Preventive Dentistry

 

Preventative Dentistry encompasses the branch of dentistry that deals with the preservation of healthy teeth and gums, including prevention of dental caries and oral disease – in a nutshell, what oral hygienists do.

 

Oral Hygienists can work in all sectors of dentistry.  We are uniquely qualified to assist in the prevention and treatment of oral disease - both clinical and health promotional responsibility.

Clinically we help to treat and prevent periodontal (gum) disease by scaling and polishing teeth. Tartar, or mineralized plaque, appears over time on everyone’s teeth; it causes a wide variety of problems like gingivitis, periodontitis and gum recession. 

Professional cleaning by an Oral Hygienist is the best way to address this issue.  In this way, basic tooth and gum health can be maintained and, potentially, serious problems can be dealt with as early as possible before they cause significant damage.  Regular cleaning and check-ups are good ways to avoid the expense, pain and inconvenience associated with cavities and other dental problems. We advise having a professional cleaning at least every 6 months. X-rays are excellent tools for diagnosing problems like bone loss, abscesses, cysts or cavities.

Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to become red, swollen and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort at this stage. Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment like a scale and polish, as well as good oral home care.

Untreated gingivitis can lead to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread below the gum line. Toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums. The toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response with which the body in essence turn on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are destroyed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms and most patients do not have the slightest idea that there is a problem. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.

Oral Hygienists apply topical fluorides and fissure sealants in order to reduce dental caries (tooth decay). Fissure sealants are a preventive treatment applied to the grooves of back teeth to prevent decay. Fissure sealants are tooth coloured and designed to make the biting surface of our teeth smooth and prevent cavities developing in our teeth. Commonly, as molar teeth erupt from the age of six years onwards, we place fissure sealants in the teeth.

Fluoride is a natural element that can be found in many things, like the water we drink and the food we eat.

 

Fluoride helps prevent cavities in two different ways: systemically and topical.

Systemically fluoride concentrates in the growing and developing teeth of children, helping to harden the enamel on primary teeth (milk teeth) and permanent teeth before they erupt. This is usually taken in through drinking water, fluoride drops and tablets. After teeth have erupted, fluoride helps to strengthen the enamel on adult teeth by having it applied it professionally or with home use gels, toothpastes and mouth rinses.

We focus on periodontal health by monitoring oral hygiene practises and assisting the patient to develop a home care plan to maintain their oral health. As well as performing scaling and polishing, hygienists can give advice on;

 Prevention –

 Scale and polish to prevent gum disease

 Giving the correct brushing and flossing techniques

 Mouth rinses for a specific purpose – for preventing caries or preventing gum disease or maintaining oral health

 Placement of fissure sealants.

 Nutrition – what food and drinks are better, what causes baby bottle caries?

 Use and application of fluoride 

 Smoking cessation 

 Teeth whitening – Believe it or not, but whitening treatments can also prevent plaque/tartar build up. Whitening not only whitens and brightens your smile, but it actually dissolves the harmful bacteria which cause gum disease and cavities especially when using professional home whitening kit provided by us. You can use it over a period of time to keep bacteria at bay and teeth at their whitest.

 

We also make use of in office whitening treatments to give you a healthy and confident smile. A quick 2 hour session and you are done.

 

Teeth whitening procedures are the most non invasive treatment in dentistry. It does not change or damage the enamel. It is a pure oxidation reaction where peroxide is broken down into water and oxygen. When they come into contact with the organic stain molecules, they will oxidize them. These stain molecules will then reflect light in a totally different way – all visible light which is white, making your teeth look whiter!

Preventive dentistry begins with the first tooth. Visit your Oral Hygienist when the first tooth erupts. You will learn how to protect your child’s dental health - the earlier the dental visit, the better the chance of preventing dental disease. We do an introduction program with all our first visit patients to help them relax and enjoy each and every visit thereafter.

Oral Hygienists therefore play a critical role in the maintenance of oral health. Please contact me if you have any queries regarding oral health, maintenance routines or teeth whitening.

Marcha van Niekerk, Diploma in Oral Hygiene, UP

Intercare Tygervalley 021 943 3500