Taking Care of Your Smile
Achieving and maintaining the best oral hygiene possible improves
your chances of keeping your teeth for a lifetime.With this
in mind we always try and take a long-term view of your dental
care, assisting and guiding you each time we see you.
Regular visits to a dental hygienist will help keep your mouth
clean, fresh and healthy, thereby reducing the likelihood of
dental problems in the future.
The dental hygienist will clean your teeth professionally to
remove unsightly staining caused by tea, coffee or red wine,
along with hard deposits [tartar or calculus] that no amount
of brushing will shift. You will also be advised about brushing
and flossing techniques that will help keep harmful bacteria
at bay.
We aim to ensure you are fully informed
and confident when it comes to your personal dental care.
Our Leicester hygienists use the latest in technology such as the Florida
Probe; with this computer-assisted probe, dentist
and hygienist can measure periodontal pockets faster and
more accurately.
Early Decay Detection
Decay may or may not cause discomfort; even though it doesn’t
hurt, the tooth is deteriorating. Using higher magnification
and powerful lighting, it is easier to detect decay at an early
stage to prevent excessive tooth damage. When cavities are small,
they are much easier and less expensive to treat.
Early tooth decay does not tend to show many physical signs.
Sometimes the tooth looks healthy, but your dentist will be
able to see from an x-ray whether you have any decay under the
enamel, any possible infections in the roots, or any bone loss
around the tooth.
Early Gum Disease Screening Screening for gum disease forms an integral part
of your routine examination. Gum disease describes swelling,
soreness or infection of the tissues supporting the teeth.
Mouth Cancer Screening
Mouth cancer is a malignant growth which can occur in any part
of the mouth, including the tongue, lips and throat.Mouth
cancers have a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases
than breast cancer, cervical cancer or skin melanoma. The mortality
rate is just over 50%, despite treatment, with about 1,700 deaths
per year in the UK. This is because of late detection. Visit
your dentist at once if you notice any abnormal problems or
are not sure. Six-monthly dental checkups allow early detection!
Mouth
Cancer Foundation
The MCF web site aims to help patients and carers find
free information on mouth cancers easily. It provides
direct links to the relevant sections of existing cancer
sites and includes patient experiences as well as an online
support group.
Giving
Up Smoking
It's not easy... So that's why this web site is here.
Giving up smoking requires preparation, determination,
and support. This site is here to help you with each of
these. If you're thinking about giving up, have a look-in.
Fresh Breath
Bad breath is a very common problem and there are many different
causes. Persistent bad breath is usually caused by the smelly
gases released by the bacteria that coat your teeth and gums.
However, strong foods like garlic and onions can add to the
problem. Smoking is also one of the main causes of bad breath,
along with certain illnesses such as nasal and stomach conditions.
Bits of food that get caught between the teeth and on the tongue
will rot and can sometimes cause an unpleasant smell. So correct
and regular brushing is very important to keep your breath smelling
fresh.
The bacteria on our teeth and gums (plaque) also cause gum disease
and dental decay. If you see your dentist regularly this will
not only help prevent bad breath but will also let the dentist
look for and treat these problems.
Mouth Guards
A mouthguard is a specially made, rubber-like cover which fits
exactly over your teeth and gums, cushioning them and protecting
them from damage.
It is important to wear a professionally made mouthguard whenever
you play sport that involves physical contact or moving objects.
This includes: cricket, hockey and football – which can
cause broken and damaged teeth; and American football, boxing
and rugby – which can all cause broken or dislocated jaws.
A custom made mouth guard will help protect against these events.
Broken or chipped teeth
can be restored using porcelain veneers and crowns. See
our Smile Makeover gallery.
Online Resource Want to find out about dental treatment?
Want to know how to look after your teeth better? Visit the
new BDA
Smile web site.
3D Education Learn about dental anatomy, conditions,
treatments and good oral health with the BDA's cutting edge
3D Educational
web site.
