Taking care of your teeth might seem like a daunting business, especially if you have suffered from poor oral hygiene in the past. But don’t be intimidated by it; following a simple set of instructions so that they become habits will help you with maintaining excellent oral hygiene for the rest of your life. Read on to find out more!
Before we even get to brushing and so on, it is important to remember that your oral health is not disconnected from the health of the rest of your body. You ought to be pursuing a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, a balanced diet and minimal amounts of stress. Harmful substances such as excessive alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs should be avoided as a matter of course.
Brush your teeth twice a day and again after meals if you feel it necessary. Use brush which is fit for purpose and has a nice set of firm bristles and a handle which allows to hold it with ease and manipulate the brush in your mouth. Tooth paste containing fluoride is desirable because it helps to strengthen your teeth. Make sure that during your three minutes or so or brushing you are covering all of the areas of your mouth. Don’t overdo it though, as this can damage the enamel on your teeth.
Make sure that you floss as well. This all too often neglected part of oral hygiene is just an important as the other instructions because it helps to remove the plaque from between your teeth. Last and by no means least, you should institute a routine of going to see your Leeds dentist every six months to have your mouth checked over for problems.
Posts Tagged ‘plaque’
Leeds dentists tell patients to secrets of good oral hygiene habits
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011Scaling and polishing at City of Leeds dentists: Why you should have it done
Monday, April 11th, 2011
Going to the dentist for a visit every six months or so goes a long way to helping with keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Your mouth is a highly specialised collection of parts which work together to make your life easier. If any one part of it becomes diseased or loses functionality then it can threaten the smooth working of the whole thing. Your dentist is best placed to examine the whole of your mouth so that it stays healthy for you.
But keeping a check on the health of your teeth, gums and tongue is not the only reason to go to the dentist. There are things that your dentist can do in the surgery that you will be unable to do at home. One of these things involves the removal of tartar. You might not have heard of tartar, but you will probably know all about plaque and how that can threaten the health of your mouth. Plaque and tartar are really the same thing, tartar is just the hardened form of plaque.
It is just as damaging as plaque but with the added inconvenience that it cannot be removed by brushing alone with a tooth brush like you do every day at home. By administering a process known as scaling and polishing, your dentist can effectively remove the hardened tartar from your teeth, leaving them free from the threat of dental decay and gum disease that they can cause.
If you are concerned about tartar, talk to your City of Leeds dentist about scaling and polishing in order to get rid of it. An added bonus of the process is that your mouth will look better afterwards too as tartar can give teeth a yellow hue.
City of Leeds dentists help patients out with their flossing techniques
Saturday, April 9th, 2011
You should always make time in your daily routine to take care of your teeth. First thing in the morning and last thing at night are the best times. When you sleep your mouth doesn’t produce much saliva so plaque and bacteria can thrive there. Most people brush their teeth as a matter of course but too many people don’t get around to flossing as well. If you are one of those people then you should consider how you might be endangering the good health of your teeth.
Brushing alone cannot reach every single corner of your mouth where plaque exists. It is crucial that you remove as much plaque as possible though, so that dental decay and gum disease can’t take hold. Plaque causes cavities to form in teeth and gums to become inflamed, with an associated risk of tooth loss if the inflammation is not dealt with.
By flossing you will be removing the plaque from between the teeth where your brush is unable to reach. Flossing can be a little painful to begin with as it can cause small lacerations in the gums between your teeth but this should cease after a few days. If bleeding continues then you should seek advice from your City of Leeds dentist.
The thought of having to remember something else to add to your shopping list might give you a small sense of dread but flossing is eminently worth doing if it saves you from having to go through the problems that are caused by dental decay and gum disease. It is always preferable to avoid these things rather than having to deal with the consequences which can be painful and inconvenient.
City of Leeds dentists advise patients about how to prevent gum disease
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
Your gums should be just as important in your mind when you are thinking about taking care of your mouth. They are a greater cause of tooth loss than dental decay itself so it is well worth paying attention to how well you are looking after them. Rather than having to go through the pain and indignity of suffering from gum disease and then having to have it treated, it is best to look after them in the first place to do your best in making sure that gum disease doesn’t occur.
Your primary concern should be plaque, a substance which is produced in the mouth when you eat and drink. Making sure it is removed is not only so that your teeth don’t start to decay; plaque also causes the gums to inflame and gingivitis can result. This is fairly easily dealt with and is common but if it is left to progress it can turn in to periodontitis where the jaw bone itself becomes inflamed.
By brushing and flossing effectively you should be removing the maximum amount of plaque from the mouth where it can harm the gums and cause them to become diseased. You should brush and floss at least twice a day and maybe again if you have eaten a sugary snack or a starchy meal.
Be sure also to visit your dentist every six months so that your mouth can be checked by a professional. Report any problems you think might be developing; it is better to be safe than sorry, even if your dentist says that there is no problem with your gums. Your City of Leeds dentist has all the information about how to prevent gum disease from occurring.
City of Leeds dentists advise that dental problems can affect your general health
Sunday, April 3rd, 2011
We all know how important it is to keep our teeth clean and healthy so that eating, drinking and talking can be undertaken with ease. Brushing and flossing stops plaque building up so that teeth stay free from plaque which can cause them to decay and lead to gum disease. But dental health has implications for the rest of your body too and ought to be seen in those terms. By looking after your teeth you are also looking after your general health.
Conditions like gingivitis can actually affect the general health of the rest of your body. It involves your gums becoming inflamed because of a build up of plaque. Infections from this can enter the blood stream and cause complications for the rest of your body. The same can be said of periodontitis, the more severe form of gum disease where the jaw bones become inflamed. The nerves serving the head and face can become compromised in this case, as with temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ).
If you are experiencing sleep apnea, where you wake up in the night because not enough oxygen is being taken in, this can have an impact on your general health. It can be caused by the muscles at the rear of the mouth relaxing to the point where air stops getting past. The hypertension caused by the lack of quality sleep can heighten the risk of heart attacks in strokes in sufferers.
Keep up the habit of taking good care of your teeth at home and visiting your City of Leeds dentist every six months for a check up and there shouldn’t be any problems. But the fact that dental issues can affect the health of the rest of your body is just another reason to be vigilant.
Flossing will help your oral health, say City of Leeds dentists
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
We all know how important it is to brush our teeth but how many of us neglect to floss? The fact is that flossing is a vital part of keeping your mouth nice and healthy and ought to form part of your routine. Not doing so is just helping plaque to keep a hold in your mouth and put you at risk of dental decay and other oral conditions.
Flossing is the act of pulling a thin piece of tape between your teeth. It is done in order to remove plaque which can easily hide there. Brushing your teeth might get rid of the plaque which is on the surface of your teeth, but it doesn’t matter how well you brush, chances are some it will still remain between your teeth.
If plaque is allowed to stay there between your teeth then it can start to break down the protective layer of enamel which keeps your teeth safe. Cavities can begin to form and the nerves inside your teeth can become compromised. Further, a build up of plaque on the gum line of your teeth can leave you open to contracting gum disease like gingivitis or its more advanced form, periodontitis.
Flossing might be a little painful to begin with if you haven’t done it before. Gums are sensitive and having tape dragged across them might cause the tissue to break and an amount of bleeding to occur. This ought to stop in time but if it doesn’t you should alert your dentist.
Talk to your City of Leeds dentist if you need any more advice about the benefits of flossing and take the next step towards enhancing your oral health.
Improve your teeth with advice from City of Leeds dentists
Friday, March 25th, 2011
Your smile will be one of the first things that someone sees when you are being introduced to them and as such it forms part of the initial impression you will make on them. But having healthy teeth is not just about your looks. It is also vital in ensuring that your mouth is effective and functions as it ought to. Your dentist will be able to advise you on the best ways to keep your teeth healthy.
The most important thing is to brush your teeth in the right way. You should do this at least twice a day and most people choose first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Brushing is done to remove the plaque from your mouth which forms from the food you eat. By using a tooth paste which is fortified with fluoride you can strengthen your teeth’s enamel and guard against cavity formation.
Be sure to brush for about three minutes but not too vigorously as this can damage the enamel that you are aiming to protect. Floss too so that plaque is removed from between your teeth and won’t cause gum disease. This is important because gum disease is actually a leading cause of tooth loss in itself.
Certain activities are best avoided if you want to keep your teeth healthy. Smoking tobacco and drinking too much alcohol can be bad for your mouth and obviously eating a diet which includes less sugary food is desirable to keep your mouth in good shape.
If you are worried about the health of your teeth you can talk to your City of Leeds dentist about it at the six month check ups which should also form part of your routine.
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.
Central Leeds dentists advise patients that dental care goes beyond simply brushing
Friday, March 18th, 2011
Of course we all know how important brushing is in looking after our teeth. But how many of us only do that? The fact is that, for too many of us, oral hygiene begins and ends when we brush our teeth in the morning and again at night. There is more to taking care of your teeth than this, however.
As well as brushing you should also take care to floss. This is the process of pulling thin, dental wire between your teeth to remove the plaque that can lurk there. Brushing alone simply cannot get rid of all the plaque that is in these hard to reach places. Flossing might be a little painful in the beginning if you have not done it before. Your gums are rather sensitive and they may bleed a bit to begin with. But by flossing you are also helping to guard against gum disease which in itself can lead to tooth loss.
Having a healthy diet in the first place can help in the fight against plaque and watching what you eat is not about keeping an eye on your weight and your cholesterol. By eating foods which have less sugar in you are exposing your teeth to less plaque in the first instance so there will be less for you to deal with. You are best off abstaining from activities like smoking tobacco and consuming alcohol excessively as these can harm your mouth too.
Get into the habit of going to see your Central Leeds dentist every six months so that your mouth can be examined by a professional. This is the best way to ensure lasting oral health and proves that dental care goes way beyond simply brushing.
Leeds dentists fill cavities efficiently with cosmetic bonding
Monday, March 14th, 2011
If you have cavities in your teeth you needn’t worry anymore about having to have them filled with unsightly metal cavities. New cosmetic bonding techniques which are becoming increasingly widespread and available are now being used by dentists for this purpose and are far more discreet and durable than their metal counterparts.
Cavities form in your teeth when plaque breaks down the enamel which coats teeth and protects them. Small holes occur as the tooth breaks down and these must be filled so that the tooth cannot decay further. The nerves and the pulp inside the tooth need to be protected from further attack by the plaque which is formed every time you eat.
Cosmetic bonding is far easier for dentists to use than metal fillings and they look better in the mouth too. The dental composite that is used in cosmetic bonding is exceptionally malleable and is able to be matched to colour of your surrounding teeth. No longer need you feel embarrassed and self conscious about dark patches in your mouth where metal fillings are.
Because of how adaptable cosmetic bonding is, most cavities can be filled using it as a technique, no matter what shape and size they are. Special curing light is used on the cosmetic bonding by dentists to give the filling an even better finish.
An added plus for those who already have metal fillings is that dentists can now replace these with cosmetic bonding fillings using white dental composite. So if you have been diagnosed as having cavities in your teeth or already have metal fillings which you are unhappy with, talk to your Leeds dentist about cosmetic bonding and what it can do for you and the look of your mouth.