Tender Dental Care
Dental Tips and Advice from Dr Bilverdi
Plain-English dental tips and advice from Dr Bilverdi, written to help you look after your teeth between visits and know when it's worth picking up the phone. Browse by topic using the categories, or search for something specific.
Is Vaping Better for Your Teeth Than Smoking?
It is a question I am asked increasingly, usually by someone who has switched and wants to know whether they have done their mouth a favour. Is vaping better for your teeth than smoking? On the evidence, yes, meaningfully so. Is it harmless? No. Both halves of that...
The Causes of Persistent Bad Breath
Occasional bad breath is universal: garlic at lunch, a strong coffee, the morning after a late night. Persistent bad breath is different, and it deserves proper investigation rather than stronger mints. The causes of persistent bad breath are almost always findable,...
What Is Dry Socket, and How Do You Avoid It?
Most extractions heal quietly and uneventfully. Occasionally one does not, and the pain arrives a few days later just as things seemed to be settling. What is dry socket, why does it hurt so much, and how do you avoid it? It is uncommon, it is largely preventable, and...
Child Scared of the Dentist? How to Help
If your child is scared of the dentist, you have probably tried reassurance, bribery and firmness in some combination, and found that none of them reliably work. The encouraging news is that childhood dental fear responds well to a few specific approaches, and most of...
Toothache at Night: How to Cope Until Morning
There is a particular misery to toothache at night. The house is quiet, the practice is closed, and the pain that was manageable at teatime is now the only thing in the world. It is not your imagination that it feels worse after dark, and there are practical things...