Oral Health – Caring for the Whole Mouth

How our oral health regimen affects more than just our teeth.

When we think of the dentist, we tend to think of someone who helps to keep our teeth and gums healthy. Whilst this is, quite obviously, an important role, a dentist also plays a leading role in keeping your whole mouth healthy and as problem free as possible.

Teeth and gums

As well as offering advice on the best way to clean and look after your teeth and gums; regular check ups by our local dentists in Bromley will help to ensure that, when any problems do occur, they can be treated quickly and effectively.

Early signs of gum disease too can usually be rectified without the need for invasive treatment.

Bone loss

One lesser known issue when a tooth has been lost is that of bone loss in the jaw. This occurs because the bone no longer has the role of holding a tooth root in place.

This loss can gradually cause the shape of the face to change and can cause movement of the teeth, causing them to become crooked. It is also likely to be a factor when people complain about their dentures being loose.

By offering dental implants as a replacement for a lost tooth, this process can be halted. The implant itself acts as a tooth root and ‘tricks’ the bone into remaining strong in that area in order to hold it in place.

TMJ

TMJ or Temporomandibular joint disorder can be very painful and make eating difficult. It occurs in the area where the jaw hinges and can cause stress and headaches.

Each case will need to be individually assessed by one of our experienced dentists, but, in many cases, it is caused by an incorrect bite.

The only long-term way to rectify TMJ is to correct the bite, and this is typically done using adult orthodontics to realign the patient’s teeth.

Oral cancer

As well as checking for signs of tooth decay and gum disease during your regular check up; our Bromley dental team are also trained to look out for any potential signs of oral cancers.

These are most likely, although not exclusively, present in patients who have smoked and should be treated as soon as possible.

We should state that, if we recommend that you visit your doctor to have this checked, it does not mean that you necessarily have oral cancer and there may be other reasons for the indications. As dentists, we are trained to identify possible early warning signs which your doctor will be able to examine to determine if this is the cause or not.

Please call the Smile Dental Practice in Bromley today on 020 8462 2473 to arrange your next check-up.