Brushing for oral healthOral health begins with clean teeth. Consider these brushing basics from the American Dental Association:
Giving Plaque the Brush-Off
To prevent cavities, you need to remove plaque, the transparent layer of bacteria that coats the teeth. The best way to do this is by brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Brushing also stimulates the gums, which helps to keep them healthy and prevent gum disease. Brushing and flossing are the most important things that you can do to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Toothpastes contain abrasives, detergents, and foaming agents. Fluoride, the most common active ingredient in toothpaste, is what prevents cavities. So you should always be sure your toothpaste contains fluoride. About 1 person in 10 has a tendency to accumulate tartar quickly. Tartar is plaque in a hardened form that is more damaging and difficult to remove. Using anti-tartar toothpastes and mouthwashes, as well as spending extra time brushing the teeth near the salivary glands (the inside of the lower front teeth and the outside of the upper back teeth) may slow the development of new tartar. If you have teeth that are sensitive to heat, cold, and pressure, you may want to try a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth. But you'll still need to talk to your dentist about your sensitivity because it may indicate a more serious problem, such as a cavity or nerve inflammation (irritation). Crowns Zirconium is rapidly becoming the material of choice for dental crowns. It is a remarkably robust material able to withstand the wear and tear of everyday use. More importantly however, it has a translucency that is very similar to a natural tooth. Light is reflected from a Zirconium crown in much the same way.
This means that Zirconium will produce the best aesthetic effect, which is important if your new crowns are to be at the front. It is particularly the case when the crowns will be seen beside natural teeth. Porcelain is the traditional material used for new crowns. Porcelain is however apt to chip or break. This problem is usually overcome by making new crowns from metal and then fusing porcelain to the outside. The metal provides the strength whilst the porcelain provides the outward appearance on a normal tooth. However, light can pass through a normal tooth but not a metal core which blocks it. Due to the strength of Zirconium, we can now make crowns and bridgework without needed to add metal and so these new crowns are virtually impossible to distinguish from 'real teeth' - except of course we can control their size, shape and colour and thereby provide a perfect, yet natural looking smile.
Zirconium dioxide has been used in dentistry for the past 10 - 15 years. Its strength and durability have been proved. Additionally it is fully biocompatible so there are no risks of allergic reactions. It is increasingly being used in general surgery as well as in dentistry.
It is however a little more expensive than the traditional materials. To overcome this cost barrier some manufacturers have chosen to produce crowns, which use a lower grade compound in order to offer a cheaper product. Recent authoritative studies have however shown that these cheaper crowns are insufficiently resilient to withstand even normal use without cracking.
We only fit crowns made from the very best quality materials.
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Bad Breath
Flossing FactsWhy Floss? Dental floss cleans in between the teeth, where a toothbrush can't reach. Floss removes plaque and debris that adhere to teeth and gums in between teeth, polishes tooth surfaces, and controls bad breath. Floss is the single most important weapon against plaque, perhaps more important than the toothbrush. Many people don't spend enough time flossing or brushing, and many have never been taught to floss or brush properly. When visiting your dentist or hygienist, ask to be shown how to floss Which type of floss should I use?
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