Hygiene & Preventive Care
The importance of oral hygiene is emphasized by the following fact: more adults lose their teeth as a result of gum (periodontal) disease than from any other cause. The good news is – gum disease is preventable.
Our hygienists spend a lot of time educating our patients about gum disease prevention. By emphasizing prevention, patients stand a far better chance of keeping their teeth and gums in optimal condition for their entire lives.
An appointment with our hygienist at Smileworx Dental is much more than just dental cleaning. It’s an opportunity for us to evaluate the condition of your teeth and gums to ensure that any subtle changes over time are detected. Our hygienists will provide you with the best periodontal care, tailoring the program and frequency of dental visits to your individual needs. These visits to our office, coupled with thorough home care, are the best strategy for achieving and maintaining excellence in oral health.
Gum disease therapy
There are two main types of gum disease:
Gingivitis
An inflammation in the gums caused by plaque and tartar build-up. This is the puffy redness you might get if you haven’t flossed or brushed your teeth for a few days. If you’ve skipped flossing or brushing for a few days, gingivitis will cause the soreness and bleeding when you get back on your flossing schedule. The damaging effects of gingivitis can be reversed by removing all the plaque and tartar from your teeth, and keeping it off.
Periodontitis
When the inflammation gets into the supporting bone, it dissolves the bone in the area. As the bone dissolves, the teeth may become sore or loose. This is how people lose teeth to gum disease. The bone loss associated with periodontitis is not reversible, the bone will never grow back. Once you have lost bone from peridontitis, it takes careful monitoring, diligent home care and thorough hygiene therapy to ensure it doesn’t return.
At Smileworx Dental, we will ensure you are properly screened and monitored for signs of gum disease. If you do have signs of gum inflammation, we will review what we find and help you to resolve it with a plan that works for you.
Polishing
Some tooth discoloration is due to surface staining. Things like coffee, tea, red wine, and smoking can lead to a stain deposit that sticks to the outer layer of the tooth. Stains of these types can be removed with our dental polishing techniques. Dramatic results are often possible in only 5-10 minutes.