Bad breath is something that we all dread having as no one wants to offend anyone else, but it can be very difficult to tell if your own breath is bad, and you may need to have a quiet word with a close friend or relative to find out the truth. If it’s bad news, then there are various things you can do, but the main thing is to find out why you have halitosis rather than to concentrate on masking the odour. The main reasons for halitosis include:

• Poor oral hygiene. Having poor oral hygiene will allow food particles to build up in your mouth, increasing the numbers of bacteria. Rotting food, combined with large amounts of bacteria will give off noxious odours, and will increase your risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
• Failing to clean dentures or other dental appliances will have the same effect. Allowing food and bacteria to build up on dental appliances will give you bad breath. Dental appliances need to be thoroughly cleaned at least once a day in order to avoid giving offense, and to keep your mouth healthy.
• Certain foods can promote bad breath, and well-known offenders include onion and garlic. In this case there is simply nothing else to do but to wait for these foods to be eliminated from your body. They make your breath smell after they have been ingested and have entered your bloodstream, eventually being exhaled through the lungs, so it’s simply a matter of waiting and trying to mask the odours with mints and mouthwash.
• People on low-carb diets and or those who are dieting often have strange smelling breath as the lack of carbohydrates can force the body to break down fats, releasing ketones as a result.
• Anyone with dry mouth is also likely to have bad breath. Saliva is very important to oral health as it helps to neutralise the acids and washes away excess food particles and dead skin cells. Dry mouth or xerostomia, can be due to several different reasons, as it can be caused by mouth breathing or having problems with the saliva glands, or it may be due to prescription medications. Anyone with dry mouth should ask Leeds City Dentalcare for advice on dealing with this condition, as there are various things that can help.
• Smoking will dry out the mouth, leading to similar problems as with xerostomia. A lack of saliva helps to promote the growth of bacteria in the mouth, and will give you bad breath.
• Having a bad cold or sinusitis increases the risk of bad breath, due to the secretions dripping down the back of the throat.

If you have bad breath, and are not sure what has caused it then it is worth booking a check-up with Dr David Brown, or with another of our dentist at Leeds. If it is due to poor oral hygiene that has resulted in tooth decay or gum disease, then we can provide treatment to help clear up these conditions. Our dental team can also give you lots of advice on how to care for your teeth and gums. If we can’t find any reason for your bad breath, then we may recommend you visit your doctor, just to make sure it is not due to a medical condition.

Gum disease is often called a silent disease as the early symptoms can be quite difficult to spot. This is one of the reasons why you are encouraged to visit Leeds City Dentalcare at regular intervals. Dr David Brown or another of the dentists here in Leeds will be able to assess your gums to see whether or not you have any signs of this common disease.

If this is your first visit to Leeds City Dentalcare, then you are likely to be asked about your medical and dental history. This will include information about your oral hygiene habits, and information about any medications you may be taking as this could affect your oral health. The early signs they’ll be looking for include:

• Having bad breath. Persistent bad breath or halitosis is one of the first signs that something is wrong with your oral health, and it is caused by a build-up of bacteria in the mouth giving off noxious odours.
• Your dentist will also be assessing the state of your gums. Healthy gums are pink and firm to the touch, and have healthy papilla in between each tooth. The papillae are the little sections of gum tissue that come to a point in between each tooth. If the gums are unhealthy then these sections of tissue may have disappeared, leaving spaces or dark triangles in between each tooth.
• Receding gums are another sign of gum disease, and can be an indication of significant progression. As gum disease begins to take hold, it causes the gums to begin pulling away and detaching from the tooth, something that can make the teeth appear longer. One common sign that this is occurring is noticing your teeth are more sensitive than before as the roots will be more exposed
• Your dentist in Leeds will also want to assess the depth of any pockets around your teeth. This is done by carefully inserting a probe in between the gum and your tooth, and if gum diseases present this can make them bleed, indicating inflammation. Healthy gums will have a depth of between zero and 3 mm whereas an unhealthy gum will have a pocket in excess of 3 mm. The larger the pocket, the more the disease has progressed.
• If you have severe gum disease then your teeth may have begun to become loose, and they could meet together slightly differently due to the shifting position. In this case your Leeds dentist will be checking the way your teeth meet together.
• They may also want to take dental x-rays, as this will show them the bone structure underneath your teeth. Loss of bone can indicate gum disease.

What Happens If I Have Got Gum Disease?

If you’re diagnosed with this disease then your dentist will work out a treatment plan. Early signs of gum disease can easily be reversed, but if it has progressed then treatment does become a little trickier, and it may not be possible to cure the disease completely. In this case the aim of treatment will be to halt its progression and to help your teeth last for as long as possible. This isn’t ideal, but it’s always best to try to prolong the life of your natural teeth.

Did you know tooth decay is one of the most common diseases, and is only beaten by the common cold? Most people will require at least one filling during their lifetime, but is it possible to prevent it?

There are various strategies you can take to try to prevent tooth decay, and this is something that we can help you with at Leeds City Dentalcare. Not everyone has the same risk of developing tooth decay, but this can change over time. It can be influenced by a number of different factors such as the number of bad bacteria in the mouth, whether or not sufficient saliva is produced, and dietary habits.

Healthy habits that help prevent tooth decay include having a nutritionally sound diet, producing sufficient amounts of saliva, and quite possibly the use of dental sealants to seal the chewing surfaces of back teeth, and the use of topical fluoride or antibacterial agents in the form of a mouthwash if required.

Strategies to Help Keep Your Teeth Free from Decay

Maintaining a healthy diet will help considerably, as your teeth will receive all the nutrients they require to stay healthy and strong, and will be less likely to be exposed to harmful foods. Sweet and sticky foods will tend to stick to the teeth for long periods of time and this can greatly increase the chance of tooth decay. The reason for this is that it will provide plenty of food for the harmful bacteria in your mouth, and these will reward you by producing acids that will attack your teeth, softening the tooth enamel. Your mouth becomes more acidic for up to an hour after eating, and this is one of the reasons why it’s important not to snack too frequently on unhealthy foods.

Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day without fail will also help tremendously. It’s all too easy to underestimate the need to floss every day, but it is essential as the contact areas in between your teeth are prone towards developing decay. This is due to the fact that they trap food, allowing the harmful bacteria in your mouth to thrive. You need to floss right down to and just below the gum line, and if you find this difficult it’s worth asking Dr. David Brown or any of the dental staff at our Leeds surgery for help and advice. You’d be surprised how much easier it can be with just a few simple tips and a quick demonstration.

Children and teenagers, and anyone who doesn’t have any cavities in the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, may be able to have dental sealants applied. Sealants are excellent at helping to prevent decay in these vulnerable chewing surfaces, but can only be applied to teeth that do not have any fillings.

Visiting Leeds City Dentalcare for regular checks and a scale and polish will allow our dentist in Leeds to pick up the very early signs of decay before they even cause you any nasty symptoms. Preventative dental care is something that we take very seriously as we would far rather keep your teeth healthy and free from fillings for as long as possible.

You’re probably already well aware of the need to look after your teeth on a daily basis through brushing and flossing, and the need to visit Leeds City Dentalcare regularly for checkups and cleanings. But nutrition is also an important part of having great teeth and is essential right throughout your life.

Nutrition during Pregnancy

It’s important for the mother to have good nutrition as the baby teeth begin forming just six weeks into pregnancy, and they begin mineralising between the third and fourth months. The mother’s diet must contain all the essential nutrients, but especially protein, calcium and phosphorus. A nutritionally deficient diet could cause defects in the tooth development and may affect the salivary flow and composition. It’s been shown that being deficient in protein and taking in too few calories, and being deficient in vitamins A, C, D and iodine can all affect the development of teeth. This development can also be affected by an excess of fluoride and of vitamin D. Dr. David Brown or any of the dentist in Leeds can offer mothers-to-be dental care and advice.

Nutrition for Children and Teenagers

Children’s teeth will continue to develop right throughout childhood and into their early teens when the permanent teeth erupt. It’s essential they have a healthy diet, as all the tissues in the body are constantly growing and need essential nutrients to support new growth and development. Having a healthy diet will ensure the teeth mineralise sufficiently and that growth of teeth and bones is correct. At this stage in their life the teeth are also affected by an excess intake of sugars, particularly as so many are hidden in everyday foods and drinks. Children’s permanent back teeth can be protected against decay through the use of dental sealants, and this is something we can provide here at Leeds City Dentalcare.

Nutrition during Adulthood

Adults may have finished growing but it’s still important to have a good diet so the body is able to maintain itself, especially in respect of connective tissues and bones. Adults are more at risk of developing periodontal disease (gum disease) and certain prescription medications can increase this risk by prompting dry mouth, where not enough saliva is produced to keep the mouth clean in between twice-daily brushing. Most adults are recommended to visit our Leeds surgery every six months for a check-up and a scale and polish.

Older Adults

The challenges faced by older adults can also affect their oral health as this generation are more likely to be on prescription medications that increase the risk of cavities and gum disease through creating dry mouth. Older adults can often find that appetite declines, and this can affect nutritional health. This issue can be made worse if any or all of the teeth are missing, and it can make it difficult to eat many foods that are important for a healthy diet.

Leeds City Dentalcare is able to offer preventative, restorative and cosmetic dentistry in Leeds for the whole family, from before a child is born right up until old age. This preventative dental care can help teeth last a lifetime, while teeth that are missing can be replaced with dental implants or other restorations such as bridges.

Why Treat Receding Gums?

It is important to treat receding gums as this condition can be caused by some underlying infection, and it could be that you require treatment from Leeds City Dentalcare for gum disease. Treating receding gums will help halt the progression of the disease, and is something that can be done in several different ways, depending on the severity of the infection.

Receding gums can also look less than attractive, so halting the recession is definitely preferable as it will help you to maintain a gum line that is more aesthetically pleasing. Gums that fit tightly around the teeth and which are healthy are easier to keep clean as you are less likely to get plaque and other debris stuck in the pockets that may form around the teeth. Healthy gums have pockets of between0 mm and 3 mm.

Treating receding gums is very important as it will help stop the decline of gum tissue. If your gums are diseased then it’s highly likely that the bacterial infection will eventually attack the ligaments responsible for holding your teeth firmly in position in the socket. If these ligaments are lost then your teeth are likely to become loose.

Receding gums can also expose the root of the tooth and this is covered in a layer of material called cementum. This is much softer than tooth enamel and is far more easily worn away, leaving the tooth at risk of developing decay.

Treatment for Receding Gums

If your gum recession is relatively mild then it might be possible to treat it with a simple scale and polish, but it’s probably more likely that your gums will require deep cleaning. This is a routine procedure that’s also called scaling and planing. The purpose of the treatment is to remove the plaque and tartar that have built up on the tooth and on any areas of exposed root. The area just below the gum line is then smoothed as this makes it far more difficult for the plaque bacteria to gain a foothold. This will help your gums to heal and will hopefully shrink the size of any gum pockets. This treatment is suitable for gum pockets have the depth of up to 5 mm.

If your gums have been more extensively damaged then you may require periodontal surgery for gum surgery. This can include measures to reduce the depth of the pockets and to clean out areas containing bacteria. There are various ways the lost gum tissue can be regenerated, as well as the bone and ligaments holding your teeth in place. It’s even possible to have gum tissue grafted onto affected areas, and this is generally grafted from another section in your mouth.

Preventing Gum Recession

Obviously it’s better to try and prevent gum recession, and this is one of the reasons why we recommend patients visit our Leeds surgery at regular intervals. Dentist Leeds will be able to assess your gums to make sure there are no signs of disease, and anything we do find is likely to be in the very early stages, enabling us to treat it before it can cause extensive damage. You can also help yourself by making sure you look after your teeth and gums at home, and by brushing them using a soft bristle toothbrush. Healthy gums also need a healthy diet, as they need certain nutrients for healing and maintenance. If you smoke it is best to quit as this increases your chances of getting gum disease. If you have any other conditions such as teeth grinding that may affect your gums then it’s well worth seeing Dr. David Brown or another of our dentists for advice on how to correct this problem.

Have you looked in the mirror recently and thought your teeth looked longer than before? If so then you may have gum recession. This is where the gum tissues around your teeth begin to pull back or to pull away so that more of the crown of the tooth is exposed. Eventually this recession may expose the root of the tooth. This recession can create pockets around the base of the tooth as the gum tissue become loose, and you may notice dark triangles appearing in between the teeth in areas that were previously filled with gum tissue.

Gum recession is something that can take place very gradually, and one of the first signs that it is occurring can be noticing your teeth seem extra sensitive whenever you eat or drink hot and cold foods, and this is a common symptom amongst patients at Leeds City Dentalcare.

What are the Common Causes of Gum Recession?

• Receding gums are often a sign of some underlying problem, in particular gum disease. Healthy gums are pink in colour, and should feel firm when you touch them. They may look slightly stippled like the surface of an orange. Unhealthy gums will look slightly swollen, and may appear to be a darker colour than before due to bacterial infection. This infection can destroy the gum tissue, the ligaments holding your teeth in place, and even the surrounding bone.
• Gum recession may simply be down to your genetics, as some people are unfortunate enough to be more susceptible towards developing gum disease than others. If you have a family history of gum disease or tooth loss, in spite of good dental care, then it may be worth your while contacting Dr. David Brown or another of our dentists in Leeds for advice.
• Brushing your teeth too aggressively can eventually wear away the gum tissue, and it may cause the enamel on your teeth to erode. You don’t need to brush your teeth very hard to remove the soft layer of dental plaque that builds up over the course of each day.
• Poor dental care can also result in gum recession, as failing to remove dental plaque each day will allow it to harden into a substance called calculus or tartar. This is very hard and can only be removed by having your teeth professionally scaled by your dentist in Leeds.
• Women may be more susceptible towards receding gums due to hormonal changes that take place throughout the course of a lifetime. Hormonal fluctuations during puberty, the menopause and during pregnancy can increase the sensitivity of the gums towards plaque bacteria, and may also increase the body’s reaction towards infection, which will increase the amount of inflammation. Much of the destruction caused by gum disease is due to inflammation.
• Smokers are more likely to get gum disease and smoking increases the risk of dental plaque building up on the teeth and gums. Smoking also makes it harder for the body to fight off any infections such as gum disease.
• Teeth grinding or clenching your teeth can also affect the gums as it places additional pressure on the gum tissues.
• If your teeth are wonky and don’t meet together evenly than this can create additional pressure on certain teeth, causing the gums to recede.

Leeds City Dental care offers treatment for gum disease and for other conditions that can create gum recession. If you think your gums may be receding than it’s worth booking a dental check-up at our Leeds surgery so we can work out a treatment plan to help stop the recession and return your gums to health.