A dry mouth has many causes and a few consequences, one of which is dental cavities says a Molesey dentist. The warning about the relationship formed by a dry mouth and cavities isn’t a new one; cavities are formed by the acid that is made by the bacteria in our mouths, mainly feeding off sweet and sugary food residue. Diabetics are familiar with his problem as one of the main symptoms of diabetes is a dry mouth, the acid can produce quickly and do its damage on the enamel of the teeth. Chemotherapy patients are another victim, as if they don’t have enough problems already. We need the saliva that our glands produce in order to neutralise oral acid, which is the single most problem we have with oral care. Drinking water is one answer, but when you’re on chemo or a diabetic with a high sugar level, then this in itself causes more problems. The answer in some prolonged cases is a dental sealant, this is a solution that a dentist will usually reserve for his younger patients aged between 6-10 years old. The problem occurs in children who cannot get a brush into their cavities due to the smallness of the cavities. A plastic filling is used to replace the enamel that is burned away by the acid, acid cannot burn away plastic, so this preventative treatment is a really clever one. This won’t work in all cases though, and so it needs the patient to be aware of the problem and use other methods to counteract the acid problem. Drinking water and swishing it around the mouth will go some way to doing the job, but if you don’t want to keep visiting the loo every 20 minutes, then just swish and spit.

Dental sealants are usually given to children who are between 6 and 10 years old, it is a measure that protects their teeth from further damage caused by acid production and normal wear and tear. The cavities that cause the problems are usually on the teeth at the back of the mouth, this is normally due to a couple of reasons, firstly these teeth are the most common used to chew food, secondly these teeth are hard for children to clean as most tooth brushes are too big to get into the cavities and eliminate the bacteria deep in the tooth. The solution is a simple one though and it works very well, it lasts for about 10 years and is also easily repairable during that time. Similar to a normal filling the tooth is numbed and the cavity is cleaned with a drill, then the cracks are cleaned out to get rid of any hidden bacteria. Acid is then brushed into the cavity and left for a few minutes; this is to give the next stage a better bonding surface. The acid is rinsed with a water spray, and then the area is air dried to make sure it is completely dry. The plastic solution of the filler is brushed on using a hard, short bristled brush, then that solution is bombarded with an intense light source to set it hard. If it cracks or becomes chipped it can easily be repaired using the same method. This method is a very successful way of protecting the teeth of our children in their most vulnerable years; it doesn’t mean though that we can be lax in their oral hygiene care. They need to floss and brush as usual to prevent other problems, and make their teeth last well into their adulthood.

Dental bonding involves placing a tooth coloured restorative material on the facial surfaces of the front teeth. Your Shepperton dentist may choose bonding to: repair decayed, chipped or broken front teeth; change the appearance of the front teeth, by making them look better, and closing existing spaces between the teeth; as an aesthetic choice instead of amalgams in the back teeth; and, to cover exposed root surfaces when the gum tissue recedes.
In most bonding cases, very little tooth preparation and no anaesthesia is required. This is, unless the bonding (i.e., composite) material is to be used to fill a cavity or cavities. You Shepperton dentist will use a shade selection guide to match the shade of your tooth/teeth to be bonded. If your dentist is using bonding to lighten your teeth, a lighter shade of composite material will be selected. You tooth or teeth surface(s) will be roughened using a diamond drill where the bonding material is to be placed. Your dentist will then dry the tooth and apply and acid-etch gel to remove organic materials from your tooth/teeth, so that the bonding material will hold. Then, the tooth/teeth will be cleaned with a water spray and re-dried, an unfilled liquid resin material will be applied, and the dentist will use a special “curing light” so that the unfilled resin will set in place. Then your dentist will apply the filled composite (i.e., bonding) material and shape it closely to the desired results and again use the “curing light” to set the material in place. The dentist will then use some drills, polishing stones, and polishing wheels to finish the restoration/bonding. Dental bonding can be performed in a relatively short time, and multiple teeth can be bonding during the same visit. Dental bondings are the least invasive and relatively inexpensive aesthetic dental procedures that you can get. Proper home care must be used to maintain and clean the dental bonding(s), as well as your other teeth. Your Shepperton dentist will review all of this with you during your dental visit.