Hygiene

Prioritizing Healthy Gums for a Lifetime of Smiles

Expert Care and Gentle Techniques to Prevent and Treat Gum Disease, Keeping Your Mouth Healthy and Confident

A large proportion of the population suffer unknowingly from gum related problems as the signs are often painless and individuals are hence unaware that anything is amiss. In time gum disease can often lead to mobility and eventually the loss of the affected teeth. Gum disease is caused by a build up of bacteria which live in the plaque and calculus(tartar) on your teeth. We consider the diagnosis and prevention of gum disease a priority. Healthy gums are the foundation for all the work we do.

We work closely with our highly trained, motivated dental hygienists to achieve the very best results possible. With your co-operation and their experience, skill and gentle techniques, we will help you to maintain a healthy mouth and keep your teeth for life.

Our hygienists provide two key benefits for our patients:

They help patients who have gum disease by performing deep gum treatments over a series of visits. This combined with oral care advice can help stabilise gum disease. This treatment can only be prescribed after a visit with the dentist who will decide how long the treatment will take and how much it will cost.

They provide regular cleaning and polishing of your teeth and oral hygiene instruction between dental visits. Not only does this remove plaque and calculus that is difficult to remove by brushing and flossing yourself, it can also help improve your confidence with a cleaner and fresher mouth. It also significantly reduces the chances of you getting gum disease and decay hence reducing the need for expensive dental treatments.

The Advice Area

While you are waiting to be seen by one of our team, here are a few things you can do at home to bring you relief

Please note, the advice outlined below is not a substitute to seeing a dentist and will not provide you with a long term solution, so please make an appointment to see one of the team if you have not already done so.

My gums bleed, what does this mean?

Healthy gums do not bleed. Bleeding gums (gingivitis) would suggests you might be missing certain areas when you are brushing. This allows plaque to build up on teeth and for the gums to swell and bleed. It can be a sign of gum disease. We would encourage you to brush twice a day with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste and use interdental brushes to keep the space between your teeth clean. Regular visits to the hygienist would help improve your cleaning and allow for the health of your gums to improve. What at the signs of gum disease? Bleeding gums when brushing or even whilst eating Red, swollen gums Bad breath Spaces appearing between teeth Loose teeth Receding gums

How is gum disease treated?

It is what you do at home every day of the year which will have the biggest impact on the health of your gums. Brushing twice a day using fluoride toothpaste and using interdental cleaning brushes are two of the simplest and most effective methods of improving your gum health. If you smoke, we would encourage you to stop smoking to improve the health of your gums (and general health).

In areas that your brushes can’t reach, you are likely to have bleeding and a build up of hardened plaque, called tartar or calculus. We treat it by thoroughly scaling those areas for you. This can involve getting the areas numb to make the process more comfortable for you. This will allow you to manage better at home.

If your gum disease is advanced, you would benefit by seeing the hygienist regularly, every 3 months.

My gums are shrinking / receding-what can i do about this?

Gum disease can cause the gums to shrink (recede). The makes the necks of the teeth look yellow, become sensitive and give the appearace of gaps between teeth (black traingles). If your gums are shrinking, it would suggest you have gum disease. We would suggest that you arrange an appointment with us. Sometimes we can improve the appearance of shrinking gums by covering them with a graft.

I have noticed I have bad breath, what causes this?

It can be a tell-tale sign of gum disease. It can also be caused by infection, food trapping around teeth or cavities in your teeth. Regular visits to the hygienist would remove tartar, help keep your gums healthy and help you maintain fresh breath throughout the day. We would encourage you to use mouthwash in the middle of the day to help keep your breath fresh.

How can I remove staining from my teeth?

Staining is caused by tea, coffee, wine, what we eat and smoking. It can be removed with our gentle air polish. At Oakhill Dental Practice we use the very latest technology to clean your teeth, offering deeper levels of cleaning and stain removal. Your dentist and hygienist will be able to advise you on this. Having an airpolish with our hygienist is a great way of boosting your smile and make you look and feel fabulous!

What does plaque and tartar (calculus) on my teeth mean?

Plaque is soft and accumulates on teeth during the day. It is made up from food debris, millions of microorganisms and saliva proteins. It can easily be cleaned daily with a toothbrush and interdental cleaning. If it isn’t cleaned, it can cause the gums to swell and bleed. Tartar, or calculus, is plaque that isn’t brushed off teeth and becomes hard and ‘calcifies’ on your teeth. It is not always harmful, but does require a scale to have it removed. If plaque and tartar continue to progress under the gum, it can lead to gum disease. Through proper cleaning at home and regular visits to the dentist and hygienist, you will be able to help prevent this from occurring.

Smile Dental Clinic gives you a reason to keep smiling and to feel confident about it!

We also offer treatments that improve the appearance of your smile – giving you the confidence boost you deserve.

General

G

Specialist

Cosmetic