Hygienist

Maintenance of healthy teeth, gums and fresh breath is simple if it is done regularly by using good home techniques and on average, six monthly visits to Dream Smile Dental Clinic We can then identify any changes to your teeth or gums and pick up any potential concerns before they have a chance to develop.

Our holistic approach is designed to thoroughly analyse all aspects of your dental health and well being. Your hygiene maintenance appointments combined with our comprehensive examination covers a wide range of areas. This includes monitoring of many conditions such as gum recession, hairline cracks in your teeth, dietary habits, jaw joint imbalances and oral cancer screening.

How it works

Tooth brushing

Brush at least twice a day for 2-3 minutes with fluoride toothpaste.

Brush with a small soft tooth brush using a circular action to the gum level as this is where most plaque builds up.
For best results use an electric toothbrush such as Braun-Oral B electric tooth brushes.

Avoid scrubbing back and forth as this can cause gum recession or tooth wear.
Move along one tooth at a time with the brush head angled down to the gum line to ensure nowhere is missed.
Change your tooth brush around every 3 months or when the bristles start to splay, whichever comes first. If the bristles are splaying much sooner you need to use a more gentle action.

Flossing and cleaning between teeth

Daily dental flossing at a time that suits you best is recommended as brushing alone does not clean effectively around all the surfaces of your teeth. If the gum bleeds when you floss or brush don’t let this put you off. Gums often bleed from areas that are inflamed. These areas will require more attention than normal to heal up, not less!

Flossing technique:

Wind floss around your middle fingers to keep it taut. Then place the floss over the tips of your first fingers to reach your back teeth.
It is easier to floss your top front teeth by placing it over the tip of one finger and one thumb
Ease the floss between your teeth with a gentle sawing action and then clean with an up and down movement.

Mouthwashes and specialised gels

Few people have such a thorough brushing and flossing routine that they would not benefit from the use of mouthwash and or specialised gels. An excellent daily mouthwash can help eliminate food debris and bacteria that has not all been removed by brushing and flossing and can be very effective at combating bad breath and decay. We can also explain about mouthwashes and specialised gels that are particularly helpful in preventing decay in those prone to ongoing problems or in treating gum disease.

Tongue cleaning

Tongue cleaning is an important part of your oral hygiene and fresh breath program. The back of the tongue is a reservoir for organisms that cause gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. A tooth brush can be used on your tongue to gently sweep this substance away to reduce the bacteria in your mouth and freshen your breath.

Diet

The frequency of eating sugary foods and drinks including dried fruits, cough lollies, muesli bars, fruit juices, citrus drinks, cordials, sugar in coffee or tea etc can have an enormous impact especially with regards to the development of decay. We can advise you about your individual circumstance and the best ways to reduce your decay risk.