The Right Dental Health

Oral hygiene encompasses everything that has to do with the promotion of healthy gums, mouth, and teeth. It is comprised of both daily home care procedures, and scheduled dental visits. Both are very important and they complement each other. Maintain your daily home flossing and brushing, in addition to regular dental checkups.

Oral Hygiene Procedure

Because no amount of teeth brushing or flossing at home will keep away the buildup of plaque, the recommendation by the A.D.A. (American Dental Association) is that for proper management of good oral hygiene, everyone must go for a dental hygiene check-up at least twice yearly. Bacterial infection is a major cause of several dental ailments, and plaque will definitely accumulate with time on the teeth and get below the gum line, where the risk of bacterial infection is high.

A dental hygienist is a specialist who has the right experience, training, and qualification to treat all manner of plaque buildup on the teeth. The dental hygienist uses a special tool to scrape off the plaque and all tartar that might be present on the teeth. He may also use X-rays to check if the patient has a good bite.

After scraping and cleaning the teeth, more examinations could be done on the gum and teeth for any sign of decay or other dental diseases.

Cleanings

Either a dentist or dental hygienist does dental cleaning. The importance of dental/teeth cleaning is to remove the built-up tartar that develops in tight corners and in between the teeth, where ordinary daily brushing could not get into. This is an important procedure used in the prevention of cavities and gum diseases. Having a balanced diet and maintaining a daily flossing/brushing of the teeth is the most vital habits that help in the reduction of plaque development on the teeth.

Getting professional dental cleanings every few months is very important because brushing and flossing your teeth at home isn’t enough. Most people visit the dentist when they start facing dental problems, but if you see the dental clinic in time, you can prevent many dental problems. Many dental issues don’t cause pain or discomfort at an early stage, but they can go on to cause major dental problems. You can also catch such dental problems in time and start treatment by getting professional dental cleanings.

Tartar and plaque buildup are removed during the dental cleanings, and the teeth are professionally examined as well. If any major problems are found, your dentist might recommend you revisit the clinic. But if your teeth and gums are completely fine, you won’t have to return to the clinic for another appointment.

Dental cleanings don’t take a lot of time, and they are mostly painless. So, if you want dental cleanings in Victoria, BC, book an appointment with Downtown Langford Family Dental.

Advantages of regular dental cleanings are:

  1. It can help in the early diagnosis of dental defects.
  2. It helps minimize the risk of gum diseases.
  3. It aids in oral cancer management.
  4. It promotes white and attractive smiles.
  5. It helps promote general wellness.
  6. It aids in the cure of bad breath (halitosis).

Dental Specialties

Prosthodontist

A prosthodontist is a specialist trained in restoring and replacing missing teeth, and the promotion of attractive smiles. Dentists qualify as prosthodontists after an extra 3 years training after leaving dental school.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

This is a specialist surgeon, who is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of problems of the neck, mouth, face, and jaws. Some of the procedures executed by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon are:

• Removal of impacted teeth
• Surgery involving face and jaw reconstruction
• Jaw alignment
• Post trauma realignment of the face bones
• Using dental implants for teeth replacement
• Tooth extraction
• Facial trauma correction
• Diagnosis and extraction of jaw, oral or facial tumors
• TMJ surgery for repairing jaw joints
Periodontist

Periodontists are specialist dentists who detect and treat all cases of gum diseases, and handle placement of dental implants. Your dentist will usually refer you to a see a periodontist when it is obvious that your gum has deteriorated very badly due to decay, implants, or cosmetics. Periodontists and dentists usually work as a team to design appropriate treatment regimes for individual patients.

Orthodontists

Orthodontists are specialist dentists who have the responsibility of using braces, retainers, etc., to align deformed jaws and straighten crooked teeth. Such defects such as spacing, crowding, protrusion etc. are usually genetic. Others can happen because of accidents, missing primary or secondary teeth, and bad habits like prolonged thumb sucking.

Pediatric Dentists

Pediatric dentists are specially trained dentists dedicated to the maintenance of good dental health of children. They have the right qualification and experience to manage the care of a child’s gums, teeth, and mouth. Their offices, staff, etc., are designed for the comfort of children. Dentists who want to qualify as pediatric dentists must attend an extra 2 years of specialist training after dental school.

Endodontist

An endodontist is a specialist concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of problems inside the mouth – root canal, pulp, etc. Prior to qualification, Endodontists receive an extra 2 – 3 years of training in Endodontics after leaving dental school.

Emergency Care

Call your dentist immediately you have a dental emergency. It is normal that you will get immediate attention because most dentists have time slots for emergencies.

Below are some of the first aid tips to use pending when you can get to the dentist’s office.

Fractured tooth – Rinse your mouth very well with warm water immediately you notice any crack or fracture. Then, use a cold compress to minimize the swelling, and take a painkiller (acetaminophen).

Loose or misaligned tooth – Gently shift the tooth back to its normal position. Your dentist may use a splint to anchor it to any near tooth as it heals.

Chipped tooth – If you feel no pain, then it is not an emergency. However, chew gently in order not to make the situation worse. Depending on the degree of chipping you have, the dentist will either fill it up with a filling material, or smoothen it out.

Knocked-out tooth – Make sure you do not touch the tooth root. Simply pick it up by the crown and rinse well. If you can, gently insert the tooth back into its socket, otherwise, place it in a small quantity of water or milk.

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride occurs naturally in the teeth. It ensures good dental health by protecting the teeth against decay. It also makes the teeth strong and stable. You can get fluoride from some food sources like meat, tea, fish, water, and eggs. You should floss and use fluoride toothpastes in brushing the teeth two times every day. Brushing the teeth at bedtime is important so that you can have some fluoride on the teeth all through the night. This helps prevent tooth decay.

Several dental procedures require the use of fluoride. Fluoride is safe as long as you use it according to your dentist’s instructions. Before any fluoride treatment, your dentist will have to scrape out all the stains on the teeth.

Fluoride Treatment Procedure

Children and adults both get large amounts of fluoride during treatment. The dentist will first dry the teeth, and then smear it with fluoride gel, foam, or varnish. The patient must not drink or eat anything for about 30 minutes after a fluoride treatment.