Posts tagged “smoking”

Your City of London Dentist Tells You The 5 Don’ts of Oral Health

October 3rd, 2011

When compared to general health, the average knowledge people have of oral health is surprisingly low. While some ‘Dental Don’ts’ may be obvious, others may surprise you and there are a number of general rules and sets of advice that many would be wise to take note of.

Don’t ‘Overdo’ Dental Whitening

While it may seem obvious, many people complain of pain or over-sensitivity in their teeth due to the overuse of dental whitening. A dentist will advise against frequent teeth whitening visits, but due to the easy availability of home whitening kits many people may still be able to overuse such treatments, leading to problems with pain and sensitivity.

Don’t Neglect your Dentist

Primarily your dentist is there to check your oral health and do what he or she can if they find something amiss. However, they can’t help their patients in this way if they don’t come for checkups! Even if you don’t believe you have any dental problems it is highly recommended that you visit your dentist for a check up at least once every 6 months.

Stay Away From Tobacco!

When people think of the damage caused by tobacco, they may immediately spring to lung and throat cancer. However, tobacco –both smoking and chewing- can not only lead to lung cancer but also gum disease and oral cancer, which can be fatal if left untreated.

Don’t Forget the Tongue!

The tongue is often forgotten when brushing our teeth, however, it is essential to our oral health. The surface of the tongue is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, making it potentially dangerous to a person’s overall health. Plaque and bacteria that has been removed from the teeth and gums by brushing can be easily replaced by any that remain on the tongue. Brushing to the back of the tongue can make many people gag, however, there are specific devices on the market primarily for the purpose of cleaning tongues.

Don’t Rush

When brushing (especially for children) it can be tempting to rush. Whether this is because you’re eager for bed after a long day or are running late in the mornings, it can be tempting to give your teeth only a quick once over before finishing. Don’t! You may have an extremely busy schedule for the day, but everyone can spare an extra 2 minutes in the mornings and evenings to make sure you have a healthy mouth. However, brushing too vigorously can also be damaging, so a balance between not brushing enough and brushing too much does need to be established.

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Your City of London dentist is here to inform you of the factors that will affect whether you can get implants

September 23rd, 2011

Dental implants can be very demanding on the body of the patient. The amount of trauma the gums and jawbone experience mean that there are a number of standards that must be met.

Most dental implants involve the implant being fused with the jawbone. This is often achieved by inserting the implant through the gum. In procedures such as the common ‘root-form’, implants require a number of deep incisions in the gums, even the advanced and more simplistic ‘all-on-four’ method requires a certain level of trauma to the mouth.

Bone density

Bone density is a major concern to dentists when performing an implant procedure; since it is required that the implant must be inserted into the jawbone where it will fuse. The jawbone is required to be dense enough to facilitate and hold the implant screw. If the dentist believes the bone is not dense enough they can recommend a bone graph or a less demanding implant procedure.

Gum disease

Gum disease can be very detrimental to anyone who is looking to have implants. Not only must the gums be healthy enough to withstand the procedure but also infection and disease will possibly spread and be detrimental to the implants if oral hygiene is poor.

Smokers

It has been documented on how smokers have a higher failure rate when it comes to implants. As with nearly all procedures, smoking can create complications in operations. The general health of a person is required to be at a good level when undergoing these sorts of procedures. If you are a regular smoker your dentist may need to decide whether you smoke too much to give you implants.

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The effects of smoking on your health and well-being

March 25th, 2011

The negative effects (to put it lightly!) of smoking are common knowledge nowadays and recently passed laws, such as the smoking ban in public buildings, has attempted to reduce the risk of secondary smoke to non smokers. But what are the most common effects of smoking, and how many of them are permanent?

Cancer

Cancer is one of the first things most people think of on the subject of diseases caused by smoking. The list of cancers that smokers put themselves at risk of may be scarily longer than one would first thin, including lung, throat, stomach, bladder, kidney, mouth, cervix and pancreas cancer. Smokers are also much more likely to get cancer compared to non smokers too, up to seven times more likely according to some studies.

Secondary are also largely at risk from contracting some form of cancer from inhaling other people’s smoke and it is reported that 4,000 people were diagnosed with lung cancer caused by secondary smoking in the US alone.

Heart diseases

Multiple heart diseases are risked by smokers, and the chances of falling prey to a heart attack or a stroke are greatly increased by smoking. Heightened blood pressure and the hardening and thickening of artery walls – which decreases blood flow and can even cause blood clots, which are primary causes of heart attacks – are also problems linked to smoking.

The thickening of artery walls can wear off with time once you have given up smoking, and the likelihood of having a heart attack can be reduced with it. For the effects to fully wear off, it can however take a prolonged period of time, in some cases a number of years.

Lung diseases

The primary problem for the lungs to do with smoking is issues with breathing, shortness of breath and long coughing attacks which can be caused by the carbon monoxide in cigarettes. Luckily, the lungs are much more proficient at cleaning themselves than the heart and you may begin to feel a difference in breathing patterns and stamina within just a few days of your last cigarette.

Available help

With public awareness on the health issues of smoking so high, there are many places to turn for help with quitting including the NHS who do free Quit Smoking packs.

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Dry socket treatment at your London City dentist

February 16th, 2011

When you sit down and really think about it, our teeth play a very important part in our lives.

Not only are they one of the first things people notice about us but they also determine a national stereotype in many people’s eyes. Take the Americans, for example. They are often quoted as being obsessed by an image that those living in Britain have an unsightly grin, with each and every tooth about as straight as a circle.

The amount of people receiving dental treatment not just in the UK is phenomenal but there are some occasions when the health of some people’s teeth is not quite up to scratch and is in fact very poor. This could be down to a number of dental problems which could include gingivitis, yellow teeth or even dry socket; the latter of which can prove to be incredibly painful.

Dry socket can occur after a tooth extraction. When a blood clot is removed from the area which has received surgery, this can expose the gum and many problems can materialise. When a socket causes pain due to the loss of blood which then exposes the open wound to the air, fluids among many things can cause a distasteful smell coming from the wound which is not pleasant for neither the person themselves or the people around them.

So what factors contribute towards this? Those who do not follow the professional medical advice given to them are prime examples of thus; those who smoke before they were meant to or applying pressure via the tongue are such instances of what can go wrong after what is already a painful and uncomfortable experience

If you are suffering from dry socket, you might be wondering to yourselves what is it that I can do to prevent dry socket happening to me? Staying away from cigarettes or other forms of smoking is a start, as is rinsing your mouth excessively but if you are seeking a form of treatment there are methods for this. By rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash and eating soft foods are just some of the ideas for treating dry socket but there is always your trusty dentist for further tips.

Looking for a London dentist? City of London dentists are here to help.

No matter how much a trip to see your dentist is a traumatic experience, just imagine how much help they can be in times of need.

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Pain of dry socket eased by Liverpool Street London dentists

November 5th, 2010

Liverpool Street London dentists solve dry socket problems

Having a tooth extracted can unfortunately lead to some problems.  In roughly five per cent of cases a condition called dry socket can develop.  This painful affliction affecting exposed bone is easily treated by your Liverpool Street dentist who will be able to identify the problem if it occurs after an extraction.

Dry socket can strike about two days after a tooth has been extracted.  Tooth removal always leaves the area a little sore but dry socket is noticeable because of the extra pain.  If blood does not clot properly in the area left exposed by the extraction then the bone can react badly to contact with air, food and drink. Clotting is your body’s natural procedure to protect wounds but sometimes the clot can become dislodged or fail to form at all.

There are several steps that you can take to guard against dry socket.  If you are a smoker, it is important that you cease during the period immediately after a tooth extraction.  Smoking can disturb the blood clot and slow down the healing process.  An activity involving excessive sucking can bring about dry socket so you are advised not to drink through a straw during recuperation.  The birth control pill can also bring about dry socket because it affect your body’a ability to clot.

Looking for a cosmetic dentist? City of London dentists are here to help

Your Liverpool Street London dentist will be able to advise you about how to avoid dry socket but if it should occur it is easily rectified by applying medication at the site.  Continuation of your regular oral hygiene routine and being careful about how you treat your mouth in the aftermath of having a tooth extracted will, in most cases, prevent dry socket.

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Oral cancer diagnosed early by Liverpool Street London dentists

October 25th, 2010

Liverpool Street London dentists fully trained to spot early signs of oral cancer

Dentists are not only trained to spot and diagnose problems with your teeth and gums such as tooth decay and gum disease, they are also fully trained to notice the early indicators of oral cancer.  This cancer is treatable if found in its initial stages and has a high survival rate but can be fatal.  Oral cancer is another reason why you should be sure to visit your dentist every six months.

You are at higher risk of contracting oral cancer if you are a man as they are twice as likely to develop the disease as women.  Other high risk groups include those who smoke tobacco and drink alcohol but about one in every four oral cancer patients are either women or people who don’t smoke or drink.  Even if you are not in a high risk group you should still be vigilant for oral cancer.

If you find small swellings in your mouth or patches that are rusty then you should report this to your dentist.  Any bleeding from the mouth might be an early sign of oral cancer and these symptoms are sometimes accompanied by sudden weight loss or difficulty and pain in the mouth while eating.

Your dentist is best placed to examine your mouth for signs of oral cancer at your six month check ups but you can use your finger to examine your mouth at home for swellings and look in the mirror for discoloured patches.

Looking for a cosmetic dentist? City of London dentists are here to help

Ask your Liverpool Street London dentist for more information about how to guard against oral cancer, such as ceasing smoking tobacco, cutting down alcohol consumption and keeping your diet healthy.

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