Health Advice
- Weight Management
- Quit Smoking
- Acne
- Child Health
- Pain
- Oral Care & Hygiene
- Aneurysm, abdominal aortic
- Tummy ache
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- First aid
- Reflux
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- Acupuncture
- Gallbladder, inflammation
- Leukaemia, acute lymphoblastic
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- Addiction
- Addison's disease
- Adenoids and adenoidectomy
- Frozen shoulder
- Agoraphobia
- Air embolism
- Alcohol misuse
- Alcohol poisoning
- Alexander technique
- Rhinitis, allergic
- Indoor allergy
- Mountain sickness
- Alzheimer's disease
- Lazy eye
- Macular degeneration
- Memory loss
- Amniocentesis
- Amputation
- Motor neurone disease
- Steroid misuse
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia
- Anaesthesia
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- Brain aneurysm
- Angelman syndrome
- Anger management
- Angina
- Angioedema
- Arteriography
- Stent insertion
- Dog bites
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- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Anorexia nervosa
- Smell sense, loss of
- Antacid medicines
- Penicillin
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- Antidepressants
- Antifungal medicines
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- Antisocial personality disorder
- Hypochondria
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- Stress
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- Wrist, broken
- Arterial thrombosis
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- Astigmatism
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- Atrial fibrillation
- Hearing tests
- Bird flu
- B12 vitamin deficiency
- Skin rashes in babies
- Weaning
- Lumbago (low back pain)
- Septic arthritis
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Weight loss surgery
- Barium enema
- Bartholin's cyst
- Pressure ulcers
- Bedbugs
- Nocturnal enuresis
- Behçet’s disease
- Facial paralysis
- Tongue pain or soreness
- Prostate enlargement
- Beta-blockers
- Bicarbonate test
- Binge eating
- Biopsy
- Bipolar disorder
- Spider bite
- Eye, black
- Bladder cancer
- Cystitis
- Bladder stones
- Blisters
- Blood donation
- Blood gases test
- Blood groups
- Coughing up blood
- Semen, bloody
- Urine, blood in the
- Vomiting blood
- Septicaemia
- Hypertension
- Low blood pressure
- Blood tests
- Blood transfusion
- Blushing
- Bromhidrosis (body odour)
- Bone cyst
- DXA scan
- Bone marrow donation
- Stem cell transplant
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bottle feeding
- Botulism
- Rectal cancer
- Polyps, bowel
- Leaky gut syndrome
- Orthodontics
- Brain abscess
- Head injury, severe
- Brain tumour, benign (non-cancerous)
- Brain tumour, malignant (cancerous)
- Brain tumours
- Breast abscess
- Breast cancer
- Male breast cancer
- Screening for breast cancer
- Nipple discharge
- Mastitis
- Breast lump
- Breastfeeding
- Shortness of breath
- Osteoporosis
- Fractured collarbone
- Hip fracture
- Leg, broken
- Fractured nose
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- Toe, broken
- Tooth, broken or knocked out
- Smelly feet (bromodosis)
- Bronchitis
- Teeth grinding
- Thyroid eye disease
- Bulimia
- Burns and scalds
- Heart bypass
- Caesarean section
- Food poisoning
- Cancer
- Thrush
- Thrush, men
- Thrush, oral - adults
- Thrush, oral - babies
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Cardiovascular disease
- Cartilage damage
- Nasal congestion
- Rib, cervical
- Smear test
- Sore lips
- Chemotherapy
- Chest infection, adult
- Chest pain
- Herpes zoster virus
- Statins
- Kidney disease, chronic
- Leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic
- Leukaemia, chronic myeloid
- Cirrhosis
- Claustrophobia
- Cluster headaches
- White coated tongue
- Gluten intolerance
- Herpes simplex virus
- Cold
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- Colostomy
- Coma
- Combined contraceptive pill
- Pneumonia
- CT scan
- Concussion
- Hole in the heart
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- Conjunctivitis
- Constipation
- Contact dermatitis
- Corns and calluses
- Coronary heart disease
- Vegetative state
- Topical corticosteroids
- Steroid medication
- Cosmetic surgery
- Cough
- Counselling
- Leg cramps
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- Undescended testicles
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- Cystic fibrosis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Dandruff
- Date rape drugs
- Thyroiditis
- Hearing impairment
- Dehydration
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- Teething
- Tooth decay
- Fluoride
- False teeth (dentures)
- Depression
- Dyspraxia in children
- Diabetes insipidus
- Diabetes
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- Dialysis
- Traveller's diarrhoea
- Nutrition
- Rectal examination
- Double vision
- Nummular eczema
- Shoulder dislocation
- Diverticular disease and diverticulitis
- Lightheadedness
- Down's syndrome
- Dry eye syndrome
- Thirst
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- Periods, painful
- Indigestion
- Swallowing problems
- Dyspraxia (adults)
- Swimmer's ear
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- Ebola virus disease
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- Endoscopy
- Threadworms
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- Epidural
- Epilepsy
- Watering eyes
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- Impotence
- Tremor (essential)
- Ocular cancer
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- Family planning
- Fever, childhood
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- Wind
- Seasonal flu
- Nail patella syndrome
- Food allergy
- Foot pain
- Frostbite
- Gallstones
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- General anaesthetic
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- Herpes, genital
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- Gestational diabetes
- Gum disease
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- Iron overload disorder
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- Haemophilus influenzae type b
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- Ingrown hairs
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- Hallucinations
- Hamstring injury
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- Tendon repair, hand
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- Nits
- Headaches
- Hearing and vision tests for children
- Myocardial infarction
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- Heart transplant
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- Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
- Sweat rash
- Periods, heavy
- Hepatitis A
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- Herbal medicines
- Hernia, femoral
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- Hip replacement
- HIV and AIDS
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- Huntington's disease
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- Sleepiness in the day (severe and unexplained)
- Thyroid, overactive
- Hypnotherapy
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- Underactive thyroid
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Painkillers, ibuprofen
- Shoulder tendon, trapped
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- Infertility
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- Inquest
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- knee-pain
- Knee replacement
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- Lung transplant
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- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Lymphoma
- Magnesium test
- MRI scan
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- Male contraceptive pill
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- Mastectomy
- Rubeola
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- Meningitis
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- Moles
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- Multiple system atrophy
- Mumps
- Muscular dystrophy
- Selective mutism
- Short-sightedness
- Nose and sinus cancer
- Polyps, nose
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
- Natural family planning
- Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Night sweats
- Nightmares
- Rhinitis, non-allergic
- Type 2 diabetes
- Winter vomiting disease
- Obesity
- OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
- Sleep apnoea
- Occupational therapy
- Swollen ankles
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- Periods, irregular
- Organ donation
- Orthopaedics (orthopaedic surgery)
- Osteoarthritis
- Rickets
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- Pacemaker implantation
- Shoulder pain
- Paracetamol
- Ulcerative colitis
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- Panic disorder
- Pins and needles
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- Pelvic pain
- Ulcer, peptic
- Ruptured eardrum
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- Periods
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- Personality disorder
- Whooping cough
- Strep throat
- Phobias
- Physiotherapy
- Pilonidal sinus
- Plastic surgery
- Pleurisy
- Pneumococcal infections
- Poisoning
- Reflux in babies
- Potassium test
- Pre-eclampsia
- Slipped disc
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- Prostate disease
- Prostatitis
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- Radiation
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- Red blood cell count
- Rheumatic fever
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Root canal treatment
- Roundworm
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Salivary stones
- Salmonella infection
- Scabies
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- Scars
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- Sexual health clinics
- STIs
- Shingles
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
- Vomiting in children and babies
- Sinus headache
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- Skin rashes in children
- Sleep paralysis
- Sleepwalking
- Urine, smelly
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- Spina bifida
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- Squint
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- Tuberculosis (TB)
- Tension-type headaches
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- Thyroid cancer
- Tics
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- Tongue-tie
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- Toothache
- Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC or transferrin) test
- Total protein test
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- Traction
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- Urinary tract infection, children
- Urinary tract infection
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- Vitamins, minerals and supplements
- Vomiting in adults
- Warfarin
- Weight loss (unexpected and unplanned)
- Whiplash
- Wisdom tooth removal
- X-ray
- Yellow fever
- Bowel cancer screening
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Read moreNHS Choices - Treating gum disease
(28/05/2015)
The best way to treat gum disease is to practise good oral hygiene, although additional dental and medical treatments are sometimes necessary.
Oral hygiene
Good oral hygiene involves:
- brushing your teeth for two to three minutes twice a day (in the morning and at night), preferably with an electric toothbrush
- using toothpaste that contains fluoride (fluoride is a natural mineral that helps protect against tooth decay)
- flossing your teeth regularly (preferably daily)
- not smoking
- regularly visiting your dentist (at least once every one to two years, but more frequently if necessary)
See the teeth cleaning guide for more information and advice about good oral hygiene.
Mouthwash
Antiseptic mouthwashes that contain chlorhexidine or hexetidine are available over the counter from pharmacies, although there is some debate about whether using mouthwash is necessary for people with healthy gums.
Your dentist may recommend using mouthwash if it helps control the build-up of plaque (the sticky substance that forms when bacteria collects on the surface of your teeth). Your dentist will be able to advise you about which type of mouthwash is most suitable and how to use it.
Chlorhexidine mouthwash can stain your teeth brown if you use it regularly. Rinse your mouth thoroughly between brushing your teeth and using a chlorhexidine mouthwash because some ingredients in toothpaste can prevent the mouthwash working.
Dental treatments
Some of the dental treatments described below may also be recommended if you have gum disease.
Scale and polish
To remove plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) that can build up on your teeth, your dentist may suggest that you have your teeth scaled and polished. This is a "professional clean" usually carried out at your dental surgery by a dental hygienist.
The dental hygienist will scrape away plaque and tartar from your teeth using special instruments, then polish your teeth to remove marks or stains. If a lot of plaque or tartar has built up, you may need to have more than one scale and polish.
The price of a scale and polish can vary depending on what needs to be carried out, so ask your dental hygienist how much it will cost beforehand. NHS dental treatment costs £18.00 for basic treatment (band 1) and £49.00 for more advanced treatment (band 2).
Read more about NHS dental charges.
Root planing
In some cases of gum disease, root planing (debridement) may be required. This is a deep clean under the gums that gets rid of bacteria from the roots of your teeth.
Before having the treatment, you may need to have a local anaesthetic (painkilling medication) to numb the area. You may experience some pain and discomfort for up to 48 hours after having root planing.
Further treatment
If you have severe gum disease, you may need further treatment, such as periodontal surgery. In some cases, it is necessary to remove the affected tooth. Your dentist will be able to tell you about the procedure needed and how it is carried out. If necessary, they can refer you to a specialist.
If you are having surgery or root planing, you may be given antibiotics (medication to treat infections). Your dentist will tell you whether this is necessary.
Acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis
Acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG) should always be treated by a dentist. However, if you see your GP before visiting a dentist, they may provide you with some treatment while you wait to see your dentist.
As well as the oral hygiene advice and dental treatments mentioned above, treatments for ANUG may also include antibiotics, painkillers and different types of mouthwash. These are described below.
Antibiotics
Treatment with antibiotics, such as metronidazole or amoxicillin, may be recommended if you have ANUG. You will usually have to take these for three days.
Amoxicillin is not suitable for people allergic to penicillin. Metronidazole can react with alcohol, causing you to feel very unwell. You should therefore not drink alcohol while you are taking metronidazole and for 48 hours after you finish the course of treatment.
Other side effects of metronidazole and amoxicillin can include nausea (feeling sick), vomiting and diarrhoea.
Painkillers
Paracetamol and ibuprofen are the most commonly prescribed painkillers. They are also available over the counter from pharmacies. They may help reduce pain and discomfort caused by ulcers.
However, paracetamol and ibuprofen are not suitable for everyone, so read the manufacturer's instructions before taking them.
Mouthwash
Mouthwash that contains chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide may be prescribed to treat ANUG. Some chlorhexidine mouthwashes are also available over the counter, though they may not be as effective as a hydrogen peroxide mouthwash.
You should always read the instructions before using mouthwash. Some types may need to be diluted in water before they are taken.