This common medical problem can have potential implications for your oral health.

Asthma is a very common problem amongst both adults and children. At its most severe, it can require emergency medical intervention although most sufferers are able to manage it well through medication, usually via inhalers prescribed by their GP.

Asthma can also have an affect on your oral health and also have implications for your treatment, especially where anxiety is a potential trigger for your asthma attacks.

What is asthma?

Briefly, asthma is a condition that causes breathing difficulties. It can be brought on by a number of things including both allergies and anxiety. In today’s polluted and often stressful world, it is probably not surprising then that we are seeing an increasing number of cases. In the UK alone, there are estimated to be in the region of 4.5 million people receiving treatment for this condition.

What dental problems can it cause?

There are a number of issues surrounding asthma and the use of inhalers that can result in dental problems. These include the fact that many asthma sufferers tend to breathe through their mouth rather than their nose due to constriction of the airways. Breathing in this way causes the flow of air over our teeth and gums and can lead to a dry mouth. As we know from previous blogs, a dry mouth can lead to problems such as gum disease and tooth decay as bacteria thrive in this type of environment. It is therefore very important to make sure that you stay well hydrated to minimise the risk.

The inhalers that are commonly used to manage asthma can occasionally lead to lesions on the roof of the mouth. If left, these can become infected and the infections may, potentially, spread to the other soft tissues in the mouth. If you notice a redness or soreness after using these, you should consult your GP.

Children are one of the groups most affected by asthma, although some do ‘grow out’ of this as they get older. The use of inhalers though can cause a child’s teeth to become ‘mottled’. This is because the medication that is provided in the form of a spray has a slightly acidic content and, over time, can cause the enamel of the teeth to erode. This can not only lead to a mottled appearance, but also increase the risk of problems like tooth decay. It is a good idea to rinse your mouth with water after spraying so that at least some of this will be removed. You should, of course, also see your convenient Wickford dentist on a regular basis so that we can monitor the health of your teeth.

Advise your dentist

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With many people taking ‘recreational’ drugs, our Wickford dentists look at how this can adversely affect your oral health.

We have written a number of times about the effects of alcohol on our teeth and gums. Whilst this is the most widely used ‘mind altering’ substance in the UK, it is certainly not the only one.

Whatever our own moral opinion is about the taking of drugs, figures show that just under 10% of the population take drugs from time to time on a recreational basis; some of these being Class A drugs. This figure almost doubles when applied to the 16-24 age group.

There is a big debate to be had about drugs and policies around them, both medical and criminal, and that is not within our remit. With so many people using them though, we thought it was important that our Cygnet Dental patients were aware of the potential harm that some commonly used drugs can do to your oral health.

Alcohol

Just a brief mention here as we have covered this before in previous blogs. Alcohol is widely used but even on a recreational basis, will increase the risk of gum disease and oral cancers.

Cannabis

For those who use cannabis in a ‘joint’, i.e. along with tobacco, the risks of the tobacco have to be included in our assessment. Gum disease and mouth cancers are much more likely if you smoke. If you must use cannabis, it is better to avoid the use of tobacco with it. Cannabis can also cause users to have a very dry mouth, which as we know can have an impact on our oral health. Dry mouth syndrome is a common cause of gum disease and whilst alcohol and cigarettes can also have this effect, cannabis is a major contributor too.

There is also the problem of our ability to make informed choices when we are ‘stoned’. Getting the ‘munchies’ can mean that we eat unhealthily and may also neglect our personal hygiene including not cleaning our teeth.

Ecstasy (MDMA)

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What to expect when Cygnet Dental opens again for business

As you will probably know, dental practices were given the go ahead to open on Monday. This is good news but unfortunately dentists were only advised at the same time as the general public, leaving us very little time to finalise our re-opening plans.

We are doing all that we can to open as soon as possible but we will not do so until we are satisfied that new procedures and protection are in place for both staff and patients.

We are still evaluating the guidance that has been provided and taking steps to put new procedures into place. In today’s blog, we explain some of the things that we are looking at and at some of the differences that patients may well see when we open. Naturally, we will advise when we are opening and this will be as soon as we can.

PPE

PPE, or ‘personal protective equipment’ is essential to ensure that treatments can be carried out safely. Anyone who has kept up to date with the news though will be aware that worldwide demand for this means that it is very difficult to source at the moment. We continue to do our best to source the clothing and equipment needed so that we can see our patients once again.

Appointments

Currently, we are still offering a telephone service for patients who have a dental emergency. Where the problem is urgent, you may be referred to an urgent dental centre. For more routine problems, we will offer advice on how to manage it until it can be treated. We may also provide antibiotics where appropriate. Once we reopen, we will be contacting patients as quickly as we can. We do ask that patients understand that we will be prioritising those who are in need of prompt treatment or are in pain. Those who were mid way through a treatment will be contacted early too.

Our intention is to treat these patients as priority and then see others for more routine appointments. As it is likely that the number of patients we can see each day will be restricted, we ask that you really do make sure to clean and floss your teeth well each day. If you have a problem such as a broken tooth or have lost a filling, please try to avoid using that particular tooth when eating. This will help to prevent further damage until you can come in to see us.

Treatments

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Stress associated with the Covid-19 crisis may have left some patients with a less healthy mouth.

Many of us are probably watching the news on a daily, or even hourly basis, to see what changes there are to the current advice about ‘lockdown’. It does appear that some measures are going to be eased early next week which is being heralded as good news by some.

On closer inspection though, these measures, if adhered to correctly, are relatively minor and the reality is that we will probably be in a reasonably strict lockdown situation for a number of weeks yet. But we wait to see.

Any safe advance that can be made to give us more freedom is to be welcomed, as long as it doesn’t cause setbacks. Many patients of our local Wickford dentists will be struggling with the current situation and, in some cases, the levels of stress and anxiety have probably become quite high.

Aside from any general health issues that this might cause, it is a fact that undue stress and anxiety can have a negative affect on our teeth and our gums. Our Cygnet Dental Practice team explains more below.

Bruxism

When under stress, many of us clench our jaws and grind our teeth. Sometimes this happens when we are awake but predominantly occurs whilst we sleep.  This factor makes it hard to control, especially when the stress is caused by an external source such as the current situation.

In the most extreme cases, this grinding, also known as Bruxism, can cause breakages or chipping of the teeth. This is perhaps more likely on teeth that are already compromised, but severe grinding could damage even healthy teeth. Another possible outcome is TMJ which is a problem with the jaw that can be quite painful for those suffering from it.

Tooth decay and gum disease

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Advice to parents from the Cygnet Dental Practice in Wickford

Although children seem to be one of the groups least affected by the Covid-19 virus, they are not entirely safe from it and, like the rest of us, should be socially distancing. There are other aspects of the current situation which will be affecting them too, including their schooling. Some may also have anxieties around the current situation and, as parents, we are all doing our best to maintain a level of normality as best as we can.

Things change at times like this and our routines can go out of the window. As we know, most children do need some sort of routine, and one in particular which concerns us is the routine surrounding their oral care.

Have a strict brushing routine

Establishing a regular brushing routine for children can be quite difficult initially. Once this has been done though and they are abiding by it, it can be very tricky when you have to change it. Most children probably brush their teeth around their school or playgroup routine, and as that has been taken away for the time being, it is important that a new regular time slot is found.

Every child and family is different of course, and you will be in a better position than us to find one that works for your own children. Here are a few suggestions from your Wickford dental team which might help you to establish a new regular routine.

• As soon as they get up (though this might be one of the more difficult ones to implement!)
• Right before they start to do any school work that has been set for them or that you are teaching
• After breakfast, but do allow at least half an hour before brushing as the enamel will be softer at this time and can be worn away more easily
• After they have got dressed in the morning (presuming of course, that they aren’t spending the day in their PJs!)

Whatever the new routine, find one that works best for you and them and try to make sure to stick to it.

Don’t overdo the sweets

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Advice from your Wickford dental team.

We hope and trust that our patients are staying safe during this difficult time. The lockdown may be a break from work for some, but for others it will pose a lot of challenges, both financially and mentally. For those who are struggling, there are many articles available which may be of help.

From our perspective, we thought it would be useful to use this blog post to discuss how you can keep your teeth and gums healthy during this ‘lockdown’ phase.

We have also included a brief additional note for Cygnet Dental Practice patients who have started an Invisalign course of treatment.

General oral health advice

For many of us, our lives will have been temporarily turned upside down and our routines will have gone out of the window. There is a danger that, along with it, our oral health care routine may have suffered too. If we are used to brushing our teeth before leaving for work in the morning, that particular time slot may no longer exist, at least for now. Brushing our teeth twice a day is the very cornerstone of good oral health and we advise patients to try to find a new regular time to brush your teeth in the morning especially.

Our evening brushing should still be the last thing we do before getting into bed, but our old morning brushing routine may need to take place at a different time, such as before we walk the dog or do our morning exercise. Everybody is different but if you can find a regular slot to brush your teeth, you are more likely to maintain a regular routine.

Take care with what you eat

These are tricky times and we will all cope with it in different ways. Many of us will spend more time watching TV or generally relaxing where we can. With this often comes a desire to snack. Whilst some snacks, such as crisps etc, aren’t especially harmful for our teeth (though not ideal from a general health perspective), we may also find that we are eating more cakes or chocolate. The additional sugar consumed by doing so could result in an increase in cases of tooth decay.

Please bear in mind that our Wickford dental practice is currently closed for all but urgent emergency dental advice (please see https://www.cygnetessexdental.co.uk/#corona ). A mild toothache is unlikely to be treated at this time and may have to wait until we are reopened unfortunately. Even a mild toothache can make this already difficult period seem to last longer than it already does, so making sure that you clean your teeth well and avoiding too many sugary foods will hopefully help you to avoid this.

Invisalign wearers

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