Why does your SW9 Dental dentist go on about dental hygiene so much? It’s because having a clean and healthy mouth not only prolongs the life of your teeth but also gives you more chance of having a healthy body.

The endgame for your teeth

You already know that the worst thing that can befall your teeth is that they either come out or have to be extracted. However, teeth don’t get to that point all at once, unless you have the misfortune to get them knocked out in an accident.

Tooth issues tend to run along 2 trajectories: gum disease and decay. Sometimes your teeth suffer from one, sometimes from the other. They can have both at the same time too. Decay and gum disease have the same cause, a build-up of bacteria.

There are several hundred strains of bacteria in your mouth. One in particular, Streptococcus mutans, loves eating sugar. If you eat or drink something sugary or starchy, it will devour the sugars in your saliva and proliferate like mad. This is why you feel like your teeth have gone all furry after a sugary snack, like candy floss or raisins.

Gum disease

These bacteria excrete acid after eating sugar and it attacks your gums, making them sore, swollen and prone to bleeding. They also start to pull away from your teeth, creating space underneath into which more bacteria can travel, and start to attack your tooth roots and jawbone.

Decay

The acid also corrodes tooth enamel, creating cavities for decay to sneak into. Untreated decay leads to abscesses and infections. If you get an abscess, you will almost certainly need root canal therapy, maybe even extraction.

Easy oral health

Fortunately, it is easy to take care of your teeth. You just need to brush your teeth for 2 minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. You need to floss to remove plaque and trapped food too.

You also need to visit SW9 Dental for a twice-yearly check-up so that we can deal with any problems in their very early stages. And don’t forget to get a deep clean form our hygienists too.