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Three Tips to Taking Care of Your Teeth and Gums in Liverpool

Thursday, January 4th, 2018

At Liverpool Dental Spa, we’re always keen for our patients to enjoy optimum oral health and we strongly believe that prevention is better than cure. If you’re hoping to protect your teeth and gums in 2018, here are three top tips to take on board:

Learn to brush properly: if you’re guilty of cutting your teeth cleaning sessions short or your enamel is worn because you brush too hard, now is the time to hone your brushing skills and start enjoying the benefits of effective cleaning. Spend two minutes every morning and evening brushing your teeth, taking care to cover the gum line and each individual surface of every single tooth. Use a timer to make sure you brush for long enough and be gentle. If you’re too firm, this can damage the enamel and increase the risk of sensitivity and cavities.
Clean between your teeth: brushing is brilliant, but it can only do so much. To enjoy a more thorough, deeper clean, it’s important to clean between the teeth. This will help you remove bacteria and bits of food and prevent plaque formation. You can floss or use inter-dental brushes to clean the tiny cracks and gaps between your teeth.
Book a dental appointment: if you haven’t been to the dentist for at least 6 months, it’s a good idea to make it your mission to keep up to date with dental checks in 2018. A check-up is painless and it only takes around 5 minutes. If you see your dentist on a regular basis, you can lower your risk of developing gum disease and decay by up to 60 percent. Call us now to make an appointment!

If you need any other tooth-friendly tips or you’d like some advice about keeping dental issues at bay, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Tags: Brushing Teeth, Dental check-up, Gums, teeth
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Five Ways to Prevent Gum Disease in the Heart of Liverpool

Thursday, August 10th, 2017

At Liverpool Dental Spa, we’re firm believers in the saying, ‘prevention is better than cure.’ Gum disease is the most common cause of adult tooth loss, but it can almost always be prevented. If you’re eager to fend off gum disease, we can help! Here are 5 simple ways to keep your gums healthy:

Brush twice a day: if you don’t already brush your teeth twice a day, now is the time to start. It’s important to clean your teeth before you go to bed and at least one more time per day. Most people brush in the morning and evening. Brushing removes harmful bacteria before it can join forces with saliva and food debris to form plaque. Set a timer to make sure you brush for long enough (at least 2 minutes).
Clean between your teeth: it’s very difficult to clean between your teeth with a normal brush, so use dental floss or inter-dental brushes to achieve a more comprehensive clean.
Book a dental appointment: regular dental appointments can decrease your risk of developing gum disease by up to 60 percent. If you haven’t been to the dentist in the last 9 months, give us a call today. It’s particularly important to get in touch if you’ve noticed warning signs like swollen, sore and bleeding gums.
Watch what you eat: your diet can have a significant influence on your dental health. Try and avoid sugary and acidic foods and drinks to reduce your risk of both decay and gum disease.
Avoid smoking: smoking increases the risk of gum disease. If you’d like help with quitting, we can help.

Tags: Advice, Dental Hygiene, diet, gum disease
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Detecting Gum Disease: What We Can Do and How You Can Help

Friday, April 28th, 2017

Did you know that gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss for adults in the UK? The good news is that gum disease is preventable. If you have signs of gum disease, we can help. We can also provide information to help you keep symptoms at bay if you’re keen to learn more about preventing gum disease.

Preventing gum disease

The best scenario is always to prevent gum disease from developing in the first place. Gum disease is caused by plaque. Plaque contains harmful oral bacteria, which release acids when they feed. These acids irritate your gums and cause them to become sore and inflamed. The best way to prevent plaque from forming is to maintain good oral hygiene by brushing twice a day using fluoride toothpaste for at least 2 minutes. We also recommend flossing, and avoiding eating foods and drinks that are high in sugar. Regular dental visits will also help to reduce your risk of developing gum disease. If you’re a smoker, you can also lower your risk by quitting smoking. If you’d like to try and give up, we can help, so don’t think twice about getting in touch.

Watching out for the symptoms of gum disease

The problem with gum disease is that it can develop fairly quickly, and that’s why it’s so important to be aware of the early warning signs. If you have mild gum disease, or gingivitis, we can treat this with hygiene treatments and better oral hygiene at home. If gum disease isn’t treated, it becomes more serious and it can eventually lead to tooth loss. The most common signs to watch out for include:

Bleeding gums (you’ll usually notice this when you brush your teeth)
Swollen gums
Increased redness in the gums
Tenderness and pain in and around the gums

If you spot these signs, call us and book an appointment. We will do our best to prevent any further damage and have your gums healthy again as quickly as possible.

Tags: Gingivitis, gum disease, Periodontitis, Tooth Loss
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What You Need to Know About Gum Disease

Friday, March 17th, 2017

Gum disease is one of the most common oral diseases. If you have gum disease, it’s important to see your dentist as soon as you notice symptoms.

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is an oral disease, which occurs when acids released by harmful bacteria irritate your gums, and cause them to become inflamed. Most cases of gum disease are linked to plaque, which is a sticky substance that forms when bacteria and food debris combine with saliva. If you don’t brush your teeth on a regular basis, plaque can form, leaving you at risk of both decay and gum disease.

Symptoms of gum disease include:

Swollen, sore gums
Redness in the gums
Bleeding gums

If you notice these signs, see your dentist. These are often symptoms of mild gum disease, which can be treated relatively easily. If you have advanced gum disease, additional symptoms may include an unpleasant taste in the mouth, bad breath, and receding gums. Advanced gum disease, known as periodontal disease or periodontitis, is much harder to treat, and it causes irreparable damage to the mouth. Gum disease is the most common cause of adult tooth loss in the UK at the moment.

Preventing Gum Disease

The good news about gum disease is that it can be prevented. The best ways to prevent gum disease are:

Maintaining good oral hygiene
Seeing your dentist every 6-12 months (or sooner if you spot potential signs of gum disease)

Avoiding smoking and moderating your intake of sugar can also help to reduce gum disease risk. If you’re worried about gum disease, or you haven’t been to the dentist in a while, now is the time to pick up the phone, and make an appointment.

Tags: Advice, Periodontitis, Prevention, Symptoms
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A Step by Step Guide to Root Canal Treatment

Monday, December 19th, 2016

Root canal treatment is a commonly-performed procedure, which is often used as an alternative to extraction. You may be advised to have root canal treatment if you have an infected tooth or you have suffered an injury, which has damaged the pulp tissue.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure, which is most commonly used when the tooth is infected, and the pulp tissue is affected. The pulp contains the living material of the tooth, including the nerves and blood vessels. If the pulp is damaged or decayed, the tooth will start to die, as the blood supply will be reduced. To prevent losing the tooth, root canal therapy may be recommended.

The actual procedure is relatively straightforward. In many cases, people are very anxious about having this procedure because it tends to have a bad reputation. It’s made out to be an awful process, but actually, it’s a painless and highly effective way of saving a decayed tooth. We carry out root canal treatment under local anaesthetic, so you won’t actually feel any pain during the procedure. Most people leave us wondering why on earth they were so worried beforehand!

What actually happens when you have root canal treatment?

Before your dentist begins, they will explain exactly what is going to happen, and answer any questions. Your tooth will then be numbed using local anaesthetic. Your dentist will drill into the tooth once the effects of the anaesthetic have become apparent. The aim of treatment is to remove the decayed tissue from the root canals and then clean, fill and seal them. The process helps to reduce the risk of decay spreading.

After root canal treatment, we often place a new crown on the tooth. Crowns are restorations, which make the teeth stronger and more resilient.

If you have questions about root canal treatment, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Tags: Guide to Root Canal Treatment, Root canal treatment
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You Can Avoid Dental Decay in the New Year

Thursday, December 15th, 2016

At this time of year, many of us start thinking about making resolutions. Perhaps you want to give up smoking or make more an effort to hit your 5 portions of fruit and vegetable a day target. If you’re looking for inspiration, why not make it your aim to improve your dental health? Here are some easy ways to avoid dental decay in 2017.

Brushing tips

Brushing your teeth is a really easy way of preventing decay, but you have to do it right to get the best results. Brush for at least 2 minutes, and make sure you cover every individual tooth. Move the brush right to the back of the mouth to clean your moles, and don’t forget to brush along the gum line. Don’t be too vigorous when you’re cleaning; if you brush too hard, you will damage your enamel. We recommend using fluoride toothpaste; fluoride is a mineral, which helps to strengthen the enamel and reduce the risk of cavities.

Healthy eating

Many cases of dental decay are linked to sugar consumption. Today, we consume more sugar than ever before. Sugary foods increase the risk of decay because they cause bacteria in your mouth to release acids. These acids weaken the enamel. Once the enamel is damaged or worn, there’s a high risk of cavities. Try and avoid eating foods like sweets, chocolate and biscuits on a regular basis. Fizzy drinks are also another common offender. It’s particularly important to avoid sugary and acidic foods and drinks between meals.

Visiting your dentist

If you visit your dentist on a regular basis, you have a much lower risk of developing decay and gum disease. Dentists are trained to spot the early warning signs of decay, and they can act to make the situation better. Placing a filling, for example can help to prevent an infection spreading throughout the tooth. We recommend regular check-ups every 6-12 months. If you have toothache, or you’ve started to experience severe sensitivity, arrange an appointment as soon as you can.

Tags: brushing your teeth, christmas, dental decay
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Give Your Teeth Their Healthiest Christmas Yet!

Monday, December 12th, 2016

Christmas is the most wonderful time of year for most of us, but when it comes to your dental health, there are risks. During the festive period, we tend to relax our diets and indulge on all kinds of traditional treats. This Christmas, spare a thought for your teeth and gums, and give them the healthiest Christmas yet. All you need to do is bear these simple tips in mind:

Book a routine check-up: if you haven’t been to the dentist in the last 6-12 months, now is an ideal tie to make an appointment before Christmas. Nobody wants to spend the festive period missing out on the fun because they’ve got toothache. When you see your dentist, they will carry out a series of checks to make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy. If there are problems, they can be treated. If you have signs of decay and gum disease, for example, leaving them can result in serious damage.

Avoid snacking: it’s tempting to graze all day at Christmas time when there are bowls of nuts and crisps scattered around, and family-size tubs of chocolate on offer. Snacking doesn’t just ruin main meals. It also increases your risk of dental disease. When you eat, bacteria release acids that attack your enamel, making it soft. It takes time for the enamel to reharden. If you’re snacking, this means that your enamel never has chance to recover, and there’s a real risk of cavities forming. Try and stick to eating at mealtimes.

Eat in moderation: it’s understandable to go a bit crazy at Christmas time, but try and moderate your intake of sugary foods and drinks. There are plenty of savoury delights that you can enjoy instead. One simple way of reducing your sugar intake is to swap fizzy drinks for sugar-free versions. Fizzy drinks are acidic, so if you are drinking diet versions, use a straw, and drink a glass of water or milk afterwards.

Keep up with your normal oral hygiene regime: at Christmas time, we tend to go into holiday mode and slack off a little. It’s fine to enjoy a lie-in, but don’t relax your oral hygiene regime. It’s essential to clean your teeth twice a day every day for at least two minutes each time.

Tags: Christmas Dentistry, dental health, oral health, routine check-up
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Learning About Gum Disease

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016

Oral hygiene is of the utmost importance because a healthy mouth includes both healthy gums and teeth. Many people clean their teeth but fail to take care of their gums in the same way, which can lead to gum disease. It is caused by bacteria and plaque building up in your mouth. This is first known as gingivitis but it can progress to periodontitis, which can cause some serious dental problems.

Symptoms

Looking out for the symptoms of gum disease is key to catching the disease early before it gets out of hand. Bleeding gums are a telltale sign that there is something wrong with your gums. If they bleed every so often when brushing then that’s not too much of a cause for concern, but if they continually bleed or get heavier each time then you may have gum disease. Also look out for bad breath. Yes, everyone gets a case of bad breath from last night’s garlic bread, but continual bad breath could be a sign that something is seriously wrong. In the later stages of disease, the gum becomes loose and therefore your teeth also become wobbly and fall out. If you notice any of these symptoms, visit your dentist as soon as possible so they can do something about the problem.

Treating gum disease

Gum disease is caused by a build up of unwanted bacteria around the edges of your teeth and gums. In order to treat gum disease, your gums need to be thoroughly cleaned by the dentist. There are two different types of cleaning depending on the severity of the disease. The first is deep cleaning, which removes the plaque from your mouth and the second is periodontal cleaning. The latter focuses on the areas around the edges of your teeth and removes hard build ups of plaque and tartar. To make a hygiene appointment with us contact the team at Liverpool Dental Spa.

Tags: gum disease, gum disease Liverpool, gum disease symptoms, treating gum disease liverpool
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The Signs and Symptoms of Gum Disease

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Gum disease falls under the umbrella of periodontal disease and begins with gingivitis before entering into a far more severe stage known as periodontitis. Periodontitis can lead to numerous problems within the mouth and is something you definitely do not want. It can be very dangerous if left untreated and unfortunately, it often develops silently with very few signs and symptoms.

Problems with gum disease

This means that often, by the time it has been diagnosed, the condition has advanced to a stage far more severe than it would have been if caught a lot earlier. It has also been found that gum disease can often lead to heart disease and other life threatening illnesses, so it is not to be taken lightly. Never underestimate the mouth’s importance in maintaining a healthy body – it should be treated just as seriously as you would the rest of your body and should definitely not be ignored.

How it develops

As mentioned above, gum disease often develops silently, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things to look out for, symptoms that can precede the arrival of gum disease. For example, if you have red, swollen gums, unexplainable bad breath or experience any noticeable pain within the mouth, please consult a dentist immediately, as this can be a definite precursor to gum disease. Other precursors include loose teeth, mouth sores, a change in the teeth structure made evident when you clamp down, pus developing between gums and teeth and even the bleeding of gums when you are brushing.

Signs and symptoms like these are the body’s way of raising a red flag, warning you of nasty things developing inside. The worst thing you can do is to ignore these red flags and the best thing you can do is consult a dentist. Contact us at Liverpool Dental Spa for more information on gum disease.

Tags: gum disease Liverpool, gum disease prevention, gum disease symptoms, treating gum disease liverpool
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Periodontal Disease: Symptoms to Look Out For

Monday, March 14th, 2016

This spring, we’re determined to get rid of gum disease for good and we’re encouraging all our patients to keep up to date with regular check-ups and tale steps at home to reduce the risk of periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is an advanced form of gum disease that causes irreversible damage to the gums and affects the stability of the teeth. Periodontal disease affects the bone tissue, eventually causing the teeth to come loose. Periodontal disease usually develops when gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease, is left untreated.

What causes gum disease?

Gum disease is caused by harmful bacteria, which release plaque acids that irritate the gums and result in them becoming sore, swollen and tender. Plaque acids are released by bacteria, which gather in the mouth as a result of poor oral hygiene. The risk of gum disease is also increased by smoking. Diet can also increase the risk of developing gum disease and we strongly recommend a healthy and balanced diet and avoiding consumption of sugary and acidic foods and drinks on a regular basis.

Preventing gum disease

Good oral hygiene is the best form of defence against harmful bacteria and we recommend brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes each time, flossing and using inter-dental brushes. We also advise patients to stick to regular 6 monthly check-ups and to be vigilant for the warning signs of gum disease. Symptoms to look out for include inflammation, soreness and redness in the gums and bleeding gums. Advanced symptoms include an unpleasant taste in the mouth, loose teeth and the development of pockets between the teeth and gums. We also encourage our patients to keep an eye on their sugar intake.

If you notice any signs of gum disease, it’s really important to see your dentist as early as you can. Leaving gum disease untreated increases the risk of it becoming more serious and causing permanent damage to your teeth and gums.

Tags: gum disease Liverpool, gum disease symptoms, periodontal, periodontal disease
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