Oral Health and Hygiene
Our hygienists focus on preventative dentistry – the right oral hygiene techniques, diet advice and scaling and polishing to more advanced gum treatment. Periodontal disease (gum disease) starts with bleeding gums (gingivitis), caused by a build-up of plaque; if it’s not treated, it can progress to periodontitis, where the gum becomes detached from the tooth, causing a pocket and eventually the bone around the tooth is lost.
Our hygienists will concentrate on good oral hygiene practice to prevent this, including dietary advice relating to teeth and scaling and polishing, and at routine examinations your dentist will also check for any abnormalities related to oral cancer.
Periodontal Gum Disease
What is periodontal disease?
The simplest form of gum disease, gingivitis, is often a reaction to a build-up of plaque on the junction of the gum and the tooth.
Plaque is a soft, sticky film that forms every day on the teeth and gums. It is made up of bacteria which live on the sugars from things we eat and drink. Plaque builds up in difficult to clean areas, especially below the contact areas between teeth. It is important to clean these areas daily with floss, tape, or small interdental ‘bottle’ brushes, as advised by your dentist or hygienist.
The earliest sign of disease is bleeding of the gums. They may also look red or swollen. Gingivitis can often be cured simply with good oral hygiene – brushing twice a day for at least two minutes in the morning, evening and using other mouth hygiene aids, such as floss or interdental brushes for the spaces between teeth. Your dental Hygienist will also advise on the use of any medicated mouth rinses, if your gums become infected or sore and you notice an unpleasant metallic taste, this is acute gingivitis and you should seek urgent treatment.
Symptoms to watch out for:
- Gums that have come away from teeth
- Pus between the teeth and gums
- Persistent bad breath or a bad taste
- Permanent teeth that are loose or are changing position
Dental Health
Tooth Damage
Teeth may be damaged by dental decay (caries), trauma, erosion, attrition or lost through gum (periodontal) disease.
Caries and periodontal disease are the most common oral diseases. Both diseases occur as a result of the activity of dental bacterial plaque, a complex structure containing various microorganisms that forms mainly on teeth and particularly between them, along the gum margin, and in the pits and fissures of teeth. If plaque is not regularly removed the bacteria multiply and plaque may also calcify, forming calculus (tartar).
Fermentation of sucrose and other sugars by plaque bacteria results in the production of acid causing tooth decalcification resulting in caries. Accumulation of plaque also causes gingival (gum) inflammation (gingivitis). If conditions are appropriate this may progress to damage the periodontal membrane (chronic periodontitis) leading to tooth loss.
Tooth Erosion and Wear
Tooth erosion is an increasing problem from consumption of carbonated and fruit drinks and occasionally from gastric regurgitation or repeated vomiting (as in bulimia, alcoholism and reflux). In most cases it results in little more than a loss of normal enamel contour, but in severe cases teeth may be severely damaged.
Tooth wear – Attrition (wearing of the biting surfaces) is usually due to tooth grinding or an abrasive diet. Abrasion, wearing at the margin where the tooth meets the gum, is mainly caused by brushing with a hard brush or abrasive dentifrice. It can lead to exposure of dentine and therefore sensitivity to hot and cold. Desensitising toothpastes are available, but professional dental care is advised.
Prevention:
Sugars, particularly sucrose, are the major dietary causes of caries. Frequency of intake is more important than the amount. Dietary advice should start with recommending appropriate infant feeding and weaning practice. Drinks other than milk and water should not be given in feeding bottles and should be confined to main meals.
Children should be introduced to a cup at about 6 months of age and should have ceased using bottles by about 1 year. Weaning foods should be free of, or very low in sugars other than those present in fresh milk and raw fruits or vegetables.
For older children and adults, snack foods and drinks especially should be free of sugars. Because of the risk of erosion as well as of caries, frequent consumption of carbonated and cola type drinks should be discouraged. Fruit juices can also cause tooth erosion. Water and milk are the preferred options for children.
The production of saliva may counter plaque acids , so chewing sugar-free gum or cheese after meals may be of value. Fresh fruit and vegetables can also confer some protection against oral cancer. However, smoking or chewing tobacco and some other habits may contribute to periodontal disease and oral malignancy.
