In the city of Leeds, dental decay, at some point, affects over 60% of adults and an alarming 80% of children. It’s normally caused by a lack of oral hygiene combined with the consumption of starchy and sugary foods and drinks. Smoking, drinking and bad diet can lead to a dry mouth. Together, these factors can lead to gum disease and bacteria building up very quickly in the mouth and if not removed, leads to plaque forming and breaking down the surface of the teeth. At worst, cavities or caries can form, resulting in tooth loss over time. Yet, dental decay is also very easy to avoid. It starts at home with good diet and oral health care. Brushing correctly with the right tooth brush and paste, combined with flossing and rinsing should be enough to keep decay at bay. However, some bacteria will break through, so it’s always important to keep up with regular visits to the dentist. It’s the best way of having plaque and tartar removed. Early signs of decay can be spotted with a simple x-ray and treated immediately and if the decay is advanced, the inside of the tooth can be cleared out with a root canal and then filled or capped. Tooth decay spreads fast and looks ugly in the mouth and can be expensive to rectify but with a good hygiene program, there’s no reason why it should be a problem.
It’s very easy in Leeds to get drawn into the lure of having to get expensive dental treatment to restore that wonderful smile to your mouth when, frankly, it’s not always necessary and there are a lot cheaper and less complicated methods out there to fix your teeth. It’s great to have a healthy and good looking mouth and it can be a great source of self esteem and confidence, but over time, teeth can start to look tired; they can get chipped or cracked, decay can set, gaps can appear, teeth can become stained. This could be the time to consider cosmetic bonding. Much of the treatment can be carried out with a local anaesthetic, using resins to repair any damage. Once the problem area is diagnosed, it is treated with an etching solution and then a series of resin layers are built up on the tooth until restored. Finally the tooth/teeth are sculptured and polished. The beauty of this treatment is not only its simplicity, but the cost. Choosing cosmetic bonding can come in at a third of the price, avoiding the more expensive options of veneers or crowns. It can restore the niggling little looks in the mouth and can be used to replace those more ‘uglier’ silver fillings.
Dental technology has made amazing advances in the past decade. It is now possible to get dental treatment that looks absolutely invisible. People are willing to pay more money to get their teeth repaired with materials that are indistinguishable from their other teeth. Dental fillings are a good example of this.
Bruxism is a disorder that affects many people and in most cases they are not even aware that they suffer from it. This disorder happens when a person gnashes his or her teeth while sleeping, leading to the teeth being ground down over a period of time, with the edges of the teeth getting blunted. The enamel of the teeth will get worn away leading to sensitivity of the teeth, dental decay and even fractures. The jaw of the person will also start to ache after a while. Since this becomes a habit, the problem will only escalate leading to problems that are very expensive to deal with.
Judging by the increasing number of people in the UK who are suffering from dental cavities and gum disease, it would seem that the standards of oral hygiene are slipping. This is more than likely due to complacency when it comes to oral hygiene or even an ignorance of exactly what it takes to care for your teeth properly.
If you have lost a tooth, either due to decay or as the result of an accident, you will be aware of the pain and anxiety it can cause. Missing teeth in the dental arc are very obvious and can really ruin the appearance of an otherwise perfect smile. There are also a number of medical reasons why missing teeth are a major problem. They encourage the movement of other teeth in the mouth that can cause bite interruptions. Teeth also act as support for facial tissue, so if one is missing it can cause a sagging, sunken appearance.
When teeth come under attack from decay or disease, or when they have simply been damaged in an accident, they can often become very fragile and susceptible to further problems and a great deal of pain. In these circumstances it is often necessary for the dentist to fit a dental crown over the tooth to restore the cosmetic appearance and secure the tooth against further damage.
Looking after the health of your teeth and gums is not just important for your mouth but could also make a difference to your overall health. With dental decay on the increase due to an increase in sugary diets and worsening standards of oral hygiene, and gum disease affecting nearly three quarters of all adults in the UK at some stage in their life, it is more important than ever to ensure a good standard of oral care.
Teeth can be damaged in many ways. Chips, cracks and breaks can occur as the result of sporting injury, motor vehicle accidents or from any other kind of head trauma. Broken teeth can be very painful and also expose the sensitive inside parts of the tooth to the risk of infection and disease. Teeth can also be damaged by dental decay and enamel erosion. This again leaves them vulnerable to attack from disease, which could eventually lead to tooth loss. When teeth are damaged in this way it is necessary to protect them from further injury and also to restore the cosmetic appearance.
Teeth can be missing for a number of reasons. They have either been knocked out as the result of some physical trauma or accident or perhaps they have just been lost to decay or other dental complication. Whatever the cause of missing teeth, it is very important, both aesthetically and for your health, to replace them as soon as possible.
