Tag: Dentist

Why Do My Gums Hurt When I Brush My Teeth?

Painful gums are a common problem. It could be due to a number of reasons, from brushing incorrectly or due to gum disease. Read the following article to find out the source of your pain.

Gum Disease

Swollen, tender, bleeding gums can be a sign of gum disease. Gum disease is caused when plaque builds up on your teeth. Plaque contains harmful bacteria that can build up under your gum line and cause them to become inflamed. In the early stages, it is gingivitis. However, it can progress into periodontitis which results in bone loss, meaning that it is irreversible.

Abscessed Tooth

When you have an infection by the root of your tooth, it forms an abscess. Although they may not always be painful, they can cause the gum to swell, making it painful to brush.

Stress

Although this may seem strange, stress raises your level of cortisol which increases the likelihood of inflammation throughout the body, including your gums.

Tobacco

If you smoke or vape you’re more likely to have gum disease. The tobacco causes the amount of oxygen flowing in the blood to fall, meaning that the gums can’t heal themselves as well. Not only does this make brushing painful but it also leads to cancer.

Brushing Incorrectly

It is important that your brush your teeth twice a day, but to be able to reap the benefits, you need to make sure you are doing it properly. This means using a soft bristled toothbrush, brushing gently with circular motions rather than back and forth.

Regardless of the cause of your pain, pain while brushing your teeth isn’t normal and you should contact us on 01723 670500 to book an appointment with your dentist who will find what is causing the problem.

How To Clean Your Removable Dental Appliance

Your appliance sits inside your mouth and against your teeth so it quickly accumulates bacteria, plaque and calculus. It is important you clean your appliance everyday.

There are several types of appliance which include:

  • Aligners: Clear braces, such as invisalign.
  • Retainers: Worn after orthodontic treatment to ensure that the teeth don’t shift back to their original position.
  • Nightguard: Prevents you from grinding your teeth at night.
  • Snore guard: Reduces snoring during sleep.

What Happens If You Don’t Clean Your Appliance?

If you don’t clean your appliance regularly, bacteria and plaque will buildup. Overtime it may start to taste and smell funny.

The appliance can harbour dangerous bacteria that can result in gum disease and dental decay.

How To Clean Your Appliance

You should rinse your appliance after every use. Try to do this immediately after it is removed to rinse away any debris before it hardens.

You can also soak your appliance. Check with your dentist which tablets are appropriate for your orthodontic appliance. In most cases you will add a tablet to a cup of lukewarm water and soak your aligner for 15-20 minutes. Then rinse.

5 Reasons To Consider Getting A Dental Implant

Missing, damaged and broken teeth can cause pain and embarrassment. An implant may be the right choice for you.

1. Damaged Teeth

If you struggle with broken or chipped teeth, implants may be the best way to fully restore your teeth. Damaged teeth can be a source of embarrassment as well as causing difficulties eating, and in more severe cases, speech issues. Implant restoration involves removing the damaged teeth and replacing them with new, artificial ones that fit perfectly.

2. Missing Teeth

Missing teeth can also cause eating and speech difficulties, as well as affecting your appearance. There are various reasons why you could be missing your teeth, such as trauma, health issues, or a lack of oral hygiene. Implants will help to resolve these issues by filling in the gaps with natural looking, sturdy artificial teeth.

3. Loose-Fitting Teeth

If you suffer with weak and wobbly teeth implants can help you. If you can easily move one of your teeth around, you might want to talk to your dentist about replacing it with an implant. Similarly to how damaged teeth can affect your lifestyle, unsecure teeth can affect your ability to speak and eat as you normally would.

4. Infected teeth

Tooth decay and gum disease are both very serious issues that may lead to tooth loss. Periodontitis, a form of gum disease, results in bone loss. This means that there aren’t enough supporting structures for your teeth, causing them to become loose and eventually fall out. If left untreated, mouth infections can even spread to other parts of your body. Your dentist will remove the infected tissue and and replace the natural tooth with an artificial one.

5. Shrinking Jawbone

Missing teeth roots from the gum and jawbone can lead to the deterioration of the jawbone. Natural tooth roots transmit the pressures created by chewing into the jawbone, maintaining its form and function. The post portion of the implant acts as an artificial tooth root. It becomes osseointegrated, meaning it grows and fuses with the jawbone and transmits the necessary forces. Quickly replacing any missing teeth with implants helps stimulate the jawbone to continue its natural function.

If implants are something that you are interested in, please give our team a call on 01723 670500 for more information.

How To Deal With Issues With Your Dental Crown

Although issues with dental crowns are rare, they do still occur. You should arrange an appointment with your dentist, but in the meantime there are things that you can do to minimize the discomfort.

Consistently Rinse Your Mouth With Saltwater

One cause of discomfort can be when bacteria finds its way inside the dental crown. This could occur as a result of damage, the crown becoming loose, or a number of other issues. The best way to relieve discomfort until your dental appointment is to keep the crown as clean as possible. Simply use a saltwater rinse several times a day and avoid eating any foods that contain high levels of sugar.

Apply A Cold Compress

Another problem caused by bacteria entering the crown includes swelling of the gums and irritation of the tooth’s root. One way to ease the pain is to apply a cold compress to the affected area. Hold the compress for fifteen to thirty minutes to keep the swelling down.

When Is It Considered An Emergency?

Every instance of a dental crown issue requires punctual care which may include repositioning or replacing the crown. However, the issue becomes a dental emergency when the pain becomes intolerable and treatment can’t wait until the next day. This may be due the the development of an infection.

If you are concerned and your dental crown is causing you discomfort, please call us on 01723 670500 for advice.

6 Fun Ways To Teach Your Child To Brush Their Teeth

You can begin introducing an oral hygiene routine a few days after birth. Use a clean, wet gauze or washcloth to gently wipe their gums after feedings. As soon as their first tooth erupts, it’s time to begin brushing using a small soft toothbrush twice a day. You should brush your child’s teeth until you feel that they can brush on their own. Every child will be ready at a different age but most can brush by the time they are in preschool. At that time, you should supervise to make sure they use the right amount of toothpaste and following up any places they might have missed.

However, It may be difficult to get your child to brush their teeth when they reach the stage of being able to do it themselves. Follow our tips to find out how to make them enjoy implementing an oral hygiene routine.

Make It A Family Activity

Setting an example for you children is one of the best ways to get them to enjoy brushing their teeth. By brushing your teeth at the same time, you are giving your child a fun, family activity to look forward to everyday. Brush and floss at least twice daily with your children, including once before bedtime. This routine will help to form consistency that they will carry with them into their later life.

Find Fun Dental Education Resources

Read age-appropriate books or watch videos about dental hygiene with your child. Your child will enjoy the time spent together but also they might find it interesting to learn about the importance of their oral health, especially if their parents are interested too.

Use A Special Toothbrush

It is likely that your child will enjoy brushing their teeth more if they can use a special toothbrush of their choosing. As adults, it can be easy to forget the effect of incorporating toys into everyday life.

Create A Tooth brushing Competition

To make tooth brushing more fun, make it a game and set a timer for two minutes. The winner must brush their teeth for two minutes without stopping. This will create a friendly competition and encourage your children to brush their teeth properly.

Reward Tooth Brushing

To encourage your children to brush their teeth twice a day, use a simple rewards system. Start with small rewards, such as a gold star, and award it for the basic necessity, brushing twice a day. Then, award a larger reward for every 10 gold stars. This will make your child motivated to brush their teeth.

Make A Trip To The Dentist A Fun Visit

Make sure that your child understands that a trip to the dentist can be a reward for them keeping their teeth clean, and not a negative outcome for not brushing and flossing. Parents can pass on their fear of the dentist to their children by simply talking about it in a negative tone. Try to avoid this. If you are anxious about a trip to the dentist, try to talk about it in a neutral tone.

Creating a fun routine a home from an early age will ensure that your child develops the habit of caring for their teeth.

How To Prepare For A Dental Crown

There are lots of different reasons why you might require a dental crown, such as a covering a decayed tooth, covering a discoloured or misshapen tooth or protecting a tooth that has undergone a root canal.

Procedure

The dental crown procedure will usually take place over two appointments.

First appointment: Your dentist will examine the tooth and prepare it for a crown. They will take x-rays of the tooth and surrounding bone and file down the tooth. The amount of filing required will depend on the type of crown used, metal crowns do not need as much tooth removed as porcelain crowns.

Once the tooth is filed, your dentist will take an impression of the tooth that requires the crown. They will also take an impression of the teeth above the crown so that it can fit properly with your bite. The impressions are sent to the lab to create the crown which will take about two to three weeks. Your dentist will give you a temporary crown to protect your tooth.

Second appointment: Now your dentist will fit your new crown. They will check the colour, shape, and the fit of your new crown. They will permanently cement it in place.

Same Day Crowns

Some dentists may offer a same day crown placement using computer-aided-design (CAD). In this case a scanning device takes images of your tooth and the software uses the images to make a 3D image of your mouth. The software then sends the model to a machine that carves the crown out of ceramic in about 15 minutes.

Recovery Process

The recovery time should be relatively short as you will mostly be dealing with irritation and inflammation. Your dentist will provide you with after care tips. Your bite might feel slightly strange to begin with as your tooth may not be exactly the same shape as it was. Your bite should return to normal after a few days.

How To Care For Your Crown

Once your crown has been placed, the best way to look after it is to maintain great oral care and treat your crown as if it were a natural tooth. The tooth beneath the crown still needs to be protected against gum disease and decay. Brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste and use either interdental brushes or floss to clean in between your teeth. Crowns can be susceptible to cracking and wear and tear, depending on the material they are made from. Avoid biting hard surfaces.

If you think that a crown may be suitable for you, please call us on 01723 670500 for more information.

Top Trending ‘Tweakment’

The nonsurgical trend that will improve how your skin looks – not only instantly – but also accumulating with longer term results!

The days of having to go under the scalpel to give your face a youth boost are over. We’re now living in the era of injectable ‘tweakments’. Ok, there’s nothing new about using wrinkle reducing and dermal filler
injectables to reduce wrinkles and add volume to your cheeks, but now there’s a NEW injectable that will moisturise from the inside out, boosting hydration and remodelling ageing and sagging skin… say hello to Profhilo®.

  • Profhilo® has opened up a new injectable category called, bioremodeling. It is not a dermal filler or biorevitaliser.
  • Profhilo® is the first BDDE-free stabilised injectable hyaluronic acid-based product for treating skin laxity.
  • Profhilo® has one of the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid on the market (64mg / 2ml) which boosts and hydrates the skin, but also remodels ageing and sagging tissue.
  • Profhilo® delivers great results as a treatment on its own or in combination with other aesthetics treatments currently on offer.

What’s The Buzz On Profhilo?

The first of its kind, Profhilo® is a revolutionary beneath the skin, hyaluronic acid moisturising treatment. It’s unique formulation of high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid is one of the highest concentrations on the market. When injected into skin it stimulates the skin cell receptors to counteract skin laxity and improve and restore firmness of the skin.

How Does It Work?

Ultra-pure hyaluronic acid is precisely injected into the area being treated. Then, unlike wrinkle reducing and dermal filler treatments, Profhilo® stimulates collagen and elastin, improving hydration in the deeper layers of the skin. As a stabilised product, Profhilo® has a prolonged action in the skin. During this time the stimulation of 4 different types of collagen and elastin takes place by slow release of hyaluronic acid. Results include the improvement of the skin’s texture, firmness and radiance in addition to reducing the
appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Tell Us About The ‘Tweakment’

Profhilo® can be used by patients of all ages and is the perfect solution if you’re looking for youth boost for your skin but don’t want dermal fillers or wrinkle relaxing treatment. The injections are strategically placed at key points to rejuvenate the skin’s own collagen-making abilities. It can be used on numerous areas such as the face, hands, neck, and chest and it can be used on its own or in combination with other aesthetics treatments currently on offer. Two treatments are recommended, spaced four weeks apart, and
you’ll see the benefits from six-nine months.

What Are The Results?

The powerful moisturising properties and hyaluronic acid combat the signs of fine lines and wrinkles whilst deeply hydrating the skin and restoring a youthful glow. The stimulation (after having the Profhilo® treatment) results in significant tissue improvement. Which means we cannot say that Profhilo® is a skin booster as it also has a significant tightening and lifting effect on the tissue. It is a
great ‘first step’ treatment as it acts directly on skin laxity and can also improve the appearance of uneven skin tone, pores and dull pigmented skin as part of a bespoke skin programme.

How To Care For Your Teething Baby

Teething is an inevitable part of your baby’s growth, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch them struggle as the first few teeth come through. Most babies begin teething somewhere between 4 and 7 months. However, this can vary to earlier or later than this window.

Symptoms

Along with difficulty sleeping, teething symptoms can include:

  • Chewing
  • Irritability/fussiness
  • Excessive drooling

If your baby is experiencing a rash or fever, there may be something other than teething causing the problem, in which case you should contact your child’s doctor.

Chilled Teething Ring

A teething ring is a great option when your child starts to chew things. Some can even be chilled for more relief. Never put a teething ring in the freezer as this can damage your baby’s soft gums. Don’t forget to clean and sterilise the ring regularly.

Use A Crunchy Healthy Treat

Once your child has been introduced to solid foods, try to soothe their gums using raw carrot or apple sticks. Even breadsticks could help relieve their symptoms.

Avoid sugary snacks which can quickly lead to tooth decay, even if they currently have very few teeth. Rusks and teething biscuits should be avoided too as they contain sugar.

Massage Your Baby’s Gums

Make sure your hands are clean before you put them in your baby’s mouth. Use your fingers to apply gentle pressure. Sometimes this simple action of rubbing their gums will be able to provide your baby some relief.

Offer Them A Drink Of Cold Water

If your baby has already started drinking plain water, it could offer them comfort. It is one of the most natural teething remedies.

Wipe Away Any Dribble

One of the signs of teething is the constant dribbling. This could result in an uncomfortable rash around your baby’s mouth. Gently wipe it away to prevent any further discomfort.

Distract Your Baby

Try taking your child’s mind off their pain by singing or encouraging them to play their favourite games.

Caring For Your Baby’s New Teeth

Once your child’s teeth start to come through, you’ll need to register them with a dentist. Contact us on 01723 670500 to book their first appointment.

Start brushing with a fluoride toothpaste as soon as their first tooth breaks through.

Is Chewing Gum Good For Your Teeth?

Chewing sugar-free gum stimulates saliva production, which helps to clear away food, rinse away bacteria, strengthen the enamel on your teeth and reduce acid in your mouth that can dissolve the enamel.

Xylitol

Xylitol is a natural sweetener which can be effective at preventing cavities. Sugar-free gum often contains xylitol and it has been shown to reduce the amount of cavity causing bacteria in plaque. It also helps to neutralise acids made by bacteria, strengthening tooth enamel.

Can Gum Strengthen My Teeth?

Some chewing gums contain a substance called phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP). It has been shown to remineralize or slow down tooth decay.

What Gum Should I Use?

Make sure that you are chewing sugar-free gum. If you use gum that contains sugar, your teeth will be constantly surrounded by a sugary environment until you dispose of the gum. This would be very harmful to your teeth.

Do I Still Need To Brush My Teeth?

Yes. Chewing gum is not an alternative to brushing your teeth. It is helpful to use between meals to neutralise the acd left behind but is it not a substitute to brushing and flossing.

How Does My Dental Health Affect My General Health?

You are probably aware of the impact of your oral hygiene on your teeth and gums, but did you know that poor oral hygiene can have adverse effects on your general health?

What Problems Could My Dental Health Cause?

  • Heart disease
  • Respiratory disease
  • Strokes
  • Diabetes

Heart Disease

People with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer with heart disease than those who don’t have gum disease. Bacteria from the mouth can travel in the bloodstream. The bacteria produce protein which causes the platelets in the blood to stick together in the blood vessels. This makes blood clots more likely, reducing normal blood flow so the heart doesn’t get all the nutrients and oxygen it requires. If affected badly, this could lead to a heart attack.

Strokes

Researchers have discovered that when our gums bleed and become inflamed, it causes changes in how blood and oxygen flows to the brain. Gum disease is associated with inflammation which plays a role in atherosclerosis (hardening of the blood vessels).

Diabetes

People with diabetes are more likely to have gum disease. It is likely that this is because people with diabetes are more likely to get infections in general. If you have diabetes, it is important that any gum disease is diagnosed as it can increase your blood sugar, putting you at risk of complications.

Respiratory Disease

It is thought that bacterial chest infections are caused by breathing in droplets from the throat and mouth into the lungs. This can cause pneumonia or make an existing condition worse. People with gum disease have more bacteria in their mouths which is why they may be more likely to develop a respiratory disease. This is particularly the case for elderly people, which is why it is important that they maintain a good oral hygiene routine.

What Should I Look Out For?

  • Inflammation of the gums.
  • Bleeding gums.
  • Bad taste in your mouth.
  • Bad breath.
  • Loose teeth.
  • Regular mouth infections.

If you are concerned you may have gum disease, call us on 01723 670500 to book an appointment.