We’re Open For Routine Dentist and Hygienist Appointments
Posted on 15th January 2021 at 09:40
We’re now well into a third lockdown here in England and we hope all our clients are staying safe and well. One of the big differences between this early 2021 lockdown and last year’s March lockdown, is that dental practices remain open for treatment and routine appointments. This is great news for the country, allowing patients to have their all-important routine dentist and hygienist appointments. Once you’ve had your appointment with us, remember to avoid the pitfalls below and in turn, avoid the need for serious dental intervention later in life.
Brushing too hard
It can be tempting to brush hard in a bid to remove those areas of staining that won’t budge. Unfortunately, this is in vain as it won’t help, in fact, it will actually cause your smile harm. Chronic overbrushing can lead to receding gums and sensitive teeth, wearing down the enamel and leaving you more prone to decay. Use an electric toothbrush to avoid this issue, as many come with a built-in warning light which indicates when you’re brushing too hard.
The wrong technique
It’s all well and good to brush your teeth twice a day for the recommended two minutes, but without the correct technique, you’re not getting the best out of the time spent doing so. Make sure you’re using a brush small enough to allow for manoeuvring inside your mouth, so you can reach the front and back tooth surfaces. You should brush at a 45-degree angle using a circular motion, paying particular attention to the gum line area where plaque and tartar can easily collect.
Consuming food and drink that stains
Your tooth enamel is like a sponge, absorbing colours from the food and drink you consume. Think red wine, coffee, soy sauce and cola, (to name a few). To ensure the staining from such food and drink doesn’t linger to cause surface staining, keep water at hand to wash away bacteria and to keep saliva production going.
Regular snacking
Each time you eat (particularly sugar foods) bacteria that exist in the mouth produce acids to break the food down – the catch is that these acids also attack your teeth, causing decay. Sticking to regular eating times instead of snacking regularly will reduce your mouth’s need to make these acids and eating foods like apples, celery and spinach as part of a meal can help to reduce acidity.
Putting off routine appointments
Finally, we come to the importance of sticking to your routine dentist and hygienist appointments every 6 months. We can’t stress how essential these are in ensuring you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible in life, and evade the threat of gum disease. Your dentist’s eye is able to spot issues you might not have noticed when brushing at home and when these are flagged early, it can save you money and help seal the health of your smile in the long term. Meanwhile, hygienist appointments play a huge preventative role where your gum health is concerned – regular scale and polish cleanings will ensure you have fresh breath and remove plaque and tartar staining, which has the potential to progress to periodontitis, an advanced form of gum disease.
Should you have any questions at all or need to book an appointment please don't hesitate to contact us on 0115 910 1447
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