FREE CONSULTATION 0113 245 4868 Ask us about 0% Finance
Book Online

Posts Tagged ‘gingivitis’

Are you aware of the dangers of bleeding gums?

Tuesday, February 4th, 2014

297243_blogYour gums say a lot about your general health and if you notice that your gums are bleeding, this usually indicates the early signs of gum disease. Gum disease is a very common problem; in fact, most of us experience the symptoms of gum disease at some point in our lives. However, this does not mean that it should be ignored and several studies have linked gum disease to systemic illnesses, so it is perhaps more important to be wary of the waning signs of gum disease; researchers have found a connection between gum disease and heart disease, strokes, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s best to err on the side of caution and get checked out if you have bleeding gums. Gingivitis, the mild form of gum disease, which is usually characterised by swollen and bleeding gums, is easily treated with effective oral hygiene treatment. However, it can progress quickly and this is where gum disease becomes a real problem. Periodontal disease, the advanced form of gum disease, is impossible to cure and it results in permanent damage to the mouth, often causing the teeth to become loose and eventually, to fall out. The positive news about gum disease is that it is preventable and you only have to devote a few minutes a day to caring for your mouth to reduce your risks of gum disease significantly. Brushing your teeth and flossing remove bacteria and food deposits from the mouth before they can develop into plaque. Plaque is a colourless film, which clings to the teeth and gum line, irritating the gums and increasing the risk of damage to the tooth enamel. Effective oral hygiene helps to prevent the formation of plaque, keeping the teeth strong and the gums healthy.

Avoid Heart Disease with Good Oral Hygiene in the City of Leeds

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Heart disease is one of the most common causes of death in the UK, millions of pounds are spent each year treating patients and trying to establish new therapies and preventative treatments. Recently however, research has indicated that preventing conditions such as heart attacks and strokes may be as simple as picking up your toothbrush and maintaining good oral hygiene.

The link between oral hygiene and heart disease is not completely clear at present, but is strongly believed to be related to gum disease. One proposed mechanism is that bacteria found around the diseased gums enters the blood stream when the gums are raw and bleeding. The bacteria that enters the circulatory system has been discovered in several ‘plaques’ (clotted bundles that block arteries ), leading to a theory that bacteria found in gum disease acts directly in the formation of clots in the blood stream, a predisposing condition for heart disease.

Another theory for the City of Leeds to consider is that diseased gums lead to an inflammation of the gum tissue, an immune response to infectious bacteria, and that this in turn could lead to the constriction of arteries and the formation of dangerous clots.

In order to prevent heart disease, several steps towards better oral hygiene should be considered. Firstly, brushing and flossing is essential in order to remove any excess plaque or food debris from between the teeth and on the tongue. Less bacteria in the gaps between teeth will lead to a lower risk of developing gum disease, which should in turn lower the risk of heart disease in individuals.

Secondly, a healthy, low-in-sugar diet is important not only as this has a direct implication on the heart itself, but also as sugary foods put individuals at a higher risk of developing tooth decay and gum disease.

Finally, gum disease can be caused by tobacco-based products and cigarettes. In order to prevent the development of gum disease or to ensure treatment of the condition is successful, it is vital that smoking be stopped immediately.

 

 

Fighting Gum Disease with Herbal Alternatives in Leeds

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

If you lived in medieval times and had a problem with your teeth, you would have normally gone to a cave outsideLeedsto see a witch for some herbs to soothe your sorry mouth. Well that has rather turned full circle, for she is probably running a health shop in the city right now. As well as all their state of the art gadgets and methods to help you in your plight against gum disease, even modern dentists are seeing how the work of that witch can help with the disease through herbal remedies. For a start, you probably have some natural remedies already at home. Warm salty water is great in the fight against gum disease after brushing, as is drinking black/green tea and cranberry juice. Massaging the gums is very important as it fires up the blood flow; rub in herbal products like clove, aloe vera and/or calendula and it will distinguish the heat caused by the disease and allow the gums to breath, you can also add a few drops onto a soft brush and brush it in gently. Other great little gems to use are Echinacea, tea tree oil or calendula tinctures on dental floss and work in as you would do with normal flossing. There are plenty more remedies that your dentist would applaud and recommend you use alongside traditional dental methods and you can find them quite easily in health shops that will combat the evil of gum disease. What a clever old witch!

Central Leeds dentists treat gum disease and ensure that patients keep all of their teeth

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Gum disease has fairly high rates of prevalence in the United Kingdom but dentists up and down the country are able to treat the symptoms or, even better, make sure that patients take care of their mouths in such a way that gum disease will not even occur in the first place. Read on to find out how gum disease can be avoided or treated.
Just like dental decay, gum disease is caused by the plaque that springs up in the mouth after eating and drinking. Plaque that is left on the gum line of teeth will eventually cause the gums to become inflamed. You can spot this happening in your own mouth if you find that your gums are not the healthy shade of pink that they ought to be. You might also find that they are a little swollen and that consuming food and drink like hot tea or ice cream, induces feeling of great sensitivity.
These early stages of gum disease are called gingivitis and often don’t really need to be treated at all. The inflammation will be light at this point and can be stymied by improving the way that you look after your teeth. Brushing might need to be improved so that you are cleaning all of your teeth including the gum line and you will need to start flossing so that plaque is cleared from between your teeth where brushes have difficulty reaching.
If gum disease progresses to the stage that is known as periodontitis then treatment may well be required. This stage happens when the inflammation that has affected the gums becomes sever enough to spread to the bones which hold teeth in place. Some sort of gum surgery may be required to stop the teeth from pulling away from the gums any further. Let central Leeds dentists help

Herbal Remedies for Gingivitis in Leeds

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Gum disease is a dangerous condition to have, not only for the teeth and gums, but for the organs in the body that keep us going. Normally if we have problems such as weeping, bleeding and swollen gums, we’d naturally go running to the nearest dentist in Leeds and expect them to ‘mend’ us. Of course, they will give it a damn good go; they will treat you for plaque and tartar and repair your gums the best they can, this may involve tissue and bone grafting and deep cleaning and scaling- the modern way. Ironically though, the modern dentist is not all about cut, drill and stitch, this new breed are equally aware of the benefits and value that herbal remedies offer, in conjunction with the mechanical treatments, to dentistry and the fight against gum disease. Gums have their own agenda and need attention just as much as your teeth do. They need soothing and massaging when gum disease is in town and there are some great ways of doing this. When you floss, dip the thread into some tea tree oil first and then work it into the gums and if you massage some aloe-vera into the gums afterwards, it soothes and reduces inflammation. If your gums are sore, clove oil will improve the pain threshold no end. But the king of herbal remedies for gums is Echinacea that is great for the teeth, the gums and the immune system. If you put a few drops in some warm water, swish and then swallow, you are really giving you gums a fighting chance of beating disease.

Book a dental check up with a City of Leeds dentist to ensure lasting oral health

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Many people wonder what are the most important things to do in order to ensure they take the best possible care of their teeth and have a lifelong healthy mouth as result. The answer is really quite simple and by following a few simple steps you can make sure that you avoid bothersome conditions like dental decay and gum disease. Essentially you should be looking to take great care of your mouth at home but also making sure that you see your dentist for regular check ups.
At these check ups, your expert dentist will be thoroughly examining your mouth to monitor the health of your teeth and gums. They will be checking to see that plaque is not building up and turning into tartar which can cause cavities in your teeth and also gum disease. If they find that tartar is forming they might administer a quick process called scaling and polishing where the tartar is scraped off and your teeth polished to make them smooth so that plaque finds it more difficult to cling to teeth.
Spotting problems early is a key part of what is known as preventive dentistry. This works on the premise that it is always better to stop an ailment early before it has got too serious. Sorting out the early stages of gum disease (called gingivitis) is a pretty straightforward affair but remedying the advanced stages (periodontitis) is far more problematic and tooth loss can result.
It doesn’t matter how vigilant you are at home, there are always things that you can miss. But your City of Leeds dentist, with all the many years of training and experience he or she has, will not make the same mistake. They are even trained now to look for signs of oral cancer and sleep apnea so that you can be treated quickly and with the desired results.

Leeds dentists tell patients that herbal remedies can be used in the fight against gingivitis

Saturday, April 23rd, 2011

Far too many people in the United Kingdom suffer from gum disease and usually suffer in silence. The reasons for this are perhaps that people are more concerned about the state of their teeth or that some do not visit the dentist regularly enough where the experts can diagnose gum disease. But gum disease is worth taking seriously, if not for the fact that it can be rather painful and inconvenient even in its early stages, but also because it leads to more cases of tooth loss than actual dental decay does.
Many patients want to know exactly what they can do to put a stop to gum disease (professionally known as gingivitis in its early stages) or at least relieve the symptoms. Usually dentists will tell their patients that gum disease is easily dealt with by changing the way that they take care of their teeth. Sometimes patients are advised to use an electric tooth brush because it removes more plaque, sometimes patients are told that they need to floss with greater dedication. Certain mouth washes are available too which have been clinically formulated to deal with gingivitis.
In terms of relieving the symptoms, there are herbal remedies which can help patients. Herbal remedies are a controversial issue for some, with a number of people believing that they simply don’t work. But many independent studies have shown that substances like Echinacea, garlic and cloves can actually reduce the swelling and redness that comes with gum disease. It is always best to seek advice from your Leeds dentist before your pursue any home treatment as some of these can actually be rather abrasive on the teeth, but it is always worth keeping an open mind.

Central Leeds dentists offer effective diagnosis and treatment for tooth and gum disease

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Taking good care of your teeth helps you to eat, drink and talk in comfort. These are activities which you can easily take for granted but if you find that you suddenly suffer from tooth or gum disease then you might not be able to carry them out as easily as you are used to. This is why it is vital that you take excellent care of your teeth in the manner that dentists recommend.
Tooth and gum diseases are primarily brought on by plaque building up in the mouth. Plaque is a substance that is formed when you eat or drink, especially substances which have a lot of sugar and or starch in them. It attacks the enamel which normally protects teeth and leaves them open to decay. Once the enamel is broken down then small holes can form in the teeth, called cavities.
Gum disease occurs when plaque on the gum line of teeth causes gums to become inflamed and reddened. If it is left unchecked the most basic form known as gingivitis can turn into periodontitis where the bones holding teeth in place become inflamed. This often leads to teeth being lost in sufferers as the gums become unfit to hold teeth in place anymore.
You can guard against tooth and gum disease by taking proper care of your teeth at home. By brushing twice a day and flossing too you should remove the vast majority of plaque in your mouth and give your teeth and gums a fighting chance. Your Central Leeds dentist plays a vital part in this too and by visiting him or her regularly they can spot any disease in the early stages so they can be effectively treated.

Can gum disease be cured with herbal remedies? Leeds dentists have the answers

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Gum disease affects many people in the United Kingdom, some of whom probably don’t even know that they have it. It is not a particularly serious condition in its most basic form of gingivitis but it should be dealt with so that complications don’t ensue and the far more grievous periodontitis doesn’t take hold.
Gingivitis is caused by a build up of plaque in the gum line of teeth which causes the gums to become inflamed. You will find that your gums begin to feel rather sensitive and, instead of being a healthy pink colour, will start to redden. Periodontitis is signified by receding in the gums and swelling as the bones holding the teeth in place themselves become inflamed. Tooth loss is likely in this situation and it is best that you deal with gingivitis before it progresses.
Several herbal remedies are actually effective in the treatment of gum disease and most dentists endorse these methods. You can actually find tooth pastes which are specially formulated for gums which include some of these herbs such as sage, peppermint and basil.
Some herbs can even be applied directly to the gums themselves and are useful for relieving the symptoms of gum disease and helping to combat them too. These include grapefruit extract, calendula and Echinacea. Taking aloe vera and chewing clove can help too, these are time-honoured methods of helping with painful gums. But if your gum disease is sever then you might wish to consult your dentist before pursuing these because they can actually be rather aggressive on your gums.
Talk to your Leeds dentist for all the best advice about the different ways of approaching gum disease

City of Leeds dentist cautions against gingivitis

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums that has become all too common these days because of improper oral hygiene. It can lead to a whole host of problems if left untreated. The most common symptom of this disease is the presence of swollen gums. The gums feel tender to the touch and they also bleed, especially at night. They are also bright red or purple in color and are very unattractive to the sight. If your gums have this color and they bleed very easily when you brush them, then you can be sure that you suffer from gingivitis.
What brings gingivitis to people’s attention is that it causes bad breath. This is an unmistakable result of this condition, but its negative effects are not restricted to that. If it is neglected, it can lead to serious problems of the gums, with eventual loss of a tooth.
A City of Leeds dentist cautions people against allowing this to happen and neglecting it once the gums to get inflamed. There are very simple preventive measures that can protect a person from this problem, and they centre on proper oral hygiene in order to remove bacterial plaque. Regular brushing and flossing of teeth, in addition to avoiding sugary foods and drinks in between meals, is usually all that is required to prevent bad breath and inflamed gums. If you are unsure about how to clean your teeth properly, set up an appointment with your dentist who will teach you the correct method.