Having written about some of the treatments that we offer our patients, we thought that we would take today’s blog as an opportunity to go ‘back to basics’. The latest treatments and technologies in dentistry are very important of course, but in an ideal world, none would be needed. Unfortunately, ideal worlds do not exist, but there are many things that we can do to improve many areas of life and that includes taking care of our oral health.
Some of the advice below will already be known to patients of our Edinburgh dental clinic who may already be aware or have been told by the dentist or hygienist here, but it never hurts to remind people. Our dental team then, have put together a ten point dental care plan, full of useful tips which we hope will enable you to improve the health of your teeth and gums.
1 – Brush your teeth twice a day
Everyone knows that they should do this and most people do. Most people, though, also have room to improve the way that they do this. Make sure that your toothbrush or brush head, if electric, is no more than 3 months old and doesn’t look worn. Worn bristles are less effective. Use a toothpaste that contains fluoride and brush for two full minutes, angling the bristles towards the gum line to remove debris and bacteria from there. Pay special attention to the areas you find most difficult to clean as those teeth are most likely to be neglected.
2 – Use dental floss
Approximately only one in five of us floss between our teeth. Inevitably this means that food becomes trapped there and remains for long periods of time. As this decays bacteria form and start to attack the tooth enamel leading to tooth decay or gum disease. Flossing is actually quite simple with a little practice. If you struggle with it, ask the hygienist at 103 Dental and Implant Edinburgh to demonstrate how to do this.
3 – Manage your diet
What we eat and drink has an impact on our oral health. A diet that is high in sugar will inevitably cause more problems than one that is low in it. Remember that many sugars are hidden in food today so while we aren’t asking you to cut sugar out altogether, do make a conscious effort to reduce the amount that you consume. Cutting out or reducing one product in particular will be highly beneficial. That is if you cut out carbonated fizzy drinks and especially ‘energy’ or ‘sports’ drinks. Not only are these high in sugar but most are highly acidic too. This can damage the tooth enamel and cause erosion to occur, leaving you more vulnerable to tooth sensitivity and decay.
4 – Drink water
This is a really simple one and many of us probably spend most of the day not sufficiently hydrated anyway. Drinking water, especially after a meal, will help to flush away some food from the oral cavity and will also stop you from having a dry mouth, This is particularly relevant to gum disease, where a dry mouth increases the amount of bacteria in the oral cavity and increases the risk of gingivitis and periodontitis, better known as gum disease.
5 – Quit smoking
This probably applies to less of our Edinburgh New Town patients that would once have been the case, but it remains the case that smoking has serious implications for your oral health. Not only is it a major factor in gum disease but can also lead to potentially fatal oral cancers. If you still smoke, ask your GP for advice on how to stop.
6 – Dental appointments
Make sure that you maintain regular six monthly appointments with your dentist and dental hygienist. Both of these will allow your oral health to be monitored and any treatment applied at an early stage before the problem becomes more advanced. If you do need to cancel an appointment, please give us as much notice as possible and try to reschedule at the same time so that you don’t forget to do it.
7 – Protect your teeth
If you are a teeth grinder or you play a sport where physical contact plays a part, such as football, consider asking our dentist about the use of a mouthguard to protect your teeth. All it takes is one stray elbow and, without a mouthguard, you could be spending a lot of money on teeth restoration treatments.
8 – The ‘teeth are not tools’ rule
Nuts are meant to be cracked with nut crackers, beer bottles are meant to be opened with a bottle opener, and packets are meant to be opened with your fingers, or scissors if especially difficult. Do NOT use your teeth for these or similar things. Chipped or broken teeth are a possible consequence if you do.
9 – Medical issues
As we get older especially, we are likely to find ourselves with certain medical conditions. Some medications can cause problems like dry mouth and if this is the case, it is worth having a discussion with your GP to see if other options are available. Make sure too, that you keep us informed of any changes to your health when you come for an appointment. Most will not affect your care and treatments but some might do. For example, if you are on blood thinners, we need to be aware of this if we are performing an invasive procedure that could cause bleeding.
10 – Dental anxiety
Finally, the one thing that many patients experience, and that includes some dentists too! If you find that your anxiety around visiting a dentist is starting to make you think about missing an appointment, please don’t suffer in silence. This is a relatively common experience and we may be able to help you if you talk to us about it first before skipping your appointment with us.
We hope that you find that this 10 point plan is helpful and do feel free to pin it on your bathroom wall as a reminder. We are always here to help and to answer any dental related questions that you might have. If you would like any information about a treatment or would like to arrange an appointment at 103 Dental and Implant Practice, please call us today on 0131 608 3219.
