Dental bridges are one way to sort this out by getting a replacement tooth secured into the mouth, thus restoring the effect of a smart smile and the functionality of your mouth. Essentially dental bridge work involves securing a false tooth to the adjacent tooth or teeth. It is highly adaptable and discreet.

No two dental bridge procedures are the same because your London SE1 dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth in order to determine how best to secure the false tooth. What will be considered primarily is the strength of the teeth which surround the spot where the tooth has been lost.

In the ideal scenario, your false tooth will be secured to the two, strong, healthy teeth on either side of it using dental resin. In practice this I not always possible if one of the teeth is not strong enough or there is only one adjacent tooth. Dental bridges can still work though if there is only one tooth to attach the false tooth to. If it is a front tooth that has been lost, your dentist will carefully conceal the bond so that it is not visible when you smile.

The main way in which teeth and gums can become diseased is by allowing plaque to build up. Plaque is a substance which is formed by the food you eat and, if left to its own devices, it will attack the enamel which protects your teeth. Once enamel has been broken down then cavities can form. These are small holes in the teeth which can be very sensitive and need to be filled.

Plaque can also affect the gums and cause them to be diseased. If plaque builds up on the gum line of teeth, the gums will become inflamed, reddened and more sensitive. This condition, called gingivitis, must be stopped before it progresses into periodontitis. If it gets this far then your teeth will be at great risk of falling out as the bones which hold them in place will have become inflamed.

You should brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss too to ensure that your teeth and gums stay free from disease. It is much better to avoid these conditions occurring than having to deal with the consequences. Even with advances in modern dentistry some of the procedures to deal with teeth and gum disease can be invasive and inconvenient. If you are worried about tooth and gum disease, talk to your London SE1 dentist to get more advice.

gum disease, plaque and decay and subsequently treat you to prevent further issues developing. Yet, most of us will see a check up as something we have to do, when in fact it’s the perfect opportunity to discuss a range of issues that affect us. Are we using the right brush and toothpaste and brushing correctly? It’s a great chance to talk about lifestyle habits such as diet, smoking and drinking and any notions of cosmetic dentistry that we may have been thinking about. It’s very easy to take the need of a check-up lightly, but before you do, it may be worth considering the deeper implications to ‘ducking’ a simple dental appointment. Problems in the mouth can affect the rest of the body and can lead to heart, digestion and blood problems. Maybe you should put it higher up the list of priorities now?

The gums are the support structure for the teeth and are inexorably linked to them. They too can suffer at the hands of plaque and bacteria, which cause gum disease. When plaque acid begins to irritate the gum tissue it can become infected, leading first to gingivitis and then to periodontitis, a serious form of gum disease that can result in losing teeth and even heart disease.

Nearly three quarters of the adults in the UK will suffer from gum disease at some point in their life, which gives you some idea of just how common it is. The best way to protect against gum disease is by brushing and flossing. Angle the toothbrush at forty-five degrees to the gums to gradually stimulate them and remove the thin layer of plaque that has built up. It is also vital to floss as this removes plaque and food particles around the base of the tooth. These areas are very hard to clean with a brush so are often the source of gum disease issues. Finally, make sure that you see your London SE1 dentist every six months for a check up. They will be able to examine your gums in detail for any sign of disease and carry out any necessary treatment.

The most common dental condition is probably dental caries or cavities. These happen when plaque acid causes a breach in the outer layer of hard enamel. This allows bacteria to penetrate to the softer, more sensitive part of the tooth, which contains the dental nerve. This can cause an infection to take place which, if left unchecked, will destroy the dental nerve and kill the tooth, causing it to fall out. There are a number of treatments that can prevent this happening if carried out in time, which is why you should always see your South East London dentist as soon as possible if you have a sore tooth, it might just save it.

Other dental conditions include staining and discolouration, which can happen as the result of fluoridation, eating and drinking certain foods too often or because of lifestyle choices such as smoking. While this may not be all that detrimental to the health of the tooth, it will certainly make the teeth look rather unpleasant.

Gum disease is the other major dental health condition that affects many people in the UK, and even has links to heart disease. As with all dental complaints, the key to avoiding them is to look after your teeth and follow your dentist’s advice.