Welcome to Shaftesbury Dental. We provide information, updates, news and tips on dental care and dental well-being.
WHY IS DENTAL CARE IMPORTANT
Dental health describes all things related to the health and wellbeing of your mouth, gums, teeth and tongue. It is important to monitor your teeth and mouth’s health but it is also important to monitor your gum’s health and your overall dental health. This is because of the many functions that we use our mouths for.
We use our mouths, teeth and tongue to speak and to eat: these are two of the most important things we do every day. Our mouths are also essential parts of our facial expressions when, for example, we smile and laugh.
Henceforth, if our mouths are not healthy, they can cause a lot of problems. For example, we might not be able to chew and process food properly. We might not be able to speak properly and communicate with others. We might also smile less and be less confident around others. Finally, toothaches are very painful and they might affect our daily lives in such a way that we might have to cancel our plans. They might even affect our daily lives and we might have to avoid going to work or school because of dental pain.
HOW TO GET DENTAL CARE IN THE UK
Through the public healthcare scheme, called the National Health Service (NHS), all residents of the UK can get help with dental costs. Most basic dental treatments are subsidized by the government so that everyone can have access to them. They are divided in 3 bands, depending on the amount of assistance and treatment you need. You may also want to consider going private, as that may offer more flexible options both of treatments and of appointment times.
DENTAL PROBLEMS
There are a range of dental health issues that may arise with poor hygiene, stress, ageing or other conditions. The most common dental problems are cavities. Dental cavities, or caries, happen when a bacterial infection develops inside the tooth, and causes tooth decay. In that case, the dentist may need to not only remove the bacterial and the decay, but also apply a tooth filling.
Other problems that may arise may be tooth abscesses or gum diseases. The first is very painful: if you feel like you could have it, you should seek immediate medical attention. The second one has different stages. It is important to monitor your gum’s health so to make sure that your gums can keep your teeth in place. Consult your dentist if your gums bleed when you brush your teeth or they appear red and swollen.
Sometimes people might grind their teeth when stressed, especially while asleep. If this is something that you think you might be doing, consult your dentist to avoid chipping and eroding your teeth.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS IN THE UK
If you need emergency dental care (i.e. you have bleeding in your mouth you cannot control, your mouth provokes severe pain or you have had trauma or swelling affecting the mouth) then contact 111. You should contact 111 especially if you do not know the nearest dental care clinic where you can get immediate medical help.