One of the chief signs of gum disease is the presence of periodontal (“peri” – around; “odont” – tooth) pockets — that is, spaces around the teeth, below the gum line, that have become infected. Pockets provide an ideal environment for bacteria to grow, and may spread infection to the structures that keep teeth anchored…
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Scaling, the process of removing plaque and tartar from teeth, is an important step in the hygienist’s teeth cleaning procedure that comes before polishing. Those of you that have seen our new hygienist, Amanda-jane, may have already noticed she favours the use of ultrasonic teeth cleaning. But why? While manual teeth scaling with a handheld…
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Dental Anxiety Dental anxiety is one of the most common phobias in the world with nearly a third of all adults disliking the dentist and 1 in 10 of us having a phobia so strong that we actually avoid making visits to the dentist. What Causes Dental Phobia and Anxiety? There are many reasons why…
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Recently the practice carried out a patient satisfaction survey. Overall the feedback has been very positive and everyone seems to be very happy with the service they are receiving from the practice. We are so glad about this as we do try hard to meet your expectations! One issue that did come up, however, was…
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Decay is not the only cause of tooth destruction. Increasingly dentists are spending time restoring teeth that have lost their enamel due to erosion (damage from acid), attrition (tooth against tooth, nail biting, etc) and abrasion (e.g. vigorous tooth brushing). The increase in our average life span and the fact more teeth are being retained…
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This month has been Smile Month and as it comes to a close we thought it might be worth looking at just why one of the messages the Oral Health Foundation is trying to get across in its annual campaign is to encourage regular visits to practices, at an interval recommended to you by your…
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They are one of our most powerful facial expressions and both giving and receiving one feels good. In fact, the act of smiling, which humans do so naturally and instinctively from babyhood onwards, is a gift that science is only just beginning to properly understand. All smiles are not the same Not all smiles are…
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What is tooth decay? Decay occurs when acid created by the interaction of everyday sugars and bacteria eats into the enamel and dentine of the tooth. When left untreated, the acid results in a painful hole, or cavity, which is what sends most of us running to the dentist for a filling, root canal –…
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How many of you have tongue or lip piercings, or know someone with one? There are many issues that can arise from these types of piercings, so let’s start at the beginning. Much like anywhere else on the body a new piercing in the oral cavity is effectively an open wound, making it prone to…
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Welcome to our first blog! In these regular blogs we hope to keep you informed about developments at our practice and more generally in dentistry as a whole. Please feel free to join in with the conversation on our Facebook page. Let us know what you think about what we are doing, how we do…
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