April 3, 2017
Why Your Dental Hygienist Is Key To Maintaining Your Dental Implant Health
Dental Design
Many people are unaware of the important role a dental hygienist holds within in a dental practice. Dental hygienists collaborate closely with dentists and can carry out a number of vital tasks that will help keep your gums and teeth in great shape.
Regular hygiene appointments are essential for everybody and for many people will need to see a hygienist between every 3-6 months, depending on the number and types of fillings, crowns and dental implants they have.
At One The Gallery our excellent Hygiene team work closely with our specialists to create the most appropriate maintenance routine for you. By regularly seeing a dental hygienist, you are much more likely to enjoy good dental health and it’s an easy way to maintain gum health. Good hygiene is particularly important if you have dental implants as regular maintenance will keep the gum and bone around your dental implants healthy, and free from disease.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU COME TO SEE OUR DENTAL HYGIENIST
Lauren Minney is our wonderful hygienist here at One The Gallery, and she is a registered with the General Dental Council and is fully qualified in preventing oral disease and in maintaining oral health.
Like everyone here at our dental practice, Lauren is extremely approachable and easy to talk to. During your visit, she will carefully assess your current dental health and will develop a maintenance plan specifically personalised to meet your needs in conjunction with one of our specialists.
This is essential as everyone’s mouth is unique and your plan will take into account any existing dental problems as well as any medical problems that could affect your dental health or your treatment. Every plan is tailored to help you maintain natural teeth and your dental implants in Oxford.
HOW A DENTAL HYGIENIST WILL HELP MAINTAIN YOUR NATURAL TEETH
Most people are familiar with the concept of a scale and polish, a routine treatment that will be carried out at every hygiene appointment. Having your teeth professionally cleaned is essential for keeping them healthy. Even if you are meticulous during your brushing and flossing routine, it’s so easy to leave out certain areas allowing plaque to build up and to harden into calculus.
Both plaque and calculus contain bacteria that can infect and inflame your gums, potentially causing gum disease. By removing all calculus during your cleaning, your hygienist will help to reduce your risk of gum disease.
In addition to cleaning your teeth, your hygienist will carefully assess the health of the gums around the teeth, and sometimes it is necessary to measure the pockets between the gums and teeth. This gives us an indication of the health of the gums and serves as a baseline record.
If necessary she can work with you to improve your brushing and flossing routine. This can be particularly helpful if you have any early signs of gum disease as improving your oral hygiene routine can help to reverse this disease. They can also offer general information about dental products that could help you and even dietary advice as this can affect your dental health.
WHY REGULAR ORAL HYGIENE APPOINTMENTS ARE KEY FOR DENTAL IMPLANT MAINTENANCE
If you have dental implants in Oxford, then you are probably enjoying all the benefits of having teeth that feel and look just like your own. Just like natural teeth, the gums around dental implants need regular maintenance and care. Although implants are made from inert materials, they are surrounded by living tissue that includes bone and gum tissue. It’s essential to take care of your dental implants and to keep them clean and hygienic to prevent infection.
Without the correct care, there’s a good chance the tissue around your dental implants will become infected with a disease very similar to gum disease and which could ultimately lead to implant failure. Although failure rates for dental implants are low, poor oral hygiene is a well documented cause that initiates the loss of bone around dental implants.
When you first receive your dental implants, you will be shown exactly how to look after them, but your regular hygiene appointments are a great chance to refresh your memory, learn how to improve your technique and even the reassurance that you are maintaining your dental implants adequately.
FULLY CUSTOMISED ADVICE ON LOOKING AFTER YOUR DENTAL IMPLANTS
During your dental hygiene appointment, Lauren will discuss how you are getting on with cleaning your dental implants and can offer personalised advice on possible ways to improve your oral care at home. If you find a particular technique tricky to use, they can always suggest another approach.
Dental implants are not difficult to look after, but they do need a good oral hygiene routine that will only take a few minutes each day. Lauren is very experienced in helping patients achieve and maintain excellent oral health and she will ensure you have all the information and advice you need to successfully look after your dental implants. With the correct care, you should be able to enjoy your implant teeth for many years to come.
Please remember, you don’t need to see a dentist to book your appointment with our dental hygienist. If you’re new to the practice, we’ll make your journey with us as easy as possible. Visit our website to find out more about our dental hygiene and dental implant services and schedule your appointment.
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