Posts Tagged ‘flossing’

Dentists in Bootle urge their patients to take flossing seriously

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

It is affordable and shouldn’t take more than a minute but a surprising number of people neglect to floss between their teeth. It is possibly because the results of flossing are not as tangible as those of tooth brushing. If you don’t brush your teeth your mouth will feel unclean and you might even have bad breath as a result. If you don’t floss then there might not be any immediate consequences.

But the consequences of not flossing are more long term and they accrue slowly over time. The fact is that flossing is a vital part of home oral hygiene and should be carried out on a daily basis. When you brush your teeth you are removing most of the plaque from the surfaces of your teeth but it is likely that there will still be plaque hiding in between your teeth as well.

You should buy a box of dental floss or tape from your local super market or pharmacy; it won’t be expensive. Rolled up inside the box is a long length of medicated thread that you can pull out an amount of and then tear it. Then you should pull it between the gaps in your teeth to remove the plaque that is there.

Not flossing is actually a major factor in instance of gums disease because plaque left on the gum line of teeth causes gums to become inflamed and tooth loss becomes a risk if the problem is not dealt with adequately and swiftly. Tooth decay can also result.

Any conversation with your Bootle dentist on the subject will reveal just how important it is to floss and you should take their advice seriously.

The importance of flossing: Toxteth dentists tell patients how to carry it out effectively

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011

Few things in life are simple and unfortunately taking great care of your teeth is not as simple as brushing twice a day. Any Toxteth dentist will tell you that it is vital to floss as well. These two activities taken together ought to help you to have many long years of great oral hygiene. The high rates of gum disease in the United Kingdom are testament though to the fact that too many of us are not flossing as often or as well as we should.

Dental floss can be easily located in any super market or high street pharmacy, near the brushes and tooth pastes. It is usually found in small containers from which one pulls a length of floss and tears it off using a lacerating device. It is an affordable dental product and eminently worth investing in.

Plaque does not just make a home on the surfaces of your teeth, it is just as prevalent in the gaps between your teeth too and it is more difficult for just brushing to remove these deposits of plaque. You should take a sufficient length of floss and pull it between your teeth so that the plaque there is dislodged. Drag the floss to and fro a few times while moving it up and down the sides of your teeth.

If you have not flossed before or have not done so in a while you might find the process a little painful on your gums. First time flossers often find that their gums bleed but don’t worry, this is a very common occurrence and should not put you off. Persist with it and you’ll soon find that the bleeding desists and you’ll reap the benefits of a healthy mouth.

Birkenhead dentist gives best information on oral hygiene

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

You can never underestimate the importance of oral hygiene and looking after the health of your teeth. The teeth are one of the most important parts of the body, used everyday and essential for eating and speech amongst other things. Yet they are one of the most taken for granted parts of the body and all too often people assume they will be around forever. But as many patients find out all too late, the teeth are susceptible to many health problems that can cause pain and result in the need for costly dental treatment.

However, there is a simple way to avoid this eventuality. Oral hygiene is relatively simple when you actually think about it. Brushing twice a day for three minutes with an appropriate brush and paste, combined with flossing to remove trapped food particles and bacteria from hard to reach places will keep the teeth healthy. This of course must be combined with a regular six-monthly check up from your Birkenhead dentist to ensure that there are no further problems.

Brushing and flossing work by removing plaque, the sticky acidic substance that causes both tooth decay and gum disease. If it is allowed to remain it will eventually begin to erode the teeth and cause dental cavities. Gum disease is caused by an infection of the tissue, which if allowed to worsen could end up causing wider health problems and even heart disease.

Good oral hygiene only involves spending an extra few minutes each day looking after your teeth. There is no magic formula or costly apparatus, just the right knowledge and the right dedication. See your dentist for more information on how to best look after your teeth.

Making Bad Breath a thing of the past. A Toxteth dentist advises

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

No one likes bad breath, least of all the person standing in front of you. It may be that smoking is causing it, or a liver disease. However, the real reason could be something as simple as a lax oral hygiene regime says a Toxteth dentist. The odour is generated by the bacteria in your mouth, bacteria that you put in your mouth every time you eat or drink something. As you chew your food bits of it are crushed in between your teeth and trapped, the bacteria then starts feeding off it and in doing so it produces acid. That acid not only rots your teeth enamel, it also produces the bad odour that is bad breath. Just simply tooth picking, flossing and drinking water will help to solve the problem. It is mostly sugary and fat ingredients that produce the most acid and smell, so avoiding these will also go some way to keeping your breath fresher. A good regime for keeping your teeth clean is to first floss, then brush and rinse; this will keep your mouth more free from bad breath than any other method. Just sucking mints and using sprays to hide the bad breath are just a temporary method, and it will often just accelerate the problem. First thing in the morning and last thing at night isn`t enough, you need to keep your mouth clean and debris free in order to keep bad breath at bay. Carry a floss and pick stick with you and use it all day.

Brush your plaque away with advice from Wirral dentist

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Plaque is the filmy substance that coats the teeth releasing acids that gradually erodes the tooth enamel and causes decay. It is important to remove plaque as soon as possible to prevent long-term damage to the teeth, which will then need to receive dental treatment.

The most effective way to remove plaque, before it has the opportunity to cause any damage, is by brushing. Wirral dentists recommend brushing your teeth for three minutes twice a day, at least. Ideally it would be after every meal but this isn’t always practical. You should brush your teeth with a brush that has soft bristles for maximum plaque removal. This also has the advantage of not causing any unnecessary gum erosion, which can happen with harder bristles. Dentists also recommend using a brush with a small head so that it can reach more parts of the teeth.

You should hold the brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums so that they are gently cleaned at the same time as the teeth. It can also make a difference what toothpaste you use. For some patients it is beneficial to use a toothpaste with a high fluoride content but it is always a good idea to check with your dentist first.

As well as brushing, it is also necessary to use dental floss at least once a day. This removes plaque from the smaller areas of the teeth and gums that it is difficult to reach with a regular toothbrush. Both brushing and flossing not only keep your teeth free from plaque but they also help to prevent bad breath, 90% of cases of which are caused by insufficient oral hygiene. Ask your dentist for more advice on effective tooth brushing and which brush and paste would be most suitable for your teeth.

Dental hygiene tips from Toxteth dentist

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Dental care is quite straight forward if you follow a few simple rules given to you by your Toxteth dentist. Although each patient is different and our teeth do differ, there are certain bits of advice that are almost universal.

Firstly, remember that your dental health is in your own hands. With effective cleaning you can help to prevent painful tooth decay and nasty gum disease. Your dentist will be there to support you and check on your progress but ultimately it is up to you to keep your teeth as clean as possible.

This can be achieved by better tooth brushing. Dentists recommend that you should brush your teeth at least twice a day (after lunch as well if it is feasible but this is often not the case) for three minutes. Use a soft bristled brush unless instructed otherwise by your dentist as this removes more plaque from the surface of your teeth. Try to use a brush with a small head as it has a greater degree of mobility in the mouth. Finally, hold the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the gums so that they are also cleaned simultaneously and never press too hard as you can damage the gum tissue.

As well as correct brushing it is advised by dentists that you floss daily also. Flossing removes bacteria and plaque from hard to reach places, which can often be the first places where decay begins. Flossing cleans between the teeth and round their base removing pockets of bacteria and trapped food particles. Your dentist can demonstrate the proper technique.

Lastly, although it is up to you to keep your teeth clean, it is very important that you see your dentist every six-months so he can assess your progress.

Beat bad breath at Merseyside dentist

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Of all the personal hygiene problems people have, bad breath is definitely one of the worst. It can make being around someone very unpleasant, yet the fact is we have probably all had breath at one time or another, although it is true that some people suffer far more than others. The worst thing about bad breath, or halitosis as it is otherwise known, is that it is very difficult to know when you have it unless you experience the embarrassment of somebody telling you.

It is important to remember that there are several easy steps to getting rid of bad breath. This does not include the use of mouthwashes or breath sprays as many people think. Mints, sprays and mouthwashes in fact do little more than mask the smell temporarily and it will return in anything between ten minutes and two hours. In some cases, mouthwash can even make the problem worse because it destabilises the delicate bacteria/saliva balance in the mouth, the body’s natural defence against bad breath.

The key to stopping bad breath is better oral hygiene. Over 90 per cent of cases of halitosis are cause by poor oral hygiene. The main reason for this is that food particles that get trapped in between teeth and in the grooves of the tongue attract bacteria. When this begins to decay it releases nasty smelling chemicals that are carried out on the breath making it smell. More thorough tooth brushing and crucially, flossing will remove these food particles before they can begin to break down. A Merseyside dentist will be able to explain in more detail how best to clean your teeth to stop bad breath at your next appointment.