Oral Health Awareness For Asthmatics

by dentalmediaPosted on November 3, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Some common health issues can negatively impact your teeth and gums. Asthma is one of them….

Asthma is a growing problem in the UK and worldwide. Factors such as the increasing amount of pollution have almost certainly contributed to this. For most people, it is a reasonably manageable condition, although for others it can potentially be more dangerous.

With more than 10% of the UK population being diagnosed with asthma, and probably additional ones that haven’t, it is worth taking a look at what effect this common medical issue can have on our oral health.

As with any other practice in the UK, Blue Sky Dental will have its fair share of patients who suffer from asthma. We strongly believe that preventative oral care is essential and today’s blog takes a look at some of the things that our asthmatic Chelmsford patients need to be aware of and how they can minimise the oral health effects of this problem.

Dry mouth/gum disease

Because of the difficulty in breathing that asthma can cause, many asthma sufferers have a tendency to breathe through their mouth instead of their nose. This often results in them having a dryer mouth as the air passes through the mouth. As we know from some of our previous blogs, a dry mouth provides an ideal condition for potentially harmful bacteria to thrive, sometimes leading to gum disease. Whilst this can often be managed through better home care and professional cleaning if caught early, it can eventually lead to loose teeth and even tooth loss if intervention does not happen quickly enough.

If you breathe through your mouth, do try to make sure that you stay well hydrated by drinking enough water and also see a hygienist every six months at our Chelmsford dental practice.

Enamel erosion

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Pregnancy And Your Oral Health

by dentalmediaPosted on October 19, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Expecting a child should be a joyous occasion but it can present certain dental issues

For many people, having a child is one of the highlights of their life. Despite the trials and tribulations it can bring along the way, few would wish to turn the clocks back to before their child was born.

The experience of pregnancy itself seems to vary from person to person, with some revelling in it whilst others find it a struggle most of the way through.

Issues like morning sickness and constipation are well known, but it is a less well known fact that being pregnant can present a number of challenges to your oral health. Most of these can be reduced with a little information and a little more care. For the benefit of any of our Chelmsford patients who might be expecting, here are a few useful tips from our Blue Sky Dental team.

Gum disease

One of the most common oral health problems that women experience when pregnant is that of gum disease. This is often caused by the change in hormones due to the pregnancy. This is a concern as, if gum disease is allowed to advance, it can lead to eventual tooth loss. There is also a concern that people with gum disease can go on to develop serious health problems such as heart disease. There is also some debate as to whether gum disease can be harmful to the unborn child. Whilst research is still ongoing, results have so far been inconclusive. That said, it is better to be safe than sorry and healthy gums are desirable anyway.

Do make sure to take good care of your gums when you are pregnant, and also when you are not of course. Good brushing, flossing and general awareness will all help. You might also wish to consider additional professional cleans by our Chelmsford dental hygienist to help you keep on top of it during your pregnancy.

Enamel erosion

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Chipped A Tooth? Here’s What You Should Do

by dentalmediaPosted on October 5, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Why our Chelmsford patients should not ignore this sometimes seemingly small dental issue

There are some dental issues which we know patients might be tempted to ignore, rather than have it checked out by a dentist. Chipping a tooth is one of these. On the surface of it, it might seem like little more than a minor inconvenience but it can have repercussions which can affect the health of that tooth, often over a period of time.

It is likely that some people see a tooth as a single block of material, rather as they might see a fingernail, for example. A tooth however, is a complex structure and even relatively minor damage can have a significant impact on it. In today’s blog, the Blue Sky Dental team takes a look at what you should do if you have, or suspect you have, chipped a tooth.

What you shouldn’t do

Perhaps most importantly, you shouldn’t ignore any damage to your teeth, no matter how irrelevant you might think it is. Always contact your local Chelmsford dental practice and arrange an appointment to have the tooth checked out. It may well be that no treatment will be needed, but only a dentist can examine the tooth in detail and make that decision.

Don’t prevaricate

“Oh .. it’s just a little chip”. How often have we told ourselves that when we have bitten down on something and felt a tooth break before feeling it with our tongue and realising that only a small piece has broken off?  Even if you decide to see a dentist to have it checked out, it might seem like one of those things that you can do ‘when you have time’.  Depending on the nature of the damage though, the tooth may have become compromised and delaying your dental visit could cause the chip to weaken the tooth, leading to more of it breaking away and exposing the more vulnerable dentin layer beneath the enamel. When this happens, tooth decay can occur, as can a root canal infection that will require more invasive dental services.

Treatment options

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Eating When Wearing Dental Braces

by dentalmediaPosted on September 14, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Traditional braces can make eating difficult and potentially lead to other dental problems

Primarily, we eat to stay alive and to be as healthy as possible. Food provides us with a range of nutrients to build muscles, energy to go about our daily lives and many other functions. This is its basic role and it is essential to survival.

Most of us would also add to that, that it should also be enjoyable and be a pleasurable part of life. There is certainly little doubt that there are now a wider range of foods available for us to enjoy than there was say 50 years ago.

Most of us can simply sit down and enjoy a meal without even thinking about the practical aspects of it. For some people though, eating can be a bit of a challenge. This especially applies if you have poor quality teeth due to neglect, but also to those who currently wear traditional dental braces. The problems can go beyond the standard ‘spinach in the teeth’ issue too!

Dental braces and oral health

Whilst none of us want to walk around with food visibly stuck in our braces, the reality is that, apart from any aesthetic consideration, this trapped food will become even more problematic if it is not completely removed. As it breaks down, the food will produce sugars and acids and this is likely to lead to tooth decay, or even gum disease, to say nothing of the fact that rotting food alone can lead to smelly breath.

From the ‘pleasure’ aspect of eating, we may also make sacrifices, choosing foods that are easier to eat when wearing braces, rather than those that we really like.

What can be done about it?

The most obvious thing to say is that you should take extra care to clean your teeth well if you are wearing the wire and bracket type of braces, whether the traditional metal ones or the more discreet and fast acting ones such as the Inman Aligner that is available at Blue Sky Dental. Our Chelmsford dentists will be able to provide you with full cleaning information to help you keep your teeth as clean as possible whilst wearing your braces.

You might also decide to sacrifice your favourite foods in an attempt to prevent food becoming trapped. Remember though, that trapped food doesn’t need to be visible to cause damage and even small and hidden  particles of food can cause decay to occur. The final choice is, where practical, to avoid the traditional wire and bracket type of braces and opt instead for ‘invisible braces’. These are available to both adults and teenagers whose facial features have fully developed.

A word about invisible braces

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Late Summer Holiday? Things our Chelmsford Patients Should Look Out For

by dentalmediaPosted on August 10, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Going on holiday is great but make sure not to neglect your teeth!

With Covid restrictions now more relaxed than they were, it has become more feasible for many of us to take our holiday abroad.

No doubt some of our Blue Sky Dental patients will have decided to leave it for another year to see what happens and to hopefully have a break free of testing and isolation risks etc, but a large number of you will, without doubt, have decided to squeeze in a break abroad before the summer is out.

In the excitement of planning for our holiday, many of us will barely give a second thought to our oral health but there are certain risks to our teeth and gums on holiday and also certain things that you can do to help ensure they remain healthy during your stay.

Health insurance

Especially now that we are no longer a part of the EU, please make sure that any health insurance you take out covers dental expenses. Although your budget might run to a minor filling if necessary, a more extensive dental treatment could cost you a lot of money if it is not covered by your insurance. Please check this before you leave.

Pack your toothbrush

A toothbrush is one of the things that often gets left at home. This is probably because we pack and then clean our teeth almost the last thing before we leave for the airport. Whilst you should be able to buy a toothbrush when you arrive at your destination unless you are going somewhere remote, it is best to have one handy for when you arrive, especially if the flight timings mean that you have been forced to miss one of your usual cleanings.

Plan in advance

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Sensitive Teeth – Prevention And Treatment in Chelmsford

by dentalmediaPosted on July 28, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Tooth sensitivity can range from being inconvenient to very painful. It doesn’t have to be this way….

If we bite and hold our teeth into a freezing cold ice cream, most of us will experience at least a certain degree of discomfort as the cold meets our teeth. Naturally, we wouldn’t normally do this, but even eating very cold or hot food and drinks in the usual way can cause problems for some people who experience a sharp and sometimes very severe pain when doing so.

Tooth sensitivity is a problem experienced by approximately 1 in 8 people in the UK to varying degrees. It is largely preventable in the majority of cases but even when the problem does arise, there are dental treatments available here in Chelmsford that can help you to eat and drink comfortably again.

Causes of sensitive teeth

Whilst a few of you might experience sensitive teeth caused by naturally very thin enamel, passed down through family genes, most of us have healthy enamel on our teeth that prevents this discomfort. The problem arises when this enamel becomes compromised. This largely happens in two ways.

Accidents

When a tooth becomes damaged through impact or we bite on something harder than expected, it might break and require filling or even a crown. Equally likely though is that a small crack will appear. This might not be noticeable to the naked eye but can make a significant difference when we eat or drink something hot or cold. Damaged enamel will expose the dentin layer of our teeth which is porous and allows sensations to travel quickly to the nerves that are located in the root canals of our teeth.

If you have an accident or a fall where your teeth are impacted; even if you can’t see any obvious damage, please arrange to have them checked by one of our Chelmsford dental  team. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Enamel erosion

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What Can Be Done For Worn Down Teeth?

by dentalmediaPosted on June 28, 2021 Posted in Advice — No Comments ↓

Cosmetic restorations can offer you a much improved smile

There are a lot of things that can go wrong with our teeth if we don’t look after them well. Perhaps the problem most familiar to us is tooth decay. Although this isn’t instant, it can occur over a relatively short space of time. Another fairly common problem, although occuring mainly over a longer term, is the gradual wearing down of the enamel on our teeth.

Although making sure that the enamel remains healthy through regular brushing etc will keep it strong and help to minimise the risk of wearing down, this can still happen, often over a longer period of time. There can be many causes including a poor diet, an incorrect bite or even grinding of the teeth when we sleep.

Problems resulting from worn down teeth

As the enamel of our teeth wears down, there are a number of problems that can arise for our Chelmsford patients. Some of these are largely aesthetic, but others can cause other issues including discomfort.

Small teeth

The bottom row of our front teeth especially can start to look smaller in size as they wear down. This can change what was once an attractive smile into one that looks more unusual. With more and more people becoming conscious about how their teeth look, this is one look that you will want to avoid.

Sensitive teeth

A common issues that we hear about during examinations at Blue Sky Dental is that of sensitive teeth. This doesn’t usually cause consistent pain but can bring sharp pains when extreme temperatures are encountered; for example, when eating ice cream. Even cold weather can set it off and cause you to avoid going out when the weather turns cold.

Weakened teeth

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