What Causes Tooth Enamel Erosion?
Tooth enamel forms the outer, protective layer of your teeth. Although it is the hardest part of a tooth, enamel can be eroded, leading to cavities, sensitivity and tooth decay. Beneath the enamel is the dentin layer, and a sign of tooth enamel is when the yellow dentin becomes exposed. There are four primary contributing […]
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Dentist, Orthodontist or Periodontist?
A dentist must complete a bachelor’s degree plus a further three to four years of medical school before qualifying. They also serve a residency before being able to practice. Therefore, you are in well-qualified hands when you sit in a dentist’s chair.
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Questions About Dental Implants?
A dental implant provides a secure way to replace one or more of your missing natural teeth. Dental implants are an increasingly popular choice as they offer a lifelong solution to missing teeth, helping you regain confidence in your smile. What Are Dental Implants? An implant is an artificial tooth with three components. The actual […]
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What You Can Expect From Invisalign
Invisalign offers a less visible orthodontic treatment compared to traditional metal braces. Invisalign uses clear, removable aligners to straighten teeth — which means they are barely visible. Also, you can remove them to eat your favorite foods, and you can clean them with a toothbrush. These comfortable aligners provide an alternative to anyone who has […]
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Why Do Gums Recede?
“Receding gums” means the gums pull back from the teeth and is often a result of improper oral care. When the gums start to recede, your teeth can become more sensitive and even painful — especially with hot and cold drinks/foods. The teeth may also look longer than usual, with the potential for the tooth […]
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Can You Pull Out Your Child’s Loose Baby Tooth?
A child’s permanent teeth start to push through when they are between six to seven years old. Once a baby tooth becomes loose, you know a permanent tooth is on the way through. The baby tooth is gradually eased out of the way by the incoming tooth. When your child’s baby tooth becomes loose, you […]
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Using Dental Sedation to Overcome Dental Anxiety
Dental anxiety or a phobia can prevent people from visiting the dentist and receiving the treatment they need. This can further worsen oral health issues and have a negative impact on their smile. However, modern dentistry provides various degrees of dental sedation which can help relax patients who suffer with dental anxiety, making it easier […]
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When Is It Time For Braces?
Braces are very common and highly effective, and the technology has rapidly advanced over the past few decades. So, the results are even more stunning than ever before. The Power of a Smile Many choose braces for aesthetic reasons. After all, their main purpose is to correct issues with teeth such as misalignments and gaps. […]
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The Importance of Regular Teeth Cleanings for a Healthy Smile
Regular teeth cleaning appointments with a dentist or dental hygienist are important in maintaining a healthy smile. Although previous guidance recommended teeth cleaning every six months, your dentist may advise you to visit more often depending on your personal circumstances. Some people tend to have greater plaque buildup, despite regular brushing, so it’s best for […]
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Can a Lisp Be Corrected Using Orthodontics?
Lisps are a common form of speech impediment and can have a serious impact on a child’s self-confidence. A lisp results from the tongue not being able to connect properly to the roof of the mouth. This leads to an inability to pronounce certain sounds, most noticeably ‘s’ and ‘z’, which will sound as ‘th’ […]
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How Is a TMJ Disorder Treated?
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect the jawbone to the skull. Situated on either side of the face, they allow the jaw to function properly. If you have a TMJ disorder you may experience pain, clicking within the jaw, and you could struggle to fully open your mouth. However, your dentist can help you understand the […]
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Oral Cancer: What You Should Know
While dental exams are best to keep your teeth and gums healthy, they have another critical benefit. Your dentist will also check for signs of oral cancer, which can be very serious, even deadly. More Than Meets the Eye One of the confounding issues with this type of cancer is that the symptoms might seem […]
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Jaw Popping: Causes, Symptoms and Solutions
Does your jaw seem to “pop” from time to time? This can be a painful experience and yet, a dentist will normally be able to provide solutions. Some symptoms include stiffness around the jaw, tenderness and difficulty opening or closing your mouth. This condition may be related to teeth grinding, a bite problem, frequently chewing […]
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What is Gum Disease?
Did you know that according to a team at King’s College London and the Natural History Museum, “there were less people with Gum disease (5%) in the Roman, and certainly pre-brush era than modern day people (33%) suffering from the condition”? Considering they did not use a toothbrush and skulls showing heavy deposits of tartar […]
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10 Cool Truths About The Tooths
Your teeth are the stars of your smile. Learn more from these toothsome gems.
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What has changed when you go to the dentist for a dental check-up?
Well for a start we at Merton dental in Wimbledon do not call it a dental check-up but describe what we actually do and that is more appropriately termed a “Dental Health Check” or to be precise a 15-point dental health check. Now before you all start to scream that it is a play on […]
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Signs That Signal You Need a Dental Checkup
According to NHS England, In the 24-month period ending 31 March 2018, 22.1 million adult patients were seen by an NHS dentist, representing 50.9 per cent of the adult population. Hence, half the people in England choose to avoid visiting the dentist even though all the evidence points to the need for regular dental health […]
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The dangers of DIY Teeth Whitening, is it worth it?
You only have to walk into Boots or Superdrug in Wimbledon and see the plethora of over the counter (OTC) whitening products available to the aesthetically hungry public. The packaging the glossy pictures and the lure of saving hundreds of pounds compared to a professional whitening at a dental surgery makes these products really […]
read moreDental anxiety and how you can overcome it
Although there are various anxiety scales and practice specific questionnaires, most dentists assess patients anxiety levels with a face to face meeting, either in the dental surgery or in another room in the practice. The acceptable location for the patient in itself is an indication of the anxiety level with various patients, although agreeing to […]
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Halloween, sugar tax and dental decay
Halloween celebrations seem to be getting more popular year on year in the UK and almost approaching the serious levels of festivities in the states where it marks the start of their holiday period with Thanksgiving just around the corner. It seems to me that you are forced to join in the festivities just to […]
read moreHow to choose a toothbrush
A good tooth brush is one that removes plaque effectively first and foremost. The sole purpose of a tooth brush is to remove a sticky film called bacterial plaque biofilm. This is the biggest cause of tooth damage and decay. The plaque biofilm produces acids which damage the tooth’s hard surface layer, called enamel. Left […]
read moreCommon Questions About Home Teeth Whitening
In the quest for a pearly white smile, thousands of individuals across the UK have their teeth whitened every year. This relatively risk-free and cost-effective treatment is the fastest way for anybody to get a pearly white smile, but before you go ahead, there are some things you should know. First of all, good oral […]
read moreWhat is Dermal Roller and Mesotherapy?
We’re a nation that is more at ease with beauty and cosmetic treatments than ever. Nowadays, we hear about all sorts of treatments, which promise an array of fixes to problems that we have. One of the biggest sections of the cosmetic surgery sector is anti-ageing – we’re simply a nation that does not want […]
read moreDaily Tips for Good Oral Hygiene
If you want to have a pearly white smile, then you’ll be glad to know that a few daily tweaks to your routine could make it happen. Many people think that good oral hygiene comes down to expensive treatments and products but that is not the case at all. Instead a solid, daily oral routine […]
read more10 Tips on how to brush your teeth
Patients are always surprised when either the hygienist or the dentist gives them some advice on how to brush your teeth and they often say “I didn’t know that!”. The patients’ reaction has not changed in my over 25 years of being in Dentistry. 19 years of that have been at my own practice where […]
read moreCan you brush your teeth too much
We would advise that brushing your teeth only once a day is not enough and that regular twice daily brushing is considered best. This is the most helpful way of ensuring healthy teeth and gums as well as maintaining a nice taste to the mouth and fresh smelling breath. But is it actually possible to […]
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4 things you need for brushing your teeth
It is a common misconception that all you need for brushing your teeth is a toothbrush and some toothpaste and that would be enough to ensure your mouth is clean healthy without tooth decay or gum disease. Brushing your teeth with a toothbrush alone whether manual or electric is never going to be enough to […]
read moreTeeth whitening at home: the pros and cons
Teeth whitening at home, professionally monitored by your dentist is probably the most widely used whitening technique. It’s simple to use, relatively low cost, safe and offers highly successful results. The ability for patients to stop and start at will without having to commit to a regimented daily routine due to the cumulative nature of […]
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What is the best method for teeth whitening
There are many ways of teeth whitening ranging from in-surgery power whitening to at-home whitening, where a custom made tray is used to deliver the whitening agent to the teeth. Other forms of home whitening involve stock trays or plaster like applicators placed on the teeth and moulded into place using finger pressure. In addition […]
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Merton Dental Patient Survey Results – 2013
Over the past few weeks we set out to survey as many of you, our patients, as possible. The results are in and have been overwhelmingly positive. Below are some of the highlights from the survey, along with a selection of comments that some of you have made. 100% of patients were satisfied with the […]
read moreWhen Should I brush My Teeth Before or After Breakfast?
It might sound silly or insignificant whether you brush before or after breakfast but it is actually quite important for a number of reasons and if you do a search on Google you will see up to 10 pages of varying opinions for one view or the other each putting convincing arguments across.
read moreAm I At Risk From Mouth Cancer?
The incidence of mouth cancer has always been related to age with just under half or 44% of all mouth cancer cases diagnosed in the UK were in people aged 65 and over; with more than a quarter diagnosed in the under 55’s.
read moreWho is Afraid of the Dentist?
Many people find going to the dentist a very frightening experience. This fear even prevents some people from going in cases when they have a severe toothache while others prefer to attend the local A&E in the hope of a miracle cure. Fear of the dentist can be caused by many factors such as having […]
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