Hygiene and Gum Disease in Brentwood
Dental Hygiene
Our dental hygienists will professionally clean your teeth. This is called professional mechanical plaque removal.. The process removes soft bacterial plaque and hardened plaque called, calculus, from the surface of your teeth.
Professional dental cleaning will help you maintain a healthy smile, and within the appointment, we will guide you to improving your oral hygiene at home.
Regular hygiene appointments and careful tooth brushing and at home maintenance of your teeth and gums, will help to maintain a healthy smile but reduce your risk of developing gum disease.
Dental Hygiene Habits at Home
Alongside professional cleaning with our hygienists at our practice in Shenfield/Brentwood, we will show you the best way to keep your teeth free of plaque. We always advise to brush and clean between your teeth.
- Use a soft-bristled or electric toothbrush
- Two to three minutes of brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- Brush at a 45-degree angle to the gums
- Interdentally clean at least once a day with floss, or TePe brushes as recommended by your dentist/hygienist
Airflow
At Talbot Dental, we also offer additional professional cleaning, known as Airflow.
Airflow teeth cleaning uses a combination of water, compressed air, and fine sodium bicarbonate. It is a powerful dental hygiene treatment that cleans and removes plaque, as well as stain removal from your teeth.
The Airflow stain removal at our clinic effectively removes the stains from the teeth’s surface caused by tobacco, caffeine, alcohol, etc. This treatment reveals a brighter and fresher smile and compared to a regular hygiene appointment the difference can be seen immediately.
Gum Disease
Gum disease is a common condition where the gums become swollen, sore or infected.
Most adults in the UK have gum disease to some degree and most people experience it at least once. It’s much less common in children.
If you have gum disease, your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth and you may have bad breath. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis.
If gingivitis isn’t treated, a condition called periodontitis can develop. This affects more tissues that support teeth and hold them in place.
If periodontitis isn’t treated, the bone in your jaw may be damaged and small spaces can open up between the gum and teeth. Your teeth can become loose and may eventually fall out.