ASK A DENTIST

What do you think of organic toothpastes?

There is a range of organic toothpaste available, each with differing ingredients to each other, so it is difficult to comment on the group as a whole. Most of them don’t contain fluoride, which means you are missing the protection for your teeth that this provides. However, the toothpaste we use is only one part of our dental health puzzle. If you have a healthy diet and lifestyle, avoid sugars and there is fluoride in the water etc., then an organic toothpaste may suit you fine. All of these factors come into it – best to talk to your dentist about particular products and your individual situation. One thing we do like about the organic toothpaste is that it doesn’t have sodium lauryl sulphate, which is an ingredient that scientists are taking a second look at.

What is the treatment for receding gums? Can gum recession be stopped?

Treating receding gums we would first look at whether there is gum disease or infection and would deal with that first. Stop the infection and we stop the gum recession. Naturally the earlier this is done the greater our chances are of saving the teeth. If the gum recession is caused due to anatomical reasons, there are options to regenerate or graft gum tissue. The gum will attach itself to the tooth but with not as secure attachment as the original gum. It will be more fragile and prone to receding again. Gum disease is one of the potential causes of receding gums There is a lot of work being done at the moment around different ways to treat the root of the tooth so as to attach that gum more firmly but there is still a lot of variability between cases, even with the same dentist doing the treatment. We guess what that boils down to is that for the patient there is no ‘bullet-proof’ way to get that gum back.

Why do I keep getting food stuck in between my teeth?

The possible reasons for getting food stuck in between your teeth on a regular basis could be: fillings that aren’t shaped properly, teeth that have shifted or even a hole in a tooth that is allowing food to get jammed in there. If these problems, particularly the last one, are not rectified then they can lead to greater problems such as decay on the root of teeth and that can progress really quickly. If you do use toothpicks often then your dentist will also be able to check if you are causing any damage to your gums.

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