...caring for your smile Preventive Dentistry Periodontal (gum) disease Gum disease
Our Hygienists
Our Hygienists are specialised to give oral health instruction and treat gum disease. They are extremely valuable members of our team and have as much experience as our dentists have in treating routine gum disease as well as having more time available to treat you.
Your appointment with the hygienist for a scale and polish is as important for your teeth as an appointment with a dentist for a filling.
Please note that a hygienist can only see you if a dentist has referred you to them.
Preventative dentistry
| Major causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. Regular visits to a dental hygienist or dentist will help enable you to keep your mouth in great health by giving advice on how to prevent such disease. Preventing decay may involve advice on diet, brushing and fluoride suplements, and gum disease can be prevented with advice on brushing techniques that are easy and effective, along with regular visits with our hygienist to remove any calculus and staining that has built up. | ||||
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| Our dentists may recommend a course of treatment to get your mouth into good condition and then a maintenance plan will be worked out to suit your needs. Everyone is susceptible in varying degrees to common dental diseases such as tooth decay and gum disease and our aim is to help you reduce or eliminate your experience of these.
Our care plans are designed to encourage regular attendance with the one of our three hygienists, and regular reviews of the health of your teeth, gums and mouth. From this we can customise our advice and treatment that we provide you. |
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Gum disease
It is easy not to notice gum disease until it has progressed to a stage where it is difficult to treat as there is often no pain and the symptoms can be missed. It is for this reason that we monitor your gum health at every check-up, even in an apparently healthy looking mouth, so that we can deal with any problems early.
Gum disease is caused by the bacteria in plaque attacking the gums that support the teeth. In the first stages, the gums become inflamed, red and bleed easily, when brushing for example. If this plaque is left, it becomes hard and cannot be removed by simple brushing alone. This is when it needs to be professionally removed by a dentist or hygienist. If the calculus is left then harbours more plaque and attacks the gums causing deep pocketing and bone loss around the tooth. At this stage, treatment is difficult and requires regular cleaning by one of our dentists or hygienists and meticulous maintainance by you. If left the tooth then becomes loose and painful and difficult to treat.
It is much easier for you to clean your teeth if you do not have gum disease.
We help you to do this by helping you find easy and effective ways to clean your teeth, and remove any calculus that may be present.
