National Hygienists week April 2022
This week is National Hygienists week and we are very grateful for our amazing, hard working hygienists that we have working at the Holistic Dental Centre
Dental hygienists are mainly concerned with ‘preventive’ dental health and treating gum disease – showing you correct home care and helping you to keep your teeth and gums healthy. This includes professionally cleaning your teeth by removing plaque and tartar.
A dental hygienist performs the deep clean of your teeth, flags trouble spots that could become cavities, reviews how diet can affect the health of your mouth, and much more. They act like a gatekeeper to the world of oral health.
Hygienists can assist patients with gum disease by taking measurements to assess the extent of gum disease, and extensive cleaning to remove deposits from below the gums.
Dental hygienists may talk to you about your diet, and recommend other preventive measures to keep your mouth healthy, the hygienist can help you keep to a routine that will slow down tooth decay and gum disease by helping you keep your mouth in tip-top condition.
Some patients ask if receding gums can grow back. The short answer to this question is no, receding gums do not grow back. Together you both would identify what is causing receding gums first to give you the opportunity to slow the gum recession. The hygienist would also look at treatments/new procedures to help stop the recession.
When it comes to visiting a dental hygienist, the golden rule is that you should schedule an appointment every six months. But, some factors affect the frequency of your visits like how well you take care of your teeth, your diet and also your genetic predisposition to gum disease. We have some patients that visit a hygienist every three months.
Neglecting your teeth can cause gingivitis, the milder form of gum disease which makes gums red, swollen, and quick-to-bleed. This is a response to the bacteria in the plaque that builds up between your teeth and gums. Gingivitis can advance to a more serious form of gum disease, called periodontitis.
BIOFILM
In your mouth, biofilm appears as a yellowish buildup on the surfaces of your teeth which may be removed by meticulous brushing twice a day, flossing and regular use of interdental brushes. Underneath the tissues, the physical removal of the biofilm cannot be accomplished with your home care routine alone.
The AIR-FLOW® System is a method of professional mechanical tooth cleaning for selective removal of plaque and stains from all tooth surfaces using EMS devices. It delivers a controlled stream of fine powder particles to the tooth surface through water spray and compressed air. While being more efficient, this procedure also delivers higher patient comfort.
