The keys to avoiding gum disease and tooth decay is early detection and prevention. Regular exams and cleanings, in addition to a great home regimen, can prevent you having too many costly dental treatments. Prevention begins with controlling plaque, which is a colorless type of bacteria that sticks to your teeth surfaces, in addition to a harder mineral deposit called calculus. Those are the major sources of disease and decay. By maintaining a proper and regular routine of hygiene on a daily basis, you can avoid a majority of oral problems. Our hygienist is here to help you with managing your gums and your hygiene. Please click on a link below for more information.
- Cleanings
- Exams
- Brushing
- Flossing
- Mouth Rinses
- Gum Disease
Cleanings
A critical component of preventive dental care is having regular dental cleanings done by a registered dental hygienist. By removing tartar and plaque, your oral health is improved. It also minimizes risk of periodontal disease and gingivitis. Manual instruments will be utilized by your dental hygienist to get rid of moderate buildup of tartar and plaque. An ultrasonic device can be used for scaling away heavier buildup. Polishing completes the cleaning process. This procedure removes stains, cleans the surfaces of your teeth, and makes your mouth feel refreshed and clean.
Exams
It doesn’t matter how diligent you might be with your home dental care routine, you still need to have a dental cleaning and exam done two times a year. It really can’t be overemphasized how important regular dental exams are. They are the cornerstone of maintaining good dental health. Having regular checkups are critical for detecting serious problems early. Also, early detection can make treatment more effective, less expensive and easier. Your dentist will be performing the following routine checks as part of your dental exam:
- Check for gum disease; assess and examine gum health.
- Examine any tooth decay that is present.
- Take x-rays and analyze them. They could reveal cysts, tumors, abscesses, bone loss, decay and other issues.
- Screen for oral cancer symptoms Verify stability of all fillings and other kinds of restorations.
- Discuss all findings with you and recommend treatment.
Brushing
Plaque is potentially quite damaging. However, mechanical brushing will easily remove it. Plaque deposits can build up on your teeth very soon after you have eaten or drank something. If you don’t brush your teeth at least two times per day, it can lead to periodontal disease and tooth decay. All it takes is only one day to build up enough bacteria in your mouth to make it susceptible to getting diseases.
Flossing
Flossing on a daily basis is a very effective method for cleaning teeth, especially in places where a regular toothbrush can’t reach. To properly floss, take an 18″ piece of dental floss and around it around your two middle fingers and pinch the floss between your index finger and thumb. Pull it taut, and then gently slide it underneath the gum line in between each tooth. To remove the buildup of plaque, slide your floss up and down the sides of every tooth. As you are moving from one tooth to another, make sure you use a clean part of the floss.
Gum Disease
- Diagnosis
Early gum disease signs include inflammation, swelling or redness around your gum line. If any of these warning signs make an appearance, your dentist needs to check for hardened plaque, which is also called calculus or tartar, underneath your gum line. Your dentist might also use a probe, which is a kind of a tool used for testing gums for bleeding and also can measure periodontal pockets. Unhealthy gums pull away from your teeth and form those pickets. If you have periodontal pockets more than 3mm deep, this confirms that you have periodontal disease.
- Treatments
Gum disease can be effectively controlled and reversed by deep cleaning. This removes the germs that can cause infection. Deep cleaning involves root planing and scaling techniques. With scaling, tartar and plaque are scraped from below and above the gum line. With planing, rough teeth surfaces are smoothed out. These rough surfaces can encourage bacteria to grow which can then lead to infection. When a patient has smooth, clean teeth, there will reduced inflammation and redness, since the gum can attach to tooth enamel better. Your dentist might prescribe a mouth rinse or antibiotic to kill any bacteria that remains after planing and scaling procedures have been done.
- Periodontal Disease
With periodontal disease the structures surrounding, securing and supporting the teeth breakdown, the structures include your gums, jawbone and fibers anchoring your teeth to your gums. Usually periodontal disease is caused by plaque buildup that goes untreated. Is the number one cause for lost teeth in adults? However, periodontal disease can be easily prevented by a strong home care routine and regular checkup.
- Gingivitis
Gingivitis is one of the early stages of periodontal disease. Only the mouth’s soft tissues are affected. The buildup of plaque leads to bacteria and tartar beneath the gum line. This leads to bleeding, irritated and inflamed gums. Fortunately, gingivitis is reversible. Having a thorough professional cleaning done, along with regular checkups, brushing and flossing will restore the gums to good health through the removal of bacteria and plaque.