Would you like to keep your teeth for life?
As dentists, one of our major roles is to educate our patients on the importance of oral care. It is most refreshing to see that as the generations are passing, we find that many patients are actively undertaking the requirements necessary to maintain a happy and healthy smile for life.
Routine care by our hygienist
Optimal dental hygiene is important in preventing decay and gum disease, and maintaining lifelong oral health. More Smiles offers the services of a qualified dental hygienist who is highly trained in optimising the dental health of our clients through education and tailored oral health and preventive programmes.
Dental hygiene appointments usually include diagnostic procedures to evaluate the health of your teeth and gums, in addition to treatment tailored to your individual oral health needs.
Your appointment can include:
- Comprehensive assessment of your gum health
- An oral cancer screening
- Evaluation of your bite, chewing and swallowing patterns
- Identification of any cause of bad breath (if appropriate)
- Thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth
- Assessment of existing dental restorations and placement of fillings in children up to the age of 17 years old
- Application of decay preventing agents
- Individualised oral hygiene instruction including instruction in tooth brushing and flossing, counselling in proper nutrition and recommendations for future treatment
Daily cleaning of the teeth at home is essential to the long-term health of your teeth and gums. Visiting our Dental Hygienist at a recommended interval will also help prevent the onset of gum disease.
Brushing and Flossing
The simplest and most effective way of caring for your smile is to maintain a daily routine using the cleaning methods listed below. Don’t forget your regular dental visits though, as plaque can accumulate in areas where you may not be able to reach or see, therefore increasing the risk of decay or periodontal disease.
Brushing
We recommended that you take the time to brush your teeth at least twice a day using a soft tooth brush and toothpaste that contains fluoride. Try the following method and don’t hesitate to ask if you are having problems with some hard to reach areas, this is common and in most cases we can show you some helpful tips to make life easier.
- Place the head of your toothbrush beside your teeth, with the brush tips at a 45 degree angle against your gum. Move the brush back and forth in short, semi-circle strokes several times.
- Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, top and bottom, keeping the bristles angled against your gum. Use the same method on the inside surfaces of all the teeth, still using short back and forth strokes.
- It is important to brush the chewing surfaces of the teeth as they will be constantly in contact with everything you eat or drink.
- You must also clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth by tilting the brush vertically and make several gentle up and down strokes with the front part of the brush.
Last but not least you should not forget your tongue, brushing it will help freshen your breath and clean your mouth by removing any remaining bacteria.
Flossing
Flossing is essential to ensure that you have removed all the food and accumulated plaque from between your teeth and under the gum margin.
Leaving plaque to build up near or under the gums can cause periodontal disease, which is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults.It can sometimes feel a little awkward to floss.
Talk to us and follow the tips below to help you adjust to this sometimes tedious task.
Xylifloss Pocket Dental Flosser makes flossing easier. It offers a fast and comfortable way to floss. You never have to touch the floss while flossing, nor do you need to place your fingers in your mouth.
- Wind roughly 20cm of floss around middle fingers of each hand. Hold each end of the floss between your thumbs and index fingers, leaving about 2cm to 3cm of length in between. You should use your thumbs to direct the floss between your upper teeth.
- Keeping the 2cm to 3cm length of floss nice and firm between fingers, use index fingers to direct the floss between the lower teeth.
- Gently guide the floss between the teeth by using a zigzag motion. It is important to remember not snap the floss between your teeth but using a smooth and flowing motion around each side of the tooth.
- Slide the floss up and down against your tooth surface and under the gum. This may feel awkward but it is important to get underneath the tooth to clean those areas.