Gum, or periodontal, disease is a silent killer, as it is painless until the condition has worsened beyond repair. Gum disease slowly breaks down the gums and jaw bone that hold your teeth in place until they become too loose or painful and need to be removed.
Gum loss cannot be replaced so if you have gum disease the sooner you deal with the problem, the less permanent damage will occur. The bacterial infection from the disease can enter the bloodstream and can begin attacking your heart and other vital organs too.
Most people don’t know they have gum disease. Its usually painless and warning signs for gum disease could be bleeding gums when you brush or floss, bad breath, gingivitis or receding gums.
Treatments range from an extensive, thorough clean to having surgery to open the gums and remove trapped debris. To avoid the more severe treatments, we offer a special combination therapy using lasers, ozone and specialised antibiotics to try to get rid of the infection as well as the conventional removal of the debris on your teeth. Its way less painful and can be achieved in one long visit instead of 4.
You can prevent gum disease with regular dental hygienist visits. However, if the disease has progressed too far, treatments will be required to re-establish good dental health.
If you want to keep your teeth for life, our dental hygienists are simply the most cost effective dental treatment you can get.
They can help you stop dental decay and prevent gum disease before it takes an irreversible hold.
We’re very proud of our preventive program. It’s been developed to be the most thorough of its kind because we think prevention is better than cure. Every time. Less expense, less trauma – if only Australian medicine could be practiced this way!
Comfort is important for us. We can’t imagine you are going to come back regularly if it hurts. As everyone knows, you should visit the dentist twice a year. So our hygienists are guaranteed to give you the most comfortable and thorough tooth cleaning experience you have ever had. We even have a comfort guarantee for these appointments!
Know anyone who says “it’s only the kids, I just take them to the health fund dentist”? Our hygienists are great with kids, and the regular, positive reinforcement they receive at Smile Doctor will change their life outcome completely. Poor advice and habits early lead to a very expensive, traumatic dental lifetime.
Our dental hygienists have 3 years formal training, are trained in all forms of conservative gum therapy, tooth cleaning, taking radiographs and impressions. They have been lucky enough to have a great mentor, Ms Lynn Hiscocks, a hygienist with the practice for 10 years, to continue their professional development and bring their formal training up to the standard we demand in our preventive program.
How to Brush and Floss
How to brush
There are a few different methods considered acceptable when brushing your teeth. Whatever method you use, take the time to brush thoroughly with a recommended toothpaste every day. We recommend the following method to help maintain dental health and easily get rid of plaque
- Place the head of your toothbrush beside your teeth with the brush tips at a 45 degree angle against your gum.
- Move the brush back and forth in short, semi-circle strokes several times.
- Brush the outer surfaces of each tooth, top and bottom, keeping the bristles angled against your gum.
- Use the same method on the inside surfaces of all the teeth, still using short back and forth strokes.
- It is important to brush the chewing surfaces of the teeth as well.
- You should not forget your tongue, brushing it will help freshen your breath and clean your mouth by removing bacteria.
How to floss
An essential part of your routine, flossing removes plaque from between the teeth, areas where gum disease can begin. It can sometimes feel a little awkward to floss but following the tips below will help you feel more comfortable in maintaining your oral health.
- Wind roughly 20cm of floss around middle fingers of each hand. Hold each end of the floss between your thumbs and index fingers, leaving about 2-3cm of length between. Use your thumbs to direct the floss between your upper teeth.
- Keeping the floss nice and firm between fingers, use index finger to direct the floss between the lower teeth.
- Gently guide the floss between the teeth by using a zig zag motion. It is important to remember not to snap the floss between your teeth but use a smooth and flowing motion around each side of the tooth.
- Slide the floss up and down against your tooth surface and under the gum. This may feel awkward but it is important to get underneath the tooth to clean those areas.