Oral hygiene

Preventative dentistry is the modern way of reducing the amount of dental treatment necessary. It helps you to keep your teeth. The two major causes of tooth loss are decay and gum disease. The joint efforts of the dentist, the hygienist and the patient, can help to prevent the need for treatment and so avoid the traditional pattern of fillings and extractions.

A course of treatment may be recommended to get your mouth into good condition and a maintenance plan will be worked out to help you keep it that way. Your dentist will first assess your teeth and gums and discuss with you any treatment that is necessary.

The hygienist

The hygienist will thoroughly scale and polish your teeth, and will show you the best methods of brushing and flossing to remove the bacterial plaque which forms constantly on your teeth and gums. When you eat or drink something sugary, the plaque turns the sugar into acid, which will cause tooth decay. Plaque will also cause gum inflammation if it is not regularly and thoroughly removed. The hard tartar (calculus) that builds up on the teeth also starts off as plaque. You will be advised which oral care products are the best ones for you to use.

Gum disease

Gum disease describes swelling, soreness or infection of the tissues supporting the teeth. There are two main forms of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Gingivitis means inflammation of the gums. This is when the gums around the teeth become very red and swollen. Often the swollen gums bleed when they are brushed during cleaning. Long-standing gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease. There are a number of types of periodontal disease and they all affect the tissues supporting the teeth. As the disease gets worse, the bone anchoring the teeth in the jaw is lost, making the teeth loose. If this is not treated, the teeth may eventually fall out. In fact, more teeth are lost through periodontal disease than through tooth decay.

All gum disease is caused by plaque. Many of the bacteria in plaque are completely harmless, but there are some that have been shown to be the main cause of gum disease. To prevent and treat gum disease, you need to make sure you remove all the plaque from your teeth every day. This is done by brushing and flossing.

Private plan

We are delighted to offer our own membership scheme, which enables us to provide you with the treatment and support necessary to control dental disease and restore your mouth to full fitness. Our modern health-promoting approach with continuing care means:

• Fewer fillings
• Less dental decay
• Less likelihood of toothache
• More attractive teeth
• More choice
• Reduced costs
• Helping to keep your own teeth for life.

Included in the Plan:

• Regular dental appointments (two per year) to provide:
  • Clinical examination
  • Checking for signs of oral cancer
  • X-rays where clinically necessary.
• Regular hygiene appointments (two per year) to provide:
  • Scale and polish
  • Periodontal advice
  • Preventative techniques to reduce decay and gum disease.
• Assessment of emergencies and dental pain with any temporary treatment required, carried out at the practice during normal surgery hours.
• All treatment planning for your future dental needs.
• All subsequent remedial work within 12 months of recommended restorative work.
• 20% reduction off any laboratory-based treatments required, i.e. crowns, bridges and dentures.
• 20% reduction off any fillings.
• 20% reduction off other dental work (extractions, etc.).
• 20% reduction off any additional hygiene work.
• Finance facilities for high cost treatments.
• Worldwide Trauma Insurance to protect against the cost of large unforeseen accidental damage.
• Emergency Callout Insurance, should you need a dentist in an emergency, anywhere in the world.
• Redundancy Protection.