Oral cancer will usually first manifest itself as a sore or growth that won’t go away naturally. Oral cancer, which includes cancer of any part of the mouth or throat such as lips, cheek, hard and soft palates and tongue can be life threatening if not diagnosed and treated early.

Men are twice as likely as women to get oral cancer with men over the age of 50 being particularly at risk. Factors that increase the risk of oral cancer include smoking, which can increase your chance of oral cancer by as much as 600 percent. Excessive consumption of alcohol can also increase your chances by a similar degree.

Other factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer include excessive exposure to sunlight and a family history of cancer. People who use smokeless tobacco products such as snuff, dip or chewing tobacco are a massive 50 times more likely to develop cancer of the cheek, lips or tongue. Although it is important to note that a quarter of people who contract oral cancer do not use tobacco products and only drink alcohol in moderation.

The symptoms or oral cancer include: unexplained bleeding in the mouth; the development of white or red patches in the mouth; difficulty chewing speaking or swallowing; swelling, lumps or eroded areas in the mouth; dramatic weight loss.

These are only some of the symptoms so it is always best to consult your dentist if you have any concerns. Your Shepperton dentist can conduct an oral cancer screening exam as part of your regular dental check-up and can perform a brush biopsy of any suspicious looking sores in the mouth. This test is completely painless and involves taking a small sample of tissue for analysis. Your Shepperton dentist will also be able to check for any tissue changes in your oral cavity, neck and head. If oral cancer is detected in its early stages patients have a greater than 80 percent chance of successful treatment.

Dental bonding is the procedure in which material, usually tooth coloured resin, is applied and ‘bonded’ to a person’s tooth to restore the appearance of the tooth or smile.

The process can be used to repair cracked of chipped teeth, to close spaces up between the teeth, to improve the look of discoloured teeth, to change the shape or appearance of teeth or to protect exposed areas of the teeth.

It is one of the easiest and least costly of the cosmetic dental procedures as unlike veneers or crowns bonding does not need to be manufactured in laboratory conditions but can usually be accomplished in one office visit to the dentist, unless it involves a number of teeth. It is mostly undertaken without the need for anaesthetics, unless a cavity is being filled around a nerve.

Dental bonding does resist staining, although it is not as effective as crowns in this department. Also, although tough it does not last quite as long as other dental repairs and can chip and crack itself. For this reason it is viewed by dentists as ideal for smaller repairs.

As mentioned there is little preparation needed for dental bonding. The dentist will select a shade to closely match the colour of your existing teeth and then apply the resin and mould it to the desired shape. A special light or laser is then used to set the resin and harden it. The whole process will take little more than an hour to complete. This simple process can be performed by a Kingston upon Thames dentist easily, cheaply and free of pain and then you really will have a reason to smile

CAD/CAM stands for computer aided design/computer aided manufacture and is being used increasingly in the field of dentistry to help fabricate the precise shape and size of required dental restorations. CAD/CAM technology can provide patients with well fitted and perfectly sized restorations such as crowns and veneers in a far more efficient manner than ever before. Multiple tooth restorations can also be achieved to a greater degree of accuracy and with far fewer procedures than previously had been necessary.

CAD/CAM technology also means that dental restorations can be achieved in one visit rather than two, if the dentist has the necessary equipment. The computer constructs a 3D representation of your mouth and then uses this to build an exact ceramic replica of the drawing, that fits perfectly in place.

Well fitting crowns can reduce the risk of infection because it reduces the distance between the teeth and also reduces the possibility of the teeth shifting. Previously it has been difficult to offer high strength dental restoration without the use of metals.

There is also no reason that CAD/ CAM technology means the cost has to rise, providing the dentist has all the necessary equipment in office. The technologies represent a vast leap forward in dentistry and can offer patients a greater degree of satisfaction with their dental repairs. A Shepperton dentist will be able to advise you if CAD/CAM technologies can benefit you and your dental repairs.

Healthy looking gums frame the teeth. This framing of the teeth is just as important as the framing of a picture. Sometimes overly large or misshapen gums can lead to an appearance known as a gummy smile. This excess of gingival tissue affects 7% of adult males and 14% of females when in full smile. Although there is nothing wrong with the teeth themselves, the symmetrical appearance of the gums is just as important to a great smile as the teeth and a gummy smile can often be a source of embarrassment.

The overgrowth of gum tissue can be caused by several factors. It is often nothing more than a hereditary disposition but it can be caused by some common blood pressure medication. Excessive gum tissue can easily be treated by a process known as gum contouring or lifting.

This treatment consists of applying a local anaesthetic to the gums, and a laser is used to remove the small amounts of excess gum tissue and to reshape the edges of the gums. This is usually carried out on the six front teeth on the top row, which are usually most visible when smiling. Discomfort to the patient is kept to a minimum, as the blood vessels are sealed by the laser, allowing for a speedy healing process.

There may be occasion when tissue reshaping alone is not enough to solve the problem. In these circumstances the bone at the root of the front six teeth itself may have to be reduced. This is to make sure that the gums are the standard three millimeters from the bone. If this bone is not reduced there is a chance that the gum tissue may grow back. Although more complicated than a simple gum lift, it is still relatively comfortable for the patient.

Although not completely without risk, gum contouring is a relatively painless way to achieve the smile you always wanted. Surbiton dentist will be able to explain the treatment in more detail and assess whether gum contouring could be effective for you.

If you can makeover your house and your wardrobe, why can’t you do the same for your smile? After all, your smile can say a lot more about you than your home or your clothes and it goes with you everywhere.

A smile makeover can improve the appearance of your smile by using one or more cosmetic dental processes such as veneers, composite bonding, dental implants and teeth whitening. They can be customized according to your preferences taking into consideration your facial appearance, skin tone, hair colour, teeth and lips.

Your Sunbury dentist will be able to review your preferences with you and make suggestions on how to improve your smile by altering the balance, colour and alignment of your existing teeth. Certain orthodontic treatments can also improve your profile and the shape of your cheeks and lips.

Any existing damage to teeth such as chips can be repaired using a process called bonding, cavities and cracks can be filled with the latest enamel coloured fillings (old silver fillings can be replaced) and stained teeth can be bleached to look as good as new.

Dentists will use the latest technology including intraoral cameras to take images of the teeth so that they can evaluate the needs of the patient on a tooth-by-tooth basis. They can also carry out laser gum contouring to assure an even and symmetrical gum covering of teeth. Jaw racking and bite analysis systems assess the makeover process to ensure all procedures are working and that the bite is in full alignment for comfort and wear.

Smile makeovers can be costly depending on the amount of work needed but a Sunbury dentist will be able to assess which treatments will work best for you to make sure you are completely satisfied. And after all, can you really put a price on a smile?

Distressing dental injuries are very common and can lead to many long-term physiological and psychological problems. Knocked out, chipped and cracked teeth can be very painful and often hard to repair. Over 40% of dental injuries occur while playing sport, especially high physical risk sports such as rugby, skiing and almost anything that involves a ball.

Dental injuries can also occur even when the resulting damage is not as obvious as a lost tooth. Secondary damage to the jaw and head can result from a trauma to the mouth so it always wise to seek advice from your dentist after receiving a blow.

Treatment for dental injuries can be costly, painful and drawn out and can even involve surgery. While dentists can help repair nay damage that occurs there is a safer and cheaper alternative. To avoid the eventuality of dental injury,Mulberry dentist recommend that you use a mouth guard when paying any form of high-risk physical activity.

There are a number of mouth guards commercially available in sports shops but they vary in quality and don’t allow for the structure of the individual’s teeth. It is highly recommended to have a guard individually measured and molded by a Mulberry dentist to offer the greatest degree of protection. For children, it is important to remember to change the mouth guard regularly to accommodate for growing teeth.

The common practice to close any tooth cavity is to use dental fillings especially plastic ones. But these plastic fillings have a tendency to shrink as they harden and this can lead to the formation of gaps between the tooth and the filling. Food particles begin to get accumulated in these gaps, ultimately giving room for the development of more dental caries.

There are a variety of plastic materials that are available to be used as dental fillings. The tension that is produced during the hardening process of the plastic filling depends entirely on the shape of the cavity and varies widely from person to person. Since it was not possible to determine the tension that will be produced in each hardening process, it was left to the dentist’s experience to choose the right plastic filling. But recent studies have enabled researchers to simulate this hardening process.

This new method makes it possible to accurately predict the tension that accompanies the hardening process with each type of plastic filling. This enables dentists to choose the least tension-prone plastic material according to the shape of each person’s tooth cavity. Thus the formation of further gaps between the tooth and dental filling is prevented and thus minimizes or does away with the risk of developing caries in the same cavity.

This is a relatively new simulation process performed only by a few dentists. Consult a Sunbury dentist who uses this new technique the next time you go in for a dental filling procedure.

People often neglect oral hygiene due to which plaque and tartar get deposited on the teeth. Plaque is a white coating present in the teeth which can eventually lead to the destruction of the enamel. You have to remove this deposition regularly to keep your teeth well protected from infections and diseases. Daily brushing and flossing will help in maintaining a beautiful smile.

Nutrition plays an important role in protecting your teeth against foreign bodies. Let me explain to you a few food substances which will provide you a healthy mouth. These criteria are laid down by the dentist in Surbiton.

• Celery- Chewing this food substance will help in increasing the saliva in your mouth which will neutralize the Streptococcus bacteria. They are responsible for the formation of cavities in your teeth. You can try a snack of raw celery and carrots daily to keep your teeth healthy.
• Cheese- It contains calcium, low carbohydrate and phosphate which balances the ph levels in your mouth. It also rebuilds the tooth and enamel and prevents gum diseases.
• Green Tea- It contains catechins which kill the bacteria that turn the sugar present in the food substance into plaque. Regular consumption of green tea will also help to control your bad breath.
• Kiwi- It contains vitamin C which has many actions on the teeth. If adequate amount of this vitamin is not taken it will loosen the collagen network of the gums resulting in plaque and tartar accumulation.

You should take care of your teeth as they are an important organ in the body. Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the important factors in keeping your teeth free from diseases.

Porcelain Veneers are one of the latest techniques which had been invented in the field of dentistry. You can improve the appearance of the broken, misaligned and stained teeth using this method. Nowadays more people are adopting this procedure to give a new look to their teeth.

Small porcelain facings which are attached to the natural teeth are known as veneers and they appear natural to the normal eye. Only a person trained in dentistry can differentiate between a veneer and normal tooth. The procedure is done by removing a layer of the enamel and make space to fit in the veneers. Only a professional can perform this task and make it appear natural. The doctor will take measurements for the veneers and then make them in a lab.

Every person wishes to have a set of teeth which is lined in a row. You can achieve this dream using porcelain veneers. It will help to straighten out your teeth within just a few visits. It is highly expensive and not affordable for the common man. Always visit a reputable dentist before you start with your procedure. If not done in the proper way it can lead to further damage to the teeth. People in Molesey prefer this technique to possess a clean row of teeth.

The field of dentistry is advancing fast and within short time new methods of treatment will be introduced. Porcelain Veneers will bring back the smile to your face and increase its beauty. Nowadays there are many doctors who are specializing in this field.

Dentists in Sunbury are holding hands together to help people quit their smoking habits. There are many techniques developed which will prove beneficial for the people to come out of their bad habit. Tobacco addiction is increasing nowadays and it is high time to make people aware of the bad effects of this habit. There are many health hazards which can be avoided by stopping smoking permanently. Cancers, renal failures, cardiac complaints and pulmonary diseases can be controlled to a great extent by quitting smoking. Researches are going on with relation to dental surgeries which can decrease smoking in people.

Dental nurses are given special training to deal with patients who are chronic smokers. Counseling will help people to drop their bad habits and try to lead a normal life. According to the recent studies conducted it has been reported that people between the age group of 18 to 45 are getting addicted to nicotine. The constant stress in their life and job are making matters worse. Smoking cessation advice is beneficial for the overall health of the patient. Tooth decay and infections are common in people who are exposed to regular smoking.

This matter should be handled with care as it is sensitive. Oral cancers and gum diseases are often seen in such persons. These ailments occur recurrently and are hard to treat. Dentists can advice people the importance of oral hygiene and the steps they should take to protect their teeth. They can also suggest different food substances which will increase the shine of the teeth. Good oral hygiene is also important to prevent further infections.