The Hygienist and Your Oral Health
Good Oral Health results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:
- Your teeth are clean and free of debris
- Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss
- Bad breath is not a constant problem
If your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing, or you are experiencing persistent bad breath, see your dentist. Any of these conditions may indicate a problem.
Your dentist or hygienist can help you learn good oral hygiene techniques and can help point out areas of your mouth that may require extra attention during brushing and flossing.
Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.
Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.
In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These include:
- Brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing daily
- Eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals
- Using dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
- Rinsing with a fluoride mouth rinse if advised by your dentist or hygienist.
- Making sure that your children, under 12, drink fluoridated water or take a fluoride supplement if they live in a non-fluoridated area.
- Regular hygiene appointments to maintain good oral health.
What does the Hygienist do?
The hygienist will examine the soft tissues of the mouth and identify the areas of concern. Then she will gently remove all the build-up of tartar around and under the gums. Then by showing the patient how to prevent further tartar accumulation and providing ongoing regular preventative appointments the hygienist will help prevent further deterioration of the supporting tissues of the teeth.
Do I need to see the Hygienist?
No matter how well people look after their teeth and gums, very few maintain perfect oral hygiene day by day. Plaque is easily missed between the teeth and around the gum line. If plaque is missed regularly, it calcifies into tartar. If not removed ongoing damage will occur. The hygienist will determine what recall would best suit the patient to help preserve the teeth for life.
What is peridontal (gum) disease?
Plaque and tartar are the primary factors leading to the development and progression of gum disease (periodontal disease). Bacteria in the plaque produce toxins, which irritate and infect the gum tissue causing inflammation. Early gum disease (gingivitis) is a relatively mild infection of the gums which is easily treated and usually quite reversible.
Signs include:
- Gums that bleed when you floss or brush.
- Red, swollen or tender gums.
- Bad breath.
Severe gum disease (periodontitis) is a chronic infection of the gums and bone that anchor your teeth into the jaw. This often results in tooth loss.
Signs include:
- All symptoms of gingivitis.
- Gums receding away from the teeth.
- Pus from under the gums.
- A bad taste in your mouth.
- Teeth that are tender to bite on.
- Loose teeth.
Why see the Hygienist for my ‘clean’ and not the Dentist?
Traditionally, the dentist would scale (clean) your teeth as part of your examination or check-up appointment. However, we require more than the ‘quick clean’ of years gone by, especially as our population is aging and people are retaining their own teeth for longer than ever before. Prevention is always better than the cure so it is important to have a thorough assessment or your oral health needs, removal of the bacterial deposits that cause gum problems and preventive advice to stabilise and maintain any oral conditions. Our goal is healthy teeth, for life, and if we want to achieve this and maintain an attractive smile and comfortable mouth throughout our lives, then we need to care for our gums as well as our teeth. By seeing the hygienist regularly and following her advice, your oral health will steadily improve.