Preventive dentistry
Oral health
Hygienists & Therapists
Interdental Brushing
Fissure Sealants
Gum Disease
PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY FOR A HEALTHY MOUTH
Preventive dentistry aims to reduce the amount of dental treatment you need to maintain a healthy mouth and help keep your teeth for life.
Tooth loss primarily results from gum disease (also known as periodontitis) and decay. By encouraging you to take a proactive approach to your oral health, we aim to help you develop healthy dental habits with the goal of avoiding issues in the first place.
Our clinicians follow the latest guidance from the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), one of Europe’s foremost dental organisations and a global force in the field of Periodontology research and treatment.
As a signatory to the EFP Manifesto on Perio and General Health, TDP is committed to act in the prevention, early diagnosis, and effective treatment of periodontal disease to combat its devastating effects on oral and general health.
Meet your preventive dentistry team
GEMMA BEALEY
HYGIENE THERAPIST
Kim Durk
Oral Health Education team
NICOLE WHITEAR
Oral Health Education team
ORAL HEALTH
Did you know?
- Tooth decay is the most common reason 6–10-year-olds are admitted to hospital in the UK
- 25% of adults don’t brush twice a day
- 84% of adults have one or more fillings
- 1 in 3 people have never flossed or interdentally cleaned
- 8 out of 10 people aged 35 and over suffer from mild to severe gum disease
Source: Oral Health Foundation and European Federation of Periodontology (EFP)
Good oral hygiene is vital for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. It is also important for your overall health and wellbeing, with increasing evidence of a link between gum disease and stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
The earlier you adopt preventive dentistry and good oral hygiene habits — such as brushing, interdental cleaning, and limiting your sugar intake — the easier it is to avoid costly dental procedures and long-term health issues. That is why we put so much emphasis on preventive dentistry at Torrington Dental Practice.
Oral health education appointments
A 30-minute appointment with one of our Oral Health Education Team, can set children up for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums, and significantly reduce the adult health risks associated with gum disease.
The team goes back to basics with lots of practical tips on how to clean your teeth, what kind of toothbrush offers the best results, dietary information, and more.
You might also be offered a disclosing session involving chewing a tablet for 30 seconds. The tablet contains a harmless vegetable dye which then shows up any plaque on your teeth – the results can be quite a surprise! Call reception today on 01805 623657 to book your oral health check-up.
Oral health care in the community
As part of our preventive dentistry commitment to promoting effective oral hygiene in the local community, The Oral Health Education Team also pays regular visits to local infant and junior schools where early intervention can have the biggest impact on maintaining healthy teeth and gums for life.
They also attend care homes to instruct care staff on oral health and hygiene for the elderly, who are particularly susceptible to pain, disturbed sleep and health problems caused by gum disease and tooth decay. From fun ways to engage children with teeth cleaning to brushing aids for those with dexterity problems, the team has a wealth of expert practical advice to impart. For more information call reception on 01805 623657.
Visit EFP’s Oral Health and Gum Hub for expert preventive dentistry information on checking the state of your gums, and what you can do to improve your oral and overall health.
You can also find a wealth of oral health tips and advice at the Oral Health Foundation.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ORAL HEALTH
DENTAL HYGIENIST & therapist
Hygienist
Dental hygienists are mainly concerned with ‘preventive’ dental health and treating gum disease – showing you correct home care and helping you to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
This includes professionally cleaning your teeth by removing plaque and tartar (usually called a ‘scale and polish’ or a prophylaxis). However, perhaps their most important role is showing you the best way to keep your teeth free of plaque.
Plaque is a sticky coating that forms constantly on your teeth. Hygienists give advice about diet and preventing tooth decay.
The hygienist will work with your dental team to give you the best preventive dentistry care that is tailored to your needs. Combining regular hygienist appointments with your own home care is the best way to maintain a healthy mouth and give you fresher breath. Our dental hygienists Sabina and Gemma work closely with our Oral health Education Team to help you establish an effective hygiene routine.
What is the dental therapist’s role in the practice?
As well as doing all the work that a dental hygienist does, our dental therapist Gemma can also carry out some preventive dentistry procedures that patients are more used to a dentist doing. A dental therapist can do fillings, apply fissure sealants, extract ‘baby’ teeth, place preformed crowns on baby teeth, and perform treatments using all the materials a dentist would use.
As long as an adult tooth does not need treatment to the nerve of the tooth, a dental therapist can fill or restore any part of the tooth that needs treatment. They are able to see patients for emergency appointments (if patients have no pain), offering a temporary solution or permanent fixture where possible to lost fillings, broken teeth or lost crowns, this will be decided in your appointment.
Interdental Brushing
Even with regular brushing, your toothbrush will only be able to clean the front, back and biting surfaces of the teeth, and will not reach those tight spaces between teeth. This means food and plaque can build up in these narrow gaps and lead to gum inflammation, tooth decay or bad breath. In order to remove any debris, we recommend you clean between your teeth once a day, either in the morning or evening.
There are a number of ways to keep those normally inaccessible spaces clean including:
- Interdental brushes – these are thin brushes of varying types that are suitable for cleaning all but the very tightest of gaps.
- Dental floss – a soft, thin thread that comes in different widths and can clean below the gum line.
- Dental tape – thicker than floss and can be easier to use.
- Dental sticks – these are made from wood or plastic and have pointed ends for quick and easy cleaning.
- Oral irrigators – these use a pressurised stream of water to dislodge debris.
Don’t be put off if your gums bleed when you clean between your teeth.
Regular cleaning, using the correct technique, is a preventive dentistry measure which can help improve your gum health and the bleeding should subside as your gums become healthier.
Fissure Sealants
The fissures on the biting surfaces of the back teeth are very narrow, so it can be hard to keep clean, which means bacteria and food particles can stick around and start to damage the enamel. The application of fissure sealants is a preventative dental treatment that involves applying a plastic coating to these grooves that are difficult to reach, protecting teeth from possible decay.
Fissure sealants are normally applied to permanent teeth as they start to emerge (usually between 6 and 7 years), and further applications can be made as other teeth begin to show. The process is quick and easy and usually only takes a couple of minutes per tooth.
Treatment steps
- The tooth is cleaned, prepared with a special solution and then dried.
- The sealant (in liquid form) is then applied with a brush and hardened with a special bright light.
Sealants can last for years but will need regularly checking to ensure the protective coating is still intact, and although treated teeth are much better protected, they will still need regular brushing and flossing.
Gum Disease
Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a common condition that can affect your gum tissue and the bone that holds your teeth in place. If detected during its early stages, it can be reversed, but if allowed to progress it can only be managed. The condition is thought to affect around 80% of the adult population and is the biggest cause of tooth loss in the over 45s. It is also linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia.
Early-stage gum disease is called Gingivitis. This is caused by your body’s response to sticky plaque bacteria which release toxins, causing inflammation. Red gums and bleeding when you brush are early signs, but it can be reversed by an effective daily cleaning and flossing regime.
If you ignore Gingivitis it may progress to Periodontitis, where inflammation causes gums to separate from the teeth. This can create pockets which are susceptible to infection and destroy the bone holding the tooth in place. Periodontitis is irreversible ̶ once you have periodontitis you will always have it. The disease can go through stages of activity, remission, and stability, which makes regular routine dental assessments vital.
Treating and managing gum disease is also a requirement before you can be considered for restorative treatments such as dental implants. With support from your hygienist and dentist, and an effective preventive dentistry routine including oral hygiene, periodontal disease can be controlled and ultimately stabilised.
Preventing Gum Disease
The best way to prevent gum disease is to make sure plaque is removed effectively and regularly.
This means having a good home care routine with plenty of brushing and interdental cleaning, regular dental check-ups to alert you to early signs of disease and visiting the hygienist so your oral health is continually assessed.
Other ways to reduce your risk of developing the disease include stopping smoking, reducing stress, and eating a well-balanced diet.
Treating Gum Disease – What to Expect
The first step of treatment is to undergo an oral examination so that we can assess your mouth and diagnose the extent of your periodontal disease. This may include the need for x-rays. At your appointment, your hygienist will record your plaque levels, bleeding sites, measure around each tooth to assess bone loss (pockets) and record tooth mobility. She will then propose a tailored course of treatment and the number of appointments necessary to bring your gum disease under control.
Your appointment lengths and recall intervals are based on how advanced your gum disease is and whether it is active or stabilised. This varies from person to person and is also highly dependent on how quickly you reach an effective level of daily plaque control.
Your role in the management and stabilisation of periodontal disease is vital. The disease will not be controlled without meticulous daily oral hygiene – what we do helps; what you do matters. Relying on your hygienist visit alone will not stabilise your gum disease, which is why we work with you to achieve an excellent home care routine.
Our oral health educator team will show you the preventive dentistry techniques you need, along with the toothbrushes and aids, to clean between your teeth to an effective standard so that bacteria levels are kept low and inflammation is eliminated. Controlling risk factors such as smoking, nutrition, stress, and diabetes also plays an important part in helping you to control your disease.
Once you can remove the plaque build-up on a daily basis, we will remove the deposits that you cannot reach or that are attached firmly to the teeth. This will take time and require several dental hygiene appointments over a period of weeks or months. Treatment will be carried out by our hygienists, who are specifically trained in these techniques. More severe or non-responsive cases may require a form of surgery, in which case you will be referred to a specialist in Periodontics.
If the bone loss around your teeth is not controlled, your teeth will become mobile, and in some cases, teeth will be lost. After periodontal treatment, due to irreversible bone loss, it is likely that you will experience some gum recession and possibly tooth and root sensitivity. You may also notice larger spaces between your teeth, which are unavoidable side effects of treatment.
To check the health of your gums, call reception on 01805 623657 to book an appointment with our team of dental hygienists. If you notice any symptoms of periodontitis, make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. The sooner you seek care and start preventive dentistry measures, the better your chances of limiting the long-term damage periodontitis can cause to your oral and overall health.
Preventive Dentistry Frequently Asked Questions
What is gum disease?
Gum disease is an inflammatory disease caused by the body’s response to a build-up of dental plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming around your teeth. The inflammation in your gums is part of the body’s natural defence against the bacteria, however in some people, the immune system can overreact and start to break down the gum tissue and even the bone that supports the tooth. Advanced gum disease can cause tooth loss and serious infections. The inflammatory response also has links to increased risk of heart disease and dementia.
Am I at risk from gum disease?
The single biggest risk factor for developing periodontal disease is inadequate daily oral hygiene. Allowing plaque bacteria to grow and mature, sitting around your teeth and gum margins for prolonged periods of time, can provoke the destructive inflammatory response.
The second biggest risk factor is smoking. Smokers are four times more likely to develop gum disease and three times more likely to lose teeth than non-smokers, and the response to treatment in smokers can be poor. Stopping or reducing smoking will help. Other risk factors include family history, stress, and underlying health conditions such as diabetes.
What are the warning signs of gum disease?
Gum disease can creep up on you. While symptoms may sometimes not show up until it is advanced, common early warning signs include bad breath, red, swollen, or tender gums, and bleeding when you brush or floss. More advanced signs include gums that are receding or pulling away from your teeth (making them look longer than they used to), loose or separating teeth and pus between your teeth and gums.
What is the best treatment for gum disease?
Mild gum disease can usually be treated by an effective oral health regime, including brushing your teeth twice a day and cleaning between your teeth regularly. Ask us for advice if you are unsure about your cleaning techniques and come for regular dental check-ups. If necessary, our hygienists will be able to remove any hardened build-up of plaque (tartar). More advanced cases of gum disease will require an extended course of hygiene treatment, tailored to your specific needs. In severe cases surgery may be required, for which you would be referred to a specialist periodontist.
Will periodontal disease cause me to lose my teeth?
It is no longer considered inevitable that your teeth will be lost if you have advanced periodontal disease. In most cases it can be treated successfully, however, we cannot cure it. Like diabetes, there is no cure but by stabilizing the disease we can prevent further damage and allow you to keep your teeth for a long time.
Can I have dental implants if I have gum disease?
If you have gum disease, you will need to have it treated before you can be considered for dental implants. Periodontitis can lead to gum recession and bone loss, which can compromise the stability of a placed dental implant.
Once your treatment is complete, our dental implant team will be able to assess your jawbone and, if suitable, undertake a bone graft (also known as bone augmentation). This will increase the amount of bone in your jaw to provide a sturdy anchor for your implant(s). In severe cases of bone loss, implants may not be possible, and an alternative, such as dentures, may be offered.
An effective oral health regime is vital to the longevity of implants – poor oral hygiene leading to gum disease (peri-implantitis) is the most common cause of implant failure.
What are the links between gum disease and other diseases?
As well as having negative impacts on your oral health, there is growing evidence to suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with severe gum disease (periodontitis) might increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, and other serious health conditions.
It is also suspected that certain diseases, such as diabetes, can lower the body’s resistance to infection, making oral health problems more severe, however more research is needed to determine the exact relationship between the conditions.