Harley Street Dental Clinic

Congratulations on having your first baby. Caring for another human being is an awesome responsibility, especially when that human is entirely dependent on you for everything they learn in the first few years of their life. Babies soak up everything they see and hear and store it away in their subconscious, learning by copying. So how you go about your daily life will affect how they go about theirs for the rest of their life.

The good news is that this means that you can instil some great lifelong habits in your child, including making regular visits to the dentist in W1 at Harley Street Dental Clinic.

Your appointments are a great starting point

If you are wondering when is the best time to start bringing your baby along to the dentist in W1, we’d say there’s no time like the present. You can bring baby to your own appointments, so that they can soak up the atmosphere of the dental clinic and get used to it before they start having their own check-ups.

If you can show baby that you have positive experiences when you get into the dentist’s chair, it will make their own experiences positive too.

First check-up

You can start booking your baby in for their own check-ups when they first start having teeth.

Plaque starts building up straight away and it is important to avoid decay. To this end you can even start cleaning inside their mouth with your finger or a cloth before they have teeth, and then move onto a soft brush when their first teeth come through.

Childhood tooth decay

Children are particularly susceptible to tooth decay because their tooth enamel is softer, they are still learning how best to brush their teeth and they consume more sugary snacks and drinks.

We can help protect against tooth decay with treatments to harden the enamel. We can also paint a layer of sealant onto their back teeth so that decay-causing bacteria can’t get to the enamel.

We can also teach your youngster the best techniques for brushing their teeth.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss around the world among adults. This condition manifests itself in different ways and many people are unaware that they suffer from it before it’s too late. Part of the problem is that they neglect to visit the dentist regularly. Just like cavities, gum disease can develop rapidly and if not treated quickly, it can lead to serious oral and general health problems.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we take gum disease seriously and we are committed to educating our patients on its harmful effects. If you think that you have symptoms of gum disease, our dentist in Harley Street, London, will do their best to contain and reverse the situation.

Below are a few myths about gum disease which are still prevalent:

Bleeding gums are not dangerous

Bleeding, red, swollen, puffy and sensitive gums are always a sign that something is wrong with your oral health. If you see blood every time you brush or floss your teeth, it is imperative to see your dentist in Harley Street so that you can be tested for gum disease. Gum disease is not only dangerous for your oral health; it can also affect and/or trigger other health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Flossing is not compulsory

If anything, daily flossing can prevent the build-up of plaque around the gums and prevent gum disease, therefore it’s highly recommended by dentists.

Poor oral health is the only culprit for gum disease

Not brushing and flossing can definitely lead to gum disease, but gum disease can be caused and triggered by other factors as well. For instance, if you smoke or have diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing gum disease. Other factors that may increase the risk of gum disease include poor nutrition, stress and genetics.

Gum disease is the only condition that leads to tooth loss

Although periodontitis (advanced gum disease) carries a high risk of tooth loss, tooth loss can also be caused by other oral infections as well (i.e. cavities, abscesses etc). Visiting your dentist in Harley Street for regular check-ups and professional cleanings will prevent gum disease and enable you to stay on top of your oral health.

Are you having a busy day? A busy week? Month? Year? Life? We bet you are. It seems that no matter how many gadgets we invent to make the day go by with less effort, the more we seem to run around. With work, doing things for the kids and trying to fit in the odd bit of exercise, the day is over before it has begun and seemingly important tasks can get put off so many times that they are officially forgotten.

It’s understandable that going to the dentist in Harley Street might be one of those things on your ‘forgotten-to-do list’ but if it is, you need to put it back at the top of your actual to-do list. Here’s why:

Coming to the dentist in Harley Street for a check-up is how we keep an eye on what’s going on in your mouth. When we peer into your mouth and gently poke at your teeth and gums, we are looking for signs of tooth decay, tooth damage and gum disease.

The earlier we catch any signs of decay, damage or disease, the easier they are to treat. Better a tiny filling than a massive one. Better to know you may have to step up your oral hygiene routine a bit, than succumbing to gum disease. And so on, and so on. The longer you leave any problems to chance, the more expensive and invasive they will become to fix.

The last resort for most tooth problems is extraction and replacement, and this can lead to a whole new level of expense and hassle, especially for some treatments.

Twice a year please

Come to Harley Street Dental Clinic twice a year for a check-up and a scale and polish with the dental hygienist. The latter removes any build-up of tartar and plaque, the acids from which are the root cause of decay and gum disease. If you do that, and carry out a diligent oral health routine at home, you stand a good chance of hanging onto your teeth.

Book yourself in now and get back on track with your teeth.

Going to the dentist in W1 is not just about dealing with decay and gum disease, another important thing we are always on the lookout for is oral cancer.

Mouth cancers can develop almost anywhere in the soft tissues of the mouth: the tongue, the cheeks, the gums, the roof of the mouth and the lips. Less commonly, cancers can also grow on the saliva glands, the tonsils or the back of the throat.

Part of our job as your dentist in W1 is to give you regular checks for oral cancers.

Symptoms of mouth cancer

As your dentist in W1, we will check the inside of your mouth for

• mouth ulcers that refuse to heal
• strange lumps in the mouth and neck that don’t go away
• odd numbness on the lips and tongue
• red or white patches
• development of a lisp.

We will look carefully inside your mouth and also feel into your neck.

Who is at risk of mouth cancer

Mouth cancer is directly linked to lifestyle, so it tends to show up in later life. If you are aged between 50-74, you are more likely to develop mouth cancers.

What you have been up to in your life will also determine the likelihood of your developing oral cancers. Needless to say, if you have been a smoker, or smoke now, you are more likely to develop mouth cancers. Your chances also go up if you are a regular drinker.

If you do both, then you are at even more risk. This is because the carcinogens from the tobacco dissolve into the alcohol and can then move into the cells more easily.

You are also at more risk if you’ve had a poor diet, so eating more fresh fruit and vegetables is a good idea. Obesity is also linked to mouth cancers.

Younger people at risk

Generally speaking, younger people are at less risk of developing mouth cancer. But if you have human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus that causes genital warts, the risk goes up.

If you feel that you fall into any of the above categories and have never, to your knowledge, been checked for mouth cancers, please do ask for a check.

Welcome to London. It’s enormous. It’s busy and it’s crammed full of dental clinics. How on earth are you going to find one that’s right for you? Well, if you live or work in central London and want a great private dental clinic, and you don’t really know the city, then it makes sense to start in Harley Street, which has been a centre of exclusive medical practices for hundreds of years.

Harley Street Dental Clinic is housed in a beautiful Georgian townhouse that has been turned into a friendly, elegant dentist in W1 that caters for every dental need you may have.

We are a large clinic, with highly trained dentists in every area of dentistry. That means that you will never need to go anywhere else for specific treatments and can have all your dental needs met under one roof. Bearing how long it can take to get from A to B in this huge capital city, not having to travel for extra dental care can be a real bonus.

When you first come in for a treatment, the dentist whom you first see will oversee your treatments from then on. Even if you have a treatment with one of our other dentists, you will always come back to your initial dentist, who will have been informed of any additional treatments and will know exactly what’s been going on and what needs to happen next.

Now, what about treatments? Well, whatever you have done, you will always need to come in for regular check-ups. We recommend twice yearly for most people for a general check-up and a scale and polish. From that check-up, we will be able to see if you need any particular treatments and answer any questions you may have.

You may need help with gum disease, or deteriorating teeth. You may need braces or cosmetic dental work to improve your smile. Whatever you need, rest assured that you will be able to find it here at Harley Street Dental Clinic.

Why not come in and meet our friendly, professional team before you decide to register with us?

When you become a parent, you find yourself constantly under surveillance by a tiny being, intent on copying your every move. What you say, what you do, how you take care of your teeth, everything goes into that little brain and will later be reproduced subconsciously in order to navigate the world. It’s an important responsibility, and a fascinating glimpse into the way nature prepares our young ones for life.

As far as teeth go, you cannot start early enough in getting your infant comfortable and familiar with coming to the dentist in Harley Street.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic in London, we like you to start bringing your children in with you as early as you can. Their inquisitive brain is soaking up its environment and will register the dental clinic as a safe place to be. It will see you in the dentist’s chair having a lovely chat with the dentist and dental nurse and store away that this is a good thing to do.

Later on, when your baby has their first tooth, we can take a little look inside their mouth and get baby used to having check-ups too. At home, you can start brushing gently and let them see you brushing your teeth too.

With repeated exposure to the various aspects of oral hygiene at home, and at the dentist in Harley Street, your baby will grow up to effortlessly include tooth brushing and check-ups as a regular and important part of life.

Taking care of children’s teeth

It takes children a good few years to master the art of toothbrushing. In the meantime, their tooth enamel is softer than it will be in later years, and chances are that they are also big fans of sweet things. No wonder that they are so susceptible to tooth decay.

The dentist in Harley Street can help fend off decay with a couple of great treatments. Fluoride treatments, when we soak the teeth in a gel, helps harden up the enamel. Fissure sealants are painted on the chewing surfaces of the teeth to provide a barrier against decay-causing bacteria.

Between us, we can give your children great teeth for life.

If you experience pain and other uncomfortable symptoms in your gums, chances are that you suffer from gum disease. Gum disease is a very common oral condition that affects many people around the world, but contrary to popular belief, it is not the only reason behind painful gums.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, our dentist in W1 will examine your gums carefully and determine the exact cause of your discomfort. In some cases, gum pain and discomfort are temporary and will go away as soon as you follow the instructions of your dentist in W1.

Poor brushing techniques

There is a reason why most dentists recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush and cleaning your teeth with sturdy but gentle circular movements. Teeth and gums are very sensitive and vigorous brushing can bruise your gums, causing them to become red, swollen or sore.

Mouth sores

Mouth sores (also known as canker sores) can appear in the mouth and the gums anytime. They are painful but they are not infectious. While we don’t know why they are caused, they probably result from viral or bacterial infections. Mouth sores disappear on their own after 2 weeks. If they last more than that, you should contact your dentist in W1 as soon as possible.

Allergic reactions

Have you ever thought that your gums are in pain because of an allergic reaction to oral hygiene products? Some people have allergic reactions to the ingredient of mouthwash or toothpaste and these can manifest in the gums. If your gums feel sensitive and/or sore after using a specific product, eliminate it from your routine and monitor the changes. You may also have sore gums because of an allergic reaction to certain foods.

Hormonal changes

For women, various hormonal changes throughout different phases of their life can affect their gums. For instance, shortly before menstruation, gums can become swollen and sensitive. Pregnant women can also develop a special type of gum disease during pregnancy which needs to be treated to prevent problems. Lastly, women undergoing menopause may experience dry, sore and/or bleeding gums.

If you notice gum pain and you don’t know how to explain it, book an appointment with your dentist in W1 today.

Tooth decay and gum disease: these are the 2 main culprits behind the vast majority of people’s dental problems, but they are not the only ones. Teeth can fail for other reasons. They can crumble away from too much grinding. Bad breath may be an issue. Plus, there are other problems that patients come to their dentist in Harley Street for help with.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic in London, we offer a range of services to help you keep your natural teeth in great working order for as long as possible. Whereas, in the past, dentists seemed all too keen to pull out teeth, the mantra of the modern dentist in ‘teeth for life’. And that’s our mantra too.

Here are a number of treatments from the dentist in Harley Street that can help you make your natural teeth last as long as possible.

Scale and polish

Generally speaking, you get a scale and polish twice a year at the dentist in Harley Street. The hygienist will use tools to remove any plaque that has hardened into tartar and then polish your teeth to make it harder for plaque to stick to your teeth. Getting plaque removed is the most important thing you can do to preserve your teeth, as it is the acids in plaque that eat away at your tooth enamel, inflame the gums and attack your tooth roots and jawbone.

Grinding

People who grind their teeth at night (known as bruxism) can, over the years, wear them down and even cause them to crumble. Maybe your partner hears you grinding your tooth and can alert you. If not, watch out for sore jaws, headaches and achy teeth. We can protect your teeth by making you a bite guard to wear at night.

Bad breath

This may be indicative of trapped food or something more serious affecting the health of your teeth. Come along for an investigation, but don’t hide your bad breath with fresheners when you do.

Cosmetic braces

Teeth that are well aligned are easier to keep clean, and with well aligned teeth, chewing forces are evenly distributed. Cosmetic braces not only make your teeth look good but they can make them last longer too.

London is home to nearly 9 million people. It takes hours to get from one side of it to the other, unless you have a helicopter. The last thing anyone wants to do is make more journeys than they have to in this crowded, vast metropolis.

So, it makes sense to concentrate services in one place and that goes for the dentist as much as any other business. No one wants to register with a dentist in W1 only to find out they might have to go to NW2 or SW17 for anything more complicated than a root canal treatment.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, we have made sure we have a dentist for every eventuality that might befall you and your family.

Children’s dentist in W1

Got kids? Then you need to have access to dentists providing treatments to prevent decay and also dentists who focus on making sure teeth are well aligned. We are very proud to have Professor Raman Bedi, a children’s dentist who has extensive experience in full mouth reconstruction for children with extensive decay. He has spent a lot of time as a paediatric dentist in the NHS and advises governments on child dental health. Your child could not be in better hands.

We also have Dr Emma Laing, who has been treating both children and adults who need braces at the Harley Street Dental Clinic for more than 10 years.

Worried about how your smile looks?

These days, having a perfect smile is vitally important and so is getting the right cosmetic dentist. Our cosmetic dentist, Dr Justin Glaister, provides cosmetic dentistry that has been recommended in Vogue and Tatler. Dr Abel Moreira has been nominated for 15 different cosmetic dentistry awards.

What about replacing lost teeth?

Older people are more likely to need teeth replacing, so it’s important to be able to access a dentist in W1 who is highly experienced in fitting dental implants. At Harley Street Dental Clinic, you can see Dr Sunny Kaushal, who has been involved with dental implants for 22 years, almost as long as they have been on the market.

To find out more about our services, call or come in and see us.

Dry mouth is not only a side-effect of old age. As a matter of fact, many people can experience dry mouth at any stage of their life either as a symptom of certain medications or as a response to specific medical conditions.

At Harley Street Dental Clinic, once we determine what causes your dry mouth, we will try to help you. Understanding the reasons behind your dry mouth is really important for our dentist in Harley Street, since if left untreated, it can lead to many problems.

What are the causes of dry mouth?

Dry mouth can be caused by many reasons and we can divide these reasons into lifestyle choices, biological responses of the body and various medical conditions. Dehydration, intensive exercise, smoking and overconsumption of alcohol are among the lifestyle choices that can cause dry mouth. On the other hand, dry mouth may be caused by ageing or hormonal changes, while in some cases it is the result of various health issues – from asthma and diabetes to HIV and Alzheimer’s. If you suffer from any of these conditions and you have dry mouth, you should let your dentist in Harley Street know as soon as possible.

Effects of dry mouth

Having a dry mouth can influence your daily life and the severity of the symptoms is different for different people. As a rule, prolonged xerostomia (that’s the scientific term of dry mouth) can lead to common dental problems such as gum disease and tooth decay, because saliva is responsible for washing away the plaque and bacteria from our teeth and gums. More serious symptoms include tooth loss, burning mouth syndrome and difficulty swallowing, but you’d have to remain untreated for a very long time, for these symptoms to flare up.

Relieving your dry mouth

To get rid of your dry mouth, your dentist in Harley Street can help you in a number of ways. Firstly, they will examine the mouth in order to determine the exact cause of your xerostomia and then they will recommend either implementing lifestyle changes (i.e. drinking plenty of water, having regular meals, avoiding tobacco and alcohol), or will prescribe artificial saliva or other medication that could help restore moisture in your mouth.