good oral hygiene | Cosmetic dentistry Leeds Blog

Posts Tagged ‘good oral hygiene’

How to Get Healthy Teeth and Gums

Friday, July 8th, 2016

Start July with a bang by looking after your mouth by following our tips for great teeth and gums:

The first step to keeping your teeth looking great is by watching the colour of what you eat and drink. Red wine, coffee, black tea and cigarettes can all have a negative impact on the colour of your teeth. The best way to avoid staining is to brush your teeth after having anything that is likely to stain them. Using a bleaching agent recommended by your dentist can also help.

A healthier diet

You can also avoid problems with your teeth by cutting back on sugary food and drinks. Sugar can cause plaque, which leads to issues such as tooth decay, cavities and gum disease. Foods that are good for teeth include apples, celery and carrots, which help clean teeth due to being crisp and firm. Drinking water during the day also helps teeth by flushing out bacteria from the mouth and reducing the risk of cavities and gum disease.

At City Dental in Leeds we advise replacing your toothbrush every three months at most to ensure that your mouth is being properly cleaned. Using an old brush will mean that bacteria is being moved from the brush to your mouth.

Brush your teeth

Most of us spend just half a minute brushing our teeth, instead of the recommended 2 minutes. Start timing yourself while brushing your teeth and divide it into 30 seconds each for the front and back of both the top and bottom sets if that helps. It is also good to get into a regular routine with flossing. If you begin and end at the same point every time you floss, you can be sure that all every tooth has been cleaned. If you find it difficult to use floss you may find it helpful to get a floss holder.

Tags: good oral hygiene, Oral health Central Leeds, oral health leeds, Oral Hygiene Central Leeds
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Hints and Tips for Brushing Your Teeth

Thursday, March 24th, 2016

Numerous studies have found a link between poor oral health, plaque, dental bacteria and the onset of heart disease, cancer and exacerbation of rheumatoid arthritis. Brushing your teeth is one of the best things you can do for not only your mouth but also the rest of your body.

Brushing your teeth: the basics

When brushing your teeth it is advisable to spend at least 2-3 minutes thoroughly cleaning. Teeth should be cleaned along their front, back and in regard to the molars, along the tops. The gums should also be gently brushed to prevent bacteria from building up and cause tartar, which is hardened plaque that can only be removed by a dental hygienist. Rotating the toothbrush head in circular motions is better than just brushing back and forth as it covers more surface area.

Why should I floss?

Flossing should also be an important part of your dental routine, as floss can reach between the teeth in order to reach plaque and debris that has become stuck and cannot be removed by a toothbrush. When flossing it is recommended that your clean down towards the gums. This will ensure that all plaque is removed and your teeth and gums remain healthy.

What is a good dental hygiene routine so important?

Dental hygiene is paramount to the health of your mouth, as unlike the rest of your body your teeth are unable to heal themselves. Once plaque is allowed to build up on the teeth, it will strip away precious enamel and minerals, causing holes and cavities to appear. If cavities are left untreated, whether by a dental hygienist or with fillings, they can expand until the tooth is completely decayed and falls out. This decay can then spread to other teeth and may also affect the gums and jawbone. One of the easiest ways to prevent this from happening is to brush your teeth twice daily, for at least 2 minutes. This prevents the plaque from settling on the teeth and wrecking its havoc. To arrange an appointment with one of our dental hygienists please get in touch with us at City Dental Leeds.

Tags: Brushing teeth Central Leeds, Dental hygienist Leeds, good oral hygiene, Oral Hygiene Central Leeds
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Effective Tooth Brushing Techniques

Thursday, January 28th, 2016

Brushing your teeth is essential for good oral health and it also helps to reduce your risk of suffering from general health problems. Brushing is important because it removes plaque from the mouth. Plaque is a sticky white film made from food particles and bacteria and it clings to the tooth enamel. Plaque is a major cause of gum disease and decay and if it is left to collect, it hardens, becoming tartar, which cannot be removed by brushing.

Once plaque collects in the mouth, there is a risk of cavities, decay and gum disease. Research has also shown that as well as causing gum disease, harmful bacteria can also increase your risk of serious medical conditions, including heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

How should I brush my teeth?

Most people think that there is no real technique to brushing your teeth and simply holding your brush against your teeth will suffice. However, perfecting your brushing technique will make a big difference to your oral health. Here are some tips for brushing your teeth:

Use a brush with a small head with soft or medium bristles

Hold the brush at an angle and cover all surfaces of the tooth

Remember to brush along the gum line

Brush every tooth and spend equal amounts of time on each quadrant of the mouth

Use an electric toothbrush (they are proven to remove more plaque than manual toothbrushes)

How long should I brush my teeth for?

You should aim to brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time. If you have difficulty brushing for the recommended time, try buying a toothbrush with a built-in timer or brushing along to your favourite song. You can also download apps that time you when you are brushing.

Which toothbrush should I use?

We recommend using an electric toothbrush because they are proven to remove plaque more effectively than manual toothbrushes. Our friendly team at City Dental in Leeds will be happy to recommend toothbrushes, toothpaste and other oral hygiene products.

Tags: good oral hygiene, Oral health City of Leeds, Oral hygiene Leeds, tooth brushing Leeds
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Make Sure Your Abscess Symptoms Are Treated In City Centre Leeds

Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

If you have a dental abscess, you will need urgent dental care and we are on hand to help to free you from pain as quickly as possible.

Symptoms of dental abscesses

Dental abscesses are usually very painful and they tend to cause throbbing pain, which intensifies and then fades, usually becoming worse when you use the tooth or you accidentally catch the surrounding gum tissue when you clean your teeth or chew food. It is also common to experience tenderness and swelling around the abscess and the tooth will often feel weak.

What to do if you have a dental abscess

If you have a dental abscess in the centre of Leeds, it’s important to see a dentist as quickly as you can, so that you can get treatment and pain relief. Dental abscesses should be treated by dentists, rather than your GP, as there is only a limited amount your doctor can do. This is because dental abscesses are not treated like other types of abscess and they need to be removed and drained, rather than treated with antibiotics.

If you think you have an abscess, call the practice and we will arrange an urgent appointment. In the meantime, it may help to take over the counter pain relief and to avoid drinking hot drinks and eating hard or chewy foods.

When you come in for treatment, one of our friendly and experienced dentists will do all they can to alleviate your pain as quickly as possible. The abscess will be removed and the fluid drained and we will give you information about taking painkillers.

Preventing dental abscesses

The best defence against dental abscesses is good oral hygiene, so remember to brush every morning and night for 2 minutes each time and floss on a regular basis. It’s also really important to keep up to date with your dental check-ups.

Tags: abscess, Avoid hot drinks, good oral hygiene, Treated By Dentists
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Dabbling with your Dental Care in the City of Leeds

Thursday, November 28th, 2013

When it comes to mapping out plans for your future dental care in the city of Leeds, there are many issues to take into consideration. It all starts at home: you will need to buy yourself quality products; toothbrushes, pastes, flosses and mouthwashes and as long as you use them correctly, you will be well on the way to healthy teeth and gums. Watching your lifestyle is of added importance here too- diet, bad habits such as smoking and drinking- all play a parting your oral hygiene. Getting a dentist you can rely on and are happy with is also handy in order to treat you if things go wrong with some of the best technology at their disposal; and educate yourself about treatments and the nature of dental emergencies so you know what to do if you get into trouble. Another issue, and again, vitally important, is financing your treatments; if things get complicated, these things can be expensive to rectify. You can take out an insurance policy but be sure that you check out all of the small print in order that you are covered not only for every eventuality that could arise, but also for anything cosmetic that takes your fancy in the future. Some dentists may even set you up with individual payment plans to cover one-off treatments, so you’ll need to look into this properly.

Tags: City of Leeds, dental care, good oral hygiene, Oral hygiene Leeds
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How Oral hygiene works for the Heart in the City of Leeds

Monday, October 7th, 2013

Out of all the vital organs in your body, your heart is probably the most precious of all in the city of Leeds. It works 24 hours a day pumping blood and oxygen around your body to keep you alive, so it is essential that you try to keep it as healthy as possible. Keeping your mouth clean through good oral hygiene is also an essential ingredient in this and between you, your products and regular meetings with your dentist, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to pull this off. There is good reason to maintain this as well. If your mouth is allowed to let in plaque and tooth decay, there is a very strong possibility that gum disease will follow, and this is one nasty to definitely avoid. Once the gums become diseased, the poisons and toxins that leak out will be carried all around the body via the bloodstream. These will deposit themselves throughout the body’s vital organs, including the heart. Over time, the heart too will become diseased and in the end, simply fail. So then, there is a very real need to maintain your oral hygiene as much as you can- do this and you will remain healthy throughout your life.

Tags: good oral hygiene, Leeds, oral hygiene, Oral Hygiene Central Leeds
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Improving the health of your teeth is easy with the help of City of Leeds dentists

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Brushing and flossing should form the bedrock of good oral hygiene but there is more to having good teeth than just this. Many of the other decisions that you take and the things that you do can have a bearing on the health of your teeth. Read on to find about what else you can do to ensure good oral health for many years to come.
Given that plaque bacteria are produced when you eat, dietary considerations necessarily play a part in the health of your mouth. The fact is, certain foods lead to higher levels of plaque prevalence in the mouth. It is sugar and starch that are the main culprits so think about how much of these foods that you are consuming and whether you might want to brush your teeth afterwards.
Any activity which leads you to have dry mouth will be leaving you more exposed to the effects of plaque. This is because saliva is a natural part of plaque defence and if your mouth is dry then that means that there is insufficient plaque being produced. Smoking dries out the mouth, as does excessive alcohol consumption and the failure to drink enough water. Chewing gum can always help to moisten the mouth but think about the effects that smoking and drinking are having on the general health of your body. Oral health is not divorced from your general health and having a strong immune system means that your body can cope with things more easily.
Finally, make sure that you visit your dentist in the City of Leeds every six months for a dental check up and guarantee that problems can be solved.

Tags: brushing and flossing, good oral hygiene
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Brushing alone is not enough say Central Leeds dentists

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Maintaining good oral hygiene is about more than just brushing, yet so many of use rely entirely on brushing to keep our teeth clean and healthy. But we may be playing a dangerous game if we don’t pay enough attention to the other areas of the mouth.

Brushing is obviously very important for the health of our teeth and gums. Brushing twice a day for three minutes with an appropriate brush will remove plaque from the flat surfaces of the teeth, both front and back. Brushing will also gently stimulate the gums helping them to stay healthy and fight off gum disease. But brushing alone may not be enough to clean all the necessary areas of the teeth.

For example, the areas between the teeth are very narrow and difficult to clean with the bristles of a toothbrush. It is the same with the areas around the base off the teeth and between the gums and the teeth. For these small gaps, so often the starting point of tooth decay, it is necessary to use dental floss at least once a day to remove bacteria and plaque to protect your mouth.

As well as flossing, it may be necessary to use and inter-dental brush, especially designed for use between the teeth. Other cleaning tools that are recommended for use by Central Leeds dentists include implements for cleaning the tongue. This could either be special tongue cleaning brush or even a tongue scraper. It is necessary to clean the tongue as it is a perfect environment for bacteria to build up. As well as all these measures it is crucial that you keep up your six-monthly visits to the dentist for check up appointments.

Tags: brushing, flossing, good oral hygiene, tongue scrapers, tooth decay
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City of Leeds dentist gives oral health tips for child’s healthy smile

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Tooth decay and gum disease affect children more than any other chronic infectious disease. It is therefore very important for parents to ensure that their children’s teeth are as clean and healthy as possible. The alternative is a lifetime of pain and discomfort caused by having bad teeth.

The most important thing a parent can do is to instil good oral hygiene methods on their children early on in life. This will stand them in good stead for a lifetime of healthy teeth. When your child is very young, it will be necessary to clean their teeth for them but as they get older, try to encourage them to brush their teeth as effectively as possible. Try not to force them to do it as this may build up resentment to brushing. Make it a fun game or offer rewards encouraging good teeth cleaning. Also try to teach your children the importance of flossing.

What your children eat is also very important for their oral health. Try to limit the amount of sweet or sugary snacks or drinks they have. This can encourage plaque growth leading to premature decay. If they do have sweets or drinks, keep them to meal times and encourage them to drink water immediately afterwards. This helps to clean the teeth by washing away any sugary remains. Brushing after meals is even more effective.

There are other technical ways parents can help their children’s teeth. Using fluoride toothpaste can help to protect teeth, as can dental sealants. City of Leeds dentist will be able to offer more advice about the benefits and suitability of these treatments. Giving your child the best start in life is very important and this also includes their teeth. See what more you can do by visiting the dentist.

Tags: bad teeth, flossing, good oral hygiene, gum disease, tooth decay
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