Snoring may be considered humourous, but it’s anything but funny.

Whilst snoring has always been seen as something quite humourous and often used in films to depict someone as such; the fact is that snoring should be taken more seriously. On a superficial level, if our partner snores, we are likely to get poor quality sleep, leaving us tired the next day. Over a period of time, this tiredness could accumulate and even result in poor health.

For the person who snores though; although they may be unaware of it, the health risks associated with it are even more profound.

What causes snoring

Snoring is caused when the airways become partially blocked by the soft tissues in the mouth. This causes vibrations, resulting in the snoring sound that we are familiar with. This partial blockage, especially if it happens frequently throughout the night, results in a restriction of oxygen into our bodies. The end result of this is that we are likely to feel anywhere from tired to exhausted the following day.

This tiredness can prevent us from leading our lives to the full and may cause problems with concentration at work, or more dangerous still, when driving.

In extreme cases, sleep apnea may be the cause of snoring. This is where the oxygen is blocked for several seconds, and may result in us waking, gasping for air. If this occurs, it is important to see your GP.

Somnowell

Continue reading The Risks of Snoring

Can morning breakfast really affect your oral health….?

Few of us have the luxury of being able to start our day in a relaxed manner. For most of us, the day starts with the alarm clock (or the children) waking us up, dragging us, perhaps reluctantly, into the day ahead.

As our energy levels may be low in the morning, we quite naturally want to boost these by eating breakfast, but, given the lack of time often available once we have got the children ready for school, this can be a hastily put together affair.

Sugar boost

One of the most likely breakfast options is cereal. This should be a good healthy start to the day, however, most cereals, although not all, contain high levels of sugar, in addition to any that we may add ourselves.

This is probably washed down with a cup of tea or coffee which may also have sugar added to it.

As you can see, we are already starting to consume a sizeable amount of sugar, some of which will stick to our teeth, contributing to erosion of the enamel. This enamel is what protects the softer part of the teeth, and erosion can lead to sensitivity or even decay.

Education

Continue reading The wrong way to start your day….

A commonly used procedure to prevent serious oral health problems.

It is likely that most of us reading this blog will have heard a dentist suggest ‘a little scale and polish’. Only occasionally though might the dentist also explain why they are doing this, especially as it is usually a relatively minor procedure.

Because it is a non invasive treatment which rarely warrants a local anaesthetic, it is likely that we think that this is being done purely for aesthetic purposes. Although it can have this effect to some degree, the fact is that it plays a very important role in keeping gum disease at bay.

Gum disease prevention

Prevention is certainly better than the cure and, at Beau Monde Dental Care, we do all that we can to offer appropriate advice to our Bristol dental patients to help them prevent the onset of gum disease.

Unfortunately, gum disease is prevalent in this country and is currently the leading cause of tooth loss. It can often occur in places, such as behind the back of the rear teeth, where it can be difficult to keep clean.

To help with your own oral care regimen, a professional scale and polish performed by one of our Bristol dentists or hygienists, will remove any hardened bacteria that has build up in the form of plaque.

Periodontitis

Continue reading Why do Dentists ‘Scale and Polish’ Your Teeth?

How we can help you to look your best for the Summer months ahead.

Although it may not look much like it, looking at the sky as I write this blog post; Summer is only about a month away and many of us will be looking forward to feeling some sunshine on our faces.

It is often a time too, when we treat ourselves to a new wardrobe and, for many people, it is also a time to re-assess how they look.

A Summer Smile

As dentists in Bristol, we often see an increase in the number of people who wish to have a whiter smile for the Summer months. Most of these patients will benefit from our simple teeth whitening procedures.

Those with bad staining or who have chipped and cracked teeth may need more comprehensive treatment such as dental veneers to correct the problem and create a lovely new smile.

Apart from the teeth though, we can also offer our patients facial aesthetic treatments to help rejuvenate their skin and ease out those persistent wrinkles that appear over time.

Facial Aesthetics

Continue reading Spring into Summer with a Rejuvenated Appearance

Don’t ignore a dental problem!

Because many of us lead busy lives, there can sometimes be a temptation to ignore minor problems, hoping that they will simply go away. This also applies to our teeth, and it is probably not too uncommon for those who may have had minor problems to have ignored them, providing that the discomfort was not too significant.

Whilst this may be understandable, it is not a good policy to pursue. Any signs of discomfort or sensitivity can be a warning that there is a problem which is almost certainly only going to get worse.

By ignoring it, what may have initially needed just a simple filling at our Bristol dental surgery may well eventually result in a more invasive, and potentially more expensive, treatment.

Regular care

At Beau Monde Dental Care, we encourage all of our patients to visit us for check ups at least twice a year. In cases, where dental problems may be more likely due to medical conditions such as diabetes, for example, we may suggest more regular checks.

If you suffer from discomfort though, especially if it lasts for more than a day, you should arrange an appointment with one of our Bristol dentists, even if you have only seen us very recently.

Whilst problems such as decay will have been spotted during a check up, other problems can arise quickly and suddenly, such as a chipped or cracked tooth. With prompt treatment though, these can be resolved quickly and efficiently, preventing further damage, in most cases.

Root canal

Continue reading Toothache or Painful Teeth?

A Bristol dentist offers their perspective.

Sometimes it can seem as though the world is a smaller place. Most of us, for example, no longer buy our books from a local bookshop, but, instead, go online to order them.

Thankfully, technology has got a very long way to go before you can have your dental procedures done online, and most of us still prefer to use a dentist in our own locality rather than travel.

With the emphasis on ‘choice’ these days though; is this a good idea or not?

Convenience

One of the main factors for people using a dentist near to where they live, or work, is simply convenience. This is understandable as most of us are ‘time poor’ these days, juggling a job with our family duties and social life.

This alone though should not be sufficient reason for choosing a dentist, however important it is to you.

Your dental care should be your main focus of concern and you should always choose a dentist that you feel happy with.

Our Bristol dental practice

Continue reading Reasons for Using a Local Dentist

Changing our habits will lead to healthier teeth and gums.

When we are young, we have a tendency, perhaps, to think of ourselves as invulnerable and permanent. It is only as we get older that we start to realise that this is not true and that our bodies do not recover as quickly as they once did.

By this time though, many of our lifestyle choices have been determined by our younger years, and, often continue throughout our lives unless we make an active decision to change them.

Smoking

Generally speaking, few people actually take up smoking in their middle age. This is something that probably starts from peer pressure when younger, but, as we now know, nicotine is highly addictive and can make stopping smoking a very difficult thing to do.

As your local Bristol dentists, we may not be able to help you stop smoking but we can point out the dangers to your oral health should you continue.

Continue reading How our Lifestyle Affects our Oral Health

How different parts of the tooth can be compromised in different ways.

A tooth is essentially made up of three parts; the enamel, the dentin and the pulp. Each of these are susceptible to different dental problems and we discuss these and the corrective treatments that we provide at our convenient Bristol dentists below.

Enamel

The enamel of the tooth is the hard exterior, or the shell if you prefer. It is, in effect, the protector of the more sensitive parts of the tooth and, as such, it is important to keep it strong and healthy. Provided this is done, the chances of other dental issues occurring is reduced.

Cleaning and flossing the teeth are important and failure to do so may cause the enamel to decay. When this happens, it may break off and leave the inner parts of the tooth exposed and open to infection.

At Beau Monde Dental Care, we repair any teeth that have decay by removing the decayed part of the tooth and filling this with a strong tooth coloured filling which will help to protect the tooth. The use of tooth coloured fillings, rather than amalgam, also leaves the teeth looking natural.

Dentin

Continue reading The Tooth Structure

Its causes and why it should not be ignored.

Although the nerves of a tooth make up just a tiny part of our body; when they become inflamed or infected, the pain caused can sometimes seem to completely consume us.

When dental pain is significant, even those with a fear of visiting the dentist are likely to go. When the discomfort is less though, it can be tempting to simply take painkillers and hope that it will go away.

Even minor pain though is likely to indicate a problem that needs to be dealt with and, by making an appointment to see one of our Bristol dentists at Beau Monde Dental Care, not only will we be able to treat you quickly, thereby alleviating the pain; but are also likely to prevent further damage being done to the tooth.

Speedy appointments

Continue reading Dental Pain

Teeth sensitivity – dental challenges during Winter.

Although we should probably be prepared for it, Winter still sometimes seems to be a bit of a surprise when it arrives.

Whilst most of us will wrap up and get through winter without too many problems, it is a time when we notice a rise in patients visiting our Bristol dental practice due to the effects of the cold weather.

Sensitivity

Continue reading Caring for Your Teeth in Winter