The mouth is often overlooked when we are considering the health of our body. However, there is growing evidence that an unhealthy mouth, especially if you have gum disease, may increase your risk of serious health problems.

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, explains: “The link between oral health and overall body health is well documented and backed by robust scientific evidence. Despite this, only 1 in 6 people realise that people with gum disease may have an increased risk of stroke or diabetes. And only 1 in 3 is aware of the heart disease link.”

With that in mind, we take a closer look at some of the most documented connections. 

Alzheimer’s Disease and Gum Disease Link UK

A study published earlier this year linked gum disease to Alzheimer’s disease. The bacteria most commonly responsible for gum disease produces an enzyme that was present in higher levels in brain tissue of patients who suffered Alzheimer’s compared to normal brains of the same age. A second study showed that the bacteria can increase the production of amyloid beta, a major component of the amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s. These studies don’t prove any direct causation and more still needs to be done.

Premature Labour and Gum Disease Link UK

Gum disease can have implications during pregnancy. Maternal periodontal disease increases the chances of giving birth prematurely (less than 37 weeks) or to a lower weight baby. A study of 400 women discovered that the women who received periodontal treatment had less premature labours.

Diabetes and Gum Disease Link UK

There is an increasing number of links between gum disease and diabetes. Around half of the UK, population suffers from gum disease and about 10% of them have it severely enough that it leads to tooth loss. 

The increase in blood sugar level, which occurs in diabetes, can cause damage to nerves, blood vessels, the heart, the kidneys, the eyes and the feet. In the same way, the gums can also be affected.

Evidence also shows that severe periodontal disease can increase blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and also in those who do not have diabetes. In other words, periodontal disease and diabetes are linked in both affect one another.

Heart Disease and Gum Disease Link UK

There have been established links between gum disease and heart health. The Brtish Heart Foundation is doing lots of research into the links between heart disease and gum disease. They have put together this fantastic easy to understand video explaining why gum disease can affect your heart.

Now it’s important to remember that gum disease is treatable. If treated early then there are often no harmful effects. If left untreated it can cause damage but is still treatable and can prevent further problems from occurring.

If you are worried about your gum health then please get in touch with us for advice…

1 in 5 people will suffer from mouth ulcers at some point in their life. Ulcers can be painful when eating, drinking or brushing teeth. It’s a problem that we see often at our Leicester dental practice. It’s ok to suffer from occasional mouth ulcers, they are usually harmless and generally clear up on their own.

What causes mouth ulcers?

Believe it or not, the exact cause of mouth ulcers is still unknown!

There are things that are thought to trigger simple mouth ulcers such as stress or certain foods such as citrus fruits (such as lemons, oranges, pineapples, apples, figs, tomatoes and strawberries), can trigger a mouth ulcer or make the problem worse. Sometimes a sharp tooth surface or dental appliances, such as braces or ill-fitting dentures, might also trigger mouth ulcers.

Occasionally cases of complex mouth ulcers are caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system; nutritional problems, such as vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron deficiency and gastrointestinal tract diseases, such as Coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.
Seek medical advice if they last longer than 3 weeks or keep coming back.

Sometimes medications can cause mouth ulcers, if you notice a correlation between your medication and mouth ulcers then it’s important you continue with the medication but seek advice from your GP as soon as possible.

How are mouth ulcers treated?

Pain from a mouth ulcer generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two.

If sores are large, painful or persistent, your dentist may prescribe an antimicrobial mouth rinse, a corticosteroid ointment, or a prescription or non-prescription solution to reduce the pain and irritation.

Over the counter remedies such as Bonjela may help to relieve some discomfort temporarily.

When to seek medical advice:

Unusually large sores
Sores that are spreading
Sores that last three weeks or longer
Intolerable pain despite avoiding trigger foods and taking over-the-counter pain medication
Difficulty drinking enough fluids
High fever with the appearance of the mouth ulcer(s)

Can mouth ulcers be prevented?

Sadly there is no cure yet for mouth ulcers. You may be to reduce the frequency of ulcers with the following:

Practice good dental hygiene
Avoid foods that irritate your mouth, including acidic or spicy foods
Avoid irritation from gum chewing
Using a soft-bristled toothbrush after meals and flossing daily, which will keep your mouth free of foods that may trigger a sore.

If you’re worried about mouth ulcers contact us here…

Technology is generally a part of most children’s lives now and whilst there has to be a balance, technology can be used to be a force of good in your child’s everyday life. Good habits start young and there are now many technologies that can be used to improve your child’s oral health. Here are some of our favourites!

Phone Apps

Brush DJ

The free multi-award-winning Brush DJ app is suitable for use by all ages. This toothbrush timer app plays 2 minutes of music from your devices, cloud or streaming service – to make toothbrushing for an effective length of time less boring!

The app is fully customisable for your child. Choosing their favourite colour, age-appropriate information and advice.

You can use Brush DJ with a manual or electric toothbrush and it allows you to set reminders to:

•Change your toothbrush/brush head every 3 months

•Brush at least twice a day

•Floss/clean interdentally every day

•Use a mouth wash at a different time to toothpaste

•When next to visit dentist, hygienist, orthodontist or dental therapist

Sugar Smart App

Change 4 Life – NHS have a fantastic website full of helpful information and advice on sugar swaps. There is also a ‘Sugar Smart‘ app from Public Health England which works by scanning the barcode of products to show the total sugar content in cubes or grams, aiming to help parents take control of their children’s sugar intake.

YouTube Videos

Brush Your Teeth Super Simple Songs

This is great for very little ones. Many parents of babys and toddlers are probably aware of this popular YouTube channel and their baby entrancing songs! This app is also nice and calm so an ideal song to incorporate into the bed time routine.

The Tooth Brushing Song – The Tooth Brushing Badge 

A timed toothbrushing song good for young children. It includes enough time to get their toothbrush out and put the toothpaste on too.

Tooth Brushing Song by Blippi | 2-Minutes Brush Your Teeth for Kids

This video has over 87 million views! The Blippi teeth brushing song is an animated timed two minute catchy song. Get ready to sing it all day long!

Why do We Brush Our Teeth?

As children are getting older it would be good to get them involved with understanding why brushing their teeth is important.

Toothbrushes

Gondola Kids Bamboo Toothbrush 

Okay so this isn’t very technical – it’s the reverse – back to basics. However, this eco-friendly toothbrush is ideal for very young children. Using a small manual toothbrush is more appropriate when your children are very little. The important part is to use a smudge of age-appropriate toothpaste and get them into healthy habits of brushing twice a day and limiting sugar intake.

The Philips Sonicare For Kids app syncs with your child’s sonic toothbrush to help them learn about oral care through play. Your child’s brushing coach challenges him to brush better and for longer. Each session starts with clear visual instructions about correct brushing techniques and the app’s progress monitor tracks the total performance. Kids learn while having fun, and parents get to see how well kids are doing between check-ups.

The app syncs with your child’s sonic toothbrush via Bluetooth to show proper brushing techniques and track performance. Kids can see how well they brush, and earn exciting rewards for a job well done.

As you can see technology can be a great aid for helping your child to achieve and maintain great oral health. Find out more about children’s dental health here…

Most people will have heard of root canal treatment but few know what it is! Often when people hear the words ‘root canal treatment’ they instantly freeze with fear as they associate it with unnecessary pain and expense. But root canal treatment (endodontics) is a vital treatment which can save your tooth and save you from a lot of toothache in the future! Our emphasis at Smile Essential dental practice in Leicester is to save teeth and to help you to keep your teeth for life.

Why would I need a root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment (also called Endodontics) is needed when the pulp inside your tooth becomes infected through tooth decay or damaged by an injury to your mouth. This infection may spread through the root canal system, which could eventually lead to an abscess, causing a great deal of discomfort.

What doe’s root canal treatment involve?

Treatment involves the removal of the pulp tissues from the centre of your tooth and refilling it with a special material. Special tools and equipment are required to do this. Treatment is usually completed over 2-3 appointments.

Can I have the tooth removed instead of having root canal treatment?

The loss of even one tooth can have a detrimental effect on your mouth and can lead to your other teeth drifting into the gap, which can cause problems with your bite.

Does root canal treatment hurt?

Root canal treatment procedures are relatively comfortable and often painless as the tooth is anaesthetised during treatment. After treatment, the tooth may be sensitive or tender for a few days due to inflammation of the surrounding tissues. Taking over-the-counter painkillers can relieve this discomfort.

How long is the treatment to have root canal work done?

The treatment is usually carried over 2-3 appointments and can take between 1.5 and 2 hours.

How much does root canal treatment cost?

Our root canal treatment at our Leicester clinic costs from £315. There are other cost considerations you will need to account for such as X-rays, a filling and the future cost of a crown.

Your dentist will provide you with an estimate of costs and a breakdown of the treatment and payments required.

Does root canal treatment always work?

The success rates for root canal treatment is in the region of 80%- 95%. The success depends on firstly being able to access the canals and secondly on the ability to disinfect the entire length of the root canals. In some cases, this is not possible due to the extent of the infection, technical difficulties and complications. Provided the tooth is subsequently restored, it should last for many years.

What will my tooth look like after the root canal treatment?

Sometimes a root-filled tooth may darken, particularly if it died as a result of an injury such as a knock to the tooth. At Smile essential we usually place a tooth coloured to seal the tooth and shape it so it looks like the natural anatomy of a tooth.

How long will my tooth last after having root canal treatment?

Root-filled teeth are more likely to break than healthy unrestored teeth, so your dentist may suggest placing a crown onto the tooth to protect it once the root canal work has completely settled down – usually 6-12 months.

Around 9 out of 10 root-treated teeth survive for 8 to 10 years. Having a crown fitted to the tooth after root canal treatment is important for improving tooth survival rates.

Find out more about the root canal treatment we offer at our Leicester dental practice…