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The importance of telling your dentist about any changes to your general health has been underlined in a timely reminder issued by the British Dental Health Foundation.
” It is especially important to tell them if you are pregnant or have heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease or have ever had a stroke. You also need to tell them about any medicines you are taking as these can affect both your treatment and the health of your mouth”, says the Foundation.
Gum disease is another major issue raised by the Foundation, which comments that although there is some evidence that gum disease runs in families, the main cause is the plaque which forms on the surface of your teeth. To prevent periodontal gum disease, you need to make sure you remove all the plaque from your teeth every day.
Your Chelsea dentist will also show you how to effectively remove the soft plaque yourself, by cleaning all the surfaces of your teeth thoroughly at home. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria and biofilm which forms on the teeth and gums every day, and leaflets are available from the Chelsea Clinic to help you with your home treatment.
When you make one of your regular visits to your dentist or hygienist at the Chelsea Dental Clinic, your teeth will be given a thorough clean to remove any scale or tartar, which may take a number of sessions. Periodontal Gum disease is an on-going problem, but with routine home care you can slow down its progress and even stop it altogether. It’s important to remove plaque every day, and have regular check-ups with your Chelsea Dental Clinic dentist and hygienist, as often as they recommend.
Grabbing a piece of toast to eat on the way to work may be part of the stressful scenario in many households, but letting the children off brushing their teeth to save time in a busy lifestyle can only be counter productive.
A study among 1,002 parents with children aged between four and 10 carried out for Philips Sonicare “shows that many British parents are ignoring the warnings of dental professionals and letting their children off brushing their teeth“.
The parental sample were simply “too rushed or stressed” to ensure their youngsters used a toothbrush, says a report in the Dental Practice magazine.
Nearly a third said they allowed children to skip brushing their teeth if they were “in too much of a rush”, 20% allowed them to miss their morning brushing routine “to avoid the hassle”, and a quarter of those surveyed claimed constant arguing among children having to brush their teeth “caused anxiety”.
The survey found “18% admitted their child only brushes once a day, if at all”.
At the Chelsea Dental Clinic its standard practice to encourage parents to bring their children along from an early age, where they can meet the dental team in a friendly and relaxed setting – and even show how clever they are at brushing their own teeth.
The importance of telling your dentist about any changes to your general health has been underlined in a timely reminder issued by the British Dental Health Foundation.
It is especially important to tell them if you are pregnant or have heart disease, diabetes, respiratory disease or have ever had a stroke. You also need to tell them about any medicines you are taking as these can affect both your treatment and the health of your mouth”, says the Foundation.
Gum disease is another issue raised by the Foundation, which comments that although there is some evidence that gum disease runs in families, the main cause is the plaque which forms on the surface of your teeth. To prevent gum disease, you need to make sure you remove all the plaque from your teeth every day.
When you make one of your regular visits to your dentist or hygienist at the Chelsea Dental Clinic, your teeth will be given a thorough clean to remove any scale or tartar, which may take a number of sessions.
Your Chelsea dentist will also show you how to effectively remove the soft plaque yourself, by cleaning all the surfaces of your teeth thoroughly at home. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria which forms on the teeth and gums every day, and leaflets are available from the Chelsea Clinic to help you with your home treatment.
Gum disease is an on-going problem, but with routine home care you can slow down its progress and even stop it altogether. It’s important to remove plaque every day, and have regular check-ups with your Chelsea Dental Clinic dentist and hygienist, as often as they recommend.
Most of us have experienced the shock to the system when hit by a noticeably unpleasant odour exhaled on the breath of someone in close proximity.
Bad breath, or halitosis, is a subject that needs little introduction, We are all familiar with how the consumption of foods such as garlic and onions can affect our ‘morning after’ breath, which fortunately needs be only temporary and which can be overcome by some simple remedies.
Your Chelsea dentist will tell you that most breath odour problems come from food particles trapped in our mouths, where they become a breeding ground for bacteria. Other causes can include poor oral health, failing to clean dentures, periodontal disease and smoking. Bad breath can also be sign of an underlying medical condition of the stomach, lungs and bloodstream.
Another cause of halitosis is dry mouth, when saliva, our natural mouthwash, decreases, leaving the mouths natural ability to clean itself impaired. Alcohol, some medications, breathing through the mouth instead of the nose or a salivary gland disorder can contribute to having a dry mouth.
Ways to combat bad breath include brushing your teeth and tongue, and rinsing your mouth thoroughly, after every meal to remove food particles; regular visits to your Chelsea dentist and Hygienist to rule out gum disease and to correct any faulty fillings or crowns which can trap food in the mouth; chew sugarless gum or suck a lozenge to increase the flow of saliva, and take a regular drink of water.
Remember that alcohol and caffeine can dry the mouth, and that smoking, tar and nicotine can build up on the surface of the teeth, tongue and cheeks. It can also dry the mouth and inhibit saliva flow.
Chlorophyll is a natural breath freshener found in leafy green vegetables like parsley, while a few drops of peppermint or tea tree oil applied to the tongue or toothbrush can help freshen the breath – and their antibacterial properties can kill mouth bacteria.
Your hygienist at the Chelsea Dental Clinic will always be happy to advise on how to avoid that bad breath problem.
Gum or periodontal disease affects about one in three adults, and can lead to more serious ill health problems – one of many good reasons for a regular visit to the Chelsea Dental Clinic.
Problems indentified in studies have shown that gum disease contributes to heart, stroke, diabetic and pregnancy complications, as well as breathing problems and brain cell degeneration.
Gum disease symptoms include painful, bleeding, receding or infected gums, plaque formation, bad breath, loose teeth and toothache. What may start as a minor inconvenience, however it can quickly spread and become established in the mouth, gums and teeth.
Among the causes of gum disease are inadequate home dental care, not seeing your dentist or dental hygienist on a regular basis, a genetic history of periodontal disease and teeth loss, grinding and clinching your teeth leading to excessive wear and smoking.
If caught early it is very easily treated by a periodontal or gum specialist at the Chelsea Dental clinic, where minor problems such as cavities or chipped teeth, which can also lead to a risk of gum inflammation, can be quickly treated.
Gum disease can be avoided by a regular schedule of good home dental hygiene: brushing the teeth with the right toothbrush in the morning and before going to bed, and flossing before brushing at least once a day helps in cleaning away the small food particulars and bacteria from mouth, gums and teeth.
As a sensible safeguard, investing in an Affordable Dental Plan at the Chelsea practice will ensure that you can have the financial peace of mind to make a regular visit to your dental consultant part of your long-term health plan.
People who don’t brush their teeth twice a day are more likely to suffer from heart disease, according to a recent study.
The study published in the British Medical Journal found that people who never or rarely brush their teeth are 70 per cent more likely to suffer from heart disease than those who brush their teeth twice a day. The study looked at the habits of 11,000 adults and found those with poor oral hygiene had a higher risk of getting heart disease, compared with those who brushed twice a day.
The study backs up previous research linking gum disease with heart disease. It is known that inflammation in the body, including in the mouth and gums, has an important role in build up of clogged arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
However, this is the first time that researchers have examined the frequency of teeth brushing to see whether it has an impact on the risk of developing heart disease. In the study, six out of 10 people said they visited the dentist every six months and seven out of 10 reported brushing their teeth twice a day.
During the eight-year study there were 555 cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, 170 of which were fatal. Those with poor oral hygiene also tested positive in blood samples for proteins which are suggestive of inflammation.
Study leader Prof Richard Watt, from University College London, said Our results confirmed and further strengthened the suggested association between oral hygiene and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, inflammatory markers were significantly associated with very simple measure of poor oral health behaviour.
Further experimental studies will be needed to confirm whether the observed association between oral health behaviour and cardiovascular disease is in fact causal or merely a risk marker.
Treating serious gum disease in people with diabetes mellitus can help to reduce high blood sugar levels, according to a new study.
The study carried out by an inter-university research team including the UCL Eastman Dental Institute and Peninsula Dental School, looked at previous research into the link between diabetes and serious gum disease.
The results showed that there is a small but potentially highly important benefit to treating periodontal disease in diabetic patients.
However, further research needs to be conducted in order to fully establish the link between the two conditions.
Currently, it is thought that dental inflammation, caused by bacteria infecting the mouth, results in chemical changes that reduce the overall effectiveness of insulin, thus leading to raised blood sugar levels.
Dental treatment to reduce oral inflammation may therefore help to lower bloody sugar levels. This means a decrease in the overall risk of contracting serious health complications associated with the condition, including heart disease and eye problems.
Prof Ian Needleman from the UCL Eastman Dental Institute called the research particularly timely because periodontal disease now affects at least 40 per cent of the UK population. And for people with diabetes the disease levels will be significantly higher.
He added: Furthermore levels of diabetes in the UK are rising rapidly and with higher prevalence amongst disadvantaged groups, periodontal health is an important priority both for prevention and treatment.
Whilst the most important aspect of insulin control in diabetes management is the use of drugs and diet, maintaining good dental health is something patients and healthcare professionals should also recognise, particularly because it is easy to treatĀ
The findings, which have been published as part of the international Cochrane Collaboration, highlight the need for doctors and dentists to work together in the treatment of diabetes.
Your dentist or hygienist will help treat your gum problems by making sure that your teeth are throughly clean. They will also remove any hardened deposits in your mouth (tartar and calculus) that may be helping the plaque to congreate.
Your dentist may recommend treatment using Chlorhexidine Digluconate based mouthwash, such as Corsodyl.
Corsodyl Mouthwash contains an antibacterial ingredient that attacks and help kill the plaque bacteria which are causing your gum irritation. In addition, Corsodyl forms a coating on your teeth, which lasts for up to 12 hours to help prevent new plaque forming on your teeth and causing further irritation.
90% of the population are estimated to suffer at some point in their life. Gingivitis can affect anyone of any age, although it is less likely in younger children. Some groups are more at risk, such as pregnant women, due to hormonal changes.
The best way to avoid or alleviate gum disease is to practice good oral hygiene.
Brush your teeth throughly twice a day for at least 2 minutes. Use a Total Care toothpaste, designed to help prevent gum disease and containing fluoride to protect against decay.
Use floss or interdental brushes at least once a day to clean in between your teeth and remove plaque, in particular from around the gum margin.
Visit your dentist reguarly.
