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At Plowman & Partners we firmly believe that good oral hygiene is the first line of defence against common dental issues such as tooth decay and gum disease. This makes the humble toothbrush an indispensable tool which needs to be used properly in order to be effective. While a large number of patients do use a toothbrush to clean their teeth, many often carry out their cleaning routine perfunctorily without paying any attention to the way in which they brush or how they take care of their toothbrush – both count. Here’s what our dentists in Marylebone would like you to know.

Best recommendations on using a toothbrush

One of the most common things a patient hears is to brush teeth twice every day. But not many patients question the techniques to be used, which type of toothbrush is best or how should they take care of their toothbrushes. Seeing the important role of brushing teeth in proper oral care, these are critical questions to ask. We hope the following guidelines shed some light onto these questions.

1. Brush for two minutes

It is the time taken to brush teeth that is important. For brushing to be effective, it is recommended that patients brush for at least two minutes, making sure all surface areas including gum line are brushed. Gentle pressure should be applied to teeth and gums using circular strokes with a soft-bristled brush.

2. Toothpaste brand should contain fluoride

Toothpaste with fluoride is the best way to protect teeth from cavities. Fluoride is important to remineralise teeth.

3. Replace your toothbrush

Toothbrushes should be replaced every few months. Most dental practitioners agree on three to four months. A definite sign that it is time to buy a new toothbrush is when you notice the bristles on the old one become frayed.

4. Should you opt for manual or battery-powered toothbrush?

Either option will do the job. Our dentist in Marylebone can best provide a more definitive answer during a check-up and upon a closer look at your teeth and gums. For some patients a battery-operated toothbrush may be more effective.

Why it is important to care for your toothbrush

It is the nature of the role they perform and often the environment in which they are kept, makes taking proper care of your toothbrush important. In the same manner that bacteria can collect on teeth and gums, bacteria can survive and thrive on toothbrushes. To keep toothbrushes bacteria-free, patients can:

• Allow toothbrush bristles to air dry by placing it in an upright position and not in an enclosed casing – this just encourages more bacteria growth.
• Sanitise toothbrushes by soaking it in a suitable mouthwash solution.

Patients should refrain from placing toothbrushes in the microwave or in the dishwasher as the heat produced will damage the toothbrush.

Your oral hygiene routine should not be regarded as a mundane task that requires no attention. If you have questions or concerns about how you clean your teeth, schedule a check-up today at Plowman & Partners.

We, at Plowman & Partners, encourage our patients to make the best efforts towards maintaining their dental health. Sometimes, however, teeth do decay and root canal treatments remain the preferred method used to save teeth.  A key concern of patients who have this type of dental treatment is the post-procedure recovery period. Due to the nature of the procedure a patient may experience a bit of discomfort (tooth sensitivity, swelling) afterwards. These symptoms of discomfort do not last for long and can be easily treated with medication. It is important that patients follow all the instructions given by the dentist in Marylebone carefully to recover fully and ensure optimal healing takes place. Your oral hygiene care still applies.

7 Tips to help speed up post-treatment recovery

1. Take pain medication as instructed

The effects of the anaesthesia will subside soon after you leave the dental clinic so a dose of pain medication will help in reducing discomfort.

2. Avoid eating certain foods

Patients who are on orthodontic treatments are often told to avoid certain food types. This rule also applies to patients of root canal treatments too. The risk posed by sticky or crunchy foods is that these can knock out of place any temporary materials used to repair a tooth. Another helpful tip to keep in mind when eating is using opposing teeth to chew (while healing is in progress).

3. Keep an eye on swelling

It is common for some swelling to occur in the area where the treatment was performed. This is a sign that healing has started. If a patient notices excessive swelling it is best to give a dentist in Marylebone  a call as soon as possible. Anything that will support the increase in inflammation such as drinking hot beverages, drinking through straws and even smoking, should be avoided.

4. Give yourself time to heal

Patients should take the time following a dental surgical procedure to heal and not immediately resume work responsibilities. It is best if patients also avoid any strenuous activity for a few days after the procedure.

5. Rinse mouth with a warm water/salt solution

One of the highly recommended ways to minimize the risk of infection especially after a dental procedure is to rinse the mouth with warm salt water.

6. Use a cold compress

A useful tip to help with swelling is to apply a cold compress to the area for the first few days (ten to fifteen minutes a session for a few times throughout the day). This will also help in recovery.

7. Eat ice cream

A bowl of ice cream is just the thing to help with reducing inflammation and recovery.

Taking good care of yourself after a root canal treatment is important for a quick recovery so that you can resume your daily activities as soon as possible. The tips offered above will help in minimizing discomfort but should you have any concerns, our dentists at Plowman & Partners are ready to help.

Cavities, those holes in your mouth, also called tooth decay or dental caries, are among the most common tooth disorders in adults and children alike. They are caused by a number of factors, including a diet comprising of sugar, improper and infrequent brushing, and bad genetics.

Cavities are relatively straightforward to treat on their own, but too often people do not see their dentist in Marylebone at the moment the first signs of one form. People avoid going to their dental practitioners for a variety of reasons; they view the problem as more of an irritation than life threatening and they consider getting a single filling done too expensive.

Our vision at Plowman & Partners is to provide our patients with beautiful smiles and strong teeth, which also means nipping tooth problems in the bud as soon as possible. In this article, we will describe, in a nutshell, what cavities are and how they develop, and the dangers of leaving them untreated.

How do cavities form?

You would be half right if you guessed “sugar”, but the answer is more complicated than that. The harmful bacteria in your mouth turns the starch and sugar from the food you eat into acid that damages the teeth.

The process of bacteria turning food into acid is known as an “acid attack” or “shock”, and occurs around 20 minutes after you eat. An acid attack is not harmful on its own as the mouth regenerates by producing enough saliva to neutralise the acid. The acid becomes dangerous, however, through prolonged exposure to food and fizzy drinks. For example, when consuming a sugary beverage, drink it quickly in one sitting rather than taking a few sips here and there over a few hours.

Properly brushing and flossing is also necessary for preventing tooth decay. After you eat, a combination of food particles and saliva create a sticky film called plaque. Plaque must be removed from your teeth to prevent it from building up and hardening into tartar; a highly acidic substance that erodes your enamel.

How do I know when I have a cavity?

When we tell our patients they have one or a number of cavities that need correcting, they tend to be surprised: “I did not feel pain, sensitivity or discomfort” is a typical response we get. The early stages of a cavity are hard to detect without a trained eye because you will not feel pain.

One way to know whether you have any forming is to put a mirror to the back of your mouth and see whether you have black spots on your teeth – which could be a sign of tooth decay or plaque build up. Another way is to keep to your biannual appointments at the dentist in Marylebone.

Can the cavity heal on its own without medical treatment?

The short answer is no, if left untreated the cavity progressively worsens, resulting in infections of the nerves and bones. With diseases that reach the nerves, you will experience sensitivities of all kinds: to heat, cold and foods that are hard, followed by pain. Your life becomes restricted in many ways. If considered severe enough, you might have to undergo an emergency root canal to save your teeth.

Bone diseases occur in the event of a tooth abscess, which is accompanied by intense pain and presents the very real danger of spreading throughout your body.

For whatever reason, an embarrassment of how your teeth look, genuine fear, or unwillingness to spend money on a dentist’s bill, you might be avoiding your local dental practitioner. Do not neglect your oral health and hygiene out of fear or pride, treating an issue early on is likely to save you on time, expenses and a whole lot of pain in the long run.

As much as we know how essential it is to visit the dentist in Marylebone, we cannot help feeling some trepidation about the check-up. “Will I gag on cotton wool?”, “Be reprimanded for my lack of dental care?” and “Will there be pain involved?” are common anxiety fuelled concerns that have people overthinking the situation. However you know that, at the end of the day, it is in your best interests to not skip your appointment.  As a parent with younger children who are terrified of dentists, doctors or any other medical professionals, the event of going to have their milk teeth checked can be far more of an ordeal. Crying, screaming and tantrums form part of the process, with a promise of a sweet at the end for good behaviour, which to us, defeats the purpose of the visit in the first place.

Our team at Plowman & Partners work with people of all ages and know how to treat your reluctant offspring so that they leave our office smiling and showing off their sparkling and healthy milk teeth.

We have devised a list of helpful advice and handy tips to make dental visits easier for you and your little one.

Hide your fear of the dentist

Growing up, you might not have received the best dental treatment, but that does not mean you should pass your negative perceptions of dentists to your offspring as a means of protecting them.

Be positive and explain why going for checkups is good for their oral health, and why brushing their teeth is essential. By mimicking your perceived behaviours, in time, they will develop a healthy attitude not just toward the practitioners, but all medical professionals in all fields.

Early exposure

Start taking your child to the dental clinic as soon as milk teeth start appearing. Constant exposure from an early age gets them used to visiting the dentist in Marylebone, even the less fun bits, and helps them to see that the dental check-ups are a necessary part of life.

Play fun “dentist” games at home

The imagination of a child knows no bounds, so why not make the most of it through role-play? Allow them to take on the role of the dentist and you as the patient, where they heal and fix your teeth. Through play, a healthy and positive attitude towards dentists will occur, where they are seen as helpful and healing, and not out to cause harm to your child.

Tell your child in advance about the checkup

Parents make the mistake of springing the news of a dentist’s appointment at the last minute. Rest assured, this tactic will not work. Children like predictability and need the time to prepare for events that do not occur every day. Tell them that it is okay to be scared and to express those fears with you. This time also helps them to formulate and ask questions to pose to you or the dentist on the day.

Be honest

You cannot promise your offspring that they will not experience pain or discomfort, because that might not be true, and will only instill further distrust of the dentist.

What you can tell them is how and why they will encounter certain sensations. If you do not know how to answer their questions, leave it to our team of experts, and we will gladly assist!

Every parent wants to shield their children from pain and suffering, but that should not mean keeping them from the dentist. Early exposure and a positive attitude are the keys to a less traumatic visit to the dentist’s office.

London may be your base, but if you travel a lot, you may only be in the city for short periods. This can make getting the dental care you need a bit of a headache, especially if your dental needs require more focused attention on specific problems beyond the realms of general dentistry.

Far better to be registered with a dentist in Marylebone where you can access highly focussed treatments from dentists who have gone beyond general dentistry into the various specific areas of dentistry.

At Plowman & Partners, in the heart of London’s medical district, you have access to a team of 6 partners and 2 associate dentists, all of whom have undertaken extensive postgraduate training. We act as referral dentists for other general dentists, who rely on us to provide the treatments they cannot.

This means that when you come to the dentist in Marylebone, if you need more focussed care, we can provide it in-house, building a programme of treatment between us that will take care of all your dental needs.

Prevention rather than cure

Prevention is at the heart of our treatment ethos, and we place great emphasis on preventive dentistry. Making sure you receive regular hygienist sessions is key to preventing problems caused by the build-up of plaque, such as decay and gum disease. Both eventually lead to tooth loss.

When you have a foundation of good oral health, it’s possible to build on that with cosmetic dental treatments that make healthy teeth into beautiful teeth.

For example, your teeth might be in great condition but not so great to look at because they are stained or discoloured. Teeth whitening can remove stains and brighten up dull teeth.

We also use veneers to cover over superficial surface damage such as chips and worn edges. And we can replace dark metal amalgam fillings with white fillings. We can also use braces and other devices to reposition wonky teeth.

If you’d like to use Plowman & Partners as your dentist in Marylebone, then the first step is to fill in the form on our website to request a copy of our brochure. Or you can call us to find out more.

When you are looking for a dentist in Marylebone, what are your requirements? At Plowman & Partners, more than 9 decades of private dental care in the heart of London’s medical district has taught us much about what our patients need.

We have found that patients look for years of experience backed up by high level qualifications and continuing professional development. Just like medicine, dental research and development has leapt forward in the past couple of decades.

As a dentist in Marylebone with a long history of excellence in knowledge and patient care, our partners make a point of being able to deliver the latest treatments and techniques using high quality materials and equipment. That’s why we don’t just treat our own register of patients, other dentists also refer their patients to us when they need more than simple general dentistry treatments.

Who are we? We are a partnership of four dentists: Graham Bailey, Jack M Mirza and Duncan Edworthy. We each have our own in-depth knowledge in a particular area of dentistry. If you have a look at our website you will be able to read our biographies. See that number below our names? That’s our registration number at the General Dental Council. This will tell you all about the qualifications in focussed areas that have been legally recognised.

We also work with 2 associates: Lochana Nanayakkara and Fiona S Ryan, who bring in more skills and knowledge to the practice.

All our work is backed up by a great team of nurses, hygienists, and administrators and receptionists, all dedicated to making sure that your treatments at the dentist in Marylebone are second to none.

Knowledge and care

At Plowman & Partners, we believe that knowledge and skills are nothing without care. A gentle, caring approach underlies all our work.

We understand that even the bravest of people can find a visit to the dentist very daunting, which is why we combine professional excellence with non-judgmental care. Tell us if you are feeling scared and we will find ways to relax you and make your visit to the dentist in Marylebone a positive one that can transform how you feel about future visits.

Visiting the dentist in Marylebone is vital for your dental health. They can pick up issues with your teeth in the early stages and prevent them from becoming big problems. This is why you need to have regular visits even if you feel like your teeth are perfectly healthy. This is much easier to do if you feel positive and relaxed about your visit. Following some handy tips from Plowman & Partners will help with this.

Pick your appointment time

We do our best to accommodate you with an appointment time that works for.

If you prefer first thing in the morning, Plowman & Partners open at 9am. From Monday to Thursday, we are open until 6pm so you can get an appointment in after work.

The easier it is to fit your dental work into your day, the more likely you are to make time for your appointments.

Talk to us

We love communicating with our patients. Talking about treatments and patient care is what the team at Plowman & Partners have trained for. We can break down any treatment into manageable sections and explain each one to you in a concise and jargon-free way. The more you know, the more relaxed you are likely to feel. When people are nervous about a treatment, it’s usually because they think it will be more difficult than it actually is. A little chat and everything will feel much better.

Look at our whole range

We offer a wide range of treatments to meet your essential and elective dental needs. Whether you want ongoing hygiene management to help you keep your teeth clean and healthy, or you want to fill gaps in your smile with excellent restoration work, our team can help.

You may already know what you want and it’s a just a matter of making an assessment to see if your desired treatment is right for you. Or you might want a smile consultation where the dentist in Marylebone can make suggestions about refinements that will benefit your look in the long-term.

The first step is talking to our friendly admin team and making an appointment. We hope to see you soon at the dentist in Marylebone.

Getting ready to visit the dentist in Marylebone can cause a little hesitation for anyone. Usually, it’s because you don’t know what will happen. While we can’t predict every scenario you will come across when you visit Plowman & Partners, we can go through a few so you can begin to see that we will support you completely regardless of what happens.

If you have nerves or fear around visiting the dentist in Marylebone, let us know before or at the start of your appointment. We will shape your appointment to help you feel better and hopefully start you on a path of having positive dental experiences.

General check-up

This is probably the most common dental appointment. We’ll be checking your teeth for any issues and making minor repairs or suggesting further treatments. We don’t judge you on the condition of your teeth or do anything without letting you know what will happen. If you prefer, your dentist in Marylebone can give you a running commentary as they go along so you are informed at every step.

Teeth whitening

This is a popular cosmetic treatment. What’s great about our teeth whitening is that you get to choose how you would like the treatment to go. Either you can have in-clinic whitening in a surprisingly short timeframe or you can choose at-home whitening with dental-grade equipment. Either way, you can look forward to a beautiful new smile.

Straightening teeth

Long-term dental treatments can seem like a big commitment to begin with. However, when it comes to teeth straightening, the results are worth it and designed to last a long time. You will need to visit us a number of times over the course of treatment, so we make sure that each visit is smooth and easy. We know that most of your dental care takes place at home, so we give you lots of advice on caring for your teeth straightening equipment so that your teeth stay healthy and fresh. Cosmetic braces are an increasingly popular choice for adults largely due to the range of invisible braces options that are low-impact when it comes to your look.