Posts Tagged ‘plaque’

Birkenhead dentists show how to keep teeth free from plaque with brushing

Friday, August 27th, 2010

If you don’t clean your teeth sufficiently then a bacteria rich substance called plaque builds up on the surface enamel and begins to cause dental cavities. Not only will these be painful but they can also lead to more serious tooth decay which will require filling, root canal treatment or in the worst case, complete removal. Plaque left on the teeth will also harden and become tartar, which can not be removed.

However, if you brush your teeth correctly twice a day for three minutes you will brush plaque from the surface of the teeth and keep them looking clean and healthy. It’s not really much of a sacrifice when you think about it. Birkenhead dentists recommend that you use a brush with soft bristles for more effective cleaning. Softer bristles will remove more plaque from the surface of the teeth and also cause less damage to the more sensitive gum tissue.

Use a brush with a small head as this will enable a more effective clean as you can reach more parts of the mouth. Make sure you clean around the base of the teeth and on their reverse side as these are the areas where plaque often builds up the most. It is also highly recommended that you floss as well as brushing. This will help to remove plaque from the more hard to reach areas such as between the teeth and in the pockets between the gums and teeth at their base. Keeping your teeth free from plaque will prevent dental problems, keep your teeth looking clean and healthy and prevent bad breath. Six minutes a day in total is quite a small price for this level of reassurance. Ask your dentist for more information about effective brushing.

Good hygiene habits make Bootle dentists happy

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Like with anything you have to do in life: be it learning to drive or any other skill, learning how to do it properly is the key to success. The same is true of learning to look after your teeth. In the UK at the moment, the health of the nation’s teeth is on the slide so it is important we all learn or relearn the good habits that help to keep our teeth healthy and clean. One of the biggest problems at the moment is people not visiting the dentists often enough. Bootle dentists recommend that we should visit the dentist every six months for a check up appointment. This is the most important habit that we need to get into.

Other important good habits that are fundamental to keeping your teeth as healthy as possible are brushing and flossing correctly. Not only will this keep the teeth looking clean, but it will also significantly reduce the chances of developing dental health problems such as tooth decay and gum disease.

Brushing should be performed twice a day for three minutes. Your dentist will be able to demonstrate the correct way of brushing. This will also help to keep the gums stimulated and clean, which in turn will be good for the teeth. Flossing is important because it helps to remove bacteria and plaque from between the teeth. These are areas that are very hard to reach and often the starting point for many dental problems. These habits are not hard to learn and will only take an extra one or two minutes a day to master. A small sacrifice when you consider the alternative: hours in the dentist’s chair undergoing painful and unpleasant dental surgery. I think you know which is the right decision to make.

Prevent bad breath with a visit to a Toxteth dentist

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Everyone has probably suffered from bad breath at one point or other, whether you know it or not. And therein lies the problem. It is very difficult to tell when you have bad breath unless it is embarrassingly pointed out to you by someone else. All the hand-cupping techniques and wrist licking can’t ever really prove if you’re breath smells. The only real weapon against bad breath is prevention.

Bad breath can be caused by issues such as poor digestion or intestinal problems but over 90 per cent of cases are caused by bacteria in the mouth and poor standards of oral hygiene. Bacteria thrive in the mouth where conditions are perfect. There are 500 million bacteria that live on the average human tongue alone. Another cause of bad breath is the food matter that gets caught between the teeth and decays. When this happens it releases foul smelling sulfurous compounds which cause the breath to smell.

Mouthwashes and other bad breath fighting measures such as chewing gum can mask the smell but they won’t tackle the cause of the problem and it will return. The best way to combat bad breath is to brush your teeth properly twice a day and floss in the morning to remove food mater from between the teeth. Flossing is particularly useful as it cleans areas that conventional brushes are unable to reach. Brushing and flossing also help to fight plaque, a filmy substance full of bacteria that lives on the enamel of the teeth. Plaque is also a cause of bad odour and by removing it not only will your breath smell better but it will also help to keep teeth free from decay and cavities. It is also important to brush or scrape the tongue using a specially designed brush. The bristles on normal brushes are too soft to effectively clean the tongue so it is a good idea to buy a special brush. A dentist in Toxteth will be able to recommend which cleaning tools are the best for your mouth during a routine check up.

Bad breath can therefore act as a warning sign that your oral hygiene regime isn’t quite up to scratch and could do with improving. A dentist will be able to offer instruction in how to clean more effectively. Remember to keep up your six-monthly check-ups at the dentist and help to fight tooth decay and have fresh smelling breath.

Your Wirral Dentist Can Stop the Progression of Gingivitis

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

Once gingivitis gets started, it won’t go away by itself. Unfortunately, as time goes by, the condition of your gums will continue to get worse. Therefore, if you notice that your gums are sensitive, red, or bleeding, you should visit your Wirral dentist and get treated for gingivitis.

In most cases, if you get treatment for gingivitis early on, your dentist will have a better chance of pinpointing why you are having this particular problem. For example, if you eat a lot of sweets, it may be contributing to an excess buildup of plaque. On the other hand, if you are missing spots when you brush your teeth, it may also give germs a chance to proliferate and reach your gums. At the very least, your dentist will be able to check for these issues and help you correct them before serious damage occurs to your teeth and gums.

Each year, thousands of gum surgeries, infections, and tooth extractions could be avoided if gingivitis was treated early on. Without a question, seeing your dentist for routine exams will help you reduce the risk of developing advanced cases of gum disease. This is very important to consider regardless of your age. Unfortunately, individuals that are middle aged, or beyond may think that it is not as important to take care of gingivitis. In most cases, they would be surprised to find out that this condition can take its toll on all parts of the body.

While gingivitis may advance more slowly in some people than others, eventually it will result in tooth loss, pain, and infections. These issues can cause all kinds of nutritional deficiencies, and may also increase your risk of developing heart disease. Today, gingivitis is treatable and manageable. When you visit your dentist, you can have peace of mind knowing that you will not develop future problems caused by gingivitis.