Dental Hygiene

Our Dental Hygienists strive to exceed your expectations by providing on-time, comfortable dental hygiene appointments. It is also their goal to take the extra time to educate you about your oral health. During your hygiene appointment, we encourage you to ask many questions so we can inform you of your oral health. Our hygiene team prides themselves on following up on your questions or any product information requests about how to best care for your family’s dental health.

Dental hygiene is the practice of maintaining good oral health to avoid dental problems like cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. It involves daily habits like brushing and flossing as well as regular visits to a dental professional for cleanings and check-ups. Let's look at the advantages of dental hygiene, its processes involved, maintenance tips, and why regular appointments with your dental hygienist are so important.

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Benefits of Dental Hygiene

Maintaining good dental hygiene has numerous advantages:

• Preventing Cavities - Cavities are caused by plaque buildup on teeth, which is caused by bacteria. Brushing and flossing regularly can help remove plaque and prevent cavities.
• Preventing Gum Disease - Gum disease is caused by plaque buildup on teeth and can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. Regular dental cleanings and check-ups help keep teeth in good health, helping to prevent this infection from taking hold.
• Fresh Breath - Poor oral hygiene can lead to bad breath, but regular brushing, flossing, and dental cleanings will help keep your breath smelling fresh.
• Improved Overall Health - Studies have linked poor oral hygiene to various health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Maintaining good dental hygiene can help improve your overall wellbeing.

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In-house dental hygiene appointments consist of several steps:

At a dental hygiene appointment with a hygienist, several things typically take place. Although specific procedures may differ depending on the practice and individual needs of the patient, here are some of the most frequent events that take place:

1. Review of Medical History and Oral Health: Before starting any procedures, the hygienist will review the patient's medical history and inquire about any oral health concerns or issues they may be experiencing.
2. Exam of Teeth and Gums: The hygienist will then examine the patient's teeth and gums for signs of decay, gum disease, or other oral health concerns.
3. Scaling and Cleaning: The hygienist uses special instruments to remove plaque and tartar buildup from teeth, especially in hard-to-reach places that cannot be reached with regular brushing and flossing. This process is known as scaling and cleaning, and it plays an integral role in maintaining good oral health.
4. Polishing: Once the teeth have been cleaned, the hygienist will polish them using a special polishing paste and rotary brush. This helps remove surface stains and leaves your smile looking polished and glossy.
5. Flossing: The hygienist will floss the patient's teeth to remove any leftover debris or plaque buildup between teeth.
6. Fluoride Treatment: The hygienist may apply a fluoride treatment to the patient's teeth, which helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities.
7. Oral Health Education: Finally, the hygienist will offer patients instruction on proper brushing and flossing techniques as well as tips for maintaining good oral hygiene at home. They may also suggest certain dental products like toothbrushes, floss, or mouthwash that can further promote good oral health.

Overall, dental hygiene appointments with a hygienist are designed to promote good oral health, prevent dental problems, and educate patients on how to care for their teeth and gums at home. It's an integral part of comprehensive dental care plans and should be scheduled regularly in order to keep teeth and gums healthy.

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At-home dental hygiene is just as important as a dental clinic visit.

Here's a list of things you can do at home to help keep your smile its brightest:

• Brushing - an integral part of dental hygiene, and fluoride toothpaste should be used twice daily for maximum benefit. Brushing helps remove plaque and prevent cavities.
• Flossing Once a Day - Brushing twice daily is an essential part of dental hygiene as it helps remove plaque and food particles from between teeth.
• Mouthwash - Mouthwash can help kill bacteria and freshen your breath, but it should never replace brushing and flossing.
• Dental Cleanings - Regular dental cleanings are an integral part of good oral hygiene, as they help to remove plaque and tartar that cannot be eliminated through brushing and flossing alone.
• Eating a Nutritious Diet - Eat healthy foods that are low in sugar and packed with fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid smoking and other tobacco products - These can lead to gum disease and other oral health issues.

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Why is it Important to Schedule Dental Hygiene Appointments?

Maintaining regular dental hygiene appointments is essential for several reasons:

• Professional Cleanings - Dental hygienists are professionally trained to remove plaque and tartar that cannot be eliminated through brushing and flossing alone. Regular dental cleanings can help prevent cavities and gum disease.
• Early Detection of Dental Issues - Regular dental check-ups can help detect dental problems at their early stage, before they become more serious and require more extensive treatment.
• Education - Dental hygienists can educate on proper brushing and flossing techniques, as well as provide tips for maintaining good oral hygiene.

Maintaining good dental hygiene is essential for avoiding dental problems and improving overall health. It involves daily habits like brushing and flossing, as well as regular visits to a dental professional for cleanings and check-ups. With proper oral care practices and regular appointments with your dental professional, you can ensure a healthy smile for life!

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FAQ

Why are regular Dental Hygiene appointments important?

A dental treatment plan begins with a thorough examination by one of our dentists. Your examination will include an oral cancer screening and a detailed evaluation of the current oral health including your teeth, gums, and the surrounding tissue. We use digital x-rays, periodontal probing, and intra-oral photography to determine your current dental health and provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan that is prioritized to best treat any existing conditions based on our findings.

What is tooth decay?

Tooth decay is damage to a tooth's surface, or enamel. It happens when bacteria in your mouth make acids that attack the enamel. Tooth decay can lead to cavities (dental caries), which are holes in your teeth.

What happens at a Dental Hygiene appointment?

The major activity performed by the dental hygienist is to clean your teeth both above the gum line, also known as scaling and below the gum-line, which is known as root planing. We use both traditional hand scalers and ultrasonic scaling tools (that use super-fast vibrations) to remove deposits depending on your scaling and root planing needs.

What is Hygiene Therapy?

Working with your dental hygienist, your individual hygiene treatment plan is coordinated to best treat and monitor the health of your teeth and gums. We offer our patients Laser Bacterial Reduction (LBR) to eliminate bacteria in the mouth in order to create a fresh environment around your teeth and gums. We also reserve your dental hygiene visits in advance, to best fit your schedule.

How often should I have a Hygiene dental visit?

Our dental hygienists will be happy to advise you how often you should have a dental cleaning based on your specific individual needs.

While most people come in for dental hygiene appointments every 6 months, some people may benefit by coming in every 3-4 months, while others might only require a hygiene appointment every 9 or even every 12 months.

How can I minimize sensitivity during treatments?

If you have experienced sensitivity in your teeth from past hygiene appointments, taking ibuprofen in advance of your hygiene appointment can help alleviate this. If you are experiencing heightened sensitivity then dental freezing may also be an option that needs to be discussed in order to deal with your discomfort issues.

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Periodontal Maintenance

Among the causes for periodontal (gum) disease are genetic susceptibility, smoking, and other illnesses like diabetes. Periodontal maintenance involves removing plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line. When you have active periodontal disease, the typical routines of home maintenance – including daily dental hygiene and teeth brushing – may not be effective enough, as those methods generally focus on areas of the tooth that are above the gum-line.

But with regular scaling and root planing procedures, we can remove the build-up of plaque, tartar (calculus) and bacterial toxins (biofilms) from tooth surfaces below the gum line, which are the areas that general home care practices are unable to reach.

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Gingivitis may be caused by a number of factors that include:

• Diabetes.
• Smoking.
• Aging.
• A disease.
• Stress.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Pregnancy.
• Hormonal fluctuations.
• Infection.
• Medication use.

FAQ

What is Periodontal Disease?

It is important to know that Gum Disease (also known as ‘Periodontitis’) can take many forms. Each form presents us with different levels of severity. If left untreated, severe periodontitis can eventually lead to tooth loss and other potential health problems.

What is Gingivitis?

The most common form of periodontal disease is called ‘Gingivitis.’ Gingivitis causes your gums to become red and swollen. Because of this, they may also tend to bleed easily. However, at this stage of progression, you may only be experiencing little or even no discomfort. Gingivitis is usually caused by an inadequate oral hygiene regimen. It is usually reversible with professional treatment and good oral hygiene habits such as regular brushing and flossing.

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