Problem Solver

Bad breathBad breath is a common problem and has a number of causes. Quite often people who think they have bad breath simply smell of the foods they have been eating, such as garlic, onions or spicy food. Brushing your teeth, eating sugar-free mints or using mouthwash may help to mask this odour, but it will only go completely in its own time.

Other types of bad breath tend to be caused by problems with your teeth and gums. Food can get caught between your teeth and cause an offensive smell, and decaying teeth can also smell unpleasant. Gum disease, where bacteria infect your gums, can also cause bad breath.

A good oral healthcare routine can help to prevent problem smells. This means brushing your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between teeth and around the gumline with an interdental cleaner, and cleaning your tongue (with your toothbrush or a tongue scraper). You should also visit your dentist and hygienist as often as recommended to ensure potential problems are noticed and treated early.

If you think you may have bad breath, please do come and speak to us about it. There is no need to be embarrassed – we will be happy to help you.

There are a number of different types of dental pain, as well as a number of causes. Temporary pain when eating or drinking hot or cold foods can be caused by sensitive teeth. Often this problem can be alleviated by using a toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth, but if after a few weeks it has not got any better please come and see us.

Lingering pain or toothache, or a sharp pain when biting down, is usually an indication that the tooth is decayed, cracked or otherwise damaged. Please arrange an appointment to see us as soon as you can so we can stop the problem from getting any worse.

Constant and severe pain may mean that you have an abscess caused by an infection. You should see us as soon as possible – we will be able to immediately provide treatment to reduce the pain, and then consider the treatment options once the pain has subsided.

Tooth grinding, particularly at night, is very common, affecting up to 50% of people. It can cause sore facial muscles, headaches, ear aches and neck pain, and can also cause the teeth to become ground down and more sensitive.

There are many causes of tooth clenching or grinding, including stress, anxiety, poorly aligned teeth and problems with the jaw joint. By reducing your stress levels you may see a dramatic change in your tooth-grinding habits. However, it may also be necessary for us to provide you with a small appliance (somewhat like a custom made mouthguard) to reduce the wear on the teeth and to alleviate the symptoms. We would recommend that anyone who feels that they may be clenching or grinding their teeth should arrange an appointment with us for a comprehensive examination.

Dry mouth, or Xerostomia, is becoming increasingly common. This can be a side-effect of some medication, or can be as a result of many medical conditions. Symptoms can be relieved by sipping water regularly, chewing sugar-free gum or using glycerine mouthwashes or artificial saliva sprays. Saliva plays a vital role in keeping your teeth and gums healthy, so if you do have a dry mouth problem it is important to let us know about it.

Whatever the circumstances, if your tooth is knocked out you should seek emergency dental help immediately – the quicker you are treated the greater the chance of saving the tooth. When handling the tooth, hold it by the crown (the top bit) and not the root. Do not rinse or clean it – either hold it in your cheek (not recommended for children) or put it in a glass of milk.

Avoid excessive exercise and strenuous activity for the rest of the day.

DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING HOT OR ALCOHOLIC OR SMOKE A CIGARETTE FOR THREE TO FOUR HOURS AFTER EXTRACTION.

DO NOT rinse your mouth out excessively on the same day as the extraction. Excessive rinsing encourages bleeding. You may feel sharp edges in the socket with your tongue and small fragments of bone may work loose. This is normal. If you have been given antibiotics you must finish the course even if the pain and/or swelling has disappeared.

DAY AFTER EXTRACTIONS AND FOR ONE WEEK THEREAFTER

It is very important that you keep your mouth as clean as possible. Rinse out your mouth as often as possible (after every meal if you can) with hot water and salt. This will promote faster and cleaner healing.

If severe pain starts a day or so after an extraction it probably means that you have a DRY SOCKET. This is a very painful condition and affects at random a small proportion of extractions. It means that there will be delayed healing. Pain and a bad taste are the usual main features. Dry sockets never last longer than two weeks and are usually healed well inside that time. If your dry socket is very painful please contact the practice: we can easily treat it and make it more comfortable.

IF EXCESSIVE BLEEDING OCCURS:

Use cotton wool or a handkerchief to make a firm pad an inch thick. Place the pad into the bleeding socket from tongue side to cheek side. Bite firmly to compress the pad on the bleeding socket for 15 to 20 minutes without disturbing.

Do not lie down or panic as this will increase the blood supply to the head and make the bleeding more pronounced. It is advisable to keep sitting up. If your efforts are unsuccessful after 2 to 3 hours, contact the practice.

Cold sores are caused by the common virus herpes simplex. Once a person has been infected, the virus lies dormant in the nerves supplying feeling to the face. The virus can subsequently be reactivated, presenting as cold sores on the lips.

Common Triggers Include:

• Ultraviolet (UV) light from sunshine or sunbed exposure.
• Emotional stress or exhaustion.
• Common cold, 'flu or feverish illness.
• Feeling physically low or fatigued leading to a weakened immune system.
• Menstruation.
• Exposure to extreme temperatures or weather conditions.
• Pregnancy.
• An injury to the mouth, surgical operation or dental treatment.
• A knock on the lips or face.

What Treatment is Available?

Cold sores should be treated as soon as you feel one developing (the tingle stage) as this can reduce the duration of the cold sore by up to 50%. It’s never too late to start treating cold sores as even in the blister stage, antiviral creams are effective.

Treatment with an antiviral cream will also help prevent the spread of the virus.

Sucking is a natural reflex and infants and young children may use thumbs, fingers, pacifiers and other objects on which to suck. Thumb sucking that persists beyond the eruption of the permanent teeth can cause problems with the proper growth of the mouth and tooth alignment.

How intensely a child sucks on fingers or thumbs will determine whether or not dental problems may result. Children should stop thumb sucking by the time their permanent front teeth are ready to erupt.

Pacifiers are no substitute for thumb sucking. They can affect the teeth essentially the same way as sucking fingers and thumbs.

It is important to take care of your child's first teeth in the pre-school years, because they guide the permanent teeth into their proper spaces. Healthy, decay-free teeth also mean that the permanent teeth are less likely to decay. So, ensure that good habits are learned early on.

Many people have teeth that are crooked or crowded, some people have upper teeth that stick out and look unsightly. Orthodontic treatment can be used to correct such problems and result in an improved appearance. Orthodontic treatment is usually carried out in children, but many types of treatment are also available for adult patients. Various appliances including removable, functional and fixed orthodontic braces are used to achieve this.

Injuries to the mouth may include teeth that are knocked out (avulsed), forced out of position (extruded) or broken (fractured). Sometimes lips, gums or cheeks have cuts. Oral injuries are often painful, and should be treated by a dentist as soon as possible.