Posts tagged “Plaque”

Dental care with hygienist near Alton dentist

January 26th, 2012

At Time Dental we always take the preventative approach to your dental health to ensure you have a healthy mouth.  That’s why we place a huge emphasis on Hygienist appointments.

Continuing care with you dental hygienist means that you will have the most up to date skills and techniques for your home care.  This means that your breath will be continuously fresh and gum disease is kept away.  Mandy our new hygienist at Time Dental is highly qualified for your dental hygiene care.  She has a particularly gentle approach and will ensure your maximum comfort for your visits.

Not only will you be given the best advice for your home care, Mandy will carefully remove all the plaque bacteria and tartar build up that happens on a regular basis and advise you the best approach for your specifec needs.  She will provide a tailor made Dental hygiene programme specifically for you to make sure your mouth stays healthy.

Did you know that there is a link between gum disease and heart disease?  If you have gum disease you’re at a higher risk for heart disease!  That’s where your dental hygiene and fresh breath appointments can really help.  Prevention is better than cure which is why regular sessions with your hygienist are so important.  They can catch the early signs of gum disease and help you get back on track for a healthy mouth.  If you also suffer from diabetes you’re also a high risk group for gum disease.  Some of the warning signs can be bad breath, bleeding gums, sensitivity and loose teeth.  You can even have gum disease when none of these warning signs are there!

Tooth decay elimanated forever!

November 29th, 2011

A new mouthwash that eliminates the main bacteria that causes tooth decay has been tested on a small group of individuals in the US.  

In a recent clinical study, 12 subjects who rinsed just one time with the experimental mouthwash experienced a nearly complete elimination of the S. mutans bacteria over the entire four-day testing period.

This new mouthwash is the product of nearly a decade of research conducted by Dr Wenyuan Shi, chair of the oral biology section at the UCLA School of Dentistry.

Tooth decay or cavities takes place due to a process called demineralization.

“Demineralization” simply describes the fact that mineral content  have been dissolved out of a tooth’s hard tissues.  Demineralization takes place when a tooth is exposed to acids. It’s  a process that takes place a little bit every time a tooth is subjected to another acid attack.

So where do the acids come from?

The acids that cause tooth demineralization (cavity formation) are produced by specific types of bacteria that live in dental plaque (primarily lactobacilli and mutans streptococci).

When we eat and drink food, we create waste products. The bactiera do the same thing and their waste products are the very same acidic compounds that cause tooth demineralization.

While trials still need to be carried out on the new mouthwash, make sure you still visit your dentist and hygienist to ensure you maintain a healthy mouth.

Call us on 01252 723 008

Hygiene services for Fleet, Hampshire

February 15th, 2011

You visit the dentist every 6 months for an examination like you’re supposed to, as that is all you need to do to look after your teeth, right?  Wrong!  Gum health is so important, and is often underestimated by people.  Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a disorder that damages the gums.  Gums protect the roots of the tooth.  Gum disease contributes to a receding gum line that can cause the weakening of teeth and eventually tooth loss.  Many people aren’t aware that they have it, but the signs and symptoms can be quite easy to detect.  Gum disease is diagnosed by bleeding, swollen and tender gums, loose teeth, receding gums and changes to the way permanent teeth or dentures fit together when biting.

Did you know…….

  • Periodontal disease is the number-one cause of tooth loss.
  • 30% of people may be genetically susceptible to gum disease
  • Emerging reports have linked gum disease to other medical conditions such as heart disease
  • Gum disease affects all races and ethnicities equally.
  • Millions of people have gum disease; they just don’t know it yet.
  • The mass of tissue in the oral cavity is equivalent to the skin on your arm that extends from the wrist to the elbow, that’s a lot of tissue that needs to be kept healthy!

Routine appointments with the hygienist are so important at maintaining a healthy mouth, and at Time Dental we are very lucky to have a resident expert who provides are hygiene services.  Patricia has had rave reviews from all our clients, and as a result her appointment book fills up fast!  In her sessions, as well as giving your mouth a full clean, scale and polish, Patricia will also guide you through correct brushing techniques specifically for you so you can continue to care for your mouth properly at home.

So call 01252 723008 and book in today for an initial consultation and start the journey towards a healthier mouth.

Food trap in Farnborough

January 4th, 2011

 A client came to see us at Time Dental about getting food getting trapped between two teeth.  On examination we found that there was a gap between two upper molar teeth.  When you have this type of issue food or plaque bacteria gets stuck and can flare up the gum and cause continued gum problems.  It can also result in decay starting in between the two teeth.  To stop this from progressing and getting any worse we decided to place a crown on one of the teeth to close the gap and so stop the food trapping. One of the teeth already had a gold crown, now these are good for protecting the teeth and preventing the teeth from breaking however this particular gold crown had been there for a very long time and from an aesthetic point of view it was not pleasing to the eye and so the client wanted to have it looking like a normal tooth again.

When choosing crowns you essentially have three options; gold crowns, metal ceramic tooth coloured crowns or all-ceramic (porcelain) crowns.  The traditional metal ceramic crowns have been around for a number of years, they used to be the favoured choice for tooth coloured crowns however are now being superseded by the all-ceramic (porcelain) crowns which have a substructure of zirconia.  This is a material that is extremely strong and is the best in terms of strength and aesthetics and success rates for longevity. 

Crowns cover the biting surface and circumference of the tooth.  They can be used for a number of reasons.  In this case it was used to close a space and provide a natural looking tooth.  If you are unhappy with the shape of a particular tooth, crowns can help to reshape a tooth; they can also be used to lighten teeth.  Most of the time crowns are placed to protect the remaining tooth. If you have a very large filling in your tooth the cusps, which are the pointy parts of your back teeth, can be weak in structure so when you are biting and chewing there is a risk of the tooth breaking.  To prevent this fracture a crown helps to protect the tooth so that you can chew and bite confidently. 

So, crowns; a good way of protecting your remaining tooth allowing you to chew and function correctly and also can improve the aesthetics of your smile.

The Simple Things

August 18th, 2010

A lot of us know that drinking fizzy or sweet drinks through a straw can help our dental hygiene… or at least to some extent prevent the causes of plaque and tooth decay.

It is a fact that the amount of plaque produced is consistent with the amount of sugary and starchy foods we consume.  The reason behind this is; acid from the sugars contained in these items promote bacteria… as the bacteria grow, they produce a white film around the neck of the tooth – called plaque – which causes the tooth to decay.  But alas, this is just one aspect of tooth decay.  Fizzy drinks are acidic in their most basic of forms and can cause extra tough erosion of teeth through their use of refined sugars.  These sugars are the bacteria’s favorite and allow big bad Mr. Plaque to grow and grow and GROW!

Intrigued by different all the varieties of ‘pop’ out there – and I have to admit IF I’m feeling desperate for a Coca Cola, I always stick with the ‘worst’ kind – straight up, regular, Coke – however, I thought I’d take a look and see if buying a ‘Coke Zero’ for instance is any less harmful to your teeth..?

You may guess; the answer is (a rather mean looking) NO!

Even Coke Zero who claims to be zero – well, virtually everything – has Phosphoric Acid in it… you can look ‘Phosphoric Acid’ up in your local garden center as it’s also used for rust-removal(!!!).

My advice, and that of Time Dentals Dr. Rashid is; where possible, avoid these bacteria-promoting refined sugars.  However, understanding that sometimes life requires its own little pleasures to keep things ticking over nicely… in these rare moments, do think to drink with a straw.  Every sip counts!

TD.  x

What Dentists call Good Hygiene…

August 8th, 2010



Every time I go to the dentist, on my way out I am given a five minute lecture of how different cleaning techniques using brushes, floss and mouthwash all help to keep good hygiene in check.  We all know what to do and yet every time I get home from the dentist my daily routine doesn’t change – and I’m betting the majority of you are the same…  The thing is, my teeth do not look like something out of a horror movie, so why bother?

Good oral hygiene is not just about your teeth giving that subtle twinkle every time you smile; it goes a whole lot deeper; and that sparkle is just a bonus.  Besides, if you really want that pop-star gleam then well, you’ve heard of Tooth Whitening… but I am talking about the deeper clean.

Tooth Whitening is great for confidence boosting but if your teeth are not getting a good daily ritual of Brush, Floss and Mouthwash then you may still be in trouble my friend.  Within a week, you can get this task down to 5 minutes once every morning and once every night and will be well on your way to preventing the dreaded gum disease and tooth decay.

I have had an insight into the Time Dental practice and have seen the way oral hygiene really works.  As it turns out, when a hygienist and dentist say “have an examination every 6 – 12 months, and try alternative healthy options instead of sugary drinks”, they MEAN it!  These people actually care about you and your teeth; they want to see you smile with all of natures natural beauty… and if you think Gum Disease and Tooth Decay is bad, just Google ‘Periodontitis’ and you’ll see what I mean!”

So I’m going to brush the dust off my roll of floss, give my teeth a fresh lease of life and start grinning that grin today.

I encourage you to take this information and do the same!