You always need to try to keep on top of things when it comes to dental care in London SE1 and it is very important that you keep up your appointments with your dentist to ensure that your teeth are always kept clean from plaque and tartar. You think you may be doing the best for your teeth, but in the end, your dentist will be the judge of that by what they do to you each time you turn up. They have a game plan and that is to ensure they do a few things to you that will look after your teeth when you get into their chair- and scaling and polishing are one of the first things that they will do. De-scaling your teeth is an important procedure as it helps to remove tartar from around the base of your teeth and prevent you from suffering from gum and periodontal disease that will inevitably lead you to start losing your teeth. They will also give your teeth a polish at the end of it to ensure that that your teeth look lovely and feel fresh when you leave- a simple procedure, and yet, so important to keep your teeth in good condition for the future.

It’s a marvelous time to look after your teeth in London SE1 because there are products so brilliant on the market these days, you should really be able to look after your teeth forever. There are some dream toothbrushes on the shelves these days to cater for every mouth- especially some of the electric ones that will keep plaque out of your mouth eternally- and that is the real aim here. Plaque is the real problem behind more serious factors like disease and decay in the mouth, so ridding your mouth of it is so important. You can buy dyes these days that indicate such a problem, allowing you act accordingly. Setting yourself up with a dynamic toothpaste to go with your brush is also imperative as well- there are some fabulous ones around specifically aimed at dealing with the problem of plaque. Then you have dental flosses and mouth-washes as well. Of course it is important to ensure that you get the technique right too and here your dentist can help with any problems.

Tooth ache is something to be taken seriously because it might be a sign of something serious taking place in your mouth. Taking a pain killer and going off to bed might be a short term solution but if your tooth ache won’t go away then you must go and see your dentist to get the problem sorted out. There can be many different potential causes of tooth ache ranging from the relatively benign to the very serious.

A rather light bout of tooth ache might be caused by the formation of cavities. This is where the enamel has been worn away by the acidic influence of plaque and as such the nerves inside the tooth are beginning to be exposed. This problem will only get worse if it is not dealt with. Your dentist will probably have to fill the cavities so that the nerves are no longer exposed and your enamel won’t continue to decay.

In a similar vein, if you are grinding your teeth when you sleep you might find that your teeth are aching somewhat during the day. This is also the result of enamel being worn down by the impact of the grinding and it might be expedient to get a mouth guard fitted that you can wear during sleep.

At the more serious end of the spectrum, persistent tooth ache after an accident to the face ought to be taken very seriously indeed because you might have infected material in the inside of the tooth. Your London SE1 dentist will need to ensure that this material is removed from the interior of the tooth so that the tooth can stay ‘alive’. Root canal treatment might be necessary to save the tooth.

Every time you eat, drink and talk you are relying on having a healthy, fully functional mouth. To be able to do these activities in comfort throughout your life it is imperative that your look after all the parts of your mouth and ensure that they remain free from diseases which can compromise their functionality.

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.

In the fight against the plaque which can damage your teeth and gums, fluoride is a substance that can help. Plaque attacks the hard coating on teeth known as enamel. Fluoride can help strengthen enamel, lessening the likelihood of cavities forming and tooth decay occurring.

Fluoride is found not just in many tooth pastes but also tap water itself. Studies have shown that consumption of fluoride can reduce levels of tooth decay by between forty and sixty per cent. It is not without controversy, however. Some have suggested that it can be harmful to humans and campaigns exist to stop governments adding fluoride to the water supply.

Young children who consume too much fluoride over a period of time can develop a condition called dental fluorosis. This can occur if a large amount of fluoride tooth paste is swallowed too. Bu this is a rare condition and the three hundred million or so people around the world who drink tap water fortified with fluoride every day seems to be compelling evidence that fluoride is beneficial rather than harmless.

Children under two ought not to use tooth paste containing fluoride however. Once over that age, fluoride has been proved to be crucial in the development of strong teeth which are more able to cope with the fight against plaque. If you find out that your area does not have as much fluoride in the tap water then you might want to consider taking fluoride supplements to help strengthen your teeth.

Your London SE1 dentist can give you plenty more advice about fluoride, help you choose the right tooth paste and decide when is appropriate to expose your young child to it.

Ask most people in the south-east of London what their list of priorities are in day to day life and it’s pretty certain that getting a dental check-up isn’t one of them. In fact, for some people, it’s pretty much one to avoid unless in an emergency. It’s quite incredible how ignorant we can be when it comes to the importance of oral hygiene. But in cold reality, it should be high on our list of priorities for health reasons. Complications can arise quickly in the mouth and if left untreated, can lead to complex and expensive treatments in the future. A simple visit to the dentist can nip these problems in the bud. It’s a chance for your dentist to carry out extensive checks for a series of nasties such as

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?

Looking after your teeth is very important. They are an extremely important part of your body that enable you to eat and drink, talk and provide valuable support for the facial structure. When problems occur with the teeth they can be very unpleasant and cause a great deal of pain not to mention expense and anxiety. However, what many people often overlook is that the gums are equally important for the health of your mouth and wider health in general.

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.

You may have heard the phrase dental bridge but very few people actually know what they are. A dental bridge is a dental procedure used to restore the appearance of a knocked out or lost tooth. Teeth can be lost for many reasons ranging from a blow to the face or simply as the result of poor oral hygiene. This can often leave a big hole in the teeth that looks unattractive and can cause a build up of damaging plaque and bacteria. London SE1 dentists always recommend that you replace missing teeth as soon as possible, not just for the aesthetic results but also because it benefits the health of the teeth around it.

A dental bridge is one of the most successful ways of restoring a lost tooth, making the dental arc complete and restoring the functionality of a real tooth. The bridge is usually made up of two dental crowns, one on each side of the missing tooth, which support the bridging tooth (also known as a pontic, from the Latin word for bridge). The crowns are cemented in place and act as a strong and sturdy support for the pontic, which is secured with dental bonding and metal strips.

When set in place, the dental bridge will look and feel like a real tooth and if properly cared for, can last as long as fifteen years (although the average is closer to ten years). However, for over a decade you can be secure in the knowledge that your smile has been restored and that you can use all your teeth once more. Dental bridges are available at all dentists including your local London SE1 dentist.