Hygienist Weybridge

Gum disease describes infection, soreness and inflammation of the tissues that support your teeth.

The two forms of gum disease are:

Gingivitis: inflammation of the gums. Symptoms include red and swollen gums, which can bleed during brushing. Should gingivitis go untreated, it can progress into periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease: There are several types of periodontal disease, all of which adversely affect the tissues supporting your teeth. As periodontal disease progresses, the bone anchoring your teeth shrinks, causing your teeth to become loose and possibly eventually fall out. Gum disease is the No. 1 cause of tooth loss in adults.

Gum disease is caused by plaque, which is a film of bacteria that collects on the surface of your teeth every day. Whilst many of the bacteria that make up plaque are harmless, some have been found to be the principal cause of gum disease. It’s possible to prevent gum disease by removing the plaque from your teeth every day, through good brushing and flossing habits.

Gum disease affects the structures that support the teeth, which can contribute to infections and loose, wobbly teeth. In fact, gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. Unfortunately, gum disease can often be symptomless until serious problems like gum abscesses and pus begin to form and ooze from around your teeth, highlighting the importance of regular appointments—the sooner problems are spotted, the easier they are to treat.

When it comes to keeping your teeth and gums healthy, there are a number of simple habits you can employ in your day-to-day life. During your hygienist appointment, we can demonstrate how to use oral hygiene aids effectively at home, which will significantly your gum health. For most patients, bi-annual visits to the hygienist are sufficient, though we may suggest more frequent visits if we feel you could benefit from a little extra care. It’s all about creating a plan around your unique oral hygiene needs.

During your appointment, the hygienist will use special instruments to carefully remove tenacious plaque and tartar build up from your tooth surfaces and polish them to remove any staining.

Here at Oatlands Dental Lounge, dentist in Weybridge offer state-of-the-art Airflow® Polishing, which uses a powerful jet of compressed air and water to remove these hard and soft deposits more quickly.

Patient education is another important aspect of a dental hygienist appointment. Your hygienist will advise on the foods to avoid, as a good diet can significantly reduce the risk of tooth erosion and decay, and result in fresher breath. Should we find you have an extensive buildup of deposits or advanced gum disease, we are likely to recommend several visits in close succession, so we can work to address the problem swiftly, and put you back on the path to healthy gums.

The principal aim of a visit to the hygienist is to remove bacteria and plaque from your teeth and to make sure decay doesn’t affect your dental and oral health. Whilst a visit to the dentist won’t whiten your teeth in the way teeth whitening treatment does, having plaque and tartar removed will help to keep surface stains at bay, and give you an opportunity to discuss how you can improve your at-home habits. In doing this, you are more likely to maintain brighter and healthy-looking teeth in the long term. Here at Oatlands Dental Lounge, we offer tooth gentle polishing using the renowned Airflow® Tooth Polishing system, which is extremely thorough and leaves your mouth fresh following treatment, reducing bad breath caused by lingering plaque and bacteria.