Oral & Dental Hygiene Services in Mississauga
What is Oral Hygiene
Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental complications, most commonly, dental cavities, gingivitis (gum disease), and bad breath. In cases where certain oral pathologic conditions such as gingivitis, periodontitis, dental trauma, oral cysts etc. exists, a good oral hygiene is very essential for quick healing and regeneration of the affected oral tissues. Most dental hygiene procedures are commonly referred to as teeth cleaning, scaling, plaque removal, tartar or calculus removal, debridement, flossing, teeth polishing, oral irrigation, fluoride treatment, etc.
Plaque is a yellow sticky, film-like substance that is constantly forming on your teeth, both above and beneath your gums. The bacteria in the plaque feeds on sugars in foods, forms acids which attack tooth enamel and cause cavities. Such bacteria also produce toxins which can irritate the gums and lead to periodontal (gum) disease. Daily brushing and flossing can help avoid plaque build-up.
Plaque left on the teeth combined with minerals in your saliva calcify and form a rough, hard deposit called tartar or calculus. As tartar builds, plaque bacteria cling to it, allowing a ripe breeding ground for the bacteria to thrive in. Tartar cannot be removed by brushing and flossing once it has formed and can only be removed by proper teeth cleaning by your dentist or hygienist. The cleaner you keep your mouth with daily brushing and flossing, and the more regularly you visit your dentists for regular preventive care, the less tartar you will build and the less likely you will have oral diseases.
Teeth cleaning or scaling is the removal of dental plaque and tartar from teeth. Oral irrigation is a way to clean teeth and gums using pressured and directed stream of Chlorhexidine solution to disrupt plaque and bacteria from 3–4 mm under the gum line. Patients with deeper pockets may need periodontal therapy as scaling may not be very effective in treating their condition.
Dental Hygiene and Teeth Cleaning Services in Mississauga
Bristol Dental Clinic, Mississauga provides a wide range of dental hygiene and teeth cleaning services to help you to get clean and healthy teeth. Our dental hygiene services in Mississauga are scientifically designed for every patient based on their oral condition. Though unique for every patient, it could vary from routine dental check ups and cleanings to treating oral diseases, guidance on managing daily teeth hygiene and lot more. We have a team of qualified and experienced dental hygienists in Mississauga, supervised by dentists to perform oral hygiene treatment. Based on your oral condition, our family dentists would recommend the frequency of your teeth to be cleaned professionally at regular intervals, for example 3-4 times year.
During your dental hygiene appointment at Bristol Dental Clinic in Mississauga the dental hygienist will:
- Have prepared for your appointment
- Sterilized your room and instruments to ensure your safety
- Review your chart and current medical status with you as there are many medical conditions and medications that influence dental hygiene treatment
- Examine your head and neck for abnormalities
- Examine your tongue, gums, teeth and all other areas of your mouth
- Measure the attachment of the gums to your teeth (probing)
- Record all findings on your chart
- Take prescribed radio graphs (x-rays) and get the dentist to interpret them
- Scale your teeth using hand, mechanical or ultrasonic instruments removing hard and soft deposits (plaque and tartar)
- Polish your teeth, if needed, to remove stains
- If needed, apply fluoride to strengthen teeth, apply agents to desensitize teeth, apply pit and fissure sealants to seal grooves for decay prevention
- Provides dental hygiene instructions
- Works with the dentist in Mississauga to customize an oral care program for you – you will be informed on, and given advice about matters related to your oral health including nutrition, smoking cessation and plaque control and the use of various oral care products, their purpose and effective use.
For more information, please click on Patient Resources.
Oral Hygiene FAQs
Good oral hygiene is a good indicator of your overall health. At Bristol Dental Clinic, we recommend a structured oral hygiene program that combines regular scaling, dentist recall checks and a yearly perio-assessment of the gums. Most patients are recommended to be on a combination schedule of 4-month deep scaling, 9-month recall and a 12-month perio assessment. In case of patients with moderate to severe perio condition, we recommend the patient to be on a 3-month root planning and deep scaling schedule. Most patients who visit us are amazed how regular scaling can keep all dental problems at bay and reduce their dental bill significantly.
Actually at Bristol Dental Clinic, we say that even flossing and brushing alone while good is not enough! An ideal patient would at least once a day, clean between their teeth and massage their gums with an interdental brush in addition to flossing and brushing with an electric toothbrush (for adults). Brushing twice a day and definitely doing the three suggested things before going to sleep will be a good practice. At Bristol Dental Clinic, we always individualize the oral aids for every patient as each of them present a different condition.
Good oral hygiene practice such as interdental flossing, regular flossing and brushing combined with regular 4-month scaling would prevent most cavities. As a general rule, if you can keep your mouth clean, there is less chance of bacteria developing and therefore less attack on your enamel and so fewer or no cavities.
There are many toothpastes available in the market and each of them have their merits. Basically, three companies - Proctor & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive & Glaxo Smithkline dominate the markets and each have many brands. The markets is largely segregated by purpose such as caries and cavity resistant, tartar and plaque control, enamel building, sensitivity, gum detoxification, smokers cure, whitening, extra fluoride, anti-microbial etc. Patients mostly choose based on the following three criteria - cavity control, sensitivity and whitening.
Dental problems rarely come as a surprise. At Bristol Dental Clinic, we practice prevention as a better alternative than cure. Dental trouble is a magnification of an inherent source of infection, neglect, poor bite or it could be a genetically inherited problem. There are of course dental problems that can happen by chance or an accident which the patient has no control over. Typical signs of dental trouble are infection, bad breadth, dry mouth, sensitivity, swelling, dark spots, gum soreness, tooth pain, ulcers, sores, tenderness, bleeding, loose teeth, receeding gums, pain with chewing or biting, jaw clicking, cracked or chipped teeth, etc.
What Our clients Say
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“I recently had all 4 wisdom teeth removed at Bristol Dental and the experience was extremely smooth. The staff was professional and made sure I was at ease throughout the entire process. Read More
“First time visiting and had a great experience! The dental hygienist and dentist were nice and knowledgeable. Would recommend to my friends and family.
“The staff are really nice and every appointment I have had has been good. The dentist Dr. Shaw is very knowledgeable and understanding. Definitely recommend going here!
“I was recommended by a friend two years ago, I must say , I don't regret taking her advice...Dr Annie Thomas is awesome! The staff are very friendly. Read More
“I've been a patient at Bristol dental for almost 2 years, and I couldn't be happier with the care I've received . Read More
