Our hygienists play a vital role in your oral healthcare, and make a huge difference in our ongoing efforts to help you keep your teeth for life.
The main role our hygienists play is to help you maintain a healthy mouth, avoiding problems such as decay and gum disease. They will advise you on the best way to care for your teeth and gums at home, including an effective daily cleaning routine, using the correct interdental products.
Gum disease (periodontal disease) is an inflammatory condition that, if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. It affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. It begins when the bacteria in plaque causes the gums to become inflamed.
As well as looking after your teeth, it is also important to ensure your gums are healthy. Our gum treatments are designed to help with this by dealing with the causes of issues such as gum disease, where your gums may become swollen, sore or infected
Gum disease is caused by the germs that naturally live around the sides of the teeth (Plaque), and the main reason is inadequate or ineffective toothbrushing. Smoking also plays a major role in gum disease. Smoking not only masks the appearance of bleeding gums, but it speeds up the progression and severity of your gum disease, and prevents good healing after treatment. Smoking cessation is an essential part of the successful treatment of gum disease. Research shows that only 2% of people successfully quit smoking by will power alone. The best method of smoking cessation is to contact your dentist or doctor and ask to be referred to the NHS Smoking Cessation Service. This is often completed by your doctor’s practice nurse. Studies show that you are four times more likely to quit smoking if you seek help from the NHS.
One of the most obvious ways to identify if you have gum disease is the appearance of blood when brushing your teeth. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis and if untreated can cause further problems. If this is something you have noticed, please make an enquiry about an appointment with us today using the form provided or on 01642 222311 and a member of our friendly team will be able to assist.
We are very lucky to have an in-house oral health educator. One of our nurses is qualified in providing oral hygiene instruction as well as dietary analysis and advice on a one-on-one basis to our patients. These clinics are held on a Friday. Please ask our friendly team for availability of appointments.
