Highly recommend Little Aston Dental Care. Gurdev was very professional & very caring after seeing me at very short notice, when I phones as an emergency. I can highly recommend Maxine the hygienist, I have seen her every three months for years and her professionalism is second to none. 10 out of 10 for all the staff.
AHRole of the Dental Hygienist
Our Hygienist plays a key role in maintaining excellent gum health. Her expertise and wealth of knowledge will help and guide you towards your bespoke gum health plan. The hygienist appointments are tailored to your individual needs. She will examine your gums and bleeding scores as a base line and use this to check your progression and maintenance. Her aims include education, removing harmful plaque and tartar deposits around the teeth and in areas where you cannot access easily.
Regular Hygiene appointments
Most patients with a healthy mouth would benefit by seeing the Hygienist every 6 months. People with bleeding gums need to see the Hygienist more frequently (every 2-3 months). It has been shown there is a strong link between gum disease and other systemic diseases such as Heart disease, Blood pressure, Hormone changes, Diabetes, Menopause, Arthritis and any conditions that cause INFLAMMATION, even stress. Periodontal disease is the 6th most common disease of the Western population. Recent research shows, it is a complex reaction of the host’s immune response. The only reliable visual response is inflammation, which manifests as bleeding on gentle probing.
Smokers are at increased risk of gum and periodontal disease. Smokers are the only group of people in whom, bleeding is not an indicator of gum problems. Full examination of their tooth support would be need to be checked on xrays/ radiogrpahs.
Fresh Breath Advice
Bad breath is an embarrassing thing to deal with and can have many social implications. Often people have bad breath without even knowing about it.
What are the causes of bad breath?
Bad breath is caused by plaque bacteria, that produce substances called Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSCs). It is these, VSCs that actually cause bad breath.
Treating Bad Breath
To achieve fresh breath and a healthy mouth is very simple and requires the following:
Good Oral Hygiene
Tooth brushing twice a day and flossing between teeth everyday will remove plaque and the bacteria that cause bad breath and gum disease.
Tongue Cleaning
The tongue gets covered with a film of debris, food, plaque and bacteria. In addition, when we sleep at night the sinuses drain onto the back of the tongue. By using a tongue scraper or a manual toothbrush as part of daily oral hygiene, you can reduce the amount of bacteria and plaque and bad breath from your mouth. Tongue brushing can illicit the gag reflex, causing runny, eyes and nose, and gagging reaction. Blowing your nose will help clear your sinuses and coughing the phlegm up means a clearer nose and throat.
Gum Disease
Plaque is the main cause of gum disease (and decay) in the mouth. There are harmful bacteria in plaque that damage gums, and the underlying bone that supports teeth, causing the teeth to loosen and then be removed.
If you clean your teeth and gums regularly and effectively with appropriate tooth brushing and between teeth (using floss or inter-dental brushes), this significantly reduces your plaque levels.
Signs of gum disease include:
- Bleeding when brushing or flossing
- Swollen and sore gums
- Loose Teeth
- Bad Breath
- Gum pockets (gums pulling away from your teeth)
- And sometimes no signs or symptoms at all, most people who have gum disease, don’t even know they have it
What happens if gum disease is left untreated?
The answer is simple – the teeth get looser and will eventually fall out or cause severe pain and have to be extracted. This is because inflammation slowly destroys the supporting bone (irreversibly!) around the roots. Treatment to replace missing teeth is then time consuming, more complex and expensive.
Contact us today to make a hygiene appointment – 0121 352 15461
