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Posts Tagged ‘bacteria’

Central Leeds dentists urge patients to do more than brushing to take care of their teeth

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

An effective oral hygiene routine should encompass a number of different activities that ought to be undertaken on a daily basis. The result of this will be a set of teeth that look good, feel good and can carry out their key functions of facilitating eating, drinking and talking without problems such as cavities and gum disease. Unfortunately, some people believe that simply brushing their teeth is all they need to do to make sure their mouth is healthy.
Dentists in central Leeds are telling patients that they need to do more than just brushing in order to a secure a long term future of good oral health. Brushing is very useful for removing plaque bacteria from the surfaces of teeth, moistening the mouth and strengthening teeth through the application of fluoride tooth paste but it has to be combined with other processes too.
Flossing is a crucial companion to brushing and should be done after every time that you brush. Brushing will not always remove plaque from the tight gaps between teeth; only flossing can do so. Dental floss is cheap and a box of it will last a long time.
Think about the foods you are eating as well as sugary and starchy food stuffs will only increase the level of plaque that your mouth is exposed to. Brushing after a sugary treat you’ve allowed yourself can be a great help as it won’t allow plaque to sit on your teeth after the snack.
Enlist the help of your dentist in central Leeds by going to see him or her every six months for a check up and reporting any problems should they arise.

Leeds dentists tell patients that oral products like mouth wash can make their bad breath worse

Saturday, July 30th, 2011

Patients who suffer from bad breath will go to all sorts of lengths to stop the condition from happening. It can really inhibit your social life and make things such as business meetings and job interviews into nightmare scenarios. One of the most obvious ways to rectify the problem is to use mouth wash to freshen the breath. The advertising states that mouth wash kills bacteria and freshens breath so it is a common method for people to use. But the story is not that simple.
Mouth wash is taken into the mouth, swilled around, gargled with and then spat out. It does indeed kill bacteria but it kills all of the bacteria in the mouth, some of which is good bacteria. Mouth wash also makes the mouth very dry and, as a consequence, bad breath bacteria can thrive in these conditions because the surfaces of teeth are easier to ‘stick to’.

In the short term you breath might be freshened up by the flavour of the mouth wash but bad breath can quickly come back. Often people like to chew gum after using mouth wash because it moistens up the mouth quickly. This is not to say that mouth wash should always be avoided; sometimes dentists advise patients to use certain mouth washes on occasions because they can be helpful in the fight against gingivitis, the most basic form of gum disease. It is better to deal with the root causes of bad breath which might be found in the types of food that you are eating or the fact of having a dry mouth generally. Brushing properly and flossing too are effective general methods of combatting bad breath and brushing your tongue is also advisable because bad breath bacteria thrive on the tongue. Talk to a Leeds dentist for more handy hints.

Is Brushing enough in Central Leeds?

Friday, July 1st, 2011

From a very early age we are taught to brush our teeth every day to keep our teeth clean and healthy and if you get the right brush and paste combination that suits you, it should be enough. But is just brushing your teeth enough in Central Leeds? Pointers from dentists in the area would say no. The rules attached to oral hygiene are to primarily ensure bacteria and plaque are removed from the mouth, and both of these emanate from food deposits left in the mouth. Certain foods adhere to the surface a lot more than others, get in between the teeth and are more difficult to remove with regular brushing, which is where flossing, inter-dental brushes and mouthwashes come in. Tiny brushes and floss can be worked gently between the teeth to remove these problems from between the teeth and backed up will a good mouth-wash you have the complete oral hygiene program at your disposal. On the subject of bacteria, it’s not just the teeth and gums you should concentrate on, the tongue and the roof and floor of the mouth, also harbor bacteria so these should be cleaned as well, especially the tongue, and most brushes have a facility to stroke the surface of the tongue with. If you are unsure about the way you brush and floss, your dentist can give you pointers on you technique.

Flossing correctly in the City of Leeds

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Maintaining the health of your teeth in the city of Leeds has never easier, it’s as if there’s a product for every condition in the shops these days and all you need to do is brush and floss a few times a day and that’s it; if you’re doing it correctly, you should have a trouble-free mouth. But are you doing it correctly? Flossing is designed to remove any bits of food that get stuck deep between your teeth that regular brushing can’t, but you need to get it right to achieve a good, deep clean. There’s no point in just running the thread between the teeth. You have to get it taught between your hands and run it all around the tooth and into the gums, and softly too otherwise you could break the floss or damage the gums. Doing this can take a few tries to get right, but once you get into the swing of it, you should be able to remove any bacteria from the teeth. It shouldn’t be seen just as a bolt-on to brushing either, flossing should be done after every meal aside from brushing. Some flosses come with holders and these are perfect for after meal flossing. You should try to fit it into everyday life until it becomes automatic. It can be done when you’re sitting down relaxing, even out for a walk- any time after you eaten something. Getting into this routine will help protect your teeth from all that is bad in the mouth, such as plaque and gum disease.

The Perils of Tooth Decay in Leeds

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Tooth decay is a great enemy of the teeth in Leeds from as early as when they first break through the gums as a baby. Residues of food and drink cause bacteria in the mouth that can leave films of acid on the teeth. If left, the acid will start to eat away at the enamel of the teeth and cavities or caries will form and decay the inside of the tooth. An x-ray at the dentist can always determine if you suffer from any tooth decay and also how bad it is. In its mildest incarnation, tooth decay can be reversed with a filling, but at worse, you will need more extensive work like root canal treatment. It’s easy to avoid if you stick to your daily routine of brushing and flossing, and make regular visits to your dentist. For some people, especially children, the dentist can apply a thin plastic coating over the teeth to protect the exposed enamel of the tooth. But if you don’t avoid it, the decay can spread and affect the health of your mouth, the treatments can become precarious if you want to save your tooth, and the costs can spiral- for you will need to reconstruct to tooth to maintain its functionality, and that means splashing out on a crown.

How Certain Products can Actually Worsen your Breath in Leeds

Sunday, May 1st, 2011

It’s hard to believe that some of the products that we buy over the counter in Leeds, that we believe to promote the health of our mouths, can actually have the opposite affect and make our breath worse. One of the causes of bad breath is the drying up of saliva in the mouth, saliva being the main component in the fight against bacteria. Bacteria breeds, it becomes pungent, and can then lead on to gum disease and tooth decay that also give off bad odours. Certain whitening toothpastes contain baking sodas, sodium lauryl sulfate
and bleaching agents, that if used regularly can leave the mouth dry. Alcohol based mouthwashes do too. In fact they tend to mask any problems as opposed to treating them and though they kill germs, they also break down saliva. But bacteria, plaque and tartar that lead to bad breath, also thrive around areas where the enamel has been worn away from the tooth. This can be caused by choosing too hard a brush and/or abrasive tooth pastes or powders that not only wears away the enamel, but tears at the gum tissue. If you feel that you are losing the fight against bad breath and you are trying everything you can, you would be wise to consult your dentist with your problems.

Should I use mouth wash? Leeds dentists can answer all of your questions

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

On your shopping list when you visit the super market or the corner store will probably be tooth paste containing fluoride, a new tooth brush if your current one is not fit for purpose and some dental floss. But many people wonder about whether to pick up some mouth wash too. The adverts tell us that mouth wash kills bacteria and freshens breath but is it worth our while to use it?
Mouth wash does indeed kill bacteria in the mouth, indeed some boast of being able to kill ninety nine point nine per cent of all bacteria. But that is part of the problem. Not all bacteria in the mouth is bad for you and mouth wash is unable to discriminate; it kills the good bacteria and the bad bacteria.
Mouth wash is able to freshen your breath by killing the bad bacteria and freshening breath by implanting a flavour in the mouth, mint or cloves for example. But this can be a further problem. Mouth wash actually makes the mouth rather dry and this is the ideal condition in which bad breath bacteria can thrive. When the teeth and tongue are dry, it is far easier for bad bacteria to stick to teeth. In short, you could be making your mouth into the ideal playground for bad breath bacteria by using mouth wash. It’s no wonder then that some people like to chew gum after using mouth wash because it stimulates saliva production and makes the mouth more moist.
Sometimes your Leeds dentist will advise you to actually use mouth wash, especially if you are suffering from gum disease. There are specially formulated mouth washes available for this purpose and you should always follow your dentist’s advice but they will probably tell you not to use it too often.

Fight bad breath with techniques from Central Leeds dentists

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Bad breath can have a serious effect on your confidence. Going to parties or business meetings can become difficult as you find yourself shielding your mouth so that people don’t smell the unpleasant odours that can emanate. Many people experience it at one time or another but it is not something that needs to just be put up with because there a number of simple ways to deal with it effectively.
For most people bad breath (or halitosis as it is known clinically) is avoided by adequate routines of brushing and flossing to remove the bacteria which cause it. You might also wish to brush your tongue because the bacteria can thrive there too. You should do so carefully though because you don’t want to damage your tongue in the process.
Using mouth washes is not always as effective as it seems to be in combatting bad breath. It can leave your mouth rather dry which is ideal conditions for the bacteria to stick to your teeth and actually cause further bouts of bad breath.
Chewing gum can be an effective way of beating bad breath if you find yourself in a situation where you have eaten but are unable to brush your teeth. The process of chewing gum not only dislodges any left over debris from when you have eaten but it also contributes to the production of saliva which keeps your mouth healthy. As well as this it can make your breath smell fresher as chewing gum is usually flavoured with something pleasant like mint.
Don’t put up with bad breath, talk to your Central Leeds dentist next time you are at the surgery and ask for advice about how to deal with it effectively.

Leeds dentists answer patients’ queries about mouth washes

Sunday, March 20th, 2011

As part of taking care of your teeth, some people turn to mouth washes. But the picture is not that clear as to how beneficial they actually are. If you want some answers about mouth washes and whether they are the best choice for you then you should read on.
Mouth washes are clinically formulated substances designed to be swilled around your mouth after brushing and then gargled with. They usually have bacteria killing properties and are available in a variety of flavours so that your breath will take on certain aromas after use.
The problem with the fact that they kill bacteria is that not all bacteria in your mouth is actually bad. Some of it is highly beneficial to the way that your mouth works. Mouth washes are unable to discriminate and they just kill all of it, leaving you lacking the good bacteria that has to be formed all over again.
Further, particularly mouth washes containing alcohol can actually create ideal conditions for plaque to flourish. These mouth washes make the mouth rather dry and then plaque can stick to teeth far easier than they would normally be able to. Increasingly alcohol mouth washes are becoming rather rare but mouth washes generally have this tendency.
Sometimes your dentist might advise that you use a certain type of formulated mouth wash as part of the treatment of gingivitis but this should be done sparingly for the above reasons. It would be an irony indeed if by using mouth wash you actually created conditions ideal for plaque to thrive and cause further gum disease!
Whether you use mouth washes is your choice and they can be effective at freshening breath in the short term but you should talk to your Leeds dentist for more expert information.

Bad breath and oral products: get the best advice from Leeds dentists

Friday, March 11th, 2011

Bad breath is something that most people will probably do their best to avoid. It can make it very socially difficult knowing that there are unpleasant smells emitting from your mouth because of bacteria. These bacteria hang around from the food you eat and are usually removed by brushing alone but some people find that that is not enough.
Many turn to oral products like mouth wash to get rid of their bad breath (or, as it is clinically known, halitosis) because they kill bacteria and freshen the breath thanks to their flavours, often something like mint. But unfortunately mouth wash can actually make the problem worse. Mouth washes leave your mouth rather dry because they kill the bacteria and so on. This leaves your teeth in an ideal state for bacteria to form and gives them a better chance of sticking to your teeth and causing further bouts of bad breath.
You might want to chew gum if you are in a situation where you can’t brush your teeth but are worried about bad breath. Chewing gum not only dislodges food debris which can cause bad breath but also stimulates saliva production which helps make the mouth moist and less suitable for the bacteria to stick to your teeth.
Brushing the tongue can also help because the bacteria causing bad breath can gather there too. You should be fairly gentle with this though so that you don’t damage your tongue. Your Leeds dentist will be an expert in all areas of your mouth and so can advise you about all issues relating to bad breath. Don’t hesitate to contact him or her if you are worried about bad breath and the effect that oral products might be having on it.