For the layman, understanding the many fields of dentistry, what each one does and the terminology that surrounds them, can be confusing- and the study of prosthodontics is a good example, claims a dentist in central Leeds. Prosthodontics is a specialised area of dentistry that deals with restoration to the mouth by planning, designing, fabricating and treating damaged and missing teeth- and in the process, restoring a natural balance to the mouth and jaw. Whether damage has occurred by accident, trauma or through general wear and tear, it is essential that the correct occlusion (bite) is maintained for not only aesthetic reasons but for health reasons too. A bad ‘bite’ can cause many problems with aches and pains, from the head to the back and gum disease and infection within the mouth. A lot of prosthodontics deals with the use of artificial replacements in reconstructing the mouth. Starting with basic fillings and crowns, tooth decay can be combated by rebuilding the inside of the tooth with a range of fillings or a crown, Bridges and implants can replace missing teeth, or in extreme cases, partial or full dentures can restore balance to the occlusion. Porcelain veneers and lumineers are good for addressing cosmetic problems such as discolouring, gaps, cracked and worn teeth. There is also a specialist field of prosthodontics called maxillofacial surgery. This deals with the reconstruction of the mouth and area around the mouth that has suffered from natural deformities, accidents or post cancer surgery in order to give a natural look back to the face.
Posts Tagged ‘tooth decay’
Prosthodontic Practice In Central Leeds
Thursday, October 7th, 2010Root Canal Treatment – Advantages and the Costs Involved at a Leeds dental practice
Monday, September 27th, 2010
Each of our teeth is secured firmly to the jaw bone by one or more roots which contain a mass of blood vessels and nerves otherwise called the pulp. A root canal treatment is done when this pulp gets infected by microorganisms; this can happen when there is sudden trauma or injury to the tooth or due to tooth decay or cavity which is left untreated. Sometimes the pulp also gets infected when the tooth filling has cracked or fallen off due to wear and tear.
In a typical root canal procedure, the tooth pulp is removed completely and the gap is filled with an inert material to prevent chances of any future infection. Following this therapy, the tooth becomes dead as it does not contain any blood vessels and nerves. The advantage of this procedure is that this is the only way by which you can retain the original tooth. The only other way to stop the spread of infection to the other teeth is by extracting the infected tooth which is not advisable. It is always best to retain all the natural teeth for optimum oral health and tooth extraction should only be considered as a last resort.
Root canal therapies are a little expensive as the procedure is complex, labour and time intensive. It would approximately cost three hundred dollars for a single root and can increase depend on the number of roots and other complications involved. In addition, you may also have to spend for medications and dental X-ray. In spite of the costs, it is very important to undergo this treatment as an infected tooth pulp can cause extreme pain and if not treated immediately can affect the other teeth too. So, it is best if a root canal treatment is done right at the beginning as soon as you feel pain or notice the symptoms.
Do not think of this procedure as a cosmetic one; it is indeed necessary to maintain good oral health and hygiene.
Oral Hygiene; how to achieve and healthy teeth, by a City ofl Leeds dentist
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Oral hygiene isn`t a thing we can take lightly, a City ofl Leeds dentist explains. It is a necessary tool in war against premature tooth decay, which is caused mostly by a lax regime that allows the enemy to multiply. The enemy of your teeth is the bacteria that comes with our food, we can`t eliminate that in the food, but we can stop it feeding and producing harmful acid. Acid is the foremost reason for early tooth decay, and it is easily kept under control with a simple, but affective oral hygiene regime. This must be kept up during the day as well as in the morning and just before bedtime. Night time is when the saliva gland dries up and allows the acid to accumulate the most, therefore doing the most damage; saliva will act as an alkali to the acid and prevent it eating away at the tooth enamel. It is so important to keep this in mind when you are cleaning your teeth at night, first of all give your teeth a good flossing, get right in between those molars. Removing the food debris will starve the bacteria and prevent them not only producing acid, but also producing tartar which will be deposited onto your teeth. If I tell you that tartar is dead bacteria, then that should help you be more rigid in your dental oral cleaning regime. Next you will need to vigorously brush the teeth, again getting in between them and removing even more food build up, and finally a good rinse will remove whatever is left.
City Of Leeds Dentist Offers A Cure For Grinding Teeth
Thursday, September 9th, 2010
Many people suffer from a condition called Bruxism and they don’t even know it until others tell them about it. Also known as the condition of involuntarily grinding teeth, mostly while sleeping, Bruxism is a common and misdiagnosed disease. People suffering from this disease will grind their teeth continuously and noisily while they sleep, disturbing the sleep of people next to them.
A City of Leeds dentist cautions us that it is very important to diagnose and then to treat this condition before it escalates and becomes very hard to treat. People who have been involuntarily grinding their teeth for a long time will actually manage to rub the enamel off their teeth. This leads to tooth decay since the protective covering of the tooth is lost for good. If this habit persists, or if they grind their teeth too hard, they can even fracture their teeth, leading to ultimate loss of the tooth. It is very common for people suffering from Bruxism to have a constant head ache or jaw ache in addition to having teeth that are extremely sensitive to heat and cold.
A dentist is the only person who can help a person who has this problem of grinding teeth throughout the night. A good dentist will be able to cure a person of this disease, as a result of which the patient will also be free of insomnia eating disorders and anxiety, all of which are associated with this condition. Don’t delay visiting a dentist if you suffer from Bruxism.
Questions about Fluoride? Your City Of Leeds Dentist Will Answer Them
Monday, September 6th, 2010
Parents of growing children are in a dilemma regarding the necessity of exposing them to extra fluoride. This substance is very important for the proper development of teeth, as innumerable studies have shown over the years. Fluoride is present in certain foods we eat and it is a necessary component of a balanced diet, especially for children since it has a role in strengthening teeth and preventing tooth decay.
Fluoride has been added to the drinking water supply for a very long time now because certain diets do not contain it in sufficient quantities. People, who felt that even this was insufficient, or who lived in areas where there was not enough fluoride in the water, could use fluoride toothpastes to increase their exposure to it.
Like all good things taken to excess, even this has certain problems. Dentists have noted an increase in a certain condition called Fluorosis, where permanent discoloration occurs on the teeth of certain people who have been exposed to extremely high levels of this substance, especially in their young years when their adult teeth were just forming. This discoloration, while not harmful to the health, can severely impair the attractiveness of a smile.
You have every right to be concerned about your child’s teeth because repairing this problem will be an expensive proposition later on in life. Your City of Leeds dentist will be able to advise you regarding the fluoride levels in your drinking water and also about the best brand of toothpaste your growing child needs to use.
Leeds dentist cautions against early childhood caries
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
A Leeds dentist came out very strongly against various parenting practices that can ruin a child’s teeth and also carry the problem into adulthood. Early childhood caries refers to the decay of teeth in babies and young children. This bacteria borne infection is all too common in the babies of certain groups of people, and it can be directly attributed to improper parenting.
The pity is that most parents ruin their children’s teeth without even knowing that are doing so. Parents tend to be lax when it comes to their child’s oral hygiene because they wrongly believe that the condition of the baby teeth doesn’t matter since they are going to fall out eventually.
Babies who are put to bed with a bottle of milk tend to have cavities in their milk teeth. This is obviously because the sugars from the milk create acids which have the entire night in which to ruin a baby’s teeth. Allowing a baby to dawdle over a meal or a cup of juice also exposes the teeth to sugars over long periods.
Parents have to be cautioned against these practices because the bacteria that remain in the mouth can attack the adult teeth when they appear, giving the child very little chance to avoid cavities. The child should never be allowed to linger over a meal, and his or her mouth should be rinsed with water after each meal. This is the only way to prevent expensive and painful dental treatments for the child in later years.
Prevent Dental Decay Rather Than Looking For a Cure, Says Leeds Dentist
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
One of the most common problems that we face is tooth decay and it is far easier to prevent than it is to cure. According to a Leeds dentist, tooth decay usually occurs as a result of neglect. It is caused due to bad oral hygiene that results in food particles being left in the mouth. Everybody knows that it is important to keep one’s mouth clean so as to prevent caries from forming, but we tend to fall short when it comes to actually practicing it.
We can avoid dental decay by making certain changes in our habits. It is absolutely necessary that we brush our teeth at least twice a day. Remember to never sleep with a dirty mouth because that will expose your teeth to acids the whole night long. In addition, we have to remember to rinse our mouth out after we eat anything. A good way will be to drink plain water after a meal. If you have the habit of snacking in between meals, you should consider dropping the habit, or at least cleaning your mouth after each snack. There are certain foods that are major culprits when it comes to tooth decay. Sweets and candy are on top of this list.
Another way to prevent tooth decay is to go for regular dental checkups where the dentist can clean your teeth whilst looking for any new cavities or diseases of the gum. These steps should be sufficient to keep your teeth protected and free of cavities.
Problem with a Chipped Tooth? Your Leeds Dentist Can Fix It
Monday, August 16th, 2010
A chipped tooth can be a source of immense problem to you if it is left untreated. Teeth are made of very hard material, but improper use can cause them to chip and crack. If you eat foods that are very hard, such as corn kernels or ice, one wrong bite can cause your tooth to chip. A popular Leeds dentist says that people have a tendency to ignore this problem as being very minor. However, in actuality it can easily escalate to a bigger problem.
A chip in a tooth means that the enamel covering of the tooth has been broken which indicates a breach of the tooth’s security. It will certainly lead to tooth decay because it is impossible to clean a tooth properly from inside once it is chipped. The crack in the enamel allows disease causing bacteria to enter the tooth and cause decay from inside. After a while, the tooth will become infected and this could lead to eventual loss of the tooth if the problem is not addressed in time.
A dentist has a very simple solution for this problem. All that a tooth requires is cosmetic bonding with a special resin based sealant so that the chip is repaired. Since the sealant can be made to match the colour of the teeth, it will not even be apparent that the tooth had any problem. Since the problem is so easy to solve, you need to get it done at the earliest before it goes out of control due to neglect.
Leeds Dentist Stresses the Importance of Oral Hygiene
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
A Leeds dentist was talking about the dropping standards of oral hygiene amongst the patients that he sees in his clinic. The unfortunate part is that most people do not know how badly they are affecting their health by neglecting this aspect of their lives.
There is more to oral hygiene than just preventing tooth decay and bad breath. These are certainly two things that can be prevented if you brush your teeth regularly, but lack of oral hygiene can have even worse consequences. At the very least you will have to face bigger dental bills since you will have no option but to go in for procedures such as root canal treatments if your teeth have rotten too much to be saved with a simple filling. Your love life and even profession can suffer as a result of this since people will be put off by your bad breath.
You need to brush your teeth at least twice a day and you also need to keep it clean in between meals at least by rinsing with water. Flossing is also very important, and so is a six month check up with a dentist. Avoid sugary drinks and foods in between meals and never make the mistake of sleeping without cleaning your mouth.
If you do not clean your mouth regularly, plaque will build up, leading to tartar formation which can eventually cause heart disease.
Oral hygiene is very easily done if you are disciplined in your habits. Make these changes before it is too late.
Dentist in Leeds Central Emphasizes the Importance of Regular Dental Check Ups
Friday, July 16th, 2010
A dentist in Leeds Central was talking about the increase in tooth decay and other dental problems that could easily have been avoided. People hate visiting dentists, but the fact is that regular dental check ups are the only way to catch dental problems before they become too big. The dentist can clean teeth while looking out for signs of any problems.
Tooth decay has to be spotted early enough so that it can be sorted out with a small and painless filling. If it is neglected, the decay will only increase, and the tooth can even get infected. Abscesses will be the next thing to happen, and the person will most probably need a root canal treatment. In extreme cases, the person could even lose the infected tooth.
Regular dental check ups are the best way to avoid tooth decay as well as gum disease. Problems like bad breath and bleeding gums can be easily prevented as well. In the long run, neglect of dental health can also lead to heart disease due to the clogging of arteries by dental plaque. The dentist can also give advice on proper brushing techniques.
The practice in Leeds Central offers a solution to this problem by making a visit to the dentist less intimidating. If the atmosphere is more relaxing than normal dental visits and the procedures less stressful, patients would not be so eager to miss their scheduled dental visits. This could save them a good deal of time, money and pain in the long run.