Archive for the ‘general dentistry’ Category

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Suffering from an Abscessed Tooth in Central Leeds?

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

An abscessed tooth is a painful experience, as anyone who has ever suffered from one would know. Abscesses are caused by an infection in the root of a tooth, or between a tooth and it’s surrounding gums, the infection is normally brought on by a severe case of tooth decay or tooth trauma.

The symptoms of tooth abscesses are mainly pain when chewing, running a fever, extremely sensitive teeth, bad breath, swollen neck, swollen glands and redness or swelling of the gums. If you are unsure about your symptoms, it is wise to consult your dentist in Central Leeds as they will be able to confirm or advise you on your condition. Even if your pain subsides, if you have experienced any of the above symptoms you must consult your dentist as the tooth decay that caused the abscess may have caused the tooth to die, but the infection will not yet be healed.

A common treatment for abscessed teeth is to drain the abscess of fluid, this is achieved through a process known as a ‘root canal’. Following this surgery, it may be necessary to cover the infected tooth with a crown. Antibiotics may be given to fight the infection and pain-killers may be prescribed if the patient is complaining of severe toothache.

Preventing an abscess is by far easier, and less expensive, than treating one. The importance of good oral hygiene is paramount in reducing tooth decay and its resulting complications, cleaning your teeth and regular trips to your dentist all play a role in avoiding abscessed teeth. In addition, if you experience any tooth trauma, chipping, knocking or loosening, you should seek professional advice straight away.

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Teeth Grinding and How to Stop it, from a Central Leeds Dentist

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

Bruxism is the clinical name for the condition commonly referred to as ‘tooth grinding’. It is a problem that no doubt effects many of us from time to time, but how many of us are aware that we are grinding our teeth in our sleep?

Nocturnal teeth grinding is actually as common as snoring, but can have damaging effects on not just your teeth but also the surrounding framework, including your skull. It is common is adults as well as children and has been attributed mainly to high levels of stress.

Symptoms of tooth grinding include flattened teeth, noticeable cracks and chipped teeth. However, if you are not sure if you are suffering from sleep grinding, you can visit your local dentist in Central Leeds who will be able to diagnose you straight away.

Combating nocturnal grinding usual takes the form of a night mouth guard, provided by your dentist. This is when the grinding is due to the simple alignment of the teeth, that they lie in such a way as to grind upon each other as the jaw naturally moves slightly during sleep. However, if your dentist is concerned that stress is the main reason behind your unconscious habit, they are likely to refer you to a psychiatrist in an attempt to discover and cure the root cause of the problem.

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Find Out from a Central Leeds Dentist Why Some Oral Products Worsen Bad Breath

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

Bad breath is one of the most common yet feared dental problems you could suffer from. Bad breath can lead to a decrease in an individual’s self-confidence and an awkwardness in social interactions. Seeking advice from your Central Leeds dentist on how to avoid this embarrassing condition may provide some news that might just surprise you.

As it turns out, many of the commercial products on offer that promise to fight your bad breath do exactly the opposite. It is the ingredients within them that cause the mouth to dry out and to harbour more of the bacteria that causes bad breath,

For example, many toothpastes contain either baking soda or peroxide as these are materials that are known to increase the whiteness of teeth. However, using these products when you suffer from bad breath will prove to be detrimental to your condition, as both baking soda and peroxide are drying agents that will dry out your mouth and make it even harder to remove the stubborn bacteria that is causing your problem.

In addition, many mouthwashes contain alcohol, another drying agent that will dehydrate your mouth and turn it into the perfect environment in which bacteria can grow and thrive. In order to prevent this problem, it is essential that when using an alcohol based mouthwash, you rinse thoroughly with water afterwards to moisten the mouth and remove any remaining bacteria.

 

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Prevent Gum Disease with Good Dental Hygiene in Leeds

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

Gum disease is a condition associated with the build up of tartar on the surface of the teeth and gums, which provides the perfect environment for the growth and replication of infectious bacteria.

Bacteria invade the oral cavity through the air we breath and the food or drinks we consume, they can also be transferred by the interactions between our hands and our mouths. In order to avoid gum disease it is essential to reduce the build up bacteria around the teeth and the gums

Preventative dentistry is the optimum way to ensure periodontal disease is kept at bay, it includes the proper cleaning of teeth, flossing, the avoidance of tobacco and the adoption of a healthy diet.

Cleaning your teeth is as natural a routine as any that has been picked up during childhood. However, many people forget that it is not just an absent-minded technique, it should involve thorough cleaning of the teeth, tongue and gums with a fluoride toothpaste and a clean toothbrush. Flossing should always follow the brushing of teeth, dentists in Leeds say, as this can remove any debris or plaque that are out of reach in the crevices between the teeth.

Smoking should be avoided in order to prevent gum disease as the tobacco found in cigarettes can help reduce the flow of oxygen to the gums and can aid the introduction and colonization of bacteria into the area. In order to lower your risk of developing periodontal disease, giving up smoking is a step in the right direction.

Adopting a healthy diet will reduce the amount of sugar you consume and will strengthen your teeth against the harmful side-effects of gum disease such as tooth loosening, loss of enamel and tooth breakages or loss.

Finally, the best form of preventative dentistry is regular check-ups with your local doctor. Only they will be able to tell you if you are suffering from gum disease, if you are at risk of suffering, or if you need treatment for your condition. Neglecting to attend these appointments could lead to a painful and expensive dental condition.

 

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Healthy Diet to Healthy Teeth in Central Leeds

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

A healthy diet is essential for overall well-being, this is common knowledge. Foods high in fat and sugar elevate the risk of heart disease and diabetes whilst fresh fruits and vegetables are powerful anti-oxidants. Everybody knows what foods to eat to stay healthy, but do they know what foods to avoid and which to buy in order to maintain good oral hygiene?

In Central Leeds, dentists have been telling patients for years about the benefits of a balanced diet with regards to their dental health. Sugar is the frequent cause of many cavities, it can result in tooth decay, fillings and even tooth loss. Sugars turn to acid when they come into contact with saliva and it is this acid which attacks the teeth, causing cavities. Avoiding processed foods which are high in sugar can reduce the risk of suffering from such problems. It is essentially better to consume sugars from natural sources such as fresh fruits as they contain a higher concentration of water, this can dilute the effect of the acid that their sugar produces Not only will this be better for your dental health, it will also lower your risk of other conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In addition to avoiding sugary foods, there are foods that dentists recommended as ‘healthy’ for your teeth. Such foods include cheese, poultry, milk and nuts, as these contain phosphorus and calcium, minerals which can protect the enamel on the surface of your teeth.

 

 

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Prevent Abscesses, Gum Disease and Tooth Ache in Leeds

Saturday, February 18th, 2012

Dental hygiene is an important feature of  well-being for every individual and should be considered a priority on everybody’s list. Not only does good dental care lead to a happy smile, it can prevent nasty complications such as gum disease, abscesses and painful toothache. It really is very simply to take good and sufficient care of your teeth, just follow the simple steps listed below and you will, quite literally, be smiling.

Most dental problems, including gum disease and tooth decay are caused primarily by a build up in bacteria in the oral cavity. This bacteria can come from the food we eat or the air we breath, either way unless it is removed from the teeth and tongue, it can result in some painful conditions. The accumulation of bacteria can be avoided by the proper brushing of both teeth and tongue. Most people do no realise that the tongue harbours the most bacteria; just taking the time to brush your tongue each morning and night will significantly lower your risk of developing gum disease. In addition, although flossing is overlooked by most people nowadays, it is a perfect technique for removing plaque from between the teeth, an area hard to reach with a toothbrush.

In order to prevent toothache caused by decay, not only brushing your teeth properly will have a beneficial effect. It is also extremely important to follow a healthy diet, ideally one low in sugary foods. Sugar is a major contributor to cavities and tooth decay, replacing sweets and chocolate with natural sugars from fruits will go a long way in improving your overall oral health.

Thirdly, lifestyle habits such as smoking can also have a detrimental effect on the your teeth and gums. Smoking actually increases the risk of developing gum disease, a nasty and painful condition.

Stopping the use of tobacco-based substances will significantly lower the risk of such complications.

Finally, ensure you keep attending regular check-ups with your Leeds dentist in order to address any issues you may be experiencing, they are professionally qualified to give you all the advice and treatment you need.

 

 

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Dental Emergencies in the City of Leeds

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Dental emergencies are indeed a pain but unfortunately are all too common. When waiting for an appointment at your local dentist seems impossible, what else can you do in order to seek treatment and advice?

That is where the dental emergency services in the City of Leeds come into play. Emergency dental  practices offer an out-of-hours service, in which a patient suffering from severe pain or other complications can book an immediate appointment and be seen by a dentist as soon as possible.

Emergency appointments are only available for severe problems such as toothache, abscesses, mouth ulcers and teeth which have been knocked out. If you are suffering from mild toothache or any other mild symptoms of dental problems you should not contact an emergency clinic but should  take the recommended dose of pain killers and book an appointment with your local dentist.

To make an appointment with an out-of-hours dentist you simply need to phone up and state the problems you are having. If the practice agrees that you need emergency care, an appointment will be made for you at their next available time, normally within three hours. However, if they deem your problem too advanced for their service, they will recommend you go straight to A&E at your local hospital.

Concussion, extensive bleeding and other serious injuries are considered too advanced for treatment by an emergency clinic and so any individuals suffering from such problems should go immediately to A&E and not waste time ringing around local out-of-hours practices.

 

 

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The Importance of Dental Check-Ups in Central Leeds

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Dental check-ups are essential, there is no question about that. So why do so many people still place visiting the dentist at the bottom of their list of priorities? Perhaps it is the hassle of making time to fit in an appointment, or perhaps the childhood fear of visiting the dentist really has followed us into adulthood. Either way, there should be no excuses; dental check-ups are imperative for maintaining good oral hygiene and preventing the onset of gum disease and tooth decay.

In this day and age, adults are consuming the same, if not more, sugar-laden food than children and are at just the same risk of developing cavities and requiring, sometimes painful, fillings. There are plenty of dental clinics in Central Leeds and an appointment should be made for every six months in order to keep on top of any problems that may be lurking underneath the surface of your teeth.

It may be that when looking at your teeth in the bathroom mirror you see a perfect set of pearly whites. However, neither the bacteria that causes gum disease or the bacteria that causes tooth decay can be seen by the naked eye, only your dentist will be able to inform you of any problems you have and only your dentist will know the correct treatment to offer you.

So whatever your excuses for not visiting the dentist are, forget them. Your oral hygiene is more important than you realise, it can actually affect your overall well-being and if that isn’t worth taking ten minutes out of your day for, I don’t know what is.

 

 

 

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The Importance of Flossing in Leeds

Monday, February 6th, 2012

The main cause of nearly all dental problems starts with the build up of bacteria in the mouth and around the teeth. It is for this reason why both brushing and flossing are so important in preventing the onset of problems such as gum disease and tooth decay.

Everybody knows that it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day, this is common knowledge. It isn’t as widely known however, that brushing your teeth does not remove all bacteria and food debris from your mouth. Bacteria are able to ‘hide’ in the gaps between teeth, here they are inaccessible to toothbrushes and can build up to form plaque and create problems for the individual whose mouth they are colonizing.

It is therefore essential to remember flossing as part of your daily dental hygiene routine. Flossing enables you to reach the crevices between teeth where bacteria thrive, removing them ensures that you are taking all the necessary steps in preventing gum disease.

If the people of Leeds do not floss at least once a day they may find that they develop much more serious and complicated problems. If bacteria is allowed to build up in the gaps between teeth, it eventually hardens and turns into tartar, a substance which, unlike plaque, is hard to remove and must be treated surgically by a dentist. The bacteria within tartar can produces toxins, chemicals which will cause inflammation of the gums and lead to a condition known as Gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis can lead to toxic inflammation of not only the gums but the bones beneath them too, ultimately resulting in the loss of teeth.

 

Tags: Teeth cleaning, Teeth cleaning Leeds, Leeds, Oral hygiene

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Emergency Dental Treatment in Central Leeds

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Dental emergencies can be a pain, not just in the physical sense of the word. Whether it be severe toothache or an abscess, sometimes waiting for an appointment with your local dentist just isn’t an option. In these cases it is possible to organise an ‘out -of -hours’ appointment with a local clinic through their emergency service.

In central Leeds there are several emergency clinics that can be contacted if you experience any of the following: toothache, broken or chipped teeth, lost fillings, abscesses, swelling or oral bleeding. In the case of most emergency dental practices you should ring the number provided and arrange an immediate appointment to address your problem. However, some clinics may utilise a ‘request emergency call back’ system by which you can enter your details online and a member of the practice will contact you as soon as possible in order to book an appointment or give professional advice.

In some cases, the emergency practice may advise going straight to A&E for serious dental problems, these include: facial swelling due to an abscess, a fractured or badly injured jaw, loss of consciousness due to a blow to the head and excessive oral bleeding.

There are NHS emergency clinics available and your local clinic can be found by ringing NHS direct or using the services directory. Out-of-hours dental care will cost £17.00 unless you are eligible to receive free NHS dental treatment. There are also private emergency clinics available to call, but the cost of treatment from any of these practices will be significantly higher than the NHS.

 


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