Much of keeping dental problems at bay is to do with your day-to-day habits. Consistency is key here, and without it, you could face needing treatment for cavities, dental infections and gum disease, amongst other wider health issues.
As dentists, ideally it’s just your routine check-ups we want to be seeing you for, rather than treatment to address serious dental issues. Part of minimising the need for our patients requiring dental treatment is to highlight key prevention-based advice, just like we’re doing in this blog.
Here are our tips for preventing dental problems and minimising the need to come and see the dentist for complex and involved dental treatment.
Lack of flossing is the biggest reason why patients develop gum disease and caries between teeth.
When you neglect to floss, you neglect to clean a third of your tooth surfaces – that’s a phenomenal amount of tooth surface area missing out.
Flossing removes stuck food particles between your teeth, which at best will cause bad breath, and at worst, eventual tooth loss.
Consistently allowing food to stay trapped between your teeth (and essentially rot) will lead to gum disease, and gum disease is the most predominant reason why adults lose their teeth.
We see many patients who tell us they’re brushing consistently twice a day and for two minutes (if you’re in this camp, well done!). However, many continue to have problems with their teeth such as inflamed gums and other signs of gum disease.
If this sounds familiar, one of the reasons for this could be that you’re not brushing down to the gum level. Failing to brush down to the gum level means you’re not cleaning the whole tooth, giving way to inflammation of the gums and ultimately, gum disease.
One of the problematic aspects that arise from beginning to brush down to the gum level, is that often people can brush too hard and wear away the gum tissue covering their teeth. If you’ve noticed your teeth look ‘longer’, it could be because you’re brushing too hard, and that your gums are receding. There is a simple way around this problem though – electric toothbrushes.
An electric brush with soft bristles and an oscillating head removes any abrasive brushing motion, protecting your gums and cleaning your teeth efficiently down to the gum level. They also do the hard work for you, reducing the amount of dexterity needed from you (the electric head picks up the slack!). Electric toothbrushes are also pressure-sensitive. So, when any excess pressure is applied to them, they stop functioning and show up a red light, indicating that you need to brush more gently. This is indispensable for helping people become aware of their brushing technique, allowing them to make adjustments that will be kinder to gums and teeth.
Modern diets are now full of hidden sugar and acids, and even in very small amounts, these cause damage to your teeth. But how?
Sugar: when we consume sugar, the bacteria in the mouth feed off them. Once they’ve finished feasting, plaque is produced (a harmful waste sticky waste product that wages war on your gums). Plaque begins the chain reaction that leads to full-blown gum disease and/or extensive decay, and eventually, tooth loss.
Acid: many carbonated drinks and pickled foods contain phenomenal amounts of acid, as well as lemon water (which has become known for aiding with digestion). The problem is that any acidic food and drink will contribute to enamel erosion, which is something that can’t be reversed.
Being more aware of the sugar and acids in your diet, and drinking water after each time you eat will help to mitigate the harm caused. Water is a fantastic weapon that helps to rinse away residual sugar and acid in the mouth. If you take just one thing away from this blog, let it be this one – drinking water after eating sugar and acid = better oral health (and it’s a super easy habit to take up).
Fluoride has featured heavily in the news since the incoming Trump administration announced they were considering removing fluoride from the US water supply (something that has been widely criticised by leading medical professionals).
Fluoride toothpaste is essential for protecting against cavities, and fluoride is added to water supplies with the sole reason of protecting our teeth (and it’s clinically proven to do so).
If it’s been a while since your last dental check-up, get in touch with our friendly reception team.
Our dentists in Uxbridge are currently taking on new patients, and if it’s been a while since you had your teeth checked, we can perform a full examination, including X-rays.
Our check-ups are competitively priced, and we offer payment plans for restorative and elective dental treatments. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind before 2025 arrives, and book yourself in to make sure your mouth is as healthy as can be.
We look forward to welcoming you.
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