Category: Dentists

When your adult teeth come in at about the age of 7-11, it can be a time for relief; no more teething issues, or uncomfortable swellings to contend with.

Sadly, for 80-90% of the population of teenagers, there are another 4 teeth that need to erupt and will do so between the ages of 13-17. Known as wisdom teeth, these 4 teeth appear behind the second molars on both the upper and lower jaw. While this may sound straightforward, they rarely come without their own set of issues and can cause havoc with your already erupted adult teeth.

Luckily, we can help! Our team at Aura Dental knows how uncomfortable wisdom teeth can be and can assess yours as they begin to erupt. Our dentist in St John’s Wood will be able to identify any potential issues with these additional teeth following an examination, allowing you to decide if you want to have your wisdom teeth removed.

But what are some of the more tell-tale signs that our dentist in St John’s Wood needs to remove your wisdom teeth?

Eating issues

As wisdom teeth rarely erupt straight in the way that other teeth do, they can cause issues with eating. If you notice that your wisdom teeth are preventing you from removing food debris, or ache when pressure is applied, you need to see our dentist in St John’s Wood to discuss your options.

Gum inflammation

As you may or may not remember, when teeth erupt, the surrounding gum becomes sensitive to touch due to inflammation.This is part of the process for wisdom tooth eruption too, except over 40% of patients experience gum inflammation once the teeth have finished erupting, making brushing and eating harder. If your teeth have erupted and your gums still look red and are sore to the touch, contact our team at Aura Dental.

Sinus issues

Wisdom teeth that grow in the upper jaw can press against the sinuses once they have fully rooted and developed.

And as you know, blocked sinuses can lead to congestion, pressure and extremely painful headaches. If you have been having congestive issues since your upper set of wisdom teeth erupted, then our team can take an X-Ray to assess if the issues are related and then discuss a treatment plan with you to alleviate the pressure.

Stiff jaw

From the upper jaw to the lower jaw!

As the more mobile of the jaws, if you notice that there is stiffness in your jaw, such as pain when you are trying to bite into food or when you yawn, your wisdom teeth may be at fault once again. This is caused by the wisdom teeth pushing against your other teeth and leading to pressure in the jaw, or stiffness. If you have a hard time opening your mouth, talk to our team.

Pressure

Or you may just experience a sense of pressure in your jaw, which can feel like a persistent ache. If you do, contact Aura Dental today!

Following 2020, many dental patients are a bit apprehensive about stepping back into dental surgery. There have been many changes over the last year and understandably, fewer people are as concerned about their teeth as they have been previously.

With the ongoing pandemic, social distancing and other restrictions in place, many people are puzzled about the rules surrounding dental emergencies; are they still the same? Are you able to see an emergency dental team on the same day?

At Aura Dental, we are proud that our dentist in St John’s Wood can keep our doors open and we are currently seeing emergency dental cases every day. We will aim to see you on the same day that you contact us, allowing you to get back to your daily life pain and stress-free. Simple!

But have the criteria for what constitutes an emergency trip to see our dentist in St John’s Wood changed? Read on to find out!

Discomfort

A universal indicator of a dental emergency is discomfort; it may be intermittent, feel like a burning sensation or may even only occur when you are eating or drinking hot or cold foods and drinks. Either way, if your discomfort is keeping you from focusing or is impacting on your sleep, you need to see our emergency dentist in St John’s Wood as soon as possible.

Swelling

Another indicator that there is an issue is swelling. This could be located on your face, on your gum line or under your jaw.Even if the swelling doesn’t hurt, it still needs to be seen by our team urgently, before it presents an issue to your ability to eat or breathe. Even a painless swelling could point to an abscess or an impacted wisdom tooth, both of which require urgent medical attention from our team.

Loose fillings or crowns

An irritation that can occur with procedures such as fillings or crowns is that they can come loose or even fall out. Like the swelling, even if this doesn’t hurt, you need to book an emergency appointment to see our team to have them replaced. For example, an open or loose filling can allow bacteria to gain access to the pulp, causing further discomfort, decay and maybe even an abscess. If you actually have your lost filling or crown, bring it into our team who will be able to reattach it.

Detached braces

While rare, if you notice that one of your fitted brace brackets is loose or has come away from the tooth, you need to see our team! While we won’t be able to assess any damage in the way that your orthodontist would, we will be able to temporarily reattach it until your orthodontic appointment, where it will be fitted in place.

Cracks and chips

Like a lost filling, such minor damage can seem trivial but needs urgent attention from our team. Not doing so can again allow bacteria to get underneath your tooth’s enamel, and cause issues with decay and infection occurrence.

Whether you have recently had a serious accident which has damaged your teeth or you are recovering from a dental infection, you will probably be told that you need a root canal.

One of the least popular of all the restorative procedures, a root canal involves a member of our team drilling into the pulp of your tooth, removing the infected material and then refilling the cavity with packing material. However, as straightforward as this process seems (and is for our team) many patients who are told that they need a root canal performed would rather opt for an extraction which can have some serious long-term consequences.

At Aura Dental, our dentist in St John’s Wood will always take the time to explain every treatment option to you, ensuring that you are fully informed to make the choice you feel is suitable for you. As our team has helped thousands of patients restore their smiles using root-canals, we know this process inside and out and can assure you that its unpopularity is not justified at all!

So, what is the consensus from our dentist in St John’s Wood about root canals?

They aren’t painful

Firstly, many patients worry that root canals will be painful, but this is untrue; in fact, having a root canal is more likely to alleviate discomfort than to cause it.

Our dentist in St John’s Wood will always ensure that your mouth is numbed before the process begins and once it is complete and will advise you on suitable aftercare, as there may be an initial feeling of bruising. But compared to the sensation of an abscess, that is certainly going to be an improvement!

It can save a fortune!

Many patients worry that a root canal is a costly procedure which will likely fail.

Compared to dental extraction, it can save you money as there it does not cause the same long-term issues with aesthetics or functionality that extraction does. Many adults who have had extractions required more extensive processes to restore their mouths functional and aesthetic appeal, such as dental implants which are more costly and time-consuming.

It can preserve your smile

A root canal is topped with a white filling or crown, thus preserving the aesthetic appeal of your smile which could be lost with an extraction.It also preserves functionality and hygiene which once again may be impacted with an extracted tooth.

It doesn’t kill the tooth

It is a myth that a root canal kills the tooth; it simply involves removing infected material from the pulp.Your tooth will still retain the required sensation for correct functioning, such as biting and chewing while also visually looking no different from any other tooth in your mouth.

It won’t cause your tooth to change colour

And finally, a tooth that has had a root canal does not turn black.

It stays the same shade as the surrounding teeth but may become slightly darkened over time, but can be corrected with whitening procedures. Fantastic!

Do you frequently wake up with a stiff neck, a headache or the start of a migraine?

Does that new memory foam pillow not seem to be helping?

In the UK, many people suffer from headaches and, worryingly, there is a growing increase in the number of people who report having migraines. While your doctor can prescribe medications to alleviate these issues, this does not address or explore the potential root of the issue. Surprisingly, it is rarely in your head!

At Aura Dental, our team frequently sees patients who report suffering from chronic migraines and headaches, to which our dentist St John’s Wood can offer a simple solution. After an examination of your mouth, we can determine if your teeth or jaws are involved in your recurrent head pain and can begin designing a treatment plan to help you get a good night’s sleep and fewer headaches.

But which dental conditions can cause recurrent headaches? Our dentist St John’s Wood answers that question below.

Temporomandibular joint disorder

Also known as TMJ, temporomandibular joint disorder causes inflammation and discomfort around your jaw joint and subsequently, can impact on your ability to open and close your mouth correctly.

Our dentist St John’s Wood will be able to spot indicators of TMJ, the most common one being a click when you open your mouth and will be able to offer you a dental splint and a series of oral exercises to perform before bed and in the morning, which will alleviate any associated headaches.

Bruxism and grinding

Commonly linked to medications, bruxism or grinding of your teeth often occurs while you sleep and can present many associated issues

The key one which causes those irritating morning headaches is the overuse of the muscles in the jaw which in turn leads to pain in the neck. This can cause migraines and headaches when you awake, and also disrupted sleep. Our team can once again offer a dental splint or mouthguard to prevent bruxing and help you get a refreshing 40 winks!

Molar misalignment

With a large surface area, misaligned molars can cause headaches as and when they are rubbed against each other, causing persistent neck pain and migraines.

Often an aftereffect of eating, headaches associated with misaligned molars can be alleviated with orthodontic treatments designed to help your molars fit together properly.

Missing or rotting teeth

It should come as no surprise that a tooth which has succumbed to decay can cause headaches via nerve pain, but missing teeth can also cause your upper and lower jaw to be misaligned, thus putting pressure on the surrounding muscles.

Our team will explore restorative options with you if your rotten tooth needs to be extracted or if you already have a missing tooth, which will prevent further headaches. Brilliant!

Wisdom teeth

Partially erupted wisdom teeth can cause head pain, neck pain and migraines and so, our team will endeavour to remove the offending teeth, resolving the pressure issues thus helping the uncomfortable sensations to reduce.

When it comes to dental care, there is quite a lot for the average dental patient to learn.

And, while it can be tempting to simply look for information about cosmetic, restorative and orthodontic dentistry online, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet related to this area.

And of course, you run the risk of coming across articles disguised as advertisements, trying to sell you a dental product which is not as good as it appears to be!

Far from a popular area to research related to dentistry is one of the most important areas; general dental care and hygiene. As any dental team will tell you, before you can have any kind of cosmetic dental care performed, you need to have a solid basis to build it on.

At Aura Dental, our dentist in St Johns Wood takes general dentistry very seriously, and will always endeavour to keep your mouth healthy. Not only is good dental health important for that pearly white smile many people wish to obtain, but it is also key to having good physical health too.

So, in this article, our dentist in St John’s Wood answers some of the most commonly searched general dental questions of 2020. Enjoy!

Why does my tooth hurt so much?

Toothache can be caused by many factors but, if you have a toothache which worsens when drinking hot or cold liquids, then you may have a cavity.

Alternatively, you may have lost a filling or a crown, but regardless, any dental pain should be explored by our dentist in St Johns’ Wood.

Can I improve the appearance of my smile?

Yes, you can!

While basic hygiene is an important part of having a whiter smile, there are many options to make your teeth gleam that doesn’t require extensive cosmetic procedures.

A simple whitening procedure performed by our team at Aura Dental is likely to improve the appearance of your smile.

I have a gap between my two front teeth-are there ways to close it?

Yes, there are many ways.

A gap between the front teeth can be alleviated by either bonding the teeth or may require the placing of custom-fitted veneers. These options are more down the cosmetic line of treatments.

If you want to realign your teeth to close the gap, we may be able to offer you an adult aligner like Invisalign if you are suited.

How can I ensure my children have good teeth?

Firstly, aim to reduce all consumption of sugar-laden food and drinks.

Make the twice-daily brushing of teeth a game; create a song or purchase an interesting dental brush for your children to play with. You could even offer to get them small treats if they brush their teeth twice a day for a week, to create positive reinforcement.

Is it safe to have a filling while you are pregnant?

Yes, having a filling while pregnant is perfectly safe. If you are pregnant, talk to our team about prenatal dental care today!

In 2020, there have been many challenges to face in relation to everyday health due to COVID-19.

And, unsurprisingly, there has been a decrease in patients who are willing or able to visit their dental surgeries due to concerns over contracting coronavirus. Unfortunately, these difficult circumstances have led to a worsening of dental issues for many people and due to the lack of

dental surgeries that have been open, it has led to a rather startling trend.

There has been a surge in patients attempting to remove teeth and treat abscess at home, as opposed to seeking medical advice. While it can be advisable to treat a mild toothache at home with medication, anything more serious requires the input of a dental team.

And our dentist in St John’s Wood is here to help. At Aura Dental, we are proud of our emergency dental service and can offer patients who are experiencing dental pain, abscesses or any other uncomfortable conditions an appointment within 24 hours. This will leave you free of discomfort, and able to go about your day during these tough times.

But why should you avoid trying to perform dentistry at home? Our dentist in St John’s Wood answers that question below.

Bleeding

If you were to have an extraction in the dental chair, our dentist in St John’s Wood would be able to stem the bleeding.

However, the ‘tying a piece of string to a door and then slamming it’ idea for removing a rotten tooth may not only damage the tooth but can also lead to extensive bleeding. And as you will not be able to control this bleed, you should always see our team if you have a toothache.

Worsening of issue

Another advantage of visiting a dental professional is that they will undoubtedly be able to improve the issue. On the other hand, whichever issue you are trying to treat at home may be worsened, resulting in you visiting an emergency team anyway. Skip the discomfort, and come straight to us!

Infection

Dental infections can be serious and, as mentioned before, if you are trying to pull a tooth at home, you run the risk of introducing an infection.

If you are worried that you need an extraction, contact our team at Aura Dental for advice and an emergency appointment.

Lack of sterile equipment

Our team only uses sterilised equipment, which has had all of the bacteria removed chemically.

If you try to do any kind of complex dental care at home, your tools simply won’t cut it, regardless of how clean you may think they are.

As your safety is our priority, come to our team for any dental procedures in one of our clean, sterile treatment rooms.

Experience!

And finally, even if you are trained as a dental professional, you still should not try at-home dental care!

Lacking experience when trying to perform dental procedures is likely to cause a lot of secondary damage, so contact our team for an emergency appointment immediately.

A condition that affects up to 1 million people per year in the UK, migraine headaches are anything but a minor health concern.

Characterised by visual auras, feelings of nausea followed by an intense headache, this neurological condition can be devastating to functioning adults. While there are many underlying causes associated with migraines such as low serotonin levels, mental health concerns and even genetic components, there are many environmental factors which can cause them to occur more frequently.

Why are migraines being discussed in a dental article? Because one of the leading causes of recurrent migraines is dental issues.

If you frequently suffer from migraine headaches with little to no relief from medication provided by your doctor, come and see our dentist in St Johns Wood for an assessment. We will examine whether your migraines are caused or exacerbated by your teeth and will offer you a solution, if we determine a link between the two. Perfect!

But what are some of the dental issues that can lead to migraines or even tension headaches? Read on to find out.

Grinding

Usually occurring at night, grinding typically occurs when there is a misalignment of the molars.

As you sleep, your jaw muscles relax and the lower jaw can fall back. If your teeth are not correctly aligned, this can cause you to grind your teeth together.

After a night of this, you may wake up with a stiff neck and shoulders which can cause a migraine to develop. If you regularly experience headaches in the morning, talk to our dentist in St Johns Wood about having a nightguard fitted in order to eliminate grinding.

Occlusion

Similar to grinding, occlusion occurs when your teeth do not ‘sit’ correctly when your mouth is closed.

This can lead to abnormal muscle movements when you are eating food or talking. Like grinding, this can cause your muscles to pull and become sore, putting you at a higher risk of developing a migraine. If you think you have an occlusion issue, contact our dentist in St Johns Wood to discuss potential orthodontic treatments.

Temporomandibular joint disorder

A disorder that impacts on the movement of muscles in your jaw, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) has been linked to recurrent migraines.

Our team at Aura Dental will assess the severity of TMJ by feeling the muscles in your jaw as you open and close your mouth. Depending on the severity, we may recommend exercises to relax the tense muscles or we may even suggest visiting a physical therapist.

Missing teeth

If you have recently had an extraction and are now experiencing migraines, this is once again caused by an issue with your bite alignment.

We can treat this by fitting a prosthetic such as a bridge, partial denture or dental implant.

Decay

Technically, this is known as referred pain.

If you have untreated tooth decay, this can cause pain to occur in your ears, head or neck. If you haven’t had a check-up in a while, contact our team for one today.

When you lost your baby teeth at 7-11 years of age, you may have thought it would be the last time you would have to go through the ordeal of having new teeth erupting.

Sadly, you may have been wrong!

A condition that affects almost everyone between the ages of 15-25 is the eruption of wisdom teeth. Also known as the third molars, these are the last set of teeth to come in and, understandably, can cause a bit of discomfort. If you are concerned that your wisdom teeth may be coming through at an odd angle or they are causing you issues when opening your mouth, contact our team at Aura Dental.

At Aura Dental, we know all about the complications that wisdom teeth can cause and our dentist in St Johns Wood will be able to assess the best way to treat your newly erupting teeth. If your mouth can happily accommodate them, we may choose to let them come through naturally and offer you pain relief for the discomfort. If there isn’t enough room or there are secondary issues, we may opt for extraction.

But what are some of the secondary issues that wisdom teeth can cause? Our dentist in St Johns Wood provides the answer to that question below.

Impaction

Perhaps the most common complication that wisdom teeth can cause is an impaction.

Caused by the tooth erupting at a crooked angle, this can create pressure on any surrounding molars, leaving you with a feeling of pressure and soreness in your jaw bone.

If our dentist in St Johns Wood notices that you have an impacted wisdom tooth (usually following an X-Ray), we will opt to extract it to prevent further damage.

Infection

Another common condition associated with wisdom teeth is infection.

While some wisdom teeth develop infected roots, others become infected at the site where they have erupted. As there is often a gap between the newly cut wisdom tooth and the surrounding gum, this is the perfect place for bacteria to become trapped.

If your wisdom tooth is infected, our team will aim to remove it and treat the infection with antibiotics.

Secondary damage

A wisdom tooth can press against the roots of surrounding molars, causing them to crack and become damaged.

While this may not be visible on the surface, our team at Aura Dental will always perform an X-Ray when wisdom teeth are emerging, allowing us to assess whether they require extracting.

Periodontal issues

Swelling, gaps and bacteria can all cause gum or periodontal disease and when it comes to wisdom teeth, they are no exception to this general dental rule.

Periodontal issues often occur alongside the eruption of wisdom teeth and we will aim to resolve these issues before attempting to extract the offending tooth or teeth.

Discomfort

Tooth eruption is quite uncomfortable. As mentioned earlier, if we determine that you have sufficient space in your mouth for your wisdom teeth to erupt, we will offer you pain relief in the interim. Simple!

When it comes to general dentistry there are three things that many people could be worried about; Extractions, fillings and root canal therapy. Many dentists don’t understand why people are so afraid as they never perform surgery without completely numbing a patient’s mouth first. At Aura Dental we know that part of the problem is not knowing what to expect and not knowing what happens after because, of course, we cannot see what the dentist in St. John’s Wood is doing in our mouths. In this article, we hope to provide some explanation for these common procedures so that you can go into your appointment with knowledge instead of fear.

Fillings

Holes in the teeth are often caused by poor diet or poor oral care Sugary and acidic foods degrade the state of the protective enamel on the teeth and eventually cause small holes in or between the teeth. Not flossing regularly can also leave food particles between the teeth which then begin to create holes in the tooth. This is where fillings come in, before that hole exposes the tooth to a big infection, we need to fill it for you.

This is a procedure we do just about every day at the dentist in St. John’s Wood. First we numb the side of the face that needs work by blocking the nerve that feeds that particular area. Once the local anaesthetic has taken effect we will drill into the hole in order to make sure the cavity is free from infection and shape the hole in order to properly fill it. Once this area is clean, we insert a composite bonding material (this is a tooth coloured synthetic substance as metal amalgam fillings are no longer used). Once the area is full of bonding material, we shape it in order to fill and construct the area of the tooth we drilled away and then use a light to harden the material.

Root canal

Root canal therapy is needed when there is an infection in the pulp of the tooth. This infection will be causing you an extreme amount of pain and getting the treatment means taking your pain away, not giving you more. We need to clean out the infected pulp before it rots the whole tooth, in order to do this we will have to drill away the top middle section of the tooth to gain access. Once the pulp is exposed we wash it all out and fill the tooth once more with a synthetic substance and cap the tooth off with a crown. It really is as simple as that, but if you don’t get it done, we will eventually need to pull that tooth out.

Tooth extractions

If a tooth does become rotten or severely injured, it will need to come out before infection has spread to the surrounding teeth. Like with all surgical treatments we will block the nerve going to your mouth so that the dentist in St. John’s Wood can work on you pain-free. The tooth in question is likely to be quite degraded and will probably break under pressure so we may take it out in sections and then clean the gum and socket properly before stitching you up. An option to replace the tooth will likely be discussed with you before the extraction.

A note on wisdom teeth – this surgery is often done under sedation or general anaesthetic and you will not feel or remember anything. Wisdom teeth do not need to be replaced as they are not necessary and cannot be seen as they grow right in the back of your mouth.

Adults are often the target of oral care advertising. Whether it’s a new whitening toothpaste or discreet orthodontics, there are thousands of articles and ads out there to get you to buy into one treatment or another. This makes sense seeing as small children are not likely to be the target audience of a blog article, however, this does not mean that there isn’t a wide variety of treatment options available for your little ones that will benefit their oral care now and in the future. At Aura Dental, your dentist in St. John’s Wood, we want to give your kids premium treatment, whether they just come for a ride in the chair and a little inspection or they are at the stage where we can do fissure sealant on their teeth, they are never too young to see the dentist.

The importance of early visits

Creating good habits early in childhood can help ensure that these habits are continued into adulthood, from correct tooth cleaning to regular dental visits, you can teach your children that oral health is a vital part of their existence and this mindset can be instilled at a very young age. Children as young as 2 years old can come for a ride in the chair in order to help them feel that a trip to the dentist is fun rather than scary, we create an environment for kids that they feel comfortable with and start to build a relationship from them when they’re young that we hope can continue well into their adolescence and adulthood.

Removing stigma and fear before it has a chance to set in is another part of raising kids to feel comfortable with the dentist in St. John’s Wood. By ensuring that their early appointments are positive ones, we can guarantee that when they are faced with someone that tells them the dentist is scary, they will be able to respond for themselves that it simply isn’t true.

Treatments for kids

While bringing children up to love the dentist in St. John’s Wood is important, so is the actual care of their teeth, which is why there are treatments available just for kids to ensure the health and strength of their teeth as they grow up.

Fluoride treatments – unfortunately, children can get cavities too, especially if they are regularly consuming sugary foods and drinks. Their soft young teeth are vulnerable to cavities and that pain isn’t pleasant. But we can paint a fluoride varnish onto teeth as soon as they have grown (yes, this includes baby teeth) in order to protect them from harmful foods. This treatment can be done with each regular bi-annual or quarterly trip to the dentist.

Fissure sealants – further protection to children’s teeth come in the form of a fissure sealant. This is like a glue that we insert onto the tops of the back teeth which seals them off as they are growing in order to stop food from collecting inside the back teeth.

Orthodontic monitoring – did you know that children as young as 6 or 7 can get orthodontic appliances to help guide the growth of the teeth into the correct position, bu monitoring the growth of your kid’s teeth over the years and through the use of X-rays we are able to predict any orthodontic issues that may present themselves and fix them earlier rather than later.