Hygiene & Gum Disease

Our friendly dental team is happy to teach you about proper oral hygiene for healthier teeth, gums and mouth.

Book Online

Preventive Dental Care

Research proves that when it comes to caring for your teeth and gums, preventive dentistry is the best way to avoid any potential problems.

Caring for your teeth is generally broken into four sections:

Regular cleaning with a good quality toothbrush and toothpaste

Daily flossing with either tape or dental floss

Rinsing after each clean with a good quality mouthwash

Visiting your dentist regularly

Tooth Brushing

Cleaning your teeth in the correct manner is important. Here is how to keep your teeth looking their best every day.

Brush Your Teeth at Least Twice Per Day With a Fluoride Toothpaste
Each time you brush your teeth we recommend you take at least two minutes, ensuring every tooth surface receives a deep and thorough clean. The easiest way to do this is to break your mouth down into four sections, upper, lower, left and right. Clean each section for 30 seconds. Make sure to brush the inside of your teeth, the tops of your teeth where you bite and the outside of your teeth (the cheek side).

Clean Your Teeth Using an Electric Toothbrush
Consider using a good quality electric toothbrush. There are many on the market including Philips Sonicare and the Oral B Braun range. If you use an electric toothbrush, it’s easier to ensure a deep clean between your teeth.

The best information and advice we can give is to clean your teeth in the morning and in the evening.

The general advice is to clean teeth directly after a meal, particularly if you’ve just had acidic food such as fruit. This is not such a good idea as the outside of your teeth could be affected by the acid. If you need to brush your teeth directly after a meal, wait an hour or so to get a thorough clean with minimal damage to your teeth.

When is the Best Time to Clean Your Teeth?

Why Should You Visit Your Dentist to Help Clean Your Teeth?

A dentist is able to spot problems with your teeth much sooner than you can at home. We notice if there are early signs of tooth decay which will only become apparent to you at a later stage if left untreated. We are also able to see into areas of your mouth that are far more difficult to see in the mirror at home.

Dentists also have special instruments for deep cleaning of your teeth, which are not available to use at home.

Many dentists also work very closely with dental hygienists who act as the dental health educator of a dental practice. It’s important that you see dental hygienists on a regular basis. This allows you to keep your teeth in good condition, with the hygienist providing feedback on how well you are doing and the state of your teeth.

Book An Appointment

Tooth Cavities & Dental Disease

Approximately 46,500 children and young people under 19 were admitted to the hospital for a primary diagnosis of dental caries in 2013–2014. This statistic comes from The State of Children’s Oral Health in England report by the Faculty of Dental Surgery. This number greater than children admitted to the hospital for tonsillitis.

As a nation, if we’re going to reduce these hospital admissions for young people we need to get the dental disease under control. Dental cavities arise when the bacteria in your mouth secrete acid. This acid attacks the hard enamel of your teeth and can continue to penetrate deep into the tooth structure.

If this acid attack is left unchecked then the tooth can become seriously infected. The only way to stop the dental cavity from continuing to grow is to visit the dentist, have caries removed and then have the hole filled.

Gum Disease

If your gums bleed whilst you brush it could be that you are simply pressing too hard. It can also be an early warning sign of gum disease.

Gum disease, or gingivitis as it is known, can progress painlessly. It can lead to far more serious periodontal disease (periodontitis) if not treated. Damage caused by gingivitis may not be reversible, however, it is possible to control the gingivitis and the bacteria that cause it. This would be done primarily with an effective dental health care routine. Following a good dental health routine which includes diet, habits (such as quitting smoking) and effective cleaning you can prevent the onset of gingivitis.

Early Treatment of Gum Disease

Gum disease can advance without any noticeable pain in many people. This is dangerous as the disease can attack your gums and bone without you knowing or being aware of the effects. If you do not get your gum disease treated, it can lead to periodontal disease. This affects the teeth themselves and can result in bone loss which ultimately leads to tooth loss.

How to Spot Gum Disease

Gum disease is very difficult to spot early on. If you notice your gums bleed when you brush, or they are very sensitive, gum disease has already started. If this is the case, we strongly recommend you contact our dental practice as soon as possible to help treat the early signs of gingivitis.

Gum Disease Treatment at Smile More Dental Care

This treatment is classically known as a scale and polish. Your dental professional removes the hard plaque from around your teeth and gums and then polishes your teeth to ensure they are smooth. This smooth surface can help prevent the adhesion of plaque in the future.

If the plaque is particularly heavy and deep under the gum then you may need root planing. This will be done under local anaesthetic to ensure that the area is completely numb although you may have some discomfort for up to 48 hours afterward. Gingivitis usually clears up after a thorough professional cleaning and modification of your health care routine. Regular visits to your dental hygienist can help catch early gingivitis before too much damage occurs. Your hygienist regularly scores your dental health and lets you know if this score gets better or worse from appointment to appointment. If you manage to keep the gingivitis under control you will ultimately feel better, look better and save money at the dentist!
Book Online