Front teeth that stick out can look unsightly and may cause a lack of confidence in some people
Where the top teeth at the front of the mouth protrude, this is usually referred to by dentists as an ‘overjet’, but also more commonly by the general public as ‘buck teeth’. Whatever you call them, there is little doubt that teeth that stick out in this manner will inevitably detract from your smile. It may well also cause a loss of confidence in some people.
Overjets can be caused by a number of possible factors including genetics, overcrowding of teeth, and even when the patient regularly pushes against the teeth with their tongue. Whatever the cause though, our team at Alexandra Dental Care in Swadlincote near Burton, can help to correct this problem.
Fixing ‘buck teeth’
Whatever the cause of this problem, the priority for most of our Burton and Ashby patients is to correct this and to provide them with a greatly improved smile. There is no ‘simple fix’ to this problem that can be done in one visit but there are ways that we can help with this in a convenient manner.
The first thing that needs to be done is for our dentist to thoroughly examine the problem. This is a complex area and it is possible in more extreme cases that more severe protrusion could require surgery to correct it, should you decide that you want your smile fixed enough to have that done.
In most cases, and especially the milder ones, there is every chance that we will be able to help you reposition the teeth so that you have a natural smile again. In the majority of cases, this will require orthodontic treatment, braces, over a period of time.
Which dental braces?
Prevention is the best option available, but there are treatments that can help when this problem arises
Tooth sensitivity is a problem, even if it feels relatively mild. The fact is that we shouldn’t experience any discomfort if we have strong and healthy teeth. A sudden sensation when we eat or drink anything hot or cold indicates that there is almost certainly a problem that needs to be checked by our dental practice here in Swadlincote.
There are a number of potential causes of sensitive teeth that may have been experienced by our Burton and Ashby patients. These are just some of them:
Worn enamel
This is one of the more common causes that we see at Alexandra Dental Care, especially with the increase in consumption of sports drinks and similar soft beverages. These are not only often very high in sugar, but in acidity as well. Combined together, this can be a devastating cocktail for your tooth enamel, and once it has become compromised, extremes of temperature will be felt more keenly than before, often causing sharp discomfort or pain on occasions.
Tooth decay and cracks
Any damage to a tooth can cause the tooth to become more sensitive. Tooth decay can certainly lead to this, as can cracked enamel. If your tooth has suffered contact trauma, perhaps during sport, whether from a ball or body part such as an elbow, make sure to have it checked as soon as you can by one of our dental team. You may not see a visible crack yourself, but the damage may be there, allowing not only your teeth to feel sensitive to hot and cold, but also allowing bacteria into the more vulnerable part of your teeth.
Teeth grinding
Delaying treatment may not only cause more pain but could have dangerous repercussions
If you have had the misfortune to suffer from a tooth abscess, you will probably know just how painful these can be. Abscesses are a build up of pus in either the tooth or the gum. Essentially, it is an infection, and one that will not go away on its own. You should always seek urgent dental attention if you notice any of the following signs:
- Severe pain in the tooth or gums
- A nasty, prolonged taste in your mouth
- Swelling of the face
- High temperature
- Pain when chewing your food
Even if you have an appointment booked at Alexandra Dental Care in the next week or so, please call us straight away if an abscess develops before then. Not only is this likely to become even more painful if left longer, but the infection can spread to other areas of the body, potentially causing very serious health issues.
Treating an abscess
There are a variety of ways that an abscess can be treated. Our Burton and Ashby dental team will first need to examine you to assess the situation in order to determine the most appropriate treatment for your own case.
One option is to drain the pus when the abscess is located in the gum. For this, a small incision is made and the pus allowed to drain out. The area will then be thoroughly cleaned to remove any bacterial build-up that remains. You may also be prescribed antibiotics to control the issue until further diagnosis and treatment can be carried out.
Sometimes, the above treatment will control the problem, and, with an improved oral health regime, it may not re-occur. Sometimes though, the location of the infection means that further action will need to be taken to prevent problems further down the line.
Root scaling
Fillings don’t last forever and our Burton and Ashby patients may need repairs from time to time
Very few people will manage to go through life without having a tooth filled. This is by far the most common way to restore a tooth that has been damaged or where a cavity has formed due to tooth decay. Traditionally, these have been filled using amalgam, a combination of metals that form a hard and robust material that is strong and long lasting. There are disadvantages to this material however which we will come to a little later on.
The longevity of a filling will depend on a number of factors including where it is located. A filling placed in a rear tooth will undergo more stress, due to chewing, than one closer to the front. Some people have fillings that last for a very long time, but generally they should last for around ten years or so on average.
Whilst fillings do offer a strong restoration, they can eventually become loose. If not checked by a dentist, this could lead to trouble.
What to do about a loose filling?
Fillings become loose for a variety of reasons. Because of the way they are placed, they can still remain secure within the tooth, but with some movement. Providing that this doesn’t affect day to day tasks such as eating, and isn’t causing any pain, some people might be tempted to leave it and wait until it falls out. Although this might be understandable in nervous patients especially, doing so could lead to a number of problems.
A loose filling means that food and bacteria can find their way into the spaces around the filling. As this continues, your natural tooth may start to decay. This will cause even more movement of the filling and you will not be able to clean these areas to prevent it happening.
If you do notice a filling coming loose, you should call Alexandra Dental Care and allow one of our dentists to take a look at it.
Treating a loose filling
‘Going private’ is an option that gives you a wider range of choices
For many years now, we have grown up knowing that we could see a dentist on the NHS to help us maintain a healthy set of teeth. This is still the case, though, as we are sure many of our patients have noticed from the news, this is not the straightforward option that it once was. The NHS is under pressure at the moment and NHS dentistry is not spared from this.
If you currently depend on the NHS for your dental treatment, you might be very frustrated by your inability to get an appointment. We know that people are often very loyal to the NHS, and rightly so. It has certainly improved the nation’s health over the years. Times do change though and there are now many treatment options that are not provided by the NHS. In many cases, these are cosmetic treatments designed to improve your smile, but there are practical ones too which you can only have at private practices such as Alexandra Dental Care.
Quality of care
There is a common perception that you will receive better treatment if you go to a private dentist. That is not entirely fair as any dentist, whether NHS or privately, will do their best to ensure that you receive the most appropriate treatment safely and effectively. What our Burton and Ashby patients will find though is that when they attend a private dental practice, their options become much wider.
A simple example of this is if you need a filling. An NHS dentist will fill this with amalgam. This is a strong material but it is very dark in colour and can be very visible and spoil your smile. Private dentists, on the other hand, can offer a filling that is blended to match the colour of your own natural tooth, rendering the filling almost invisible.
An even more significant improvement in options is when you lose a tooth, or a number of teeth. Dentures, and sometimes a bridge, are the only options available on the NHS. Private dentists can offer dental implants which are now widely accepted to be a superior tooth replacement option as they replace the tooth root as well as the crown part. Unfortunately, as NHS budgets are limited, they are able only to offer the most essential services and it is left to the private sector to help those who wish to have more options.
Cosmetic dentistry
Helping you plan your smile improvements over the coming year
First of all, a Happy New Year to all of our patients, whether from Swadlincote, Burton or Ashby. We hope that you all had a great break whilst looking after your teeth and gums at the same time! We are always happy to help, whether that be a check-up or an appointment with the hygienist at Alexandra Dental Care.
Now that things are returning to normal, we thought that it might help some of you who are looking to boost your smile in 2023, to help you plan the best time to have the various procedures that we offer. Naturally, this is only a guide and treatments are available at all times of the year, so if you have a mid winter wedding planned, we can still whiten your teeth to give you that optimum smile for the big day.
Winter
Winter is a time that, once the Christmas and new festivities are over, can be a period of semi hibernation. There might be the odd birthday celebration but by and large, we probably go out less at this time of the year than any other, especially when the weather is bad. Treatments such as teeth whitening are perhaps less popular at this time of the year as we are meeting less people. This can be a good time though for those treatments that take a little longer to complete, for example dental implants and some orthodontic treatments.
Dental implants can be placed in a day but there is approximately a three month period where the implant bonds with the bone it has been placed into. Until this has happened, the crown can not be added so a gap will be left in the teeth, so this quieter time might be a good opportunity to consider this popular tooth replacement method.
Another treatment which can take several weeks is for minor orthodontic correction. This is usually what we refer to as a cosmetic improvement. An example of this would be where front teeth are slightly overlapping and spoiling a smile that you would otherwise be happy with. Whilst some orthodontic problems can take a year or more to correct, cosmetic problems such as these can sometimes be corrected in a few weeks using systems such as the Inman Aligner. If you arrange your treatment now, you may be able to have a nice even smile by the time the warmer spring weather arrives.
Spring
Some handy advice from our Swadlincote dental team for 2023
As Christmas approaches, most of you will probably be in full swing, making sure that all the presents are bought and the food is in ready for the big day. Hopefully, most of you will also be taking good care of your teeth and gums with your usual cleaning regime. As this is our last blog of the year, we thought that we would look into the future a little and offer some tips from the Alexandra Dental Care team for the new year. We hope that these will help you improve your oral health care in the year ahead, even if you think you currently do a good job anyway. As they say, there is always room for improvement!
Refresh your dental cleaning implements
You may have received an electric toothbrush for Christmas, and if you have, then you have already taken the first step. If you don’t receive one though, ask yourself whether it is time to treat yourself if you feel that your current one isn’t as efficient as it could be. Even if you are happy with your current device, make sure to replace the brush head approximately every three months. Worn bristles will not keep your teeth and gums as clean as they should be. The same applies if you still use a manual toothbrush.
You may wish to consider changing to an electric brush as most dentists now agree that these are better for your teeth, but if you are a dedicated manual brush user, make sure that you replace it every three months in a similar way.
Quit smoking
Hopefully, this advice will only apply to a small number of you, if any. If you smoke, one of the best things that you can do for your oral health is to quit. Oral cancers, gum disease and a higher risk of infection are just some of the risks if you continue to smoke. If you are an ex smoker that has slipped over Christmas and had the ‘odd cigarette’, make sure that you don’t let this become a regular thing and please seek help to maintain your ‘no smoking’ regime if you need to.
Dental floss
Illness and the adverse effects on teeth and gums
Now is the season where it is difficult to avoid people coughing and sneezing on buses and other public places. Try as we might to avoid it, the chances are that, at some point during the winter, quite a few of us will have taken to our beds feeling the effects of one of the common winter viruses. In most cases, these will pass with rest and the usual care, but patients of Alexandra Dental Care should also be aware that this period can put extra pressure on their teeth and gums and even result in permanent damage to their teeth.
This isn’t due to the virus itself, but usually from the things that we do to help us recover from it. Although well intentioned and comforting for us, there can be side effects.
Neglect of oral care
This is one of the most important things to take note of. As most of us know, when we feel really ill, the chores of daily life tend to get put to one side until we feel better. Even making the effort to make a cup of tea can seem like really hard work so it is perhaps no surprise that many of us don’t bother cleaning our teeth as often, or as well, as we should. At best, a cursory brushing (and no flossing) is a highly likely scenario.
Skipping cleaning your teeth is a really bad idea at any time but for some of the reasons that we will come to shortly, doing so when you are ill can have a ‘double whammy’ effect. Make sure that however exhausted you feel, you make sure to brush your teeth well twice a day and don’t eat or drink anything but water after you have brushed them at night.
Overindulgence in ‘comfort’ foods
Although our bodies probably need more vitamins and minerals when we are ill, we rarely eat healthily at this time and are more likely to indulge in ‘convenience’ foods and often ones with a high sugar content to give us the energy that we need to get through the day. Added to this, the fact that many of us will take this opportunity to watch Netflix or similar on the sofa, there is a likelihood that snacks and chocolates will be on hand to graze on throughout the day.
Try to avoid overdoing this and eat as healthily as you can. Whatever you do though, make sure to clean your teeth well, especially if you have been overindulging.
Dehydration
Asthmatics may be at additional risk for unhealthy teeth and gums….
It is estimated that there are around 5.5 million people in the UK who suffer from asthma. The degree to which they will suffer will vary of course, but a large percentage will need to use inhalers to control this illness. Given ongoing pollution problems, especially in cities, and the increased risk that the colder weather can bring to asthma sufferers, we thought that we would use today’s blog to take a look at some of the side effects of this illness that could affect our Burton and Ashby patients, along with advice to offset the added risks.
Mouth breathing
One of the biggest problems for asthmatics, with regard to their teeth and gums, is that they can tend to breathe more through their mouth rather than their nose. In doing so, the mouth becomes significantly drier. As you will know from some of our previous Alexandra Dental Care blogs, a dry mouth is one of the factors that can lead to gum disease as the lack of saliva allows potentially harmful bacteria to thrive and attack the soft tissues surrounding the teeth. Correct use of your inhaler may help to reduce this but there is every likelihood that you will still ‘mouth breathe’ more than non asthma sufferers.
To help to counter this, make sure that you stay well hydrated, especially before you go to bed, by drinking sufficient water. This will help to keep the mouth a little more moist and minimise the impact that gingivitis and periodontitis can have on your oral health.
Inhalers
Many asthma sufferers will not not only use a relief inhaler (the blue one) but also a preventative one (the brown one). If you do use a preventative inhaler, it is important to remember that the ingredients in it are slightly acidic and can cause damage to the enamel of your teeth over a period of time. As, unlike the ‘reliever’ inhaler, the brown one is usually used at regular times of the day, try to use it just before you would normally brush your teeth. If you brush your teeth immediately after using the brown inhaler, you will remove the acids quickly and help to eliminate any potential harm that may be done to the tooth enamel.
Another issue that can arise from their use, especially on children, is that it can create a ‘mottling’ effect on the tooth enamel. At the very least, both adults and children should swill their mouths with water as soon as they have used a preventative inhaler.
Dental anxiety
A look at some other common, and not so common, causes of this uncomfortable problem
When patients come to our Swadlincote dental practice with a toothache, they often assume that it has been caused by tooth decay. While this is one of the most common reasons for a toothache, it is not the only one, and further investigation often reveals other problems which need treating instead.
Alexandra Dental Care has a modern, well-equipped clinic, with both X-rays and scans available to help us accurately diagnose, and subsequently treat, any issues that you have. In today’s blog, we will take a look at some reasons, other than tooth decay, that might be causing you to experience discomfort or pain in your teeth.
Tooth sensitivity
Tooth sensitivity tends to occur sporadically, rather than being the persistent discomfort so often associated with a toothache. This is most likely to occur when you eat or drink very hot or cold foods and drinks. It will most likely come in the form of a sharp sensation that will make you wince when it happens. It mostly occurs when the enamel on your teeth becomes eroded, often from consuming too many acidic drinks. Whilst it can sometimes be eased by using a ‘sensitive teeth toothpaste’, a more permanent solution is to have porcelain veneers fitted to protect the affected teeth.
Root canal infections
These are often very painful indeed and whilst they can be caused by decay, they can also be caused by bacteria entering the root canals due to a tooth being cracked and exposing the porous dentin part of the tooth. This problem can only be treated properly with a root canal procedure.
Abscesses
Abscesses tend to occur when bacteria finds its way beneath the gum. This can advance and form a pocket of pus. If this bursts, it will leave a nasty taste in your mouth and may also be very painful. Simply bursting an abscess won’t resolve the problem though and can even potentially cause further infection. We can X-ray your mouth to check if you have any abscesses, and indeed, we routinely do this prior to a root canal procedure. If detected, they can then be treated before the root cause of the problem is tackled.