Dental Hygiene Visits with our Hygienist
At Arduthie Dental Practice we believe prevention is better than cure and endeavour to help all our patients accomplish great oral hygiene. Research has shown that your Oral health as an impact on the general health of your body. Good oral hygiene can help prevent gum disease and tooth decay which can lead to pain and tooth loss.
Our dental hygienist ensures all harmful hard deposits (unable to be removed by a toothbrush) are removed. Unsightly staining from tea, coffee, red wine etc. can also be removed. Helpful demonstrations on how achieve the best results from oral hygiene products and information tailored to your oral health needs are given helping you to restore and maintain your gum health.
Prevent gum disease by brushing twice a day for at least 2 minutes holding the bristles to a 45 degree angle, pointing towards the gum line. Clean in between your teeth with floss daily before brushing. Your dentist or hygienist can show you how to use floss or recommend another effective method.
Prevent tooth decay by brushing and flossing to remove plaque as stated above using a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Your dentist can advise you on the strength of fluoride which is best for you. Frequency of sugary foods and drinks consumption is more important than amount consumed, therefore only having them at mealtimes will reduce the frequency of acid attacks on the enamel and the likelihood of tooth decay.
What is gum disease?
Gum disease describes swelling, soreness or infection of the tissues supporting the teeth. There are two main forms of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontal disease.
What is gingivitis?
Gingivitis means inflammation of the gums. This is when the gums around the teeth become very red and swollen. Often the swollen gums bleed when they are brushed during cleaning.
What is periodontal disease?
Long-standing gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease. There are a number of types of periodontal disease and they all affect the tissues supporting the teeth. As the disease gets worse the bone anchoring the teeth in the jaw is lost, making the teeth loose. If this is not treated, the teeth may eventually fall out. In fact, more teeth are lost through periodontal disease than through tooth decay.
What is the cause of gum disease?
All gum disease is caused by plaque. Plaque is a film of bacteria which forms on the surface of the teeth and gums every day. Many of the bacteria in plaque are completely harmless, but there are some that have been shown to be the main cause of gum disease. To prevent and treat gum disease, you need to make sure you remove all the plaque from your teeth every day. This is done by brushing and flossing.
What happens if gum disease is not treated?
Unfortunately, gum disease progresses painlessly on the whole so that you do notice the damage it is doing. However, the bacteria are sometimes more active and this makes your gums sore. This can lead to gum abscesses, and pus may ooze from around the teeth. Over a number of years, the bone supporting the teeth can be lost. If the disease is left untreated for a long time, treatment can become more difficult.
What treatments are needed?
Your dentist will usually give your teeth a thorough clean. You’ll also be shown how to remove plaque successfully yourself, cleaning all surfaces of your teeth thoroughly and effectively. This may take a number of sessions with the dentist or hygienist.
What else may be needed?
Once your teeth are clean, your dentist may decide to carry out further cleaning of the roots of the teeth, to make sure that the last pockets of bacteria are removed. This is known as root planing. You’ll probably need the treatment area to be numbed before anything is done. Afterwards, you may feel some discomfort for up to 48 hours.
Once I have had periodontal disease, can I get it again?
The periodontal diseases are never cured. But as long as you keep up the home care you have been taught, any further loss of bone will be very slow and it may stop altogether. However, you must make sure you remove plaque every day, and go for regular check ups by the dentist and hygienist.
