Tooth sensitivity is one of the chief complaints dentists receive. It results when gums recede and expose the tooth roots. Tubules in the tooth roots lead directly to the tooth’s nerve, allowing stimuli such as hot or cold to reach the nerve and cause the associated pain. Several factors contribute to gum recession, including:

Brushing Technique – Brushing aggressively or with a hard-bristled brush can wear down the tooth enamel and expose the sensitive layers of dentin. Improper brushing can also damage the gum tissue and expose tooth roots.

Cracked Teeth – Even small cracks in tooth enamel can fill with bacteria, irritate the pulp, and cause tooth sensitivity.

Teeth Grinding – Over time, teeth grinding can lead to enamel erosion and hairline fractures.

Gum Disease – The leading cause of gum recession and tooth loss, gum disease eats away gum tissue and leaves tooth roots vulnerable to outside stimuli.

Age – Tooth sensitivity is typically highest between ages 25 and 30.

Tips for Tougher Teeth
Changing your hygiene products and habits can have an enormous impact. Brush with a desensitizing toothpaste and always use a soft-bristled brush. Fluoride rinses can re-mineralize softened areas of tooth enamel and curb sensitivity. Daily flossing and regular dental cleanings will help prevent gum disease, and your dentist  or Oral Hygienist can recommend other measures, such as a nightguard for teeth grinding. You don’t have to suffer tooth sensitivity. See your dentist for a thorough diagnosis and long-term solution.

Drink your milk! How many of us immediately revert to childhood memories of sitting around the dinner table with mom and dad upon hearing these words? What if, instead, our moms had insisted, “Eat your cheese!”? I imagine we’d all have fonder dinnertime memories, for one.

Well, it turns out Mom would have been doing us all a great favor if she’d been a little more generous with the cheese. Evidence indicates that eating cheese is beneficial for your teeth because it is low in carbohydrates and high in calcium and phosphate. Research over the past decade suggests that cheese is not only an excellent source of calcium, which (as we all know) strengthens bones and teeth, but can also help balance the acidity levels (pH) in your mouth preventing decay.

Be Strong

While dairy products are chock full of bone-strengthening calcium, cheese goes the extra mile by coating your teeth with calcium. A single cube of cheese can increase plaque-calcium concentration by more than 100 percent! This coating aids in hardening and remineralizing teeth, which protects against cavities.

Keep the Balance

Cheese not only acts as a delicious source of calcium, but it goes another step in fighting dental caries by balancing the pH levels in your mouth. When starchy or sugary foods and drinks are consumed acids are produced, causing pH levels to drop. A low pH level encourages demineralization, softening teeth and making them vulnerable to decay. Once again, cheese steps in to save the day! Studies show that eating cheese helps maintain a safer pH level for your teeth.

It’s Gouda for You!

What’s your favorite kind of cheese? Is it cheddar, Swiss, blue, brie, Gouda, or Edam? It’s been shown that just about any variety provides benefits to your oral health, so bring on the cheese and smile pretty!

Don’t forget to brush and floss regularly. Teeth cannot live on cheese alone.

If you have any thoughts or questions regarding this post kindly post your comments below or email us via our website www.harrow-dentist.com or call 020 84272543

With acknowlements to Best Dentist News 2011

If there’s one thing we all have in common fairly often, it’s that stressful situations can occupy our minds and sap our energy. Not only that, stress can actually compromise your health. If you are stressed, it’s more likely that you’ll grind your teeth during sleep causing tooth or  muscle pain . While this bit of information has been around for a while, a recent study shed light on new piece of the teeth-grinding puzzle.

The article published in journal Head and Face Medicine shows that some ways of coping with stress can be healthier for your teeth and jaw than others. Those people who deal with stress by attempting to ignore their problems or internalize them are at higher risk for teeth grinding, also called bruxism. The study found that heavy grinders often used what were termed “negative” coping methods, like ignoring the causes of stress instead of working through problems directly.

If you’re experiencing stress, look over the following suggestions and see what you could do to improve your mental and emotional health:

• Get a good night’s sleep–being fully rested does amazing things for your clarity of thought and state of mind.
• Exercise–whether it’s outdoors or at the gym, exercise eases anxiety and releases mood-enhancing endorphins.
• Eat a healthy and varied diet–make sure meals include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Laugh–you’ve heard the saying that goes “laughter is the best medicine.” That’s absolutely true when you’re dealing with stress! Make sure that you’re never too busy to enjoy the company of friends and family who make you laugh.
• Let it out–internalized stress doesn’t disappear, it only multiplies. If you feel overwhelmed at the prospect, a professional therapist can help you work through it.

Don’t let stress get you down. Take charge of your health and well-being by taking care of yourself. Your teeth will thank you!

At the Harrow Dental Centre we can help by making a ‘bite guard ‘ to proect your teeth and help your jaw muscles to relax

If you have any thoughts or questions regarding this post kindly post your comments below or email us via our website www.harrow-dentist.com or call 020 84272543

With acknowlements to Best Dentist News 2010

Parents have been telling their children to brush their teeth for at least 6,000 years. Archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence of ancient tooth cleaning implements, including twigs, feathers, bones, and quills. In fact, tooth brushing tools have been found as early as 3500 BCE in the Babylonian and Egyptian cultures, when people used frayed ends of twigs to scrub off bacteria and food particles.

Several early cultures used chewing sticks with aromatic or antiseptic properties, such as neem or miswak. The sticks not only cleaned teeth, but also freshened breath.

In 1498 in China, an enterprising soul plucked stiff hairs from a pig’s neck and attached the bristles to a bone or bamboo handle. When this toothbrush was adopted by the Europeans, they opted for softer bristles—using horsehairs or feathers.

The toothbrush was modernized around 1780 by Englishman William Addis when he tied boar bristles into tufts and glued them into drilled holes of a bone handle. In fact, he’s responsible for the first mass-produced toothbrush. The company that Addis started more than 230 years ago, Wisdom Toothbrushes, still exists today.

In 1857, H.N. Wadsworth was the first American to be granted a toothbrush patent. However, mass production on toothbrushes in the United States didn’t begin until 1885, and animal bristles were still used as the brushing components. Fast forward to 1938 when DuPont created a new material called nylon. These synthetic fibers soon replaced natural bristles in toothbrushes.

These days, you have a variety of toothbrush options, including electric and disposable. If you’re not sure which type of toothbrush is best for your dental care needs, ask your dentist at your next checkup. And skip the twigs.

If you have any thoughts or questions regarding this post kindly post your comments below or email us via our website www.harrow-dentist.com or call 020 84272543

John Lennon told his housekeeper she could give his tooth to her daughter as a souvenir

A Canadian dentist has bought one of John Lennon’s teeth for £19,500 at an auction in Stockport.