Hygiene Treatments

During your initial periodontal therapy appointment measurements are taken at six points around each tooth and this chart is used to highlight any areas of periodontitis (gum disease) that are present. This will also give an indication as to the level of bone that has been lost and provide us with a basis to monitor disease progression.

Emphasis at this appointment will be on the part you play in helping to treat the disease. It is very important that the amount of bacteria (biofilm/plaque) in your mouth is reduced as this bacteria can cause gum disease. Your hygienist will also work with you to create a tailored oral health care regime, showing you the right products for your mouth in preparation for the treatment phase. Periodontal treatment results can be greatly improved with a good oral home care regime.

Unfortunately, once periodontal disease develops the natural space between your tooth and gum increases creating periodontal pockets. Non-surgical root surface debridement (under the gum cleaning) is the next stage to treat any of these deeper pockets. 

If you have many teeth that require treatment you may need more  than one appointment, longer appointments  or sometimes you will require further treatment depending on your response to treatment. Lots of factors play a part in this including how your mouth reacts to the bacteria (biofilm), systemic health conditions such as diabetes, your home car regime and how aggressive the disease is. Smoking also plays a huge role in disease progression and effects stabilization.

Any periodontal pockets not responding to this treatment may require a referral to a specialist but we will discuss all of your options with you.

It may take multiple appointments to treat and stabilize your condition especially if your gum disease has been progressing for a while. It is important to have the bacteria and the tartar (hard deposits) removed from under the gum so that the healing process can begin, this is not something you can do yourself which is why it needs to be done professionally.  

The total cost of your gum treatment will depend on a number of factors:

• Number of teeth affected and the complexity of the disease.
• Response to therapy– Some people respond well initially and with excellent oral hygiene can go back to standard maintenance, in others, the disease will progress more rapidly or not respond as well, in which case repeated session deep cleaning might be necessary to hold on to the teeth as long as possible
• Specialist referral  to a periodontist but initial therapy will start with the dental hygienist or dental therapist.

Our Hygiene team are non-judgemental and will discusses any oral health issues you may have and you can discuss your oral hygiene routine. They will proceed to clean your teeth and gums and use the AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master ® from EMS to remove staining and brighten your smile. Your hygienist or dental therapist then demonstrates how to use floss or interdental brushes and discusses any oral hygiene concerns you may have. They will advise you on how to clean and show you the best techniques and recommend the correct detail products for optimum oral health and hygiene to keep your smile healthy.

Our Hygiene treatments all include Airflow, which uses air and Erythritol powder with a gentle jet stream of warm water to remove biofilm and surface stains caused by everyday food and drink or tobacco. You will immediately see and feel the difference. Airflow is kind to the tooth surface; it will significantly improve tooth brightness and give you a noticeably sparkling fresh healthy mouth in an instant. (Picture of Hygiene Treatment)

We offer Guided Biofilm Therapy – a personalised dental hygiene treatment for children to target and remove biofilm/plaque deposits, which are otherwise damaging to teeth and gums. It is a minimally invasive, safe and gentle treatment, which also reduces the need for hand and sonic/ultrasonic instrumentation. It ensures superior cleaning, the session begins with the use of a disclosing agent, which highlights the plaque present on the teeth, even those not visible to the naked eye. This helps your child to understand the areas requiring concentration when brushing and also allows us to ensure complete biofilm removal. A comfortable treatment for children and encourages positive dental experiences.