Inter-dental cleaning

There are many inter-dental cleaning tools such as dental floss and inter-dental brushes that can help you clean between your teeth and under your gum line. Some of these are described here.

· Dental floss is a thin thread that may be waxed or unwaxed. Some types have a mint flavouring that make flossing more pleasant.

· Dental tape is like floss but flat and wider. You use it in the same way you use dental floss – some people find it a little easier.

· Wood sticks can also be used to clean between your teeth and massage your gums to stimulate blood flow.

· Inter-dental brushes are another alternative if you find flossing a problem.

Your dentist may be able to recommend other products to help you keep your gums healthy. Ask your dentist or dental hygienist to show you the correct way to use them as otherwise you may damage your gums.

Dental floss is a thread that you can use to clean the food particles lodged between your teeth. The basis technique is:

· take a length of the floss (amount 45cm) and wrap it round the middle finger of each hand.

· keep about 5cm of floss between your fingers and gently rock it down between your teeth.

· pull the floss tight, slide it up and down against your tooth surface and under your gum line.

· repeat this action for both sides of all your teeth making sure that you use a clean length of floss for each one.

Billions of bacteria are found in a clean mouth, so when not cleaned, the quantity increases tenfold and forms clusters, making dental plaque more difficult to remove as it matures, and forming a harder substance called calculus, which then has to be removed professionally by a dentist for dental hygienist.

Nutritional and botanical therapies have demonstrated positive effects for people with gingivitis, gingival bleeding, periodontal pocketing and periodontal attachment and bone loss.

People with periodonitis have diets that are deficient in many essential nutrients, including calcium, thiamine, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin folic acid, zinc and magnesium, when compared to the Recommended Daily Allowances for these nutrients.

Periodontist / Endodontist

Periodontist

A Periodontist is a dental specialist who looks after the gums and helps you maintain good oral hygiene. He is a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease, and in the placement of dental implants. He can also undertake specialized surgeries of the gums and structures around the teeth.

Periodontists are also experts in the treatment of oral inflammation. Periodontists receive extensive training in these areas, including three additional years of education beyond dental school. They are familiar with the latest techniques for diagnosing and treating periodontal disease, and are also trained in performing cosmetic periodontal procedures.

Periodontists often treat more problematic periodontal cases, such as those with severe gum disease or a complex medical history. Periodontists offer a wide range of treatments, such as scaling and root planning (in which the infected surface of the root is cleaned) or root surface debridement (in which damaged tissue is removed). They can also treat patients with severe gum problems using a range of surgical procedures. In addition, periodontists are specially trained in the placement and repair of dental implants.

The periodontist examines the gums, checks to see if there is any gum line recession, assesses how the teeth fit together when biting, and checks the teeth to see if any are loose. The periodontist will also take a small measuring instrument called a probe and place it between the teeth and gums to determine the depth of those spaces, known as periodontal pockets; this helps the periodontist to assess the health of the gums. X-rays may also be taken to observe the health of the bone below the gum line.

Endodontist

The word comes from the Greek words “endo” meaning inside and “odons” meaning tooth. Literally taken, it means study of that which is “inside the tooth”. An Endodontist is a dentist who specializes in matters concerning the inside of the tooth, namely, the tooth pulp which comprises nerve tissues and blood vessels. Dental decay that is neglected often spreads deep inside the tooth and reaches the pulp tissue in the core of the tooth. The endodontist specializes in removing infected and inflamed pulp and filling the area left after its removal. An Endodontist is a dental specialist, who has completed specialized training in Endodontics. Since an Endodontist specializes in treating inside of the tooth, the process is called root canal treatment.

After a dentist finishes his or her Bachelor in Dental Surgery, he or she must undergo an additional two to three years of advanced training (Masters in Dental Surgery) to become an Endodontist. Because basic training in endodontic procedures is provided in dental colleges, general dentists may, and often do, perform endodontic procedures. More complicated endodontic treatment, however, usually requires the additional expertise of an Endodontist. A general dentist will usually examine a patient’s damaged tooth to determine if the pulp might be infected or inflamed. Depending on the complexity of the issues involved and the general practices of a general dentist, the patient may be referred to an Endodontist to receive endodontic treatment, since Endodontists have additional training and can perform more complicated endodontic services.

Preventing Gum Problems

By far the biggest threat to healthy teeth is gum disease. The risk of gum problems increases with age, especially as pockets form at the gum line where bacteria can grow. Left untreated, bacterial infections can cause inflammation that damages connective tissue and even bone, leading to tooth loss.

What to do:

· brush and floss regularly to remove bacteria.

· for added protection, use an antibacterial mouthwash.

· go to your dentist for a regular check-up every six months. This is particularly important for detecting gum disease early. Although there are symptoms of gum disease that can serve as early warning signs, by the time they appear it’s often too late to reverse the disease process.

· since gum disease is an inflammatory process, eating foods that suppress inflammation may help. Growing evidence suggests that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help dampen inflammation. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include fish, fish oil, and flaxseed.

How Ultrasonic Teeth Cleaning Works

The cleaning procedure is done with a specialized ultrasonic scaler instrument. During ultrasonic dental cleaning, the dentist uses an instrument called an ultrasonic scaler. The tip of the scaler is thin. The ultrasonic scaler distributes ultrasonic vibrations to literally blast dental tartar, or dental calculus, off your teeth; As the ultrasonic scaler vibrates, it produces sound waves to break apart the stubborn calculus, When held against the tooth, sound waves bounce off the tooth and cause the tartar and plaque to break up. The sound waves work so well that even hardened plaque, also called calculus, break up. Water flows out of the tip’s end to wash away debris and keep the scaler from overheating. The tip of the scaler does not damage the enamel of the tooth as traditional hand-scaling methods. During a dental cleaning operation, the scaling tip becomes hot due to intense sonic vibration. Therefore, it needs a continuous stream of water to keep it cool.

Although you won’t feel the vibrations or hear the sound waves, you’ll most likely notice that your teeth feel cleaner. And your dentist will have significantly reduced the amount of dental plaque bacteria that causes most dental diseases. Using only the vibrations from the scaler, patients can expect a painless process.

People with Gum Disease

People with gum disease need the best cleaning possible. This is not possible when getting a traditional hand scaling. The ultrasonic cleaning instrument reaches below the gum line to remove the tartar and plaque there, but does not damage the teeth. People with periodontal disease have to deal with many dental problems. Their teeth tend to be loose and not secure beneath the gum line. The ultrasonic cleaning is ideal for them because the tip does not put pressure on the tooth itself.

Taking care of bleeding gums

Everyone who wants to prevent bleeding gums should avoid hard and fast brushing, hard diets and snacks which can cause injury to the gums such as chips, sour foods or drinks, hot drinks, carbonated acid drinks, sticky chocolates, pain-killers, blood thinners and unnecessary medication. You should rinse mouth with mouth fresheners often. You should avoid accumulation of plaque deposits on the teeth and gum by undertaking proper cleaning and visiting your dentist regularly. Use soft bristle toothbrushes to brush gently and use vitamin supplements in case of any vitamin deficiency. Use well-balanced nutritious diet, proper mastication, and brush away the food particles in the mouth after every meal. Oral hygiene and dental health is very important as well. Try to gargle with salty warm water after every meal.

Apply gentle pressure for compression, but if bleeding persist apply ice or take ice-cold drinks or juices to stop bleeding. Do not brush the teeth; instead you can rinse with salty warm water. Keep away from all new medication and visit your physician or dentist at the earliest opportunity to rule out the causes. It is important to visit the dentist at least once very six months for plaque removal. Follow your dentist’s home care instructions, because the dentist may recommend rinsing with salt water or hydrogen peroxide and water. Try to avoid using commercial, alcohol-containing mouthwashes, which aggravate the problem. Floss teeth twice a day to keep plaque from building up on your teeth. Eliminate snacks between meals and reduce carbohydrate intake to help prevent plaque build-up on teeth. It would be advisable to massage the gums, and maintain a balanced, healthy diet.