Professional Hygiene Therapy

The foundation of all teeth is the gums. If we look after our gums we will have strong healthy teeth that we can surely be proud of, if we do not, the bacteria which accumulates can lead to gum disease, which as the pun goes - is the root of all evil in dentistry!

In order to keep our foundation healthy we have invested in our Hygienists to create a Hygiene Centre that will ensure that your maintenance programme will minimise, tooth loss, bone loss, gum recession, cavities and bad breath.

Gum Disease

There are different levels of Gum disease, and we need to evaluate at what level the is disease at. Early warning signs include bad breath, bleeding of the gums, especially on probing and red and swollen gums.

In order to diagnose gum disease we must measure the surrounding gum area of a tooth with a specialised instrument known as a Perio Probe. If the probe goes done further than 3mm then that is known as a pocket. A pocket (like all pockets) tends to collect all bacteria cause by food. When this hardens it becomes tartar and resembles very much like lime scale on a kettle. It is at this stage that the tooth is in danger because the tartar starts attacking the root of a tooth.

Once a pocket has formulated it will require a hygienist to go inside each tooth pocket and clean out all the bacteria that has inflamed the gum, this will allowing the gum to settle back firmly around the tooth, eliminating the pocket. In some instances a patient may need to have more advances Perio treatment such as Perio Surgical (surgically removing the bacteria from a pocket), Tissue Grafting (surgically adding additional gum to areas where the gum has receded, giving support to teeth and a better appearance) and Gum Contouring ( a procedure that eliminates the appearance of a gummy smile).

Those most at risk are patients who smoke and who have never seen a dentist or Hygienist regularly.

Fresh Breath

Our Hygienist offers the very best advice and treatment on creating Fresh Breath. Most of us feel that we suffer from bad breath from time to time; the truth of the matter is we all suffer from it especially in the morning when our saliva flow is greatly reduced.

So what is Bad breath?

Well putting it simply it is when bacteria in the mouth cannot be neutralised and therefore produces sulphur gases which tends to smell pretty bad.

Do sprays and mints help?

The answer to that is no. Bacteria is still not being neutralised, it is only being masked temporarily.

How do I know if I have bad breath?

The most effective way is to get your closest and dearest to tell you. However, like most love ones they shy from telling their love ones the truth so really a simple test would be to lick your wrist, let it dry and then smell!

Other causes of bad breath will include fasting, dieting, sleeping, talking extensively, taking certain kinds of medication, exercising, bleeding gums, white spots on the tongue and wearing dentures.

If you are concerned that you maybe in one of the above category, please contact our Practice, where we will be more than happy to investigate this further for you. We aim to explain why the mal odour exists in your mouth and how we are to treat it for you; 95% of the cases it is curable.