Plaque is a colorless film, which sticks to your teeth at the gum line. Plaque constantly forms on your teeth. By thorough daily brushing and flossing you can remove these germs and help prevent periodontal disease.
The aim of the hygienist service is simply to identify and reduce any gum disease you may have as part of your overall dental care programme, to lessen the amount of dental treatment you may need now and in the future, therefore cutting down on costs.
It may surprise you to know that around 95% of the population who have their own teeth are suffering from some degree of gum disease! But with care and attention to detail your gum disease can be controlled.
Early signs of gum disease can include:
Many factors can influence your individual level of gum disease. Your gums form a cuff around your teeth and the presence and accumulation of bacteria (plaque) on the root surface irritate the living tissue of the gums causing inflammation. This in turn causes loss of bone around the roots of your teeth and if left untreated will eventually lead to the loss of the tooth.
Believe it or not you will be doing much of the work yourself. By showing you simple measures, which you can carry out at home, we believe that we can teach you how to become your own hygienist. At your first visit lasting one hour we will initially identify and assess the level of disease present with charting and intra-oral photographs. This serves as a record for reference to compare back to at a later date.
