|
Preventative Procedures
Preventative care is an integral part of our practice. Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things that you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible for you to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well being. Promoting health through preventative dentistry and educating our patients on good oral hygiene is the heart of our practice. Thorough examinations and professional cleanings allow us to identify problem areas and stop periodontal disease.
Oral Hygiene & Periodontal Disease
What is Good Oral Hygiene?
Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:
- Your teeth are clean and free of debris
- Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss
- Bad breath is not a constant problem
If your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing, or you are experiencing persistent bad breath, see us. Any of these conditions may indicate a problem.
Our dental hygienists can help you learn good oral hygiene techniques and can help point out areas of your mouth that may require extra attention during brushing and flossing.
How is Good Oral Hygiene Practiced?
Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.
In between regular hygiene visits, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These include:
- Brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing daily
- Eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals
- Using dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
- Making sure that your children under 12 drink fluoridated water or take a fluoride supplement if they live in a non-fluoridated area.
Brushing Techniques - Manual
Proper brushing takes at least two minutes! Most adults do not come close to brushing that long. To get a feel for the time involved, try using a stopwatch. To properly brush your teeth, use short, gentle strokes, paying extra attention to the gumline, hard-to-reach back teeth and areas around fillings, crowns or other restoration. Concentrate on thoroughly cleaning each section as follows:
- Clean the outer surfaces of your upper teeth, then your lower teeth
- Clean the inner surfaces of your upper teeth, then your lower teeth
- Clean the chewing surfaces
- For fresher breath, be sure to brush your tongue, too
 Tilt the brush at a 45° angle against the gum line and sweep or roll the brush away from the gum line.  Gently brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of each tooth using short back-and-forth strokes.  Gently brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen breath.
Brushing Techniques – Electric
You can achieve better results with electric toothbrushes that utilise oscillating-rotating technology than with regular, manual toothbrushes. This brushing action is very different from ordinary manual toothbrushes, as it does the job of brushing for you-just be sure to guide the brush head to all parts of your mouth.
 Tilt the brush at a 45° angle against the gum line and sweep or roll the brush away from the gum line.  Gently brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of each tooth using short back-and-forth strokes.  Gently brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen breath.
Flossing Techniques
 Tilt the brush at a 45° angle against the gum line and sweep or roll the brush away from the gum line.  Gently brush the outside, inside and chewing surface of each tooth using short back-and-forth strokes.  Gently brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen breath.
WHAT IS PERIODONTITIS?
|
When bacteria cause inflammation of the gums it is called “gingivitis”. The gums are usually red, swollen and can bleed easily. Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease that can usually be treated with daily brushing, flossing and regular cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist. However, when gingivitis is not treated it can progress to “periodontitis” which means inflammation around the tooth. The gums will pull away from the teeth and form “pockets” that are infected. The body’s natural response is to fight the bacteria as it spreads below the gum line. The combination of the bacterial toxins and the body’s enzymes fighting the infection start to break down the bone and connective tissue that holds the teeth firmly in place. If this condition is not treated, the bones, gums and connective tissue that support the teeth are destroyed. This may lead to the teeth becoming loose and needing to be removed.
|
 |
What Can You Do To Prevent Gum Disease
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- As part of your brushing routine floss every day
- Visit the dentist routinely for a check-up and professional cleaning
- Eat a well balanced diet
- Don’t smoke as this contributes to gum disease and makes treatment more difficult
Quite often symptoms go unnoticed until the disease is advanced. Some of the signs you can look out for include:
- Bad breath that won't go away
- Red or swollen gums
- Tender or bleeding gums
- Painful chewing
- Loose teeth
- Sensitive teeth
|
Any of these symptoms may signal a serious problem, which should be checked by a dentist. The main goal of treatment is to control the infection. The treatment will vary depending on the extent of the gum disease. However, the best treatment requires that the patient keep up a good oral hygiene plan at home. Additionally, quitting smoking and healthy eating will improve treatment outcomes.
|
 |
|
Our hygiene department has the most up to date methods in preventing periodontal disease. This includes periodontal screening tests and the highest technology digital x-ray system with ultra high magnification to see even the smallest areas of plaque or calculus. This x-ray system reduces the effects of x-radiation by up to 90%. Our highly trained periodontal hygienist records the measurement of gum recession and evaluation of potential bone loss early on. Each visit these things are re-evaluated. Most importantly the cleanings and scalings are performed in the most meticulous manner. All this is done in a relaxed atmosphere catering to the patients needs. We also have topical solutions to decrease sensitivity to scaling by lightly anesthetizing the gums. We have many prophy aids to further assist the patient with home care i.e. rubber tips, floss threaders, proxabrushes, fluoride treatments and denture adhesive. We also give each patient a complementary gift bag of a top of the line tooth brush, floss and sample tooth paste.
|
|