive drinking, poor oral hygiene and poor diet can expose our mouths to all manner of dental problems, the worst case scenario being oral cancer. Treatments to cancer and recovery to the treatment of it, have improved dramatically in recent years, but as good as our understanding of the disease has grown, it hasn’t gone away. Stress, a poor immune system and exposure to UV light have all been linked to the problem, but because we all have our own unique DNA constitution, it makes it difficult to identify why oral cancer can affect one person badly and another, not at all. Of course bad oral hygiene will promote the disease if it’s around another reason why regular dental visits are of the utmost importance, especially if your suffer from problems such as bad breath, repetitive ulcers, aches in the neck, jaw, ears and head, or if you have trouble swallowing, for these are the more common, early signs of oral cancer. But if it’s caught early, the higher the success rate in the treatment and this success also depends on the level of ‘fight’ you are prepared to put in, by getting actively involved and prepare yourself with procedures that you are about to undergo such as chemo or physical surgery. Remember that oral cancer can be beaten as long as you are prepared for a scrap.

Using oral products may worsen your bad breath say South East London dentists

admin — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:00:40 +0000

Bad breath can be extremely inconvenient and lead to awkwardness in social situations. Dentists can offer great advice on how to combat it and one of these pieces of advice will probably be to tighten up your home oral hygiene routine. By taking extra care to brush and floss you are removing the bacteria in your mouth which causes bad breath. Strangely though, some of the products you might use to take care of your mouth can actually make the problem of bad breath worse.

The thing about some products is that they can make your mouth drier, which allows the bad breath bacteria to stick to your gums, teeth, tongue and the inside of your cheeks. If you suffer from bad breath and are using tooth paste which contains peroxide or baking soda, these ingredients might be making your mouth dry which means it is harder to remove the bacteria which is making your breath smell.

Products containing alcohol can often have the same effect: by keeping your mouth drier, the bacteria are harder to remove. A number of mouthwashes contain alcohol and it is imperative that if you use of these products that you rinse your mouth thoroughly with water afterwards. If you don’t then the alcohol will hang around in your mouth, keeping conditions dry and ideal for bacteria to flourish.

Be gentle with your mouth too as the bacteria causing bad breath thrives in conditions where the enamel on your teeth is starting to break down and cavities are forming. You may want to use a tooth brush with softer bristles or review the way you are brushing and do it with less force. Speak to your South East London dentist for more expert advice.

London SE1 dentists say ignoring xerostomia can be dangerous

admin — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 05:41:15 +0000

Xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, is the condition where an underproduction of saliva, the mouth’s natural defence against bacteria, causes an imbalance with unpleasant consequences. Not only is xerostomia an unpleasant feeling but it is also the cause of bad breath and can lead to an increased chance of many other dental and oral conditions.

Saliva not only moistens the mouth but it also neutralises bacteria and washes away food particles stuck in the teeth. There are a number of reasons that can adversely affect the production of saliva such as medication you may be taking for other conditions, radiotherapy and also because of a general dehydration. We have all experienced that feeling of having a really dry mouth when we are thirsty and xerostimia is just a chronic case of that feeling. Not very pleasant, I’m sure you’ll agree.

A lack of saliva also puts you at much greater risk of gum disease. This is particularly dangerous given the recent discovery that gum disease is linked to heart disease and potentially fatal heart attacks. This is because the infection can easily get into the bloodstream and block the arteries.

London SE1 dentists recommend that should be suffering from dry mouth, or suspect that you are, you need to make an appointment to have the condition checked and examined for possible causes. The longer the condition remains untreated, the greater risk it poses for your oral health. Try to improve your oral hygiene to compensate, drink plenty of water and avoid eating foods with a high salt content. But most importantly, never ignore the problem in the top that it might go away.

Stinky breath is anti-social, prevent it easily. By a London SE1 dentist

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:58:24 +0000

Bad breath will lose you friends, and even business if your job involves face to face selling, says a London SE1 dentist. Yet the solution to bad breath is often a simple change to your oral hygiene program, although you`ll need to identify the cause first to make sure. The most common cause of bad breath is a poor method and a lax attitude to keeping your teeth clean and free from food deposits, these deposits fed the bacteria which causes the bad odour in the first place. In the night while we sleep, acid production builds up due to a dry mouth and bacterial activity. That acid breaks down the enamel on our teeth and wears away our gums, this allows disease to infect the gums and they recede. The bacteria that lives in our mouth is constantly reproducing and causing us all sorts of problems, bad breath is a sure fired sign of this. To keep that acid down we have to more careful what we eat, cutting out excessive sugar and fat will help a lot as these feed the bacteria. Brushing with the correct brush and in the correct manner will also help to keep food deposits in the mouth down, as will flossing. Flossing is the most underrated part of oral hygiene and is more important than brushing. Flossing every time we eat will help to keep bad breath at bay, so keep a flossing stick with you and just spend a few minutes using it every time you eat.

Oral Hygiene tips from a London SE1 dentist

admin — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:35:21 +0000

Far too many people don’t take oral hygiene seriously enough these days, bad breath and constantly infected gums are the result of this lax regime says a London SE1 dentist. The best way to healthier teeth is through a simple, but disciplined program of brushing, flossing and rinsing. Flossing is the best thing you can do, but we don’t do it often enough and that’s a shame as it is the best way to keep down the production of oral acid. Yes, we do floss in the morning and at night, but it is during the day when we don’t floss that acid is produced in huge amounts. The times that mostly damage our teeth are during the day and at night, when we sleep and eat fast food, it is then that saliva is not produced and acid cannot be neutralised. That`s why our breath smells so badly in the morning. We need saliva to swallow, and to neutralise acid build up that is produced by oral bacteria. In the daytime we eat snacks and fast foods, it’s a sign of the busy times we live in, and that is good news for the bacteria, but bad news for our breath, gums and teeth. Drinking water during the day, and at nigh, will go a long way to neutralising acid that damages your gums and teeth; it is also good for taking toxins out of the body on a regular basis. Brushing also needs some attention to detail as most of us brush the wrong way, ask at your local dentists or chemists for information on brushing correctly.

Keeping your breath fresh, and your teeth healthy. By a South east London dentist

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:53:05 +0000

When we sleep our mouth is a hive of acid producing activity, this acid rots the teeth and gums, and causes bad breath. However, it is all avoidable says a South east London dentist and all it takes is a little forward planning and discipline. We tend to think of our teeth cleaning regime being first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and to an extent that is true. At night our saliva gland is also resting and so the acid in the mouth isn`t being neutralised enough, in the dark hours our teeth suffer the most damage, and so does our bad breath problem. Everyone has bad breath; it is a fact of life and one that is easily brought under control without expensive sprays and loads of mints. Flossing is the most underrated way of bacteria control in the mouth, the very bacteria that is in all our food. When food gets trapped in between our teeth the acid producing bacteria feeds of it and that damages our teeth enamel. Simply flossing properly will go a long way to preparing for brushing which will also remove food debris. We also need to do this during the daytime, especially when we have a snack that contains sugar and fats. There are many reasons for bad breath, but the most common is acid production, it is also the easiest to keep under control. Drinking just plain ol` water throughout the day will also keep your liver, kidneys and other organs in peak condition, as well as neutralise acid and stop that damage and bad breath.