ORAL HEALTH
There are many people who do not visit their dentist or hygienist regularly. Today, we all seem to be a lot more health conscious as well as aware. The online world has opened us up to, healthy eating blogs, fitness pages, and Facebook ‘juice’ advocates need I go on? But in all of this, for some reason, dental health seems to fall way outside of this. The ironic thing is, not many people know about the impact that one has on the other. Poor oral health can lead to a variety of illnesses and diseases.
What does a dental hygienist do?
A hygienist is all about preventative dental care, and the practice of caring for your teeth, which is completely individual and catered to you. This can be treatments, procedures, dental health techniques, info about products, lifestyle, diet and more. I mean, they’re not going to give you a healthy eating meal plan, but they can talk to you about sugary habits (delights) affecting your teeth.
Your hygienist will have a chat with you about lots of things, such as your medical history, for example, if you have diabetes you will be more prone to gum disease. He or she will also speak to you about the lifestyle, your dental health regime, like how many times you brush your teeth a day. What type of products you use and so on. Don’t worry it’s not an interrogation, your hygienist is there to help you achieve the best oral care, as well as ways of maintaining it.
Are you looking for a great hygienist? Make an appointment at Glow Medical And Dental Center to find out more.
What is the difference between a dentist and a hygienist?
A dentist’s role is to evaluate your dental health, which usually includes a dental x-ray. A dentist is looking for any current dental health issues and any procedures you may need, be that restorative, treatment for infection, cleaning and more.
A hygienist is also a registered dental health care professional who is specially trained in preventative dental care. Preventative dental care is crucial to dental health, as it is the practice of caring for your teeth as well as keeping them healthy. A hygienist appointment is catered to you, your lifestyle, your personal health, and your regime.
Why is oral hygiene important?
Ok, let’s start with how things get “bad”. In dentistry the source of all evil is bad bacteria, it’s where all the problems begin. The mouth is a host to a whole colony of microorganisms, and some of them are harmful. When we eat and drink, bad bacteria causes plaque and tartar around our teeth.
Let’s talk about plaque and tartar…
What is Plaque?
This is like a sticky film that forms on teeth and contains millions of bacteria. The bacteria within this can actually cause gum inflammation, tooth decay and more, if not properly cleaned from the mouth.
What is Tartar?
Plaque that is not removed from the mouth will eventually develop and harden into tartar. Tartar hardens at the bottom of the tooth and below the gum line. This causes gum inflammation as well as recession, meaning gum disease, tooth loss and in severe cases, bone loss.
Tartar cannot be removed through flossing and brushing, this must be removed by a dental health care professional.
Does poor oral health cause heart problems?
Poor oral health is linked to cardiovascular as well as respiratory diseases.
Your hygienist doesn’t just give you any clean, this is a deep clean, scale and polish which removes plaque and tartar (where the bad bacteria likes to hang) from your teeth. Your hygienist will also be able to remove some stains, making your teeth brighter and even whiter.
In some cases, your hygienist will also give you a protective treatment such as a prophylaxis paste or a pit and fissure sealant.
What is a Prophylaxis Paste?
This type of paste is a blend of cleaning and polishing elements, which contain sodium fluoride. Fluoride, in the correct doses, works as a protective sealant. It helps to prevent tooth decay by protecting the tooth against acid as well as combating early forms of tooth decay.
What are Pit and fissure sealants?
A pit and fissure sealant is a safe and painless way to protect your teeth from decay. As the name suggests this colourless coating which is applied to the molars and premolars (biting teeth at the back of the mouth) acts as a shield that keeps food and bacteria out of the pits and grooves of teeth which are prone to decay.
Does brushing straight after eating damage your tooth enamel?
Tooth enamel is the outer, protective layer of the tooth.